Episode 158
Master Somm Laura Shares Her Journey Breaking Barriers in the Wine Industry Pt. 2
In this episode of The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast, Forrest Kelly continues his engaging conversation with Laura DePasquale, a trailblazing Master Sommelier with two decades of experience. Laura opens up about the challenges and triumphs of being a woman in the Wine industry, particularly during her early years when she was often the only female executive in the room. Despite these obstacles, Laura's determination and passion for Wine have led her to break barriers and pave the way for future generations of women in the field.
Laura shares a compelling story from her early career as a Florida state Italian Wine specialist, where she navigated the male-dominated landscape with resilience and ingenuity. Her journey to becoming a Master Sommelier, a title held by only 30 women worldwide, showcases her commitment and expertise. Laura's decision to become a pioneering figure in the industry has earned her multiple promotions and recognition as a groundbreaking leader.
Laura also attributes much of her success to her upbringing and the invaluable mentorship she received throughout her career. Her current role at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits allows her to support traditional and innovative wineries, ensuring their commercial success and sustainability. Tune in to hear more about Laura's inspiring journey and her vision for the future of the Wine industry.
Your Host: Forrest Kelly is an experienced Radio/TV broadcaster who has interviewed some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, from Garth Brooks to Kevin Costner. A lover of wine who is fascinated by the science behind it.
Voted One of The Best Travel, Top 5 Minute, and Top Wine Podcasts.
Transcript
Welcome.
Host:Welcome to the best five minute White podcast with Forrest Kelly.
Laura:All right, let's dive deeper into our conversation with Laura de Pasquale.
Speaker C:How am I ever gonna get ahead?
Speaker C:And he said to me, that's five minute wine podcast.
Laura:Being a female with 20 years of master Psalm experience coming up on that, is it difficult to not only get in the business, but to be taken seriously?
Speaker C:Yes and no is my answer.
Speaker C:I will say that over my 20 year career in the industry, it's gotten a lot better.
Speaker C:But I can tell you that the first ten years were extraordinarily difficult.
Speaker C:I would be the only woman as an executive in the room at all times.
Speaker C:No matter what state I was in, whether I was in Omaha, Nebraska, or Los Angeles, California, meeting with the top executives, I would be the only woman in the room.
Speaker C:And I will say that over the last ten years, and specifically the last five to six, it has gotten a lot better.
Speaker C:We still have a long way to go, but it's a lot better.
Speaker C:And I'll share a story with you.
Speaker C:When I first entered the business, I was working as the Florida state italian wine specialist.
Speaker C:It's my first job in the industry, and I loved it.
Speaker C:Loved it.
Speaker C:I was like, oh, my God, I wish I had done this sooner.
Speaker C:And I just absolutely loved it.
Speaker C:And so after, I don't know, maybe two, three months, I went to my boss, who was a gentleman, and he was a great boss, and I said to him, how am I ever going to get ahead in this business?
Speaker C:And he said to me, well, what do you mean?
Speaker C:And I said, look, I'm not going golfing.
Speaker C:I'm not taking up golf.
Speaker C:I don't like golf, right?
Speaker C:So I'm not doing business deals on the golf course.
Speaker C:I'm not hanging out at night at the bar having cocktails.
Speaker C:I don't like cocktails.
Speaker C:And I want to go to sleep because I've got a busy day in the morning.
Speaker C:How am I ever going to get ahead?
Speaker C:And he said to me, I really don't know what to tell you, but I think you'll figure it out.
Speaker C:And that was extraordinary.
Speaker C:Like, how could your boss say that to you?
Speaker C:I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker C:I did figure it out, but it was really, you know, articles that have been written about me over the course of the year have always labeled me as a groundbreaker, as someone who is connecting the dots and pushing the glass ceiling and being a pioneer, as well as after I, when I joined the industry, I was not a master of sommelier.
Speaker C:I was pursuing the degree.
Speaker C:It's a very difficult degree.
Speaker C:There's only 30 women in the whole world that have achieved it.
Speaker C: , so I joined the industry in: Speaker C: In: Speaker C:And I said, oh, what would that be?
Speaker C:And he said, and we'll support you either way you want to go, but you can either continue on your business track, because by that time, when I passed, I was now national sales director.
Speaker C:So I had gotten two promotions.
Speaker C:I said, you can continue on this business track, or you can become a personality and we'll promote you.
Speaker C:Which one do you want to do?
Speaker C:And I didn't hesitate.
Speaker C:I was like, I want to be that groundbreaking person.
Speaker C:I want to be that woman in the business that carves a path and shows that it can be done for women that are up and coming in the industry.
Speaker C:And he said, I knew you would say that, and I'm so happy you did.
Speaker C:Let's go.
Speaker C:And so we did.
Speaker C:And so within two years, I was promoted to vice president of that company.
Speaker C:You know, had my first seat at the executive table.
Laura:Can you attribute some of your success that you continue to have with your upbringing and your parental upbringing?
Speaker C:Probably all of it.
Speaker C:You know, I think I really didn't understand who I was when I entered and entered the business, and the business really helped.
Speaker C:And becoming a master sommelier, just that achievement helped me find my voice as a leader.
Speaker C:I can't say that I've done everything correctly, because it's trial and error sometimes.
Speaker C:And at the time, the industry was still pretty improvised in a lot of ways, and people were in seats that you just sort of looked at them and go, how did you get this job?
Speaker C:Like, you're completely incompetent.
Speaker C:And it was for sure trial and error and a lot of coaching.
Speaker C:That gentleman who sat me down was an extraordinary boss, and he was my boss for seven years.
Speaker C:At the time, there were no formal mentor mentees programs, but he was an incredible coach and mentor.
Speaker C:And we would have a standing phone call no matter where I was in the world because I was traveling a lot.
Speaker C:I've always traveled a lot.
Speaker C:730 Tuesday morning, no matter where I was, was our time.
Speaker C:And he would say to me, like, if I had done something that, you know, maybe I shouldn't have done out in some market or said something to somebody or something, something he would say to me, okay, so a little dentist coaching, and I would be like, what did I do?
Speaker C:But he just had such a great way of encouraging me, promoting me, empowering me, making me feel valued, making me feel important, making me feel like I was making a difference, making me feel that I was doing a good job.
Speaker C:And I've always been described as driven, headstrong, independent.
Speaker C:I just knew that I really wanted to succeed.
Speaker C:And I think some of that is growing up at the time that I did in a very humble upbringing.
Speaker C:And I think part of it is just my passion and drive and love for representing the wineries that I do.
Speaker C:This current role that I have at Southern Glazers is the dreamiest job I could ever imagine.
Speaker C:I am empowered to create something that doesn't exist for a very powerful company.
Speaker C:I have incredible resources and support.
Speaker C:And I feel like at this point in my career, not only am I helping to develop the next generation of leaders, but I'm also helping to sustain generational farming, generational wineries, traditional wineries, and providing new, innovative wineries the opportunity to become commercially successful.
Speaker C:So I just love what I do.
Speaker C:I just love it.
Host:The best five minute wine podcast.
Laura:Don't forget my favorite part.
Host:Please, please like and follow.
Host:Oh.
