Uncorking Potential

Authenticity was the headline act at recent Women in Wine Conference

By Patty Mamula

The importance of connecting with people through stories that move them to action was a recurring theme at the seventh annual Women in Wine Conference. The day-long event, held in June at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, attracted nearly 500 attendees, all eager to learn from female leaders in various industries.

The keynote speaker was dynamic and engaging– a powerful presence. Libra Forde, executive director of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, began by acknowledging her height. “I’m 6 feet 5 inches tall, and I have been since I was 11 years old.” Every woman immediately understood the challenges she faced, with clothing being the most obvious.

Forde’s talk, titled “Turning Ideas into Impact,” used a wine cork as a metaphor. “Your ability isn’t holding you back. It’s your cork,” she stated. “What stops you from being bold? What’s holding your pressure?”

She explained that the true purpose of a cork is to release the story. When the time comes, the story is ready to be poured.

Forde shared her personal story of uncorking her potential. Many years ago, she was trapped in an abusive relationship while raising three young children. Her confidence was at an all-time low when she was invited to join the local Hawaiian chapter of Toastmasters. Forde soon began experiencing success, earning many public speaking awards. Competing at higher and higher levels, she was invited to represent the state in a competition where she had planned a well-rehearsed talk. Yet, as she walked onto the stage, Forde suddenly felt compelled to speak instead about her own experience with abuse. Although she lost the competition, Forde’s story resonated with women in the audience, many revealing their abusive situations to her. Unexpectedly, she experienced a renewed sense of her own power by “risking the vulnerability.”

“You are your best advocate, your best support. When do you start cheering yourself on?” she asked.

Using humor and honesty, Forde engaged attendees with her authenticity. She didn’t have to wait long after inviting audience members to share what might be holding them back.

One volunteer, Lauren Francis, an afternoon speaker on a panel focused on entrepreneurial thinking, shared how her personal cork was not having a college education. Even after building three successful companies, earning millions, she admitted, “I did not go to college. It wasn’t for me.”

Instead, at 28 years old, she bought a vacuum and cleaning supplies and started Maid in America, a cleaning service, with only $800. Francis learned the importance of following your skills, a piece of entrepreneurial advice she wholeheartedly champions. Eventually, Francis sold the company, with over 100 employees, for $700,000.

Early on, she realized the value of reputation. “It’s everything,” she recalled. “How you show up for people matters. Motivation that comes from the heart matters.”
At 60 years old, a time when many people start thinking about retirement, Francis launched her third venture, Mulberry Talent Partners. The Portland-based recruiting and staffing company, focused on connecting people and providing exemplary service, also offers leadership coaching.

Over time, Francis learned to believe in herself, overcoming her personal roadblock about lacking a college degree and building on her past successes.
Another afternoon speaker, Mary Czarnecki, founder of Sticky Note Marketing, led a workshop about “Owning Your Story.” She began by observing how “we make decisions based on stories. They captivate, influence and activate us. There’s no perfect story. What’s important is impact.”

Developing “The Why Story” helps create clarity and alignment while demonstrating the creator’s values. The first step is to define the purpose. Is it to inspire, motivate, or create a cohesive team? Then share the event or moment. Talk about the “before and after.” Include sensory and emotional details. She instructed attendees to partner up and develop their “Why Story.”

Czarnecki’s presentation started with a story about enrolling at an East Coast college. She pointed to a photo of the school’s female crew team on the cover of the college magazine, promising her family she would join it. They scoffed since Czarnecki had never exhibited any natural athletic abilities. True to her word, she eventually stood on a podium to accept a medal for her crew team’s winning performance. This “Why Story” demonstrated her dream-building ability and the power of believing in oneself.

Lois Cho, who co-founded CHO Wines with winemaker husband Dave, led a workshop about using social media to boost sales. Their winery, the first in Oregon owned by Korean-Americans, has a compelling story, adeptly shared online by Lois.

“We grew our brand over social media these past five years,” said Lois. “The majority of people we engage with are Millennials,” she added. This demographic group grew up with digital technology and social media, often relying on Instagram when planning entertainment and travel. “I, too, am a Millennial, and have always liked scrapbooking and taking pictures,” she recalled.

In 2020, during the heart of the pandemic, they pre-launched CHO Wines on Instagram, going from 200 to 4,000 followers using direct messaging, IG Live, stories and merchandise giveaways.

“A year later, we released our first wine, advertising via Instagram and word-of-mouth,” Lois observed.

The following year, the couple purchased 77 acres in Hillsboro for a vineyard. In 2023, Lois posted a TikTok video about the winery’s beginnings. She blended a carousel of pictures with their story, including the struggles and challenges, adding trendy background music. It went viral, leading to segments on the NBC “Today” Show and “Nightly News.” Despite that, Lois noted, “You don’t need a viral video to grow your brand. You need a story worth telling.”

Early on, the Chos were advised not to emphasize their Asian roots, but they chose authenticity instead. Their Instagram publicity drove traffic to vineyard tent tastings, where sales in 2023 reached 3,000 cases. Since opening their tasting room in April, sales are primarily in-house.

In a follow-up conversation, Lois explained how the number of CHO Wines Instagram followers, now at 17,000, directly corresponds to sales. “Each year, as our sales double, so do our followers,” she reported.

Lois finds developing social media content relatively effortless. “Content creation only takes me 15 to 30 minutes,” she said. “However, the concept requires more time searching for current trends. Something silly or entertaining draws people to our brand. I put a reel up yesterday about bud break, showing our young vineyard with heartfelt text about immigrants.”

When Barbie was trending, she put pink collars on their profile pictures and gave out pink Barbie pens. “You have to be adaptable and move quickly because trends change so rapidly,” she stated. “That’s the benefit of being small.” She doesn’t need to consult anyone for approval to release a reel or post.

“Instagram drives traffic to our events, tasting room, website and mailing list while also attracting the press and distribution partners,” Lois said. “We’re a very voyeuristic culture and everybody is watching. With continual postings, more eyes see us and our brand.” She tries adding new posts at least two or three times a week, sharing the CHO Wines story with both new and existing followers.

Women in Wine, a nonprofit organization with 250 members, provides opportunities for personal and professional development to all individuals in the wine industry. In addition to an annual conference, the organization arranges networking events, a yearlong mentorship program and scholarships promoting women leaders. Learn more at www.womeninwineoregon.com.

Patty Mamula is a Portland-based freelance writer focusing on Northwest art, entertainment and culture. Her résumé includes Sunriver Magazine, The Capital Press and other publications. Connect with her at pattymamula@gmail.com.