Ramon Sandoval, Founder, Vino Latino
What do you need to be
an entrepreneur?
A
dream and the ambition to achieve it.
What inspired you
to start your business?
I
fell in love with Napa and was excited to learn that there are many Latinos
making wine here and actually, all across the USA. This gave me the idea to combining two things
I am passionate about wine and supporting Latinos.
How did you finance
it?
Lol..one
day at a time. The term “Boot Strapping”
comes to mind.
Does being
Hispanic/Latina have any influence on your business?
HUGE.
IT’s the inspiration behind my business.
It also helps me find customers because Latinos love to support other
Latinos.
In the face of
adversity, how do you decide to drive ahead?
Faith
in Jesus Christ, perseverance (never give up), out-of-the-box thinking, and a
supportive wife who is also my business partner.
What is
the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Marketing
to consumers on a shoestring budget.
If you could change
one thing about your business. What would it be?
Nothing, I love my business and if there is something I don’t
like I can change it.
What was your
childhood ambition?
To get out of the ghetto.
Tell us about three
entrepreneurs that you admire.
Steve
Jobs, Rolando Robledo, Mark Zuckerberg
For business meetings,
which do you prefer: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Breakfast
or Lunch, I’m an early riser.
What sacrifices in
your personal life did you have to make in order to become successful in
your business?
My
corporate job, my fancy car, and vacations.
What is your favorite
quote?
“If
you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room” ~unknown
Is it difficult to be
unconventional?
Not
for me, just the opposite in fact.
Following the crowd, towing the corporate line, doing everything the
same old way bores me and makes me feel stifled.
Biggest mistake made?
When
I first started I would fall for everyone’s promise of “exposure” by pouring
wine for free. I quickly learned the only thing it exposed me to was more
requests for free stuff while my bills went unpaid.
Do you consider
yourself an innovator? Why?
I
do because I’m always looking for new and different ways of doing things. I
think you have to when you are small. I
don’t have to money and influence of big corporations so the only way I can
compete is to come up with new and fun ideas.
Vino With Amigos is a perfect example.
I had to figure out how to get in front of consumers so I started doing
in-home wine tasting parties. I am also
launching my own wine label, “Vino S Vida” because no Latino winemakers made an
affordable moscato so I decided to make my own.
Description of the
company:
Vino
Latino is a wine company that supports and promotes Latinos in the American
wine industry by selling wine made or owned by Latinos in the USA. We sell wine via newsletter specials, wine
club, Vino With Amigos (in-home wine tastings), and tours.
