| 1. What was your first job?
First job was an acting gig in a TV show A Country Practice when I was 9. I was a checkout chick at Woolies at 15. First full time non-acting job was in sales & marketing for a raw fragrance importer – pitching a fragrance to Schwartzkopf, Unilever, that sort of thing.
It was an interesting time because it was the birth of essential oils into the mainstream, and we got to play with that. Highlight was creating a consumer range of essential oils that I got into Woolies and Franklins.
2. What did you want to be when you grew up?
What didn’t I want to be? Batman, rock singer, lawyer, journalist... Probably in that order until about the age of 10. I studied Economics Accounting at uni, god knows that hasn’t helped much, just ask my accountant!
3. What does your job involve now?
Now I’m a qwoffer. As it’s essentially just JD (business partner and I), we both do pretty much everything. At the moment I’m very focused on design, as we’re getting Qwoff 2.0 up and running. Normally it’s a lot of sales, customer service, sourcing good wine deals. We’re launching in the US and South America this year, so that will mean a bit of travel.
4. Are you thinking of trying your hand in anything else?
Nope. Very happy with Qwoff. I do have a New Media Production company called The Vision Gallery – we do web and video stuff mostly for the wine industry, and that was sort of the launching pad for Qwoff, but it’s getting harder to divide my energies. Hoping to channel all my time into Qwoff by July.
Although having said that, I do like to write. I think I’ll give this everything I’ve got for the next 10-15 years, and then in my 50s I hope to be writing novels from the porch overlooking my vineyards. Ahh...
5. What is the biggest challenge you face at work?
Time. Running a business that really needs 4-6 people with only 2. That and convincing wineries that they shouldn’t be afraid of new media or consumers’ reviews.
6. What is the best part of your job?
Wine. I love wine. I love the drink, I love the people, I love the regions. It’s awesome. That and being able to give people a bit more confidence to talk about wine, no matter how much they know or don’t know. It doesn’t matter – that’s not the point. It’s only wine, it’s what you taste that’s important.
7. What is your advice for people starting out in your industry?
For those of you with an idea for a website – define your revenue streams, make them possible, and go for it. Dream big but set realistic targets, both in time and money, and work your ass off to reach them.
And bring good people on board, give them a vested interest, and try to enjoy it, even when you’re under the pump. And don’t start new big ventures with a new family. Oops...
8. What makes you happy?
My family. Cooking. Good songs. Good movies.
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