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How can working 25 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: moms raise happy children and thrive in their careers without 26 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: totally losing their minds? With a million demands on their attention? 27 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: Work life integration isn't just challenging for modern moms, it's 28 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: almost impossible. The Modern Mama's Club app teaches moms how 29 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: to put their energy and attention into what matters most 30 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: and to deal with all the other obligations that come 31 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: their way effectively. Through interactive programming, monthly mom versations with 32 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: industry experts, and one on one coaching, learn how to 33 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: advocate for your own wellness so you can thrive and 34 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: your kids can thrive too. Download your thirty day trial 35 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: of Modern Mama's Club App today. Welcome to she Pivots. 36 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. I had left my 37 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: decade long political career in DC after having my first 38 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: two kids during the Trump presidency and felt burnt out 39 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: after having my third child, spending a year in lockdown 40 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: with my family, and another tough and exhausting election. I 41 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: began to find solace in the stories of women who 42 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: had made these big career decisions and then found success 43 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: and happiness and their change. I began to realize that 44 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: so many women had pivoted due to personal reasons, and 45 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: they still found success through non traditional paths. This new 46 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: show celebrates these stories and I'm so excited to bring 47 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: them to you with she pivots, what is your name 48 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: and what do you do? Oh, that's the simplest, hardest question. 49 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: Robin McBride and I am the co founder of McBride's 50 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: Sisters Wines. Robin McBride and her sister Andrea are incredibly 51 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: successful wine makers and their journey into the wine business 52 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: is like no other. They both share a father, but 53 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: were raised by their respective mothers on different sides of 54 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: the world, not knowing one another existed until Robin was 55 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: twenty five. Now, together they have built the largest black 56 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: women owned wine business in the world. But during the 57 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: beginning stages of the business, Robin had to make a 58 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: decision she was a young mom and had a growing 59 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: career in corporate America. After taking a leap of faith 60 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: to start the McBride's Sister's Wine collection, Robin and Andrea 61 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: Bea had to find their groove as young women. You know, 62 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: we were attracted to the wine business. Meet Andrea and 63 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: Robin McBride. Two have sisters with a passion for wine 64 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: hare and look at that. Their personal story is as 65 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 1: unique as their professional ones. Two black women in a 66 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: field dominated by white men. In twenty ten, they started 67 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: the McBride's Sisters Wine Company. When we started, it was 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: a bit of an old boys club, so pushback, you received, 69 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: lack of recognition. I think, what did you think you 70 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: were going to do? Growing up so many things as 71 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: a kid, I just kind of spent a lot of 72 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: time roaming around, like outside and being in nature and 73 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: on the on. It was also back in the seventies, 74 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: so in eighties, I guess, so you know, kids roamed 75 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: around very freely back then, but investigating you know, tidepool 76 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: and you know, going off of the beaten path and 77 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: just sort of being in nature and just really really 78 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: curious about, you know, everything in our world. And so 79 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: that was that was very much a big, a big 80 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: part of I guess later in life, trying to figure 81 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: out from a career perspective what would make me happy 82 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: and how it would be fulfilled. But when I was 83 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: a child, I actually tried to make wine under my bed. 84 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: For some reason, I had forgotten all about it, but 85 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: taking like Welch's grape juice, and I was like putting 86 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: it in bottles and my baby's my dolls and bottles 87 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: and putting it under my bed because I must have 88 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: known somehow that you store it in a cool, dry 89 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: place and then waited and I somehow and I knew 90 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: that it was made from grape to the juice of grapes, right, 91 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: So and I would try to make wine and it 92 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 1: did indeed ferment under there. It was pretty gross. That's 93 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: an incredibly sophisticated game. Yeah, I told you. I always 94 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: like science. Now, chemistry and biology like my thing. So 95 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: I was down there experimenting and remember, open it up 96 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: and be really funky. But I was like, smells like 97 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: it's fermenting. So I did give a shot at wine 98 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: making when I was a little kid as well. Robin 99 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: grew up in Monterey, California, and at the time had 100 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: