[Women of Wine] You Can’t Drive a Car Looking in the Rearview Mirror

Deborah Brenner

Deborah Brenner is the Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits. She graduated from the University of Delaware with degrees in English and Journalism, and was soon hired by a television and film technology company that required international travel to countries for whom wine is a part of everyday life. After over 20 years in the male-dominated field of high-end technology — and owning a marketing and public relations firm — Deborah discovered during a fortuitous trip to Napa and Sonoma that, like herself, many women in the wine industry were under-recognized.

Compelled to tell their stories, she authored a best-selling collection of profiles on women in the wine industry, Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste, and Enjoy Wine, which Wine Spectator named a Critical Read of 2007. Through the process of writing the book and championing its subjects, Deborah became inspired to enter the wine business herself, releasing wine from a first-of-its-kind collective of seven artisan women winemakers from Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. This endeavor led to the inaugural Women of the Vine Global & Spirits Global Symposium in March of 2015. What started off as a one-off event and a grassroots movement quickly expanded into a global organization, with corporate and individual members connected across 23 countries. Women of the Vine Global & Spirits Global Symposium has become a catalyst for creating a positive impact in the alcohol beverage industry by giving women across the world a platform and a voice to thrive.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Deborah Brenner’s experience running a marketing and PR business in a male-dominated field and how that helped start her current business
  • Deborah talks about her inspiration to write Women of the Vine and her motivation to enter the wine industry
  • How Women of the Vine & Spirits was born and how the idea for Women of the Vine Global & Spirits Global Symposium came about
  • What has led to Deborah’s success in the wine industry, the most impactful piece of advice she has received from a mentor, and how her foundation serves the community
  • Deborah’s advice to a woman struggling to reinvent herself — and her future plans for Women of the Vine & Spirits
  • Deborah talks about her superpower, her work towards diversity, equity, and inclusion, and she shares her contact details

In this episode…

A person’s character is not judged by how many times they fall down but by how many times they get up and move forward. It is normal to have self-doubt once in a while, but that should not make one abandon their dreams or stop pursuing their goals.

Women often have a problem facing their critical self which limits how much they can achieve in their lives. Deborah Brenner advises fellow women leaders to stop dwelling on mistakes made in the past. When things don’t work out as planned, just bless, release, and move on to other things. You also need to have faith, believe in yourself, and work towards overcoming fear. Want to learn more about becoming a strong leader who empowers others?

In this episode of the Lead Like A Woman Show, Andrea Heuston is joined by Deborah Brenner, the Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits, to talk about wine, social entrepreneurship, and being a woman in a historically male-dominated industry. Deborah also talks about overcoming fear, the Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation, cultivating a more equitable world, and her advice to women on reinventing themselves.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

[Women of EO] The Butterfly Years

Katty Douraghy

Katty Douraghy is an entrepreneur, facilitator, podcast host, and author. She is the President of Artisan Creative, a staffing and recruitment agency focusing on digital, creative, and marketing talent, and the Founder of Inspiring Hiring, an online resume and job posting portal. Katty is also a team and retreat facilitator, working closely with entrepreneurs to become better versions of themselves.

Raised in San Francisco, London, and Tehran, Katty brings a multicultural perspective to her interactions. She recently published her first book, The Butterfly Years: A Journey Through Grief Toward Hope, to share the lessons learned during a long period of grief and mourning that has led to a path towards help. She is currently working on her second project, bringing together her experience with grief and her background in facilitation to create a daily journal tentatively called Hope in Grief, to be released in 2021. She believes we all have a story to share, and that our greatest journey towards hope and healing is through self-reflection and self-discovery.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • How Katty Douraghy started working at Artisan Creative and how she manages her personal and professional life
  • How the 2008 economic downturn helped push Artisan Creative to go virtual
  • What inspired Katty to start Cre8action and Inspiring Hiring, and how did grief drive her to write The Butterfly Years: A Journey Through Grief Toward Hope?
  • What Katty is currently focused on and how growing up in various cities has helped her business interactions
  • Katty’s mentor — and the most impactful advice she has received from him
  • Katty offers advice to women dealing with grief and talks about what she is currently curious about
  • How Entrepreneurs’ Organization has impacted Katty’s life
  • Katty talks about her superpower and shares her contact details

In this episode…

At some point in life, everyone goes through a phase of grief due to the loss of a loved one, be it a family member, a friend, or a work colleague. Every person’s pain or experience of loss tends to be different from others, even if they all knew the deceased.

