Building a successful business take a ton of sweat equity. It’s also test of the mind.
At the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture, Senior Money & Careers Editor Kimberly Wilson sat down with former head of business operations at Combs Enterprises Wines & Spirits and founder of Wifey Wines Marilyn Van Alstyne to talk all things libations.
During the fireside chat, Pittman shared the secret of how she attained success in her life.
“That goes back to the importance of confidence,” she told the crowd on ESSENCE Fest’s Food & Wine stage. “Don’t be afraid of exploring the opportunities in your life to learn and grow, because you never know when you can leverage it in your life.”
“Understand the industry you’re in or trying to break into,” she continued. “Understanding the trends. I’m now on a journey of self-leadership, and it’s the idea that we are ultimately responsible for the success in our lives. There are people in our lives that will help us on our journey but get very clear about your goals, like Marilyn did, and then back into the steps about what you need to do to get there.”
Pittman mentioned that Van Alstyne, also formerly of Combs Enterprises, was very intentional about launching a sparkling wine as opposed to casting her net too wide.
“Figure out your data points before diving in,” Van Alstyne said. “If you want to sell lashes, look at where they sell the best and target that market.”
In a 2020 interview, she shared.
“We are often overlooked in advertising, marketing, and interestingly in consumption as wine drinkers. I wanted to highlight the beauty of black women. We drink wine. Some of us love sweet wine. Others love dry wine. And that’s something that I aim to highlight.”