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Change is a coming

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Hey folks, I’ve been lacking as to writing about all of the wines that I have been drinking as well as wine experiences that I have been enjoying, and there are some reasons for this.  On one hand, some of the things that I am attending are industry only, and they are comprised of wines that are looking for importers [and as I am focused on launching my own label, it’s best not to tell everyone about some of the wines that I would like to add to my portfolio].  On the other hand, telling you about wines that you can’t get here in the US would be of no benefit to anyone.

Truth be told, it is time to switch gears as well as take things to the next level.  The reality is that I also have a job and also do a bunch of freelance projects as well, and that does take up some time, but also pays for my wine.  Over the years, I have formed connections, associations and alliances and have put together a number of events which were taped as the meat for several wine focused television shows.  The truth is I need a good director of photography as well as some executive producers; basically it boils down to a good conductor as well as some folks who can bring in some backing.  In the course of what was done, I learned many things and proved what could and couldn’t be done.  However, I also realized that sometimes you’re just not dealing with the right people to make your vision a reality.  Luckily for me, I have some good people in my corner and I can always count on them.  On the flip side, I do know a ton of people with talents that I can use but getting it out of them is like getting blood out of a rock.

Right now, I am at a crossroads and well as an intersection of things to happen.  I have to choose what things and people to close the door on, what opportunities to open up to other people and what next steps to make.  I am at a point where I know myself, know what I want, know my position, and how I have to go about getting certain things done; good thing that I have been reading magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, Success, Fast Company, Wired and Business 2.0 since around 1992.  For those who don’t know it, my freelancing is doing web and database development for clients around the globe; I am not the best there is, but I am damned good at what I do.  I have been doing web and database development since around 1995 and this has taken me so many places and allowed me to meet so many people.  The job I have is based on a small project I did in 2003 for a client, which led to other work, which led to me developing a proof-of-concept system for him, which led to where I am now.  Between all of what I have read over the years in books and magazines, and the projects that I have done, I have become familiar with so many business models and industries that it is staggering.  You would actually be surprised at some of the things that I have built over these two decades of web development.  I am thankful to God that not only do I have the aptitude to do what I do, but that I also have the aptitude to learn more and more which allows me to stay relevant in the industry and always build solutions for new clients.

And so right now I am at the point in which I know that the wine industry and the plans I have for my own label are perfectly suited for me; this is my dancing in the rain moment and I intend to make the most of it.  But how does it all start?

Right now, I am at the point of trying to raise financing for the label, and part of the financing will be used for filming one or more show concepts exposing and educating people to the wonderful world of wine; some concepts will be for the web, but I really want to put them on cable television [and I do have some leads in regards to cable outlets].  For financing, I am going the way of crowdfunding and I have a master plan for how I want my marketing to go for the first year.  But what happens when I have come across another product that I could bring over for a lot less, meaning not only is the price right, but I won’t have to order so much of it for it to be under my own label?  That’s an interesting conundrum as I have come across a great rose that fits the bill, and I have also come across a wonderful sparkling Spanish wine that I really see catering to a certain market.  The answer is you adapt and so that is what I am doing; the left hand will always focus on what the rhythm is, but the right hand might be free to play freestyle on the melody; some of you musicians out there will know exactly what I am talking about.

I have also decided to get up, build out, and launch a couple other websites of mine focused on two different things.  Who says that they won’t wind up being successful enough to raise exactly what I want?

Part of what I am doing also means that it’s time to move and to move on.  My plan already factored in living in DC for at least three days a week for the first year of the label and then traveling for a few days every couple of weeks to other markets like Atlanta, Maryland, Virginia, Chicago, and New York.  I do have a dream house right outside of Philly that I would love to purchase one day, but in my mind, it won’t even be my main residence.  I have to return to Italy and also travel to Spain and Portugal as well. 

This whole thing is a dream that I have to turn into a reality.  I have done the legwork in the preparation, and so it is now time for the execution.  Over the next three months, you’ll see some changes, and one of them should be some of the show concepts coming alive as well.  I also am looking at opening up the web platforms to let some other people write reviews and what not, so if you’re interested, just hit me up on that.  If you want to help out with the master plan of what I am doing, feel free to hit me on that.  I could use a good PR person as well as a good director of photography and also a CFO.

That’s it and have a wonderful day.  It’s time for me to build this database for this other project of mine.

 

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Our Mission: The Black Winer strives to expose African Americans [and others] to wines, without the flair, stuffiness, and airs of elitism and snobbery that you get from sommeliers and high level wine enthusiasts. We believe in finding something that you like the taste of, outside of the basic brands that you have been force-fed over the years through a combination of ethnically targeted advertising, and what people in your family have historically been drinking.

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