Five women to know in wine Ⅴ: Liz Willette

During the recent Oscar awards, Kathryn Bigelow made history by winning Best Director for “The Hurt Locker.”    Impressed?  I certainly am.  As a woman in business, I have always admired other women who are leaders in their fields.  Therefore, I was especially honored to interview Liz Willette, founder and owner of Willette Wines, a company that specializes in importing and distributing small, boutique French wine primarily from Burgundy and Champagne.  Willette Wines is based out of OfficeLinks’ Chelsea office space location at 33 W 19^th Street.  With their wine tastings and generous donations, Liz Willette and her team have certainly become popular at Chelsea.

Starting her career in Europe, Liz’s road to success is certainly an interesting one.  She studied food and wine while working as a guide and trip researcher for Butterfield & Robinson, ran a wine bar in Italy where she selected wine for the well-known chef David Bouley, assisted with the opening of Bouley’s restaurant Danube, and worked for a distributor.  All of this, along with a connection to Jean Louis Chave, contributed to Liz’s creation of Willette Wines.  As the daughter of two entrepreneurs, she said starting her own business was always her goal.

In today’s challenging economic environment, it is especially important to stand out among the competition.  Liz shared with me some of her secrets to success:

• 1. Do what you are passionate about. Be authentic and true to yourself. For Liz, Willette Wines is a labor of love. Simply put, she does what she enjoys doing.
• 2. Take a focused approach. Liz does not try to be all things to all people. She sells to high-end restaurants and specialized boutiques and aims to support small growers who make soulful wines.
• 3. Communication is key. With openness and honesty, Liz avoids problems with colleagues and business partners.

In closing, did you know that women have 5,000 more cells in our smelling glands than men, making us better tasters (lucky for us)?  This was news to me but one of several points Liz made about women in the wine business.  Though she works in a male dominated industry, Liz feels being a woman is an advantage.  She thinks women are peacemakers and less hot headed about business.  Liz mentioned she is also a mother, adding a whole other level of complexity to being a female entrepreneur.  Like her business, Liz has her secrets to this success as well.  It takes major balance.   She is the mother of a young son, her greatest source of joy, and is expecting her second child this year.  We at OfficeLinks extend our congratulations to Liz and her family.