You’ve had quite the career path. Can you tell us how it changed?
In my early years, I was a very disciplined and a hard driver. I believed that if I wanted something, I had to make it happen. There was a distinct separation from work and what I loved to do. The more I accumulated in money and stuff, the more complicated life got. After I “quit my life” by resigning from my job and liquidating my possessions, I drove to Alaska with my 70 year old dad in a camper for 6 weeks, then moved to South Florida in search of a Tiki Bar on the beach. I wanted no responsibility, to be around happy people and see the ocean. I ended up working at a marina bar, met a captain living on a sailboat, jumped on board to island hop in the Caribbean. Later I went to Italy for a 3 month stay and visited a small family winery as a tourist, met third generation wine maker, Giuseppe, drank the wine, fell in love and never left.
During this “life reinvention” journey, I kept a journal and made it into book. Fans of the book started to write to me and ask advice about how I really did it. So I started a blog and became a certified life coach. I now live at the winery 8 months of year and learned all about wine, wine making and how the family sold it. I used my American marketing skills to open new lines of sales and have doubled the private wine sales for our family.
The other 4 months, Giuseppe and I return to the USA and promote his wines and my book and our story. My latest adventure is hosting a “Life Reinvention” Retreat in Tuscany. It’s a weeklong, all inclusive stay at a 1,000 year old monastery turned Bed and Breakfast that includes all lectures about how to reinvent/change your life and excursions, meals and of course, wine! And, we will help pick the grapes at our vineyard!
So my career path changed as I opened my mind to a different lifestyle. I went from corporate sales executive, to waitress, to first mate, to award winning author, to winery marketing, to Certified life coach, to Retreat Instructor all while traveling and loving the adventure. My motto through it all is “ I am open and eager to see what comes next.”