Simonetta Gedda is the Founder and General Manager of Love to Italy, an importer and distributor of Italian wine and cuisine. She grew up in the countryside of Italy and has a deeply rooted sense of culture — and brings heart and authenticity from Rome, Florence, and Venice to the products selected to import.

Simonetta built extensive expertise in sales and marketing, working for Hiserv Italia Srl, EDISONTEL S.p.A., Tutto Bene Winery, and Tenuta Roletto to achieve profitability and revenue. She volunteered for Stiletto Broadcasting, with a goal to educate, empower, and entertain women in food, wine, and Italian culture talk.

Is there a way to taste the experience of an Italian culinary masterpiece in your home? How can you bring to life the flavors of Italian food, wine, beer, and spirits without leaving the comfort of home?

For Simonetta Gedda, it is more than wine and culinary delights — it is about bringing the experience of culture and the flavor of Italy to your door. Simonetta creates unique experiences to scale her brand. She combines her passion and expertise in the Italian marketplace to deliver high-quality imported products curated with the heart and soul of Italy.

In this episode of Legends Behind the Craft, Drew Hendricks has a conversation with Simonetta Gedda, Founder and General Manager of Love to Italy, about bringing authenticity to imported Italian cuisine. Together they discuss specific marketing tools during the pandemic, capturing culture in food, and bridging the gap between America and Italy.

Yuan Ji is the Founder and CEO of Erstwhile Mezcal, a company focused on building family values. Yuan had built a successful career practicing law as an Antitrust Attorney for Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati before her passion for Mezcal alcohol and her drive to leave the world a better place shifted her career goals.

Yuan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics from Washington University in St. Louis and shortly after earned her Master of Science degree. She attended Yale Law School to earn her Doctor of Law degree.

Are you looking to combine a passion for the alcohol industry with family values? How can a brand extend its platform and opportunities to as many families as possible?

Yuan Ji is digging beyond the surface of brand ownership and examining the intrinsic values of small family businesses. She has scaled her Mezcal brand to encompass 45 states and does not plan to stop there. Yuan utilizes the strengths and constraints of available environmental ingredients to produce limited and unique Mezcal to market.

On this episode of Legends Behind the Craft, Drew Hendricks talks with Yuan Ji about preserving the family-owned business tradition of brewing Mezcal. Yuan describes how they produce unique limited edition flavors, the value of continuing education of techniques, and how she incorporated her passion for writing to marketing her brand. Stay tuned.

Josh Jacobs is the Co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy Co., a revolutionary direct-to-consumer alcohol sales e-commerce and fulfillment platform. Speakeasy Co. empowers partners to sell directly to consumers from their own website, giving them the autonomy to drive their own growth.

Josh was involved with entrepreneurial endeavors from online moving, art, and fashion until he found passion in the alcohol industry. He graduated from Wake Forest University as a mathematical business major and began working in corporate America.

Is there a disconnect between your brand and the consumer? Can you successfully market your brand digitally?

Josh Jacobs is the Co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy Co., and he has successfully created a seamless system for consumers to shop directly with their favorite craft brands — while still giving brands control over the customer relationship and connection with their consumers. By using data analytics tools to optimize your presence in an e-commerce environment, your brand can thrive. Josh’s revolutionary system connects brands to consumers, so smaller brands have the opportunity for national coverage. 

On this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Hendricks talks with Josh Jacobs, Co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy Co., about utilizing an e-commerce environment to reach consumers. Josh discusses how he improved the three-tier alcohol system, used data to strengthen e-commerce brand flow, and democratized digital marketing.

Carlton Fowler is a Managing Partner at Goat Rodeo Capital Management, a venture capital fund focused on growing and scaling your early-stage beverage brand. He graduated from UC Berkely with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government and The University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business with a Master of Business Administration. Carlton’s experience includes Spirits Innovation and Brand Development at E. & J. Gallo Winery, Co-founder of Pickpocket, Co-founder and Managing Director for Granters Drinks, and Founding Partner of sPacific Gravity.  

James Pelligrini is a Managing Partner at Goat Rodeo Capital Management. His past experience as an External Consultant at EcoTarium, Consultant for Oriskany Manufacturing Technologies, Internal Consultant for Liberty Mutual Insurance, Director for Granters Drinks, New Brand and Product Development for E. & J. Gallo Winery, and as a Founding Partner at sPacific Gravity has helped hone his financial skills.

