Jenica Flippo

I've been really lucky to work with some really great people that have pushed me, and sometimes it's a little bit more difficult than I would like, but I think I've worked with a few really great mentors and restaurant owners that have believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. My mom has a lot to do with it. She's a single mother, and she did it all on her own. She still works two jobs, and she's a hard worker, and so knowing that she's done this, I can keep pushing and trying my own things.

I think asking for help. I think a lot of us like to figure it all out on your own. Asking for help, advice, speaking to people, especially women, that have done this before you, it just allows you to feel not alone in entrepreneurial moments when you feel like it's too big to do on your own. It makes you feel like you have a community, and also just having advice. It's okay to get a little bit of that along the way.

Just go for it. If there's a restaurant you want to go for, just apply, even if you feel like you don't have the chops to back it up. Don't lie, but show that you're eager, and show that you're willing to work hard. This restaurant business is a grind, it's difficult, it's not for the faint of heart, but it's one of the most rewarding fields. If you don't feel like you've got it, I've applied to so many jobs that I was not qualified for. When I got it, you have a little imposter syndrome, but you remind yourself that you got it for a reason, and somebody saw something in you, and you show up. You study, you learn, you take the initiative, you ask for the help. And you're gonna do great things.

The biggest challenge is uncertainty in this business. Everybody's really scared right now. It's really hard to convince people to spend their money on you. The greatest opportunity is people looking for a way to bring restaurants and the wine industry back to where it was, providing a service that allows people to go back to the good old days, having a place that encourages community and opening a bottle of wine, getting rid of the pretense, coming back to hospitality.

Transparency. Whether that's through promoting wines that are transparent in the way that they're made, the way that they honor the environment and sustainability purposes, transparent in my pricing, transparent in what I bring to the table. That goes all the way through to my personal life. I like to be very transparent. I'm sometimes a little too honest, but I'm a very transparent and open person. That's the only way people get to really know you and what you bring to the table.