When I Grow Up: Becoming a Sommelier and Blogger

Hello hello! It's time again for a new installment of When I Grow Up. Today I'm featuring Kellie MacMillan, the sommelier and blogger behind Princess and the Yard Ape. Intrigued? Then read on!

As a child, I wanted to be a ­______ when I grew up.   I’m not even sure I can remember way back then.

 How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? All I can say is that as far as dreams go, mine have all come true.  I’ll have to get some more.

What is your official job title? I am a Certified Sommelier and blogger.

Ok, now what does that really mean? The actual definition is a French term for a wine waiter.  You can just imagine a distinguished older French gentleman leaning over you seriously as you smell the cork in a fancy restaurant.

In a nutshell, a Sommelier is a wine professional that usually specializes in the service of wine.  The position is just like a chef.   Only she or he is the wine boss.

What is a typical day like? I’ve done it all career-wise.  I’ve worked in fine dining, a wine bar, I’ve trained staff, selected wines, created a draught beer program, taught classes, led tours, and I was even an assistant winemaker. These days I’m working online with my blog called Princess and the Yard Ape.

Back in Kellie's Wine Making Days!

Many people have superpowers and aside from making wine disappear, I am a Boss at food and wine pairing.

There are a lot of wine websites that analyze wine, rate it, make jokes about it, and portray wine as a status symbol.  Not many focus on pairing food and wine together.  I believe that they were made for each other and that wine should be part of everyday living.  I also see wine as a grocery item, not a luxury one.  I create simple, easy to follow recipes and pair them with wine.  I want to create a safe place for people who want to try wine but are timid, shy or don’t know where to start.

With all my credentials and over 12 years experience I really just see myself as a cheerleader.  I want to unlock some of the mysteries of the wine world and present a fresh view.  I find most information on wine is outdated, repetitive and boring.  I see myself as being Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen of Sommeliers.  I don’t want to re-invent the wine wheel.  I want to break it.

How did you end up in this career? Many moons ago I lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick and worked in a hospital lab detecting cancer.  As you can imagine I wasn't very popular at parties.  Three days on the job I realized that being in the same room with the same people every day wasn't for me but I stuck with it for twelve long years.  Then, life as I knew it came crashing down and I ended with me having a mini break down.

Since my health was at stake I was forced to start all over.  I had to come up with a plan pronto but I wasn't sure what the heck I wanted to do with my life.

I remember being asked by a friend, "If you could snap your fingers and without risk of failure what would you do?"

My answer was that I wanted to learn about wine, grow grapes, make wine and write.  The whole shebang!  I didn't know how I was going to do it but I knew this man named J.C. Belzile.  He was known around town as the wine guy.  So, I decided he was going to be my mentor.  I followed him everywhere and learned everything I could from him.  I was like a dryer sheet.  I clung on to him for dear life.

I went to college and studied wine and I became one of the first female Sommeliers in New Brunswick.

I have always viewed my training as a launching pad that has allowed me to open any door I wanted in the wine industry. My goal/dream is to be like my mentor J.C.  Every weekend just before suppertime he'd go to the local liquor store and walk around.  These women would call out to him and say, "J.C.  I'm having chicken (or whatever) for supper.  What wine should I get?"  He'd place a bottle in their hands and say, "Have a great weekend!"  That's my goal.  Well, virtually anyway.  To put that bottle in your hands and say Have a Great Weekend!

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career?  My training was an intensive course associated with The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).  The curriculum covered viticulture, wine making, how to evaluate and critique wine.  Every country in the Old World and New World of wine were studied.  Food and Wine pairing, investment strategies and menu design were also part of the program.  I obtained the designation of Certified Profession Sommelier after a brutal three-part exam that covered theory, wine tasting and then a wine service exam.  I was one of the first female Sommeliers of New Brunswick.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Whether someone wants a career like mine or not I’d say to make your business all about people.  Don’t just focus on the industry you enter.  Wine isn’t about wine at all; it’s all about people.  Sales for example, are about who is buying what you are selling.  I think too many times we forget about that and just focus on our field of expertise.  We are coming to a time where leaders are needed more than ever.  You won’t ever lead a bunch of wine bottles anywhere, but you certainly can lead people by being transparent and genuine.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? As a Sommelier I’m in the business of people.  My greatest gift is that I’m approachable.  I relate to people, I connect with them and I want grow an online wine community.  I’d love to go beyond the APP; I’d love to be a phone call or a text away for people who are buying wine.  I think everyone has different tastes, needs and budgets.  I’d love to virtually be there with someone shopping for wine.  If anyone wants to start with me I’m at http://www.facebook.com/princessandtheyardape I get the greatest thrill offering someone a wine that classy without a splashy price tag.  My greatest frustration is that when buying wine we only have the label and the price tag to tell us about the wine.  Neither tells you one thing about the quality of the wine in the bottle.  I want to see things change.  Where I live the liquor store doesn’t care about wine, they could be selling tires or underwear.  I want to see people get turned on about Food & Wine and demand better information based on them, not marketing gimmicks.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”?  Well as corny as it sounds, don’t get hung up on trends or making money.  Follow your heart and passion; they are the best career advisors.  Don’t wait to get picked; you can claim the career you want by refusing to walk down the same path as everyone else.  Don’t worry about what most people do, because they aren’t going to worry about you.  Be fearless. Be remarkable.

