So, I have never done anything like this before. I still stand by the fact that I am not a very good writer as I tend to babble on a bit, get distracted by my own thoughts, and go off on tangents. Quite often, the reader gets a little confused and gives up half way through - never uncovering my original intent. But when my friend Meghan asked me to write about this journey I am embarking upon, I said, "Hell, why not?" Really it’s free advertising (as long as more Victorians get on this site) and it’s a way to make my mark on the world- something that I have always wanted to do. I always thought it would be getting photographed by the paparazzi with some gorgeous hunky actor type, (and don’t get me wrong there is still time for that, and I am working on it) but this will have to be my mark for the moment!

There is that tangent I was talking about... To the point: This journey I am embarking upon is a business venture. A friend and I are going into business in the exciting, stimulating, and terrifying world of wine distribution. Now I am sure that most of you are thinking, "Why would this be a terrifying world?" So a bit of my history may be in order... I really just fell into loving wine, as I have always been (and still mostly am) a beer drinker. When I was in my last year of high school I had to make the choice of what I wanted to do with my life. I was looking through the giant book of university options and I came across ‘Wine Science,’ and since I have always been good at science, I read the blurb, which said, "4th Year Northern Hemisphere Vintage." Right then I was sold- TRAVEL! I have always wanted to travel, ever since we went on our first family holiday to Queensland. I loved the hustle and bustle of the airport, the security gates, the smell of the jet fuel, the flying, the hotels, the different everything... all of it; I was hooked. So when I found a University degree that included travel, I thought, "My lucky day," and a couple of months later I was accepted into the course. Now before doing this I should have really looked into what being a winemaker actually involves, but I didn’t, and as with many of my choices in life I jumped in headfirst!

After what was meant to be a 4 year course, but turned into 5, I had my wine making degree and a handful of vintages all over the world under my belt. It was then that I found out that winemaking really wasn’t for me, as it takes a particular sort of person to be a winemaker. So I decided to try my hand at wine retail. I got the first job that I came across, in Geelong. I had high hopes for the place and the job- an old store known by everyone in Geelong as a great place to get great wines, a new owner, and another employee who was a girl with background similar to mine. Well, this girl and I soon realized that our boss had his own agenda; he really didn’t care to invest much (money or otherwise) in this store, and our ideas were never even considered. It was an uphill battle and after a while it was time for us both to go!

So after many brainstorming sessions and long nights of drinking wine we came up with an idea: wine distribution, and the name Glass Half Full Wines. The rest we really couldn’t do while being half tanked on Cabernet, so we left it there. I awoke in the morning and it still seemed like a great idea- so on we went, researching, gathering info, filling out forms, getting graphics done, creating web-sites, and the all important, getting wineries signed on. This is the point that we are at now, which is somewhat of a stand still while we get all the horrid little crinkles ironed out. The fact that I still have the travel bug and keep jetting off to distant places doesn’t make it easy to get things done...

But here is the thing that I had started to explain so long ago-why I feel that wine distribution is going to be a terrifying world:
Firstly, I am leaving the comfort zone of being behind the counter. In the store, it’s OK, people come in wanting to buy wine, and I sell it to them. Now I will be on the other side of the counter, sometimes unwanted or in the way, trying to sell people wines they have already, don’t need, or don’t want. I don’t know if I can do this – because I have 3 major personality flaws which I feel will get in the way of me being a good rep.
First...I am the kind of annoying person that wants to be people’s best mate. I need them to like me, so I feel having to push wines or put the hard sell on people will get them annoyed, and therefore, not like me. It’s very conflicting.
Second...I have a tendency to ramble on... and on and on. I just keep talking, telling any story I can think of, and it has been pointed out to me that this, although sometimes interesting, can get annoying.
And third... The last flaw (of the 3- I have more than 3, believe me!) is that I am brutally honest. I tell it how it is, and not everyone likes everything told to them straight (apparently) but I just tell them anyway! This is the one that I feel will get me into trouble the most.

Yet apart from the fear that I won’t be a good rep, the simple fact remains that I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I will be going on the road, door to door, dependent on sales because we have put a lot of time, money, and effort into something that may/may not work. Then there is the fact that money won’t just appear in my account every week like it does now for 40hrs of work, but I’ll actually have to work for it. My biggest fear of all, though, is that there will be no one else to blame. Everything will fall on my shoulders. I’ll have to become more organized and start keeping log books, note the details and manage the big picture, be available all the time, and the worst bit: be well presented, for those of you who know me will agree that this may be the biggest problem. For those of you who don’t know me, let me tell you that my idea of dressy is a clean pair of jeans and washing my hair. But never fear! I have a sister and friends that are all willing to help- and one that is even donating her wardrobe to me! (That’s how concerned some people are about this.)

Don’t worry though, dear reader, here is the final part of this story- one I am sure you thought would never end… I am an optimist and despite everything that I have just mentioned, I feel that things will just fall into place quite nicely. If it’s meant to be, it will happen and (hopefully) sooner rather than later, when I am successful, I will forget that I ever worried about any of this.
I hope you will stay tuned in for more adventures, or just my mindless rantings about the wonderful, and terrifying (now you know why) world of wine distribution with me and Glass Half Full Wines. (Remember the name- it’ll be huge! )