Kathleen Smith, DipWSET

I attribute my success to not listening to the noise and really following my gut, carving a niche for myself, and being true to myself. Following that inner voice means you can't go wrong, and there won't be any regrets along the way. It took me years to figure out what direction to go - was it just working with wineries, was it this, was it that? I spent at least two to three years while I was studying and at the beginning of the journey figuring out what to focus on. It's like following that windy road until you find that road that you feel comfortable on, and then you just go. As they say, this year is the year of the fireworks in Chinese - get on that horse, and you either get on with me and enjoy the ride, or get out of my way. My ability to relate with people on a personal level is key. When I interview someone, I don't ask information you can find through chat GPT or the internet. I ask non-traditional questions that catch people off guard, and because of my outgoing, bubbly personality, I'm able to make connections. It's also about relating the story in a very interactive, relatable, personal way for the average consumer, whether they're a wine aficionado or just plain interested in learning something new. The goal is that it leaves a mark with each individual, broadens their curiosity and knowledge.

The best career advice I've ever received is don't listen to the noise. I have been guilty in the beginning of my journey - advice is like 2 cents, everybody has 2 cents. It can be very overwhelming when you're new in a completely brand new country and industry. Unfortunately, as a woman in a male-dominated industry, even though it is changing, there were a lot of advancements that were not professional. But you have to know how to deal with that anywhere you are and live. The most important thing is not listening to the noise and really following your gut, because carving a niche for yourself and being true to yourself and following that voice means you can't go wrong, and there won't be any regrets along the way.

I have a few points on that. First, find a mentor, or two, especially a woman who's lived it. I've actually signed up with Les Dames d'Escoffier to be a mentor because I learned a lot of do's and don'ts along the way, just through trial and error. Number two, don't be afraid to ask questions. No question is stupid. Three, again, don't let anybody bring you down. Don't let the naysayers tell you, oh, you know, you don't have a big enough voice, or you're not pretty enough, or you're not this, or you're not that. Nope. Follow your own path. There's a saying in the wine industry - if you want to make a small fortune in the wine industry, you start with a big one. It's a running joke. I'm not doing this to become wealthy. I'm just happy to cover my expenses. I'm doing it because I love what I do. It's not about the money.

There are a couple of challenges right now. The current global economic situation has impacted a lot of opportunities. I had a lot of opportunities planned, and last year was impacted by President Trump being elected and tariffs, so a lot of opportunities got put on hold. But other opportunities came in - one door opened, another door closed. Same thing for this year. Because of the global economic situation, certain things have shifted how I thought the year would go, but other things are happening. So I'm still very positive about the second half of the year. In the wine industry specifically, people are drinking less, and there's more options as opposed to wine. Global consumption has gone down a lot for health reasons and the fact that marijuana has been legalized in a lot of different places. There are also alternative drinks with no alcohol, though when you look at the amount of sugar in these no-alcohol drinks, it's problematic. Spirits are also becoming more prevalent because of cocktail making, so the wine industry is getting more creative, offering wine as part of a mixer for cocktails as opposed to spirits.

The most important values to me are maintaining balance between professional and family life, staying true to myself, and being positive. It's a fine balance - I have to admit it's challenging because my daughters are teenagers right now, so it's easier on one hand, but they handle things differently. I'm able to juggle 15 balls in the air, but it is a fine balance of maintaining the family connection and balance at the same time as keeping the professional momentum going, because I'm a one-man show building something from nothing. It's really important for me for my daughters to see that they can be a mom, they can be a partner, they can be career-oriented, and they can be a woman. They can do it all. Some days will be harder with one, two, three, and four, or maybe all four in the same day. It is not easy. But it's really important for me for them to see that. I'm a very positive glass-half-full person - things will always work out. No matter what's going on in the world right now with impending wars and the global economic situation, I stay positive. Fitness has always been an important component in my life since I was a kid, and as an adult, it became just a regular routine. I also meditate before I go to bed with simple breathing exercises to just shut the mind down and relax.