Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in a craft winery but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jason Werner, Founder of Archetype12 Wines, located in Portland, Oregon, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are an artisan craft winery and cidery that crafts our wines based on the ethos and personalities of Carl Jung's primary Archetypes… We've forged five of twelve Archetypes thus far… Our cider project - Terroir Incognito Community-Driven Libations - is, as the name suggests, an urban-foraged crowd-sourced project that harvests fruit from urban and rural sources that otherwise might have otherwise been wasted. It is a part of our commitment to sustainability and fostering greater community ties… As such, our audience begins with that community and extends through networks to forge new communities of people who appreciate wine and cider.
Tell us about yourself
As someone who identifies as both analytic and artistic, and cerebral and hands-on, I struggled to find fulfillment in the traditional business realm… The desire to engage in a tactile craft with the potential to enhance people's lives (when consumed responsibly) combined with the inherent complexities of wine fulfills that search for meaning and purpose while allowing myself to perpetually remain in a beginner's mind state.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Hopefully, whatever happens, tomorrow! But really, like too many of us with an achievement-driven mindset, I struggle to celebrate accomplishments, instead always focusing on the next. At this point, I'm proud to be crafting wines and ciders that resonate with people, and also I'm celebrating my shift to a full-time focus on Archetype12 and Terroir Incognito!
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I don't know if it's a challenge or a blessing but the necessity to approach life with humility since every day presents new opportunities to learn through discovering just how little I know about all aspects of operating a successful business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Approach your endeavor with informed ignorance.
- Find your community, both supporters and champions, and those who help you behind the scenes.
- Maintain a long-term mentality and perspective while still expressing gratitude and celebrating the inevitable wins that come on a day-to-day basis!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://archetype12.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DiscoverTheArchetypes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/JasonRaymondWerner/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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