“Every opportunity is on the other side of fear.”

James Lowery had the decision to make when the work dried up in his industry. Launching an entrepreneurial venture takes vision, knowledge and the willingness to take the leap. In the case of James and his wife, Lindsay, you can also add the combined talents to create a team.

The passion around wine came at an early age. The farmland the vineyard is on has been in James’s family since 1870’s, and they bottled wine long before growing production for other wineries since 2002. In some businesses, you can see a fairly quick payoff of your efforts. In the wine industry its years in the making from the vine to bottle. James and Lindsay will tell you that, “every grape that comes off the vine is full of unrealized potential to be a great wine; you just have to figure out how not to screw it up. If it’s a raisin, it’s a tragedy.” Launching KC Wineworks in 2014 was no small feat. They are still learning lessons and making a name for themselves in the process.

In this episode James and Lindsay share:

• Why your competition can be your best resource.
• Everyone experiences stress in their business. It’s your mindset that determines how you can use it to your advantage.
• Stepping outside your comfort zone doesn’t just apply to business but wine preferences too. You could be pleasantly surprised.
• How to use lessons learned as a road map.

Listen here or find this and the rest of the episodes on iTunes. You can also find all of the episodes on Stitcher too.

In case you’re wondering why the gear shape in the winery’s logo? According to James, “it symbolizes the cyclical nature of the winemaking process. From growth to harvest, processing, bottling and selling the wine.” But doesn’t that sound similar to the lifecycle of any business? 

Be sure to visit KC Wineworks at their location in the Crossroads of Kansas City for a tasting. As you’ll hear in the podcast, the Chambourcin is my favorite. You can also find them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook too. Their hashtags are #drinkMOwine and #discoverMOwine.

If you like to read, consider James’s Book Suggestion: The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine.

Stay tuned for Episode 13 and leadership insights from Perry Puccetti.