This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chrishon Lampley, the 48-year-old CEO and cofounder of the wine company, about how she pivoted after a business crisis. Insider has verified the business' growth with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
It was a mess, both literally and figuratively. I was watching something I had poured my heart, soul, and a lot of money into go down the sewer. It was a dark place, but my heart was still beating, so I still had a purpose — and I knew, eventually, I was going to create something else.I wasn't ready to immediately build a new business. My wine bar had always been a side hustle, and I had a full-time job in wine sales and distribution to fall back on for financial stability.
I started casually promoting the blog, sharing on Love Cork Screw's Facebook page once a month when I'd write a new post, and then cross-post to my own page, where I had gained a decent following from my time at the gallery. The blog grew organically from there. Seeing this helped rebuild my confidence.
Around three years after the flood, I felt ready to launch a business again and took stock of what I had learned in the time since.