"If I had known what it was going to be like before I started, I never would have done it." 

It's a sentiment that a lot of us probably feel keenly right now (perhaps always!) and, for Joseph Burton, it sums up both his foray into owning his own business and the many twists and turns of a COVID-19 world over the past 18 months. 

As the first certified Sommelier in Tasmania and with 20 years of experience selling and serving wine under his belt, Joseph started his own wine wholesale, retail and events business in 2014. It was a tough slog to begin with, but his continued focus on customer service has seen the business grow over the past seven years, and is undeniably the reason Joseph Burton Wines remained afloat when 95% of its usual clients closed their doors during Tasmania's 2020 lockdown. 

Joseph pivoted quickly and effectively to selling wine direct-to-consumer, and launched "The House Wine", a weekly online wine tasting event, complete with wine delivered to your door. While this new model and market have created great ongoing opportunities for his business, Joseph believes that a flourishing tourism industry is still critical to its future viability. 

In this episode, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti chats to JB about his business' response to a new environment as a critical part of the tourism industry's supply chain, and the importance of storytelling when it comes to all things brand Tasmania.