Heidi Scheid, Executive Vice President, Scheid Family Wines (Monterey, California, USA)

Years in Industry:

I joined the wine industry the year my daughter was born so her age is my reminder: 29 years! But I fell in love with wine a few years before that. It was 1987 and I was a restaurant manager at the very first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills, which back in the day had a small but wonderful wine list of California producers. The owners sat me down to taste through the wines; I had one sip of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon and it was a ‘wow’ moment. I had waitressed my way through high school and college and had peripheral knowledge of wine but there was something about sitting down and really tasting, discussing and learning about the wines that was so different, it changed how I thought about it. Although I ended up going back to school to earn my MBA and pursue a career in finance, that exposure created a new connection for me. 

Flash forward a few years to 1992, I was on maternity leave from Ernst & Young, visiting my dad and brother at the family grape growing operation which was then called Monterey Farming Corp. With baby in tow, I started helping out and, well, never went back to my corporate job. I joined as Director of Planning, then VP of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, then SVP and now EVP. I’ve been incredibly lucky that my career has been able to evolve alongside the growth of our family business, from a wine grape grower and supplier to other wineries, to a full-fledged branded goods company. Our recent brand launch, a ‘better for you’ wine called Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, is a joy to work on, and my passion for the most unique, history-filled, complex, delicious beverage in the world continues to grow every day.
 
My Top Three Challenges to Wellness:

1. Monkey Mind: My mind can hop around a lot. I used to pride myself on the mistaken belief that I was a great multi-tasker. I’m not. In fact, I don’t think anyone really is. It takes effort to be present in the moment and really focus your entire being on what’s in front of you rather than the other million things that may hopscotch across your mind.

2. Healthy Diet: I put in a lot of hours and I don’t love going to the market or cooking. Therein lies the problem lol. I often find myself going, “Shoot! It’s already 7:30pm and I’m starving!” Cue DoorDash and something that probably isn’t balanced and healthy. My daughter says, “Mom, you’ve got to meal plan!” but I’m just not into it. I choke down a few green juices every week hoping that it’ll make up for my less-than-healthy diet.

3. Laziness: Just keeping it real here. Like many of us, I have an on again/off again relationship with exercise and sometimes my love of sleep/Netflix/chocolate chip cookies wins out over lacing up the running shoes. My desire to be healthy doesn’t always prevail but I give myself a pep talk and remind myself that it’s just the first 10 minutes that suck….after that, it feels pretty great! And bonus points if you get it done in the morning cuz then you get to gloat all day.

How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:

We all know there’s no secret to physical wellness: sleep well, eat healthy, exercise regularly. But mental health can be more elusive. I used to beat myself up when I was younger, always feeling like I needed to do more and be more. I would go so far as to say I was unkind to myself and saved my harshest words for my inner conversations. It’s one of the great benefits of age: perspective. At a certain point you realize that 90% of what you worry and stress about doesn’t even really matter in the grand scheme of things. In the moment, it can be difficult to keep that outlook but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it easier to identify what is actually at the root of my stress and just that acknowledgment goes a long way in alleviating it. I think the biggest part of wellness is recognizing joy and allowing yourself to be happy. And enjoying a nice glass of wine at the end of the day sure doesn’t hurt.

What Inspires Me:

Wow, so much! Many people – my parents, my colleagues, anyone who is trying hard and putting in the effort – are inspiring. Travel is inspiring, seeing how language can separate us but something as simple as a smile brings us together. Nature is inspiring, whether it’s the vastness of the ocean or seeing the world from a mountain peak and realizing how insignificant some of the things we worry about really are.

 
Quotes I Love:
“Everything in moderation.” – My Mom

“Life is just an adventure.” – My Dad

Connect with Heidi on Instagram, Facebook and through the Scheid Family Wines website.