Thank you Kellie! It was so interesting to read about your career...now I really want a glass of wine :) 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

The E-Course I'm Raving About

Hey guys! Sorry about yesterday, I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment with all that is going on. Between wrapping up projects at the day job and ramping up work with clients, there aren't enough hours in the day. Only 8 and half business days left, though!

I wanted to stop by today to say hi, but also let y'all know about a great deal. Some of you may remember Kathleen Shannon from being featured here on Mrs Robbins Sparkles. Others may know her from the Being Boss podcast, or her blog. But today I want to tell you about something her business is offering: the Braid Creative E-Course for Creative Entrepreneurs.

I've raved about their e-courses before, but last month Kathleen and Tara combined all their e-courses along with all new content to create the biggest baddest e-course they've offered to date. Of course I snatched it up right away, and I have LOVED it. It has been super helpful, and I swear that part of the reason I am able to leave my day job behind is because of these two awesome women and all the wisdom they share.

The e-course is set to be worked through on your own. When you register you get the e-course book full of 7 lessons and a workbook with 20 branding exercises and scripts, as well as access to the exclusive Facebook group. (It's still small, so it's a great place to ask questions and get legit answers from others in the class as well as Kathleen.)

And today is the last day to purchase the course at the introductory rate ($197). It goes up to $229 tomorrow. While I think it is totally worth more than that, I also wanted to let y'all know while it is still the reduced price. So if you are interested in learning more about personal branding, finding dreamy clients, defining creative processes, or how to create your own awesome job, you might want to jump on this e-course.

Of course, if you have no interest in any of that then just look at the awesome graphics the Braid Creative team created and move on. I'll be back tomorrow with another installment in the When I Grow Up Series!

I am a Braid affiliate – that means when you use the links in my post I get a commission on all referred sales. That said, I fully believe in The Braid Method ECourse and how it’s helped me in work and life.

When I Grow Up: Becoming a Negotiation Specialist

Happy Wednesday friends! This post is coming to you from a brand new MacBook, because my HP laptop decided to up and die on Monday night. Always nice when you announce you're quitting your day job and your means of making a living decides to give up on life. But I'm back online and a new Mac user. (For the record, I should've done this four years ago when I bought the laptop before the HP!) 

Now without further ado let me introduce you to Devon Smiley of DevonSmiley.com. She's a negotiation specialist and a member of the Being Boss Facebook group. Welcome Devon! Tell us about yourself:

As a child, I wanted to be either a ballet dancer or an optometrist when I grew up.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Pretty far away. No one who knew me growing up would have guessed I’d end up doing this. But I think that the years of ballet classes helped me hone my attention to detail, and made me pretty good at picking up on patterns and predicting what comes next.

What is your official job title? I’m a Negotiation Consultant for ambitious entrepreneurs and best-in-class corporations.

Ok, now what does that really mean? I help people get what they need in business. With big companies, I help their sales and purchasing departments sign (often complex) contracts to sell/buy product. When I work with entrepreneurs and freelancers, it’s about helping them raise their rates, protect their boundaries and be fearless when asking for what they need.

What is a typical day like? I’m an aspiring morning person – so even if I manage to be up bright and early, my brain only kicks into gear around 10am. I’ll spend the time before that walking Jack (my dog), having a coffee, catching up on emails, and popping into my favorite Facebook groups to answer questions.

I try and split my week into a mix of client-focused days, and creation-focused days. Client days are all about Skype calls, reviewing contracts, and doing research. Creation days I’ll spend writing new blog posts, brainstorming ideas for new courses or videos, and taking care of marketing activities. Without a doubt though, around 3pm it’s time for a trip to the park with Jack – both of us could use the exercise after hours at the desk!

How did you end up in this career? I came to negotiation by way of working in purchasing. I spent my early career working as a buyer, mainly in aerospace. After a few years, I realized that having a great contract made the buyer’s job a whole lot easier – and suddenly, the job I’d considered suuuuper boring (negotiating contracts) became a whole lot more interesting. Knowing that I’d be able to make a positive difference in colleagues’ day-to-day work did it for me.

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? Contrary to popular belief, negotiation isn’t the exclusive domain of lawyers. I earned my university degrees in business, but I think what’s been the most valuable for me in this career is having studied a variety of subjects. My political science minor helped my critical thinking skills, and filling my electives with Victorian literature classes means that my writing style in contracts is rather elegant. What’s most important to me is that I keep learning. I don’t think it’s possible to ever fully master a field like negotiation, and the more skills, perspectives and experiences I can add to my repertoire, the better.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? That it’s crucial to learn how to listen. Listen to, and learn from everyone you interact with. When you boil down the often-scary term ‘negotiation’, it’s really all about building a connection with someone and then finding or creating agreement. The broader your experiences, and the deeper your understanding of topics, the more successful you’ll be in doing both of those things. So keep listening.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? Negotiation Consulting is something I can see myself doing for years to come, because each client and contract will be different – it’ll keep me engaged and on my toes. I’d love to develop my career to include speaking at industry and corporate events, and being a published author. It’s also in the game plan to take this show on the road, and work someplace a little warmer than Montreal in the winters!

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? I’d encourage you to find a balance between setting your sights on a career and working towards it, and keeping your eyes open for new opportunities and paths. Be willing to change course. Perseverance is a valuable trait – but so is adaptability.

Thank you for sharing your story Devon! Such a cool career, and one that I would never have even considered. That's what I love about this series - I'm always learning. And I hope you are too!

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...