no idea that she had a little sister on the 101 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: other side of the Pacific Ocean who was also surrounded 102 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: by wine and vineyards. I grew up in Monterey, in 103 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: the central coast of California. We were both born to 104 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: the same father, and I'm nine years older, but neither 105 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: of us had a relationship with our dad, and so 106 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: neither of us knew that the other existed, and both 107 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: of our moms decided it was best that they split 108 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: up from him and go on about their lives, and 109 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: so my mom left La went up the coast of 110 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: California to Monterey, which you've ever been as very small, quaint, 111 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: beautiful coastal town, heavy in agriculture and fishing, and was 112 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: becoming a really big wine region. Andrea's mom was originally 113 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 1: from New Zealand, and her mom unfortunately had a terminal 114 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: diagnosis of breast cancer and she decided to move back 115 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: to her home country where her family was. She didn't 116 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: have a big family, but where her mother and her 117 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: she had one brother, were there, and so she moved 118 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: back to New Zealand when my sister was like five 119 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: or six years old, and she, unfortunately she passed away 120 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: pretty quickly after they moved back, and so my sister 121 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: was disconnected from our dad or any of her ties 122 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: here back in the States. Sadly, after the death of 123 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: her mother, Andrea lost both of her grandparents, further diminishing 124 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: the support system her mom thought would be there for 125 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: her in New Zealand. From there, Audrey would go on 126 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: to live between her uncle's house and the foster system. 127 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: It was really my sister and her uncle, who was 128 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: a great farmer. He was one of the early grave 129 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: growers in Marlborough and New Zealand and wasn't quite sure 130 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,679 Speaker 1: what to do with this little girl, and she stayed 131 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: with him for a little bit and ended up what 132 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: she called slave labor about working in the vineyards. I 133 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: think we have child labor laws here. I don't know 134 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: if they did there or not. But she did a 135 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: lot of work in the vineyards for she would never 136 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: do it again. But ultimately she spent her time during 137 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: the year, the school year in Auckland with a foster family. 138 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: But there's a unique twist to their story. They didn't 139 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: grow up together or even know about each other until 140 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: they were adults. This is wild. They were raised in 141 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: different parts of the world, one in New Zealand and 142 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: the other in California. They reunited in nineteen ninety nine 143 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 1: and the rest is wine history. So she was kind 144 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: of back and forth between the big city in New 145 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: Zealand of Auckland, the Foster family, and her uncle in 146 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: Marlborough and Blenham and wine Grave country and ended up 147 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: really growing up around wine. Did she think that she 148 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: would go into I guess essentially the family business. No, 149 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: absolutely not. She swore she was not going to do 150 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: that because of that little child labor situation that she had. 151 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: She hated it. She thought it was the worst thing 152 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: ever and didn't want anything to do with it. But 153 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: she did grow up in the So she grew up 154 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: with her uncle as a farmer, as a grape grower, 155 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: and then neighboring grape growers and wine makers and those 156 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: families and what ultimately became over time around that time 157 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: actually became a pretty big business in New Zealand. So 158 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: it was very much part of the culture where she 159 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: grew up. But she personally didn't want to ever have 160 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: to do that again. It was cold, hard work and 161 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: she didn't care for that part of it very much. 162 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: But she also didn't really as a child. I think 163 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: understand obviously as you would come to later on a life, 164 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: but understand, you know, where those grapes were going and 165 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: what they were doing, and what the rest of the 166 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: business was, and how this product went to market and 167 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: how people enjoyed wine, which she would obviously learn later 168 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: in life. For Robin's part, she was nine years older 169 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: than Andrea and often wondered about her father. She was 170 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: a racially mixed young girl being raised in a mostly 171 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: white community by a single mother who wanted nothing to 172 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: do with her father. There. Our mother was very much 173 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: like still in a hiding when we were there when 174 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: I was growing up, so she was always sort of 175 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: not wanting to be found essentially, you know, by our dad. 176 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: She wanted to raise me and do her own thing 