Excerpts 

How This Book Works

This book is a manual to get you as prepared as possible for every “right” encounter that you’ll have throughout the course of your career. Success is where opportunity meets preparation and I promise you those opportunities are coming. They might be in the form of promotions, meeting an investor for your new business, or getting that chance to meet your boss on a more personal level. But having something worth saying and possessing an air of confidence, will take you a long way.

We can all earn a seat at the executive “decision table” in the highest levels of many corporations. We can also leave room at our own table for the talent coming up right behind us in the companies we choose to launch. Whatever dream you have, articulate it now and remember that you are only several relationships away from achieving it.

Wine on Wisdom is my story. It’s a decade’s worth of my business experience and how wine supplemented my efforts to get ahead. If you ever get a chance to attend one of my classes, you’ll see that my approach to skills training is just how this book is organized – “one glass at a time.”

On this journey, I will walk you through concepts with replicable steps to follow that achieve similar results. We’ll then break between business topics for a walk down the wine aisle where I share why wine is my passion and how to get more versed on the subject for yourself. There are learning outcomes, anecdotes, things to ponder, and suggested readings for much of what we talk about. Take your time and think through your responses to the text. After all, once you’ve read this book, you’ll be equipped with keys to unlock barriers that may have been holding you back from cultivating the very relationships you want most.

Take your time, get encouraged, and think about what your passions are. Along the way you’ll begin to learn that focusing on the right people consistently, and articulating why you are worth knowing (because you are), will propel you toward the access that you need to realize your dreams.

Having a subject matter unique to your interests and hobbies will prove highly beneficial when talking with peers and leadership. Being able to converse on interesting non-work related topics, can exponentially helped deepen connections with influential people.

 For some, it’s sports and for others it’s art or music. For me it’s wine. So, this book will offer a combination of work and fun. Effort and ease. For every topic such as public speaking and personal branding, there will be a wine lesson and tasting opportunity to follow. The aspects of business are important, but much like a dessert wine brings out the taste in chocolate, whatever your passion is, it brings out the star quality in you that can’t be ignored or overlooked.

I can’t tell you how many times I sat in team meetings or stood at networking events and purposefully spoke up about a wine bottle that I was newly obsessed with. And there were many times that I shared stories about a vineyard that I visited on vacation. Seeing the interest come to life on those faces and watching the body language adjust to warm welcomes and smiles was an adrenaline rush for me. After a quick chat about my favorite chardonnay or tempranillo, all of a sudden the people around me were that much more interested in the other ideas I had to share such as my company or past experience with a particular organization. I’m sure this is the same for your friends who run their own football fantasy leagues or who can’t stop talking about their favorite basketball players. The point is, if it’s important to you and if it’s a great story, share it as often as you can. Easily enough, people connect when they like the same things. People can also connect with you when you have an understanding of something cool they know nothing about.

So join me on this journey of learning and journaling of your thoughts. At some point you might want a bottle of some fun and fancy wine. Becoming an educated wine buyer without a stuck-up stereotypical label of pretentiousness is just the tip of the iceberg; I’ve got you covered with some down to earth conversation that may launch you into a wine world you might grow to love.

Underneath the shroud of mystery to wine understanding is the truth that no other beverage has such a rich and profound way of connecting people regardless of their socioeconomic background. Know wine, and you’ll impress guests at dinner. Know wine, and you’ll be seen as someone with a unique knowledge base. Know wine and you may fall in love with the history. Every bottle has a story and I want to make sure that if wine is your “thing” you grow into a more informed professional. If nothing else, I hope to give you a new lens of appreciation for the beauty of a beverage that’s almost as old as time itself. Try the wines I talk about and bring friends along for the ride. Cheers!

Chapter Four

A Sense of Place

One night early in my legal marketing career I was working late and happened to notice a partner walking by my office with a few wine glasses and a bottle of wine. It was the same partner who’d been sending me random assignments by email but barely gave me good mornings in the elevator – mind you I’d been working in that office for a year and half. It was obvious the partner was about to entertain clients that evening, so I figured it was as good a time as any to stop by while she prepared to at least make an attempt to get on her radar. With sweaty palms I found my way down the hall and peaked my head in. Not giving myself any time to reconsider my spontaneity, I immediately leaped in with a topic to spark brief conversation.

“Good evening, Meagan,” I said.

“Good evening.”

 “Just wanted to stop by and introduce myself formally. I appreciate the analytical projects you’ve been sending my way as of late.”

“No problem. I’ll need utilization by early afternoon tomorrow – Tiffany right?”

“Yes and yes. Will do. By the way, is that a Montrachet? I love French wines. And a bottle like that is well worth every glass.”

“Wine lover? Never would have taken you for the type . . .” she said.

“Definitely. Some of my faves however are from Napa. There are a few brands I’ve come to love.”

“Well, I usually have a bottle or two around most of the time. Feel free to stop by again. Nice talking with you Tiffany.”

Let’s just say her comment about not taking me for the type was certainly a bit unnerving but not surprising. When you’ve been the only person of color in a boardroom for as long as I have, these microaggressions don’t sting quite as much. In any event, I was able to introduce myself and build an instant rapport with that partner because we shared a common interest. It was as simple as that and also the start to a mentor relationship that would impact the way I did business for many years to come.

Being in the right place at the right time is a mantra for life. Great wine operates in the same way. It starts with geography. When I stuck my head in that office I just mentioned, how did I know that Montrachet is a French chardonnay? This is because I was familiar with the geographical importance of chardonnay, and was also familiar with France’s famous wine regions that produce this grape at its best. One of those regions is called Burgundy and it’s famously known worldwide for not only chardonnay but also pinot noir. Montrachet happens to be a village within Burgundy that the wine is named after. There are a several places around the world that you will just need to memorize and learn what they grow well. Once you look up regions that I’ll discuss shortly, you’ll become limitless in your capacity to understand wine. Further, get to know a main winemaking location and then learn what the area is known for, then you too can decipher what’s inside the fancy bottle.