When Katty Douraghy lost very close members of her family, she went through a tough time and often judged herself harshly on whether or not she was grieving enough. In addition to this, she often compared herself to others. However, she soon came to realize that grieving does not have to be the same for everyone: it is okay to do it your own way.

Katty Douraghy, the President of Artisan Creative, joins Andrea Heuston in this episode of the Lead Like A Woman Show to talk about her experience and advice on dealing with grief. Katty also talks about writing her book, The Butterfly Years, and how being a member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization has impacted her life.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

Yes, You Can

Audrey Darrow

Audrey Darrow is the Founder and CEO of Earth Source Organics, which produces Righteously Raw Chocolate bars. A survivor of breast cancer, Audrey experienced firsthand the debilitating effects of chemotherapy, radical surgeries, and long-term radiation. On her journey to recovery, she was overwhelmed by the expense of the nutritious foods she needed to help her heal. To afford those foods, Audrey took a job at a local health food store. While her body was still dealing with all the negative effects of the treatment, she worked long hours at a painful — and often emotionally draining — job just to be able to eat healthy. This led her to create her first chocolate product in 2007, and Righteously Raw Chocolate and Earth Source Organics began to come to light.

Audrey began the journey of creating and building a manufacturing facility for her organic, raw chocolate line and a co-packing business to help other small businesses get their dreams off the ground. Three months after launching Righteously Raw Chocolate, the most horrific event in Audrey’s life happened when her beautiful daughter, Jaymie Rose Darrow, passed away suddenly from a drowning accident. Audrey knew that Jaymie was still very much a part of her vision, and so together in spirit, Jaymie helped her mom follow her dream.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Audrey Darrow talks about her award-winning sandwich shop, Le Deli, in San Diego
  • How battling breast cancer led to the creation of Audrey’s first product: a food bar
  • The value of eating healthy food as an alternative form of medicine
  • How the life and death of Jaymie Rose has impacted Audrey’s business
  • What has led to the success of Earth Source Organics?
  • Audrey talks about a pitfall she has faced in her business and what she learned from it 
  • The product line for Earth Source Organics and where to purchase them
  • Audrey’s superpower and contact details

In this episode…

Every entrepreneur gets excited about starting a new business, despite all the possible challenges they are likely to face in their entrepreneurial journey. There are times when you will hit walls and need to go back to the drawing board. However, in order to grow and scale as an entrepreneur, you must believe in yourself and your businesses.

Growing a successful business involves making the right decisions. Entrepreneurs must be confident, courageous, and believe in themselves, even if other people don’t acknowledge their ideas. Audrey Darrow advises entrepreneurs to never allow anyone to define their identity. They should instead believe in their intelligence, their capabilities, and their ideas.

In this episode of the Lead Like A Woman Show, Audrey Darrow, the Founder and CEO of Earth Source Organics, joins Andrea Heuston to talk about her entrepreneurial journey and what she has learned about believing in herself. Audrey also explains how her daughter helped market her young business, what she learned about hiring the right people for her business, and how her hardships have driven her to pursue fulfilling opportunities.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

Examine Your Mindset

Dr. Pamela Ellis

Dr. Pamela Ellis is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Compass Education Strategies and Compass College Advisory Center. Known as “The Education Doctor,” she is an award-winning educator and best-selling author of What to Know Before They Go. She has visited over 450 college campuses to help teens find a college that feels like home and partner with parents to avoid overpaying.