177 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,959 Speaker 1: and not be bothered basically. But it kind of set 178 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: for this strange dynamic and also the fact that when 179 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: I was growing up, it was not racially diverse at all. 180 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: And I was probably also one of the very few 181 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: children with a single mother, you know, who was working, 182 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: and I was very much a latch key kid and 183 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: didn't have you know, cousins or you know, brothers or sisters, 184 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: my mom was also a single child, so I didn't 185 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: have answer, you know, this kind of extended family, and 186 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: so it really did sort of feel like an outcast, 187 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: or at least like I didn't fit in well right, 188 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: Like I didn't necessarily belong where we were, which you know, 189 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: it was weird and kind of rough when you're growing up. 190 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:53,199 Speaker 1: But in hindsight, I feel like it did. It did 191 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: create that independence in me, and also that curiosity. Like 192 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 1: when I talked about me roaming around, you know, and 193 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: all of these places and exploring like you know, the 194 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: earth and science and nature and the world around me. 195 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: I mean that was really because I was kind of 196 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: by myself, right, And so I think it did kind 197 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: of like create this sort of alternative mindset about how 198 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,079 Speaker 1: to go about things, and particularly things that I'm interested in, 199 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: of course, but how to accomplish stuff maybe without really 200 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: traditional structures. When you were out there roaming around, did 201 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: you wonder if there was a sibling out there somewhere? 202 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,959 Speaker 1: I did. I did. I figured that statistically or the 203 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: chances were probably pretty good that he continued on in 204 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: life somewhere and may have had more children. And so yeah, 205 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: I thought that that was definitely a possibility, and it 206 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: was kind of one of those things where I was like, 207 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: when I grow up or later on life, or when 208 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: I know, when I feel the time is right or 209 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: I know it's time, I'll look for him and or 210 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: his family and look to see if I have a 211 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,319 Speaker 1: brother or sister out there somewhere. But your mom had 212 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: really tried to keep you away and separated. So how 213 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: old were you when you did finally connect with him 214 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: and how did it happen? Yeah, well I was. I 215 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 1: was twenty five years old, and so as a little 216 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: as a young kid, I was kind of like, you know, 217 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: since I turned eighteen, I'm going to go out here 218 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: and you know, start the work. Well, it didn't happen. 219 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: But I was twenty five, and I actually I had 220 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: not yet started those efforts. It was actually him and 221 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: his family that set out to find both me and Andrea. 222 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: When her father's family started the search for both sisters, 223 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: Robin was working at a corporate job in Atlanta and 224 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: was a young mother. She began working for the company 225 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: after high school, and her love of science and keen 226 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: interest in what the engineers did helped her move up 227 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: from the receptionist to managing international sales and distribution. And 228 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: I stayed with that company for probably all together, probably 229 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: eleven years, but worked my way from you know, receptionists 230 00:12:55,440 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: to eventually I was running and managing international sales and 231 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 1: distribution and went all through production and you know, customer service, 232 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: just all sorts of parts of the business and really 233 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 1: enjoyed my time there, but also really learned a lot unplanned, 234 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: but I got a lot of experience in a global business, 235 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: a small but global business that you know, ultimately helped 236 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: us establish our own business. You had your daughter around 237 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: the same time, which for many people that in itself 238 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: would be the life changing event and the identity changing 239 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: event to go from no parent to being a parent. 240 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: Was that wrapped up, do you think in thinking differently 241 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: about your suddenly growing family in all senses? Yeah, Well, 242 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: so I had my daughter actually was she was about 243 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: five at that time, So you were moving up this 244 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: engineering track really aggressively with a young child. What was 245 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: that like. I like that you said aggressively, because that's 246 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: very accurate. That was how you did it aggressively. I 247 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: did it that was very very forward and very aggressive. Yeah, 248 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: I mean it was really just honestly fueled by my interests. 