How do you cultivate and scale your brand? When looking to take your brand to the next level, where do you start? 

The first piece is selling — but the essential piece is funding. Partnering with someone who will be helpful in your journey is critical, but you need to be constantly putting in the effort to connect and always have a pitch in your pocket ready to go. Carlton Fowler and James Pelligrini know that a good financial foundation, collaborative conversations, and a sober mind for building and scaling your business can lead to success. 

On this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Hendricks has a conversation with Carlton Fowler and James Pelligrini from Goat Rodeo Capital Management about fundraising in the wine, cannabis, and spirits industries. They discuss the importance of constantly providing investor updates, being comfortable with bringing in an external partner, and why you should continuously be raising. Invest in this episode!

Taylor Foxman is the Founder and CEO of The Industry Collective, a leading Beverage Alcohol Consulting Firm, and the Vice President of Communications and Media at Parallel, one of the largest privately-held cannabis companies in the United States. She has experience working with Pernod Ricard — she helped launch their Jameson Black Barrel — and 70 global-wide spirit brands.

Taylor graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication, Public Relations, and Art History. She is an official member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council and a board member of Vin Social.

Allocation of time and money is often overlooked — but crucial — for a craft brand. Luckily, by using strategic marketing tools, you can engage and create budget-friendly storytelling communications to be a leader in the industry.

Taylor Foxman knows how to effectively build a brand without costing you too much — but still providing you with an added benefit. She is a pioneer in combining the cannabis and alcohol industries. Taylor understands the mindset of an entrepreneur and is taking the horse by the reins to build and scale businesses by portraying the authenticity of your brand.

In the episode of Legends Behind the Craft, Drew Hendricks has a conversation with Taylor Foxman, Founder and CEO of The Industry Collective, a leading Beverage Alcohol Consulting Firm, and the Vice President of Communications and Media at Parallel. Together they discuss the collaboration between the alcohol and cannabis industry, the resources a small brand needs to grow, and the uniqueness of marketing cannabis. Stay tuned!

Bob Paulinski, MW is a Master of Wine and Founder of Stellar Bottles. The Masters of Wine exam is one of the toughest tests in any field, and when Bob passed in 2002, he became the 19th North American Master of Wine since the organization’s start in 1953. His company, Stellar Bottles, is a web-based wine subscription that provides an array of handcrafted wines delivered to your door. The wines are handpicked by Bob to guarantee a pure and delicious experience.

His love of wine started with a 66 Chateau Cantenac Brown while working at a Detroit wine shop, and since then, his palate has expanded to encompass corporate roles with Sam’s Club US and Winn-Dixie. Bob is also an expert in branding, marketing, and independent retail and provides consulting services to help wine businesses achieve their goals.

Are you looking to revamp your brand? Do you want to wash off the preconceived notion that you need to know something to enjoy it?

Bob Paulinski, MW is a Master of Wine and has all the bases covered in wine tasting. He believes that wine enhances life and has spent his career dedicated to the innovation of wine. Today, he is here to tell you that you don’t need to know how to play music to enjoy it — and this transcends to wine. Bob knows that for a brand to truly stand out, and have a loyal, solid audience, it needs to have character.

On this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Hendricks talks with Bob Paulinski, MW, Founder of Stellar Bottles, about the emotive link between wine and consumption. They discuss using deductive reasoning to discover wine, how to understand and capture the uniqueness of wine, and what is fermenting in the wine industry today. Stay tuned.

Blake Hershey is the Founder and CEO of Sippd, an AI-powered plugin and app that helps users discover their new favorite wines using Taste Match technology. Blake has a background in the aerospace and technology industries, working at companies including NASA and JPL. He founded Sippd in 2019 after previously holding the title of Chief Innovation Officer at MORI Associates.

Picture this: you’re out to dinner with a group of friends. The waiter brings over the wine list, and nobody knows where to start. Don’t you wish there was a way to get recommendations from that wine list straight from an app? You’re in luck, because Blake Hershey created just that.

Blake was working in the technology industry when his fiancé mentioned her wish for an app that told her which wine to choose. He dropped everything and founded Sippd, an AI-powered platform that uses Taste Match technology to become your personal sommelier. He’s here to tell you all about it and recommend some delicious wine in the process.

On this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Hendricks has a conversation with the Founder and CEO of Sippd, Blake Hershey, about AI’s journey to transform the wine industry. They discuss the evolution of Sippd from a dining tool to a wine marketplace, generating brand recognition through digital marketing, the importance of understanding your consumer, and so much more. You don’t want to miss this jam-packed episode!

