It is a bittersweet couple of weeks for me. My beloved Sales and Marketing Assistant is leaving me for a new job. It is hard to see her go, but she is ready for a new challenge—and I understand that completely. It is always difficult to transition from one person to another—especially in this role. The job calls for assisting me, our National Sales Manager and running most of our direct sales business. In addition, Melanie  managed all the other marketing admin tasks (samples coordination, material development, social media, etc ). Big shoes to fill. Sigh.

It is hard, but I am trying to look at this as an opportunity to get someone in here with new ideas and ways of managing the craziness that is Clos LaChance. I posted a search on WineJobs.com and have received some great resumes. A lot of people have a ton of marketing experience in other fields, which what I am looking for. The “wine thing” is easier to teach then a marketing and sales mentality. Also, I think the wine industry is sheltered from traditional marketing because of various restrictions (the “sin” of alcohol, exorbitant costs and limited manpower resources), but there are always new and interesting ways to do things. So the search begins for the perfect person.

We all wish Melanie well. She started at Clos LaChance as a harvest intern 5 years ago. She moved to an admi/office position after her internship, then into sales and marketing a few years ago. She will be missed.

Also had the opportunity to connect with a Clos LaChance alum last night, my “other” beloved Sales and Marketing assistant. Made me think back to all those great people who have since moved on to new opportunities—Colleen, Kevin R, all the Matts (We have had 4 Matts here over the years, 3 of them in the vineyard!), Todd, Greg, Beth, Abby, Dominic, Paige, Steve…there have been quite a few wonderful faces here over the years. A few not-so-wonderful, but the majority of people who have worked here have been amazing.

So I plod on, reluctantly looking for a new face to help me organize and implement all my crazy ideas. Best of luck to Melanie!  You will be missed.