249 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: It wasn't necessarily career pathing per se. It was just 250 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: that I wanted to learn more, and I wanted to 251 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: know more, and I wanted to know how to do more. 252 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: During her time working in the corporate world, her father 253 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: had sadly passed from a terminal illness, but tasked his 254 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: family with finding both sisters. In the days before the 255 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: internet are cell phones, her dad's family was doing everything 256 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: they could to find the girls. After successfully locating Andrea 257 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: a year prior, Robin got a letter while working in Atlanta. 258 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: So I got the letter and I was in Atlanta. 259 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: The stars aligned when Robin discovered that Andrea was in 260 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: the US visiting their father's family at the exact time 261 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: she received the letter. As it turned out, Andrea was 262 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: only a few hours away in Alabai, so plans were 263 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: made to meet the very next day. I kind of 264 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: got the letter, called the number that was on there 265 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: and planned to meet her the next day. The next day. Yeah, yeah, 266 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: we were very very close. I know, no time to process. 267 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: That must have been all I mean, what were you thinking. 268 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: It was very much a whirl when of a lot 269 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: of things, because first A I had to process that 270 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: my dad had died already long before me getting that letter, 271 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: so I wasn't gonna I wasn't going to meet him, 272 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: and kind of all of the you know things that 273 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: our minds can do, you know, growing up, if you 274 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: have a missing parent or someone like that. You know, 275 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: it's kind of like one day, you know, I'm going 276 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: to meet this person, and you know I'm going to 277 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: see them, They're going to see me. You're gonna they're 278 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: gonna see how, you know, I turned out great or 279 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: whatever it is, whatever the fantasy is, right that kind 280 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: of like you kind of have to process through that 281 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: set of emotion right away. But you know, obviously finding 282 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: out that I had to assist was pretty exciting. A 283 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: lot can happen in the next three years, like a 284 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: chatbot maybe your new best friend. 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Tired of ads 293 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: interrupting your gripping investigations, Good news AD free listening on 294 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: Amazon Music is included with your Prime membership. Ads shouldn't 295 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: be the scariest thing about true crime. Just head to 296 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: Amazon dot com slash ad free true Crime to catch 297 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: up on the latest episodes without the ads, and two 298 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: thousands of ks shows a free for punch describers. Some 299 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: shows me how that Robin had experienced something that most 300 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: of us will never experience in our lifetime. On top 301 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: of an already busy, in full life that she had created, 302 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: she had forged her own path, created a family, rose 303 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: quickly in her career, and all of a sudden, this 304 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: very important person walks into her life. Walking down the Jetway, 305 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: I saw myself in a reflection in a mirror at 306 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: the end of the jetway as I'm walking. But then 307 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: I realized that the reflection wasn't moving as I was walking, 308 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: and that I was seeing my sister for the first 309 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: time and definitely life changing. I mean, it's really interesting 310 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: because it changes your identity. If you're somebody who's grown 311 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: up without a parent, without that side of the family, 312 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:41,919 Speaker 1: and without any siblings, right, because it's like I identified 313 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,719 Speaker 1: as an only child, you know, I identified as you know, 314 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: all of these things, and that kind of instantly changes 315 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: when you have this this missing piece, you know, that 316 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: that comes into your life. So your sister, Andrea was 317 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: quite young when you met, and I assume had to 318 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: go back to New Zealand but then ended up back 319 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: in the States. How did that happen? Yeah, so we met. 320 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: She was sixteen, mind you, she was already like six 321 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: feet tall, maybe five to eleven. She was very tall already, 322 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: but she was sixteen, and when she was in the States, 323 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: you know, visiting our family, and when we met, I 324 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: think maybe she was here for like two weeks and 325 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: then had to go back to New Zealand. Now connected 326 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: after sixteen years of not knowing each other, Andrea returned 327 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 1: to New Zealand to finish high school. Luckily, Andrea was 328 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,360 Speaker 1: an amazing athlete and was being recruited by schools across 329 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 1: the US, so she decided to look at schools in California, 330 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,880 Speaker 1: eventually settling on USC and LA. Now the two long 331 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 1: lost sisters were finally just a short drive apart. Yeah, 332 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: so then we were finally in the same state. Although 333 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: I was in northern California, she was in southern California. Yeah. 334 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: How often were you two in touch at that point? 