423 FBF: Barefoot Marketing with Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey
Today's Flash Back Friday comes from Episode 74, originally published in March 2013.
Jason Hartman invites\xa0Michael\xa0Houlihan\xa0and Bonnie Harvey, co-founders of Barefoot Wine, to discuss \u201cout-of-the-box\u201d marketing principles that led to\xa0Michael\u2019s and Bonnie\u2019s highly successful wine business. Though his business card reads, \u201cHead Stomper,\u201d\xa0Michael\xa0officially served as president and CEO for 19 years. She was Vice President and \u201cThe Original Foot\u201d for 19 years. There she had a wide variety of duties, doing whatever was necessary to operate the business. While\xa0Michael\u2019s role was \u201cbig picture visionary,\u201d Bonnie translated his ideas into workable processes and displayed a genius for managing the millions of details that come with a start-up. She proved to possess a rare combination of creativity and business savvy that served Barefoot well.
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Starting with no money and no knowledge of the wine industry,\xa0Michael\xa0and Bonnie used out-of-the-box thinking coupled with solid business principles to build a leading national brand. They relied on \u201cworthy cause marketing\u201d instead of conventional advertising to grow a loyal following and promote their favorite causes. Their new book is entitled:\xa0\xa0The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle and Heart Built a Bestselling Wine.
Barefoot Wines went on to win the industry\u2019s top sales awards. They were selling well over a half a million cases annually when the E&J Gallo family purchased the brand in 2005. Since then, along with Bonnie,\xa0Michael\xa0has been a valued advisor to large and small corporations and start-ups, offering his real world experience to improve their profitability, grow their brands, and improve their culture. Sales, marketing, and performance-based compensation are his sweet spots. He also donates professional time to non-profits to help them improve their image, increase donations and achieve financial sustainability.
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