Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sherry Karlo, co-founder, and owner of Karlo Estates, located in Wellington, ON, Canada.

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

Karlo Estates is a winery in Prince Edward County making gold medal scoring wines that just happen to be the first certified vegan wines in the world. Karlo caters to tourists, foodies, vegans, and wine lovers of all ages.

Tell us about yourself

I founded Karlo Estates with my late husband, Winemaker and Wine Judge, Richard Karlo. Together we built an award-winning winery that has earned international accolades and widespread recognition. I curated the portfolio as the Vintner, applying my expertise to package and market the wine. I am a multi-award-winning Entrepreneur with 25 years of experience as a business owner.

From childhood aspirations of becoming an artist to a successful career in advertising, my tenacity and esthetic sensibilities have always served me well. As co-founder, owner, and vintner of Prince Edward County’s Karlo Estates winery, I leverage my talents, plus years of accumulated business, branding, and wine experience. I worked with the winemakers to curate and develop the products that form Karlo’s portfolio, currently at 24 wines structured to suit many tastes and price points.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am proud we brought the winery back into a strong position after Richard died, despite writing off the entire 2014 vintage. I’m proud of us earning 23 gold medal scores in 2021, being named on Vineroutes’ Top 20 wineries two years in a row, and having two wines listed on the Top 50 wines in Ontario. I am proud of how we have been able to quickly pivot during COVID to offer virtual tastings with our mini bottles and create outdoor concerts where everyone can feel safe and have a sense of normalcy during the pandemic. I’m proud that we are considered the “go-to” for award-winning vegan wine.

I am also proud of being named in the Ottawa Business Journal’s Fall 2021 issue among “Eastern Ontario’s 49 power people: A guide to those who are propelling economic growth in the region”. By Michael Curran published October 11th, 2021.

I am also proud to be only the second Canadian winery represented by the prestigious Opimian Wine Club. I’d have to say I’m most proud of the team we have assembled. I’m very proud and grateful for the business genius of Saxe Brickenden, my Partner, and of course, the incredible talent of Derek Barnett and Spencer Mayer, our winemakers. I also could not do this without the help of Sandra Young, our Office Manager, Rick Juscenko, our Vineyard Manager, and our incredible front-of-house team. We are tightly-knit and more like a family than co-workers.

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

I'd say the hardest thing is people management. There are a lot of egos and expectations to juggle. Everyone also learns in different ways and is motivated by different things, so it's important to remain flexible and listen.

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

  1. Do the work on learning your numbers and write a well fleshed-out business plan.
  2. Be prepared to work harder than anyone else for at least ten years.
  3. On the day when you feel you can't do it, pull out your "wins list." When something good happens, write it down and tuck it into a drawer for such occasions. It will remind you you can do it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you are going to earn what a CEO earns, focus on the most important things. Strategic marketing versus tactical production. Be the visionary who delegates to someone else for execution but monitor quality.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.karloestates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarloEstatesWinery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karloestates
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karloestates
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/karlo-estates/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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