335 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: You know, Well, we talked all the time on the phone, 336 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 1: but we were trying to get together in person, I 337 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: mean as often as we could, but probably every few 338 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: weeks and for a while, and depending on what was 339 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: going on, she would drive down to or I'd drive 340 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: down to La or she'd come up to Monterey, And 341 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: then we eventually kind of agreed to meet in the middle, 342 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: which is you know, there's not a whole lot. It's beautiful, 343 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: but there's not a whole lot going on, but there 344 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: is a lot of wineries in agriculture and a lot 345 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: of tasting rooms, which is eventually where we ended up 346 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: making our meeting places a lot of times, and catching 347 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: up on where we were at and talking to each 348 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: other about stories from our past that we just didn't 349 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: know because we weren't there, and then also thinking about 350 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: the future and you know what plans we had coming up, 351 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: And it all kind of happened in this backdrop of 352 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: the central coast of California, and a lot of times 353 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: with a glass of wine. Was it at that point 354 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: that you started thinking, like we should really do this 355 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: because her path, what she thought her path was going 356 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: to be, was quite different, right, right, Yeah, she had 357 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: aspirations of really being in for professional athlete, so she 358 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: was in school, she played volleyball, and then she was 359 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,919 Speaker 1: also on track and field. For as long as she 360 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: could remember. Andrea's dream was to make it to the Olympics. 361 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: Then in her junior year of college, she suffered an 362 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: injury that would force her to put away that dream. 363 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: But when you're really really, really driven and really focused 364 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: like she was, there wasn't all that much of a 365 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: plan B. And she was, you know, sort of having 366 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 1: a little crisis to think about if she needed to 367 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: change anything for our last year of school and what 368 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: our plans were going to be and for me at 369 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 1: the same time, I had just I'd gotten married and 370 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: just had twin boys and was having my own crisis, 371 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,119 Speaker 1: so to speak. But it was because you know, I 372 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: had been so I had worked so hard and been 373 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: a mom at an early age, but couldn't see how 374 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: now with three kids, two of them being babies, how 375 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: I was going to go back to really being passionate 376 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:04,959 Speaker 1: in the way that I had been and doing what 377 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: I was doing, you know, for a corporation. I just 378 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: couldn't reconcile what it was going to take for me 379 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 1: to do that and be a good you know, mom 380 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: and wife, and I knew I had to think about 381 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: things a little bit differently and figure something out, figure 382 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: something else out. At the same time that Andrea was 383 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: realizing that she was also going to have to think 384 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 1: about things a little bit differently and figure something else out. 385 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 1: And you know, we were kind of sitting there sharing 386 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:37,200 Speaker 1: these thoughts one day, and I think that we really 387 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: sort of had that moment was that which was like, 388 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: you know, is that too crazy for us to think 389 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 1: about doing something together and wine, because you know, again, 390 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 1: over the through almost three years, at that point, we 391 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 1: had really gotten to know each other. You know, in 392 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: this environment of the Central Coast and California's coast and 393 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 1: in wineries and tasting rooms these wineries, they often felt unwelcome, 394 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: but instead of shying away or being intimidated by the experience, 395 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: they leaned into it and thought about what they might 396 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: do differently. We would kind of like joke around and 397 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: be creative and like, what would it be like? Could 398 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: you imagine if the winery and our tasting room was 399 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,440 Speaker 1: owned by black people? What would it be like? Or 400 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: what if it was the hip hop themed and you know, 401 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: all of this type of stuff just kind of because 402 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: it was so at that point, it was so traditional 403 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: and nothing really changed, but we still sort of just 404 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: like bombarded our way in and made it our spot 405 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: in our environment. So when we're as we're we thinking things, 406 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: we're kind of looking at just how other like ha 407 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:48,159 Speaker 1: ha ha, you know that's crazy. We wouldn't even know 408 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: what to do. And then it was kind of like, 409 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: I mean, is that crazy? You know, we're both pretty 410 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: we're both pretty smart. You know, we can figure