Wine Consulting + Tutoring - The Wine Smarties

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lindsay Pomeroy, Owner of The Wine Smarties, located in San Diego, CA, USA.

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

I teach wine classes both live and online. I teach internationally recognized wine certification courses as well as my own custom classes and courses. My clients are quite diverse. I see all ages (21 to 77), all demographics, wine enthusiasts, collectors, as well as wine trade and hospitality professionals. It's very exciting!

Tell us about yourself

I started in the wine biz 20 years ago when I moved to So Cal. I fell in love with it when I had an aged red Bordeaux for the time being. I think it was like 30 years old. I was like, "what is this!?" That was it. What motivates me now? I LOVE teaching about wine, helping people unravel its mystery, and appreciating its complexity. Every wine tells you about itself: where it's from, what happened to it, etc...I love teaching wine enthusiasts what the puzzle pieces are and how to put them together. It's so exciting. I feel like every wine is a puzzle to solve. You can never get bored. Oh, and it's delicious!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Building a thirst for knowledge wine community locally from scratch.

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

Managing it all, including the tedious data entry and spreadsheet activities. Multi-tasking and growing on a resource-limited budget have historically been challenging for me.

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

1. Factor in 30% extra time, money, resources, etc., for everything you are planning.
2. Listen to your customers; they give you clear feedback on what they like, don't like, and want you to do/offer.
3. To quote the musician Fantuzzi, "Blessed are the flexible, for they will never be bent out of shape." Be flexible and humble.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.winesmarties.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewinesmarties
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winesmarties/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/winesmarties
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-pomeroy-mw-winesmarties/

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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