Tell us about your background and where you grew up.

This is always a long answer so buckle up! I grew up in California, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and Nevada but I currently call Los Angeles home. Texas is the point on the map where I fell in love with wine. During my undergrad, my dad was traveling to Chile for work and he brought home these incredible bottles of wine for our family to share. Those wines had such a sense of place, really telling the story of the region. They also had this way of bringing us together. I had no idea that I would start a wine company someday but I did work in restaurants and in the hospitality industry for pretty much my entire career.

What were you doing before The Wine Party Co?

Knowing what you know about me now, it may seem funny, but I spent most of my career as a Human Resources leader at a casino entertainment company in Las Vegas and later at a startup in LA. It's rewarding work but, every day, I was feeling unfulfilled and burnt out which eventually led me to taking a big leap! I had an idea for a wine company a while back and worked on it as a side hustle here and there but I was so inspired by all of these other amazing creators bringing their ideas to life. I decided then that I would take the risk and bring my vision for The Wine Party Co. to life! I'm so glad that I did.

Can you share 1 highlight and 1 barrier encountered on your entrepreneurial journey so far?

It's hard to believe but my highlight moment happened during the early days of the lockdown. I was in a holding pattern waiting for the green light on my wine retail shop (a barrier that persisted for seven months) so I made a big pivot. I asked myself how I could add value to my community in a different way. Everyone was staying home and looking for things to do so I turned my roadmap on its head. I made the decision to work on my wine class for beginners. It wasn't a new idea but I intended to sell wine to go along with the classes so naturally the classes would come after the launch of the shop. In the end, my community loved it and my pivot paid off. It reinforced the lesson that you always need to think about what your community needs from you, not what you need from them.

Ronda Fraley, founder of The Wine Party Co., creates an inclusive community for wine lovers

How are you staying safe during this time of uncertainty?

I've been staying home, covering up, and finding ways to affect positive change. There definitely is a lot of uncertainty right now but, through that, can come a lot of innovation, creativity, and progress. I'm learning what I can do and I'm taking action.

Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and wine enthusiasts?

One thing that I've learned in these early days of being an entrepreneur is that you have to try stuff. You'll have to do a lot of things that you have no idea how to do and so you just have to try. Seek out advice, examples, and feedback and then evolve. I had a few ideas that I thought would be a smash hit but they weren't. I had a few ideas that I thought wouldn't resonate but they did. It's trial and error and listening to your audience.

For my wine enthusiasts out there, I suggest that you try stuff, too! Try new wines, new countries, new labels. The real secret to getting good at wine breaks down into three steps: trying new wines, tasting them all the same way, and taking note of what you like and don't like. Wine is all about exploring, it's part of the fun!

Any last words?

I would love to meet you over @thewinepartyco on Instagram! Is a place for wine drinkers who want to drink great wine and learn about it. It's judgment-free and all about helping you feel more confident about wine!

Creator of The Wine Party Co, Ronda Fraley, creates an inclusive community for wine lovers