Heather Polick is the National Sales Consultant at ACIC Cork and Closures, a company that provides customers in the wine, spirits, and food industries with the highest quality standard closures. Heather’s passion has always been people, sunshine, and wine, and she has worked in the beverage and food industries for over a decade.

Before joining ACIC, Heather was a Winemaking Assistant at RUMPUS Cellars and S.P. Drummer and a Wine and Spirits Consultant at Opici Wines.

Are you a wine and spirits company looking to make a change to your boring bottle design? If so, a new cork or closure may be just what you’re looking for. Whether you’re in the market for an eco-friendly cork or a custom-made closure, Heather Polick is the one to talk to.

Heather Polick is the National Sales Consultant at ACIC Cork and Closures, where she provides customers in the wine, spirits, and food industries with a variety of high-quality closures. Heather is passionate about helping customers find exactly what they’re looking for in order to create bottles that stand out from the competition. Today, she’s here to tell you all about the wonderful world of cork — and give you some beverage recommendations along the way.

On this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Hendricks talks with Heather Polick, the National Sales Consultant at ACIC Cork and Closures, about the benefits of a high-quality closure for your bottles. They discuss the importance of sustainable cork production, the camaraderie in the wine and spirits industry, how to find the right cork or closure for your brand, and much more. Stay tuned.

Sara Moll is a community builder, a supporter of women in entrepreneurship, and the Founder and CEO of Vin Social. She officially started the business back in 2015 with a vision for rethinking how we discover wine. Their emphasis is on sustainable and smaller-production brands, shining a spotlight on the wines that deserve it most.

Sara began as a creative director in the world of New York City fashion. From there, she enrolled in a professional sommelier training program and officially shifted her career path. In addition to Vin Social, Sara is a member of Kindred and Chief, both of which work towards maintaining equitable leadership in business.

COVID-19 left an indelible mark on the world of wine, but this was especially the case with smaller wineries. Many of these brands relied on in-person tastings to secure new customers. Without them, they struggled to be noticed next to more recognizable names. Virtual wine tastings existed before the pandemic, but this was the domain of those same larger brands. 

For Sara Moll, she wanted to highlight underappreciated wineries while also introducing customers to new wines they would love. This is why she founded Vin Social, a business that runs the gamut from virtual tastings to wine subscriptions to education and more. Her company has seen tremendous growth over the past year, even expanding into craft spirits. So how has she been successful and how has her unique vision come to life?

On this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Hendricks sits down with Sara Moll, the Founder and CEO of Vin Social, to discuss virtual wine tastings and the story behind the business. Sara goes through her own career switch, how she got into wine, and how Vin Social found success. They also cover the details of their virtual wine tastings and the advice Sara would give to new wineries looking to do the same. Stay tuned.

Stephan Martinez is the Owner of Trysk Print Solutions, a company that specializes in labels for wine and gourmet food. He started the business in 2008, bringing his experience from his position as Sales Manager at Richmark Label. Along with his time as a bartender, he has an eye for the art of spirits packing. Trysk utilizes the newest printing methods and design innovations for brands of any size.

Rob Griswold has worked as Trysk’s Marketing Director since 2016. He was first introduced to the wine industry through a class on the political economy of wine. This led him to take the role of Sales Manager at Corliss Estates and Tranche Cellars. Before his time at Trysk, he worked at Investco Financial Corporation and as an Account Manager at Cake Central Media Corp.

In last week's episode, Erica Harrop came on to explain the art of glassware in wine bottles. This week, the topic of presentation gets even more specific, as Stephan Martinez and Rob Griswold dive into the operations of the label industry.

The design of a quality label can further elevate the experience of the drink. It bears the logo of the brand, is the main point of contact, and signifies the quality of the contents. It may be a small detail, but the label can add so much to the first impression. As with every step of the process, there are experts who know how to take it to the next level. Now, those very experts share their techniques with you.

Drew Hendricks is joined by Stephan Martinez and Rob Griswold, the Owner and Marketing Director, respectively, of Trysk Print Solutions, to learn more about the world of labels. They go over the craftsmanship that goes into labels and the impact it has on the brands. Stephan and Rob then take the time to explain the stories behind some of their most unique works, including labels made from wood and stone. Find out all of this by listening to this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast.