Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dave Ficeli, owner of Goosecross Cellars, located in Yountville, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Goosecross Cellars is a family-owned boutique winery based in Napa Valley. My wife Christi and I own and run the winery along with our team. We grow and produce estate wines off our 10-acre ranch in Yountville. Nearly all of our wines are available only at the winery or through our website. We have an awesome group of both long-time and new customers, many of whom have visited our winery many times over the years.

While there are several great winery options in the Napa Valley, we like to think we offer something a little different. We focus on providing serious wines in a relaxed, more laid-back atmosphere—combining innovative viticulture and winemaking with some of the hospitality and friendliness of "old Napa." We believe that paying attention to the details makes all the difference, both in our winemaking and hospitality experience. In the end, we are a relationship-driven business, so our efforts surround building those relationships by providing a customer-centric wine country experience for our guests.

Tell us about yourself

I have been involved in various wine businesses and other entrepreneurial pursuits over the last 20+ years. Throughout my career, I have been involved in all aspects of wine, including marketing, sales, winemaking, and viticulture. I have worked at large wine companies, wine start-ups, and everything in between. I most like that wine touches so many aspects of business, including agriculture, hospitality, production, and marketing. But the thing I like most about working with wine is that it brings folks together. And the view is pretty awesome too!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Balance, or at least striving for balance while always ensuring we keep the "family" in the family business. A key part of allowing all of this to remain in balance is to continue to find enjoyment in both what we do and how we do it together. A crucial element (and difficult task) is making sure that we are able to "turn off" business most of the time when we are not at the winery or working and focus on our family life. While this is essential and an ongoing effort, we like to think we have been pretty successful at it!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

No one gives you a project list or to-do list. You create the action plan and determine who needs to do what and when. Prioritization of tasks can be a challenge as it all seems important. Determining what really "needs" to be accomplished versus what would be nice to accomplish can be challenging.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Understand the costs involved in running and growing your business.
  2. When in doubt, spend your time developing your team and connecting with customers.
  3. Make sure you're passionate about what your doing - this will carry you through the hard days... and those are inevitable.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Do not be afraid to stumble and even fail. The ability to accept that you may not succeed in an endeavor is an essential component of all the entrepreneurs' DNA I know. These learnings are part of the process and, in most cases, inevitable at some point. Be as prepared as you can be heading into a new challenge, and then prepare to be flexible and resilient. Enjoy the ride.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://goosecross.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goosecross/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goosecrosscellars/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/goosecross
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goosecross-cellars/

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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