things out, 411 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: and we started putting our mind to it. So it 412 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: was always wine for you guys, if you went into 413 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: business together, it was wine from the beginning. You know, 414 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: we didn't talk about any other business. We really didn't. 415 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: It was it was always wine. But it was what 416 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: part of wine? Right, because it's like, we don't know 417 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: how to make wine. Nobody inherited any vineyards or a 418 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: winery or we didn't have any like you know, pals 419 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: who we could you know, get into the business with 420 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: so we had to be pretty creative, but we did, 421 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 1: like some research talks with some folks try to figure 422 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: out what the bit the structure is, the industry is like, 423 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,239 Speaker 1: and figured out like a sneaky little way for us 424 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: to get into what would be to get licensed as 425 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: an importer, because I had picked up those skills in 426 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: my previous career, you know, moving products in and out 427 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: of countries all over the world. So I was like, 428 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: I can do that in my sleep. So that's so interesting. 429 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 1: That feels like something that probably felt like kind of 430 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: a drum skill and maybe not that transferable of knowing 431 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: how export was suddenly yes, we can apply our dream. Yeah, 432 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: who knew being so fluent and customers paperwork would come 433 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: in handy, you know, and so and so that's exactly 434 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: what we did. And so Andrea went and we talked 435 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: with our uncle and went to some of these family 436 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 1: owned wineries that she had grown up around. So there 437 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 1: was a lot of interest. And at that time New 438 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 1: Zealand wine was becoming really familiar in the United States, 439 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: becoming more and more popular, and so we thought, well, 440 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: let's just see how this works. Let's get licensed. So 441 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 1: we have the ability to bring it in. We'll bring 442 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: in some wines and we'll find out, you know, if 443 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: we got the chops, if there's an appetite for it 444 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: in California specifically, and we'll just see if we can 445 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: pick some good wines, make some good partnerships and see 446 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,119 Speaker 1: if we can sell in LA. Because she was so 447 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: in school and up here in northern California and we 448 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 1: did that and it worked. That is truly amazing. And 449 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,960 Speaker 1: Andrea was still in college at the time, which is 450 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 1: really unbelievable. No, we were very much in different life 451 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 1: stages obviously, but I think we're both very driven in 452 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 1: the same way. And when we started our business, we 453 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: bootstrapped right, and so we actually didn't look for partners 454 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:28,239 Speaker 1: or investors or anything. We were just both really just 455 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: driven and fueled really by our own excitement about building 456 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: something together and this again that thirst for knowledge, but 457 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: figuring out the business of this business was really really 458 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 1: exciting to us. Was there something that you have I mean, 459 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: I can only imagine the ups and the downs of 460 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 1: building the business, but was there something that at the 461 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: time it happened, you thought, oh, this is a negative, 462 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,239 Speaker 1: like this is like a real bad, but then in 463 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: hindsight ended up feeling like a positive yes, because again 464 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: we didn't have investors. We also didn't have, you know, 465 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: any commercial financing or anything, so we really did bootstrap 466 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: for thirteen fourteen years. Our business was built off of 467 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: the next iteration of our business was built off of 468 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 1: whatever cases we just sold, like period, that's all there was. 469 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,120 Speaker 1: In a previous interview, Robin confessed that her and Andrea 470 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: could have benefited from learning and being mentored by other women, 471 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: something they didn't have access to during the beginning of 472 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: their wine journey in an industry that is so male 473 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: dominated that early on, we really could have benefited from 474 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: the power of these women's organizations and other women within 475 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,719 Speaker 1: our industry. You know, a lot of closed doors. So 476 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: we just kind of depended on ourselves. But in hindsight, 477 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: it's like there are amusing women despite not having the 478 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: mentorship or camaraderie. They didn't let it slow the success 479 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: of McBride's sister's wine. I don't think that we really 480 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: internalize things as a negative or positive per se, but 481 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: as events happen, either to plan or not, or or 482 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: achieved desired results or not. I always kind of see 483 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: it as data honestly, right, it's all just stepping stones, 484 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,199 Speaker 1: it's all learning and helps us to get, you know, 485 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: wherever it is we're ultimately trying to get and to 486 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: move the business forward. So, but there was a lot 487 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: of those data points along the way, very frequent, somewhere 488 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: more drastic than others, and pretty continuously for quite a 489 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: long time, I would say, So needless to say, we 490 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:43,120 Speaker 1: learned a lot. Do you see yourself pivoting again? Yeah, 491 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: it's inevitable, It really is. It really is, because I 492 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: feel like I feel like probably our business we've gone 493 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: through so many like iterations and versions of our business, 494 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 1: probably five six seven, I don't know if I was counting. 