After earning her BA at Stanford, Dr. Ellis earned an MBA at Dartmouth then received a Ph.D. from the Stanford School of Education. Over the past five years, 95% of her students have been admitted to their top choice colleges and received an average of $75,000 in scholarships.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • What drove Dr. Pamela Ellis to start helping students through Compass Education Strategies?
  • Dr. Ellis talks about getting a Ph.D., starting her first business, and how the “access, thrive, graduate” mantra came about
  • Why Dr. Ellis is referred to as “The Education Doctor” and her reasons for writing What to Know Before They Go
  • Dr. Ellis talks about her content around delegating, how to balance life roles without feeling guilty, and shares ideas women can use to practice self-care
  • What Dr. Ellis is currently focused on — and what led to her success with Compass Education Strategies and College Advisory Center
  • The value of having and showing gratitude
  • What Dr. Ellis loves most about her work
  • The most impactful piece of advice Dr. Ellis has received from a mentor and her advice to women struggling with guilt
  • Dr. Ellis talks about her superpower and shares her contact details

In this episode…

Mindset is a very powerful tool that every human can utilize. It has the ability to influence people’s lives either positively or negatively based on what it’s fed by the owner. For this reason, women in business and leadership positions should never overlook the power of their mindset. Instead, examine it and change your thoughts for a better life.

In addition, it is important that women understand the value of taking care of themselves. Oftentimes the guilt around balancing life roles comes from the failure to take care of oneself. Women often concentrate on their spouses, kids, and other family members, and in the process overlook their own wellbeing. This often leads to resentment, guilt — and in severe cases — bitterness. So, what are some actionable tips to help you take care of yourself, your family, and cultivate a positive mindset?

Dr. Pamela Ellis, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Compass Education Strategies and Compass College Advisory Center, joins Andrea Heuston in this episode of the Lead Like A Woman Show where she talks about the need for examining one’s mindset and practicing self-care. She also talks about the importance of showing gratitude and following the path towards your passion. Stay tuned to hear all of Dr. Ellis’s strategies!

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

[Women Presidents’ Organization Series] Bring It to Life

Lara Nikola

Lara Nikola is the Founder and President of Smart Sips Coffee, an exciting brand of unique flavored coffees, decaf, lattes, cappuccinos, and hot chocolate. She is an award-winning entrepreneur who has been featured on Good Morning America, where she swam with the sharks from Shark Tank. She has been interviewed on Fox and Friends, Money Magazine, and iHeartRadio. Lara was featured on the cover of NJBIZ and in ROI-NJ. Her products have been featured in US Weekly and Reader’s Digest.

Lara left her corporate advertising career eight years ago to start Smart Sips Coffee and has grown the company into a successful national brand. Her diverse marketing expertise helped her level the digital playing field and compete in the highly competitive coffee space. She created a niche building a brand based on creativity, innovation, and products that insert excitement into the daily coffee drinking routine. She is a member of the WPO, Women Presidents’ Organization, and a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certified company. Through her exemplary leadership, exceptional community advocacy work, and sustainable competitive edge, Lara has received numerous outstanding accolades and recognition. She is a New Jersey native, wife, and mother of two.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Lara Nikola talks about her drive to become an entrepreneur and start Smart Sips Coffee
  • Lara discusses working with her husband, her coffee flavors, the value of listening to customers, and what she is currently working on
  • How Lara leads like a woman — and how Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) has impacted her life and business
  • The most impactful piece of advice Lara has received from a mentor
  • What is the most challenging part of growing and scaling a business?
  • Lara’s advice for young females going into entrepreneurship
  • What Lara loves most about her work and where to find her flavored coffee products
  • Lara talks about her superpower and shares her contact details

In this episode…

Building a new business can be very challenging for first-time women entrepreneurs, especially if they don’t have a supportive community of fellow business owners. Some people may not understand what the entrepreneur is trying to build and may even try to discourage them from pursuing their dreams.

Having gone through this same challenge and learning from experience, Lara Nikola empowers other women and helps provide the resources they need to build successful businesses. She advises and encourages them to keep moving forward despite all the obstacles they face in their entrepreneurial journey. She also encourages them to embrace failure, pivot when things hit a wall, and pay attention to what their customers say.

Lara Nikola, the Founder and President of Smart Sips Coffee, joins Andrea Heuston in this episode of the Lead Like A Woman Show, where she talks about building a flavored coffee brand and empowering women leaders. Lara also explains why she became an entrepreneur and talks about some of the challenges she has faced scaling her business. Stay tuned for more!

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.