Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kristopher Levy, owner of K. Levy Wine Co., located in Pinehurst, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
K. Levy Wine Co.'s core business is our private wine club. We source wines from boutique and up-and-coming wine brands, mostly from the Pacific Coast, that are phenomenal wines and have a great story. We like to say we are telling the Great American Wine Story as we ship wines directly to our customers that you can't get in a grocery store or wine shop and showcase what these amazing American winegrowers bring to the global wine market. We also do a lot of corporate events and wine tastings, such as employee or client appreciation events and business development events. The third pillar of our business is our marketing and business strategy consulting services that we provide to wine brands that we work with in the club and need help developing corporate strategies and growing their businesses.
Tell us about yourself
As for how I got into wine originally, it all started with my Dad. He would come to town, and when he would visit, he would take his employees out to dinner, and I got to tag along. At the restaurant, the waiter or sommelier would ask if he needed any help ordering wines. And without hesitation, he would look at the wine menu and just start ordering wines for the table without any second thought. It was that confidence that inspired me to begin my wine knowledge journey and truly start learning about wine.
Then, a few years ago, I was out in California for grad school and had opportunities to visit several wine country areas in the central coast, Napa and Sonoma Valleys. While visiting, I had opportunities to connect with these unique wineries that had great stories and even better wines. Over time, I just became known for being the wine guy in my networks, as I would bring fun wines to parties and order wines for the table at dinners. When people started reaching out and asking what wines I would recommend for specific occasions, that made me think I was on to something. Then I woke up one day and figured out I needed to start a wine club so that when people asked me, "Hey Kris, what wines do you recommend?" I could just say join the wine club, and we'll ship those wines to your door. And that's how the wine club was born.
What keeps me going these days is the weekly feedback I get from current customers and past clients who will send me a pic of a bottle and say how much they enjoyed it. I love getting those texts and hearing those stories. It truly inspires me to go out and find better, more unique wines every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner was definitely launching the podcast Everyday Wine with Kris Levy. Getting the podcast off the ground marked a new chapter in our business. The opportunities you have as a podcaster are boundless, and they truly changed our business.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of our biggest challenges within the wine, in general, is just the wine market, compliance, and changes in the economic environment. You need to stay on top of everything and consistently see how the market is changing and find ways to adapt, either by picking wines from up-and-coming areas or finding new segments to market to.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Three pieces of advice I'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business would be to provide value upfront, focus on where you want to go, not where you're going, and focus on relationships.
By providing value upfront, you're opening up a relationship with someone and creating an opportunity for a conversation. That's how business is done, through conversations.
Always focus on where you want to go, not where you're going. I know that may seem counterintuitive, but it's just like driving through a turn on the road. If you look at where you are at in turn, you're going to hit the sides or come out of a lane. But if you look ahead to the end of the turn, where you want to go, you'll start to see how you need to steer the wheel to get to the end. Just the same in business. Look at where you want to be in 3-5 years, and identify the activities and things you need to do consistently every day to achieve that long-term vision.
Finally, focus on relationships. There's a lot more that goes into that, but if you can understand that if you simply have more conversations with people that build more relationships with people and stay connected to those people long enough, eventually, you'll do business together. And if you always do what you say you will do, they'll keep coming back because they know you're dependable.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.krislevy.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealkrislevy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealkrislevy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristopherlevy/
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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