Henrietta woman's love of wine business fuels career at Perinton's Casa Larga Vineyards
I worked my way up from marketing intern to marketing director at Casa Larga Vineyards in Perinton. My job is a nice mix of desk work and hands-on activities where I get to work with tasting rooms, liquor stores and on product placement. Despite what many of my friends think, I don't sit at my desk with a glass of wine all day.
What kinds of challenges did you face early on?
Casa Larga was my first real job out of college, and it was a big reality check for me. It's so easy to sit in class and learn ideas from textbooks or do case studies on Coca Cola Co. or Wal-Mart Stores Inc. In real life, the biggest challenge is within the office — all of the interpersonal connections and corporate culture tidbits that you have to pick up on as you go along.
What would you do different?
At the time, it was refreshing to go straight from my management classes with my bachelor's degree into more strategy-oriented courses with my MBA. But if I had to do it over, I would have worked a little in my career so that I could get some "real world" knowledge that would have helped me with my MBA.
Who were some of your mentors?
As a businesswoman, my mom, Jill Kurtz, has been a very big influence. She is a strong, independent career woman who has more drive and determination to succeed than anyone I've ever met. She's taught me to always maintain my morals and convictions, and to balance work with my life outside the office.
Another important person in my career has been Christopher Cornett, a design consult for Casa Larga. There are times when I'm frustrated or don't know what direction to take, and he's been great with providing me advice and guidance.
What organizations do you belong to that have helped you in your career? RIT's Alumni Association has been great resource for me. Between the local alumni chapter and the RIT E. Phillip Saunders College of Business Alumni group, there's a great mix of networking and social activities.
Staying in touch with my alma mater is important to me. It's helped my career by keeping me in touch with others who are passionate about business. I get to bounce ideas off of people in the industry and get ideas from people in other fields of study. It's nice to get perspective from someone with a completely different view.
What do you ultimately want to do with your life?
I want to have fun. Yes, I have goals and dreams — marriage, kids, career success. But overall I want my life to be fun and filled with great memories, whether it is from work or with family and friends.
Where do you find inspiration?
My family has a house in the Adirondacks on Big Moose Lake. I find that when I spend time there, I'm able to regroup and many times great ideas come to me. As much as I try to relax and forget about the wine business when I'm there, the peacefulness makes it easy to let new ideas flow.
How do you balance work life?
My close friends and boyfriend really keep me grounded and make sure that I keep work at work. I just bought a house and right now my big project outside of work is making my home cozy.
I love shopping and traveling, but those are being put on hold because of the house.
It's almost my favorite time of year — football season. I was born and raised a diehard Eagles fan, and am gearing up for a great season and getting my fantasy football team ready.
What is your advice for other young professionals?
Follow your instincts. If you aren't happy with the way something is going or you don't agree with a decision, find a way to make yourself heard. Listen to your gut and voice your opinion in a professional manner.