Jen Pelka has built her career around one principle: always work with the best. From staging at Danielle restaurant with a single Crate & Barrel knife to founding The Riddler champagne bars and creating Une Femme wines, her trajectory reflects audacious vision paired with operational discipline.

In this conversation, Jen discusses the period when COVID forced her to close The Riddler, her house burned down in wildfires, and she lost her father, and how she transformed that compounding loss into strategic fuel for building what she believes will be the best canned wine company in America. She shares her "first, best, or only" positioning framework, the mechanics of setting SMART goals that enable bold asks, and why she's determined to prove that a woman-led wine brand can achieve a banner-level exit.

This episode offers tactical insights on leadership, the operational value of strategic clarity, and why resilience functions as a decision rather than a disposition.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - 02:30 - Introduction and episode preview

02:30 - 08:45 - Background: Philosophy major to hospitality entrepreneur

08:45 - 19:45 - The Danielle kitchen story

19:45 - 25:15 - Philosophy of working with the best

25:15 - 38:45 - The dark period: COVID, fire, and loss

38:45 - 42:00 - Entrepreneurship as resilience

42:00 - 47:30 - Wine industry challenges and scaling

47:30 - 53:30 - "First, best, or only" philosophy

53:30 - 58:30 - Leadership and team building

58:30 - 01:07:00 - Difficult leadership decisions

01:07:00 - 01:14:00 - Evolution of women-focused branding

01:14:00 - 01:16:30 - Future visions

01:16:30 - 01:19:00 - Co-founding with family

01:19:00 - 01:19:55 - Rapid fire questions

01:19:55 - 01:20:00 - Contact information and wrap-up

Follow Hannah, Jacob & Jen:

Connect with Hannah & Jacob: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hospitablyroy/

Website: https://www.thisisroy.com/

Connect with Jen: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferpelka/

Website: https://unefemmewines.com/