Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chris Noll, co-founder, and President of STEL+MAr Wines, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.

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

STEL+MAR Wines is a transitional winery that is thriving with the hard-to-reach younger wine drinker and growing the wine segment. High scoring and award-winning California wine that uses light glass bottles for a low carbon footprint + 85% certified sustainable grapes. Our labels are created by artist Steph Cheng whose original creations champion inclusion, equality, and diversity. Along with high scores from Wine Spectator, Tasting Panel, and Wine Enthusiast.

We are proud to announce that we have been called out via Beverage Dynamics as the coveted Wine Rising Stars. - hitting 30,000 cases sold last year and triple-digit growth.

Tell us about yourself

When I was 5, I started playing hockey. I chose the position of center because you could go anywhere on the ice. In my late 20's, I started my first business and haven't slowed down yet. Like playing center, being an entrepreneur carries a lot of hard work, but you can go anywhere you want. If you want to change the world, go do it; if you want to create great wine, go do it. There are no excuses for failure because if you do what you love, you will love what you do. And that gets me up every day, excited to see where we go.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

You should always measure the health of your business on the health of your family. It's that simple. My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is being a good husband and being a great dad to our three amazing children.

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

I said above, you can go anywhere, and that's what I love. But the hardest thing is always done. We have enough money to get there. View money, credit facilities, and investors as your fuel. Do you have enough to get from the beginning to the end of your idea?

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

  1. Write down all the things you can do amazing on a piece of paper - these are things that come to you naturally. Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Legal.
  2. On the second piece of paper, write all the things you struggle with.
  3. Get to work - Find people to do all the things that don't come naturally to you, and don't hire/partner with anyone that can do the things you do - you won't have enough money at any point in the business and duplicates are not productive. For instance, If you're great at sales, hire a CFO; if you are great at marketing, partner with a strong sales type.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Whatever you do, do what's best or better for the environment. We do everything we can with STEL+MAR to lessen our effect as a winery; after all, its named STEL+MAR, for Stella, my 8-year-old daughter, and my business partners Son Marcus, eight years old (Stella & Marcus) - light glass bottles for a low carbon footprint, certified sustainable grapes, partnership, and collaborations with Environmental Non-profits. Also, be kind; business can be tough, but it's better for the world if more people are just kind. Making money doing everything kindly feels better.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://stelandmar.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stelandmar/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stelandmar/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stelandmar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-noll-06b487195/

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.