Putting Geography in Context

 Depending on where a country is, the climate will be very different. For the same reason that you don’t grow mangoes in Alaska is the same reason riesling grapes can grow splendidly in Germany and command higher prices than some warmer regions.  as how grapes grow based on a country’s average temperatures. In other words, climate plays a huge role in determining the grape and style of wine that you’ll get.

Generally speaking, cool climates make refreshing and light wines. Warm climates make richer and often heavy alcoholic wines. What does that mean? Well Northern France and Germany make great chardonnays and rieslings. Both are known for being light and refreshing. Warmer regions like Spain and Australia are known for bold reds like tempranillo and shiraz which are heavy, high in alcohol, and loaded with black fruit flavors. Get comfortable with a wine map and plot a course to your nearest wine store.

There are several grapes that you should commit to memory. Sometimes these grapes are blended together but for the sake of this discussion we’ll get to know them individually... 

Chapter Five

Meeting People Where They Are

Trust. It’s usually disguised as the “benefit of the doubt” when you first connect with someone. More often than not, your word is taken at face value by strangers who believe whatever comes out of your mouth if it makes sense. There’s a huge responsibility with this benefit and it’s easily lost when handled without care.

Being honest with your personal brand is vital to building influential relationships. It isn’t hard to run an internet search and discover that the social media strategist you met is actually a college student with a decent website and no experience. Just keep it real. Networking is as much of an art as it is a muscle. Not many people wake up and say, “Yes! I sure can’t wait to walk up to a complete stranger in a crowded party where I don’t know anyone and actively get to know them in an unobtrusive or non-awkward way.” Networking is still exhausting work even once you get the hang of it. However, there are ways to keep it fun.

Because you have a solid personal brand, you’re actually more prepared than you think. The anxiety to meet new people or to engage with acquaintances comes from the fear of rejection and worry that what you have to say won’t be seen as valuable or useful to the person you’re hoping will receive you favorably.

I’m no stranger to that odd-ball “outsider” feeling at events. It’s that exact feeling that everyone dreads hence why the term “networking” raises hairs. I certainly never liked going to events where I didn’t know anyone. It’s awful to see pockets of folks all over an event chatting it up together with you floating by each one hoping for a greeting or non-verbal cue to join the conversation such as a wave or smile that seems to never come. It’s equally awful when you find yourself standing around with no one to talk to for 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes usually feel like an eternity and you either get so turned off that you leave or get stuck with someone you don’t particularly care for. Sometimes you’re left standing in a corner eating one too many crab cakes while everyone else is busy collecting business cards.

Over the years, I’ve developed mechanisms to combat the awkwardness and anxieties about navigating crowds. Making sure I have a wing-man in the room, standing in strategic locations, doing my homework on who’d be there, and having a few good stories ready to share are some of the ways to make “networking” events beneficial and less intimidating. After all, you’re simply trying to create meaningful connections with people and like any relationship building process, you may kiss a few frogs before finding that gem of a contact.

People gravitate to others who are interesting, dynamic, and have an air of confidence. Stories are a phenomenal way to share to your interests and personality in a conversation and is exactly what I do to break the ice. I talk wine any chance I get. I also talk travel and usually have a funny story from my latest international wine adventures to get a good conversation going.

At a client event several moons ago, I found a good spot close to the bar and set up camp, because face it, everyone goes to the bar at least once during the course of an event and you’re bound to meet someone that’s worth remembering as much as you are. This event in particular was a project finance conference after-party and an event covered in middle-aged white men with a lot of political reach and cool stories of their own.

I got to the event a little late so my prime “to-the-right” of the bar spot was already taken. All I could do at that point was introduce myself to the lucky bloke in my spot and asked how he was enjoying the event so far and what takeaways left a mark on him. I, of course, had a glass of wine in my hand and quickly got to asking the stranger about his latest travels. I used that time to learn about him and later transitioned the conversation into my travels, especially my wine travels.

The man’s face quickly lit up and before I knew it, I was describing my favorite food and wine combinations. He shared some of his favorites, too. A few weeks later that same stranger sent me a note that read, “pleasantly surprised by the wine you suggested – never would have thought I’d be a fan. Cheers Tiff!” That person is a great colleague of mine to this day.

Might I add, that was one of three business cards I collected that evening out of the 200+ people in attendance that night. I mention this because people often forget that it’s not the quantity but the quality of connections you build. I may have met 50 people but I’m never in a rush to collect cards or stay in contact unless I see real value from the interaction. Your time is as precious as theirs. Why exchange false promises of staying in touch when you’ve already got the vibe that it will fizzle anyway?

Selectivity is a great tool because you remove the pressure on yourself to get your card to as many hands as possible. You also get to the freedom to focus on one person at a time leaving room for a more genuine exchange of ideas. Good energy is magnetic and the right people will usually pick up on it.

Likeability is a Process

Before you can swim you have to overcome your fear of being underwater. And before you can become a networking maven you have to overcome the anxiety of possible rejection. Your ability to foster a sense of comfortability and genuine admiration from those that cross your...

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  Good morning, folks. Prodigy Gold Books' Jon Henry and Rahiem Brooks have informed me that there was a printing error on hundreds of copies of my book that …

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  Your support through this phase of the journey has been invaluable! My publisher, Prodigy Gold Books, has cleared layouts and profiles with all major book …

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• Update #1 - Many thanks for your support! May 21, 2018

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