495 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: We're really is almost a completely different business, same people, 496 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 1: but a different business model, you know than where it 497 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: had been, you know a year before something. And that 498 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: means going from being an importer and then we went 499 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: to an importer and a distributor. Then we went to 500 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: a wine producer in New Zealand, and then we went 501 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 1: to a wine producer in California, you know, an international 502 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: wine producer, and then a national distributor, and all of 503 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: those things are different business models, and we've actually had 504 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: different entities as well along the way, because we're all 505 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: licensed differently, and so I don't see why it would 506 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: be any different going forward. You know, like the current 507 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: iteration of our business has probably been the way it 508 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: is now since like twenty eighteen maybe, But if we're 509 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 1: going to continue to grow and change, I'm sure that 510 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: we will, we will pivot in some some way. And 511 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 1: like the last couple of years have showed us that 512 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: you got to stay ready exactly. Yeah, what point did 513 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: you feel like, hey, you know what, we did it? 514 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: Like we're successful. So that's really funny. We get asked 515 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: that like quite a bit, and I don't think that 516 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: happened to be honest. I mean, I'm here to tell 517 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: the truth, right, So I feel like we're still pursuing 518 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: sort of the next level. I don't really think that 519 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: we were ever like you know, we made it like 520 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: we've arrived or we've achieved, you know, something that we 521 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: came out to achieve. We've kind of got these like 522 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: you know, forever moving goalposts of stuff that we want 523 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: to do. The humanness of business, which I feel like 524 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: is you know, sometimes overlooked and that you and I 525 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: talked about before you know, we make these decisions. We're 526 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: doing what we're doing, and we've made decisions that we've 527 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: made not purely for business. There's family, there's kids, there's locations, 528 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: there's all of these things, and particularly, i'll say it 529 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: as women that you know, we have to make decisions 530 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: about and figure out how we're going to prioritize and 531 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: encompass all the things that are to us. And we 532 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: can't just drop our lives and the people in it 533 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: to start and run a business. We have to find 534 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: really creative ways to do it all or as much 535 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: of it as we can, and that calls for us 536 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: to be very flexible oftentimes and to pivot a lot. Robin, 537 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. McBride's. 538 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 1: Sister's Wine is the number one black owned winery in 539 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: the United States. Not only have Robin and Andrea built 540 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: an incredibly successful business, they're passionate about paying their success forward. 541 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: As part of their efforts to close the gender and 542 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: race gap and leadership positions in male dominated fields. They 543 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: started she Can, a wine whose proceeds go towards there 544 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: she Can fund that gives grants to emerging women leaders. 545 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: They saw the disproportionate impacts the pandemic had on black 546 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 1: women owned businesses, so they pledge to help, and so 547 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: far have awarded thirty grants totaling three hundred thousand dollars. 548 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: Robin and Andrea turned their incredible story and shared love 549 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: for wine into a pivot that would not only change 550 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: their lives, but many other women looking to find the 551 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: same success they found. Thanks for listening to this episode 552 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: of she Pivots. To learn more about our guests, follow 553 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: us on Instagram at she Pivots the pod. Leave a 554 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: rating in comment if you enjoyed this episode to help 555 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: others learn about it. A special thank you to our 556 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: partner Marie Claire and the team that made this episode possible. 557 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: Talk to you next week. Get the best workout with 558 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: the best kept secret in fitness, Hydro, the state of 559 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: the art at home rower. 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