The PodcastEPISODE #3 - Napa Valley Wine Couple Ryan & Crystal Waugh - Part 1
The Waugh Family Winery narrowly escaped the devastation of the Napa Valley fires. In the wake of all that, the Waughs were good enough to take us into the cave at their winery, serve samples of their wines, and talk about the synergy that catapulted Ryan's micro-winery business--which began in a rented garage--into a micro-empire of in-demand and hard-to-get product sold to a nationwide customer base that is much like an extended family. CLICK HERE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF PLACES TO HEAR THIS SHOW FOR ITUNES, CLICK HERE FOR SOUNDLCOUD, CLICK HERE DOWNLOAD THE MP3 BY RIGHT-CLICKING HERE AND SELECTING "SAVE AS" |
THE SHOW NOTES
LOGLINE: Ryan started his business in a rented garage, doing everything himself, until Crystal helped evolve the business into a burgeoning micro-empire—and their business plan was influenced by an episode of Seinfeld.
Some takeaways
- Staying true to your values
- How compromise is important
- The things they do differently from competing brands
- The importance of balance
Summary
- Ryan talks about their brand (02:05)
- The story of how Ryan and Crystal met (03:18)
- How family is the core of their business (09:13)
- Ryan talks about how the business began in a rented garage (11:08)
- How the business grew from the garage into a giant, custom-built wine cave (13:16)
- How Crystal joined the business, shaping it and evolving it (15:43)
- The impact of transitioning the business model from wholesale to selling direct to customers (17:18)
- How they’re different from competing brands (18:29)
- How they balance family life and work (19:36)
- The pivotal moment when Ryan discovered epic wine and it altered his career path (22:28)
- Crystal brings her professional background in commercial buying and corporate recruitment (24:41)
- Was Crystal worried about running a business with her partner? (26:54)
- How the business grew after Crystal joined (28:38)
- How they work together (29:52)
- The importance of focusing on balance—both in the wines and in life (31:43)
- The issue of bringing work home with them, and how they make that work (36:39)
- The interaction they have with their wine club members (38:52)
- How they have authentically built a cult brand and the power of patience (41:40)
Links
https://www.waughfamilywines.com/
http://www.waughcellars.com/
http://www.sixdegreeswine.com/
https://www.thecavesatsodacanyon.com/