Wait, so how does a poet…
First off, I’ve been writing poetry since I was about 8 years old. I don’t have any formal literary education, but I’ve attended several writing workshops, such as the Tin House Workshop, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, and Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference, working with amazing poets such as D.A. Powell, Mary Szybist, Dan Chiasson, and Major Jackson. For years, I was a poetry reader for Tin House magazine (RIP). My poems have appeared in several prestigious publications, including Ploughshares (forthcoming), American Poetry Review, Kenyon Review and Palette Poetry, and others. Check out my Poetry page for more details.
…Become a chemist and winemaker…
Back in 2009, halfway through my Chemistry PhD at UC Santa Barbara, I started regularly wine tasting up in the Santa Ynez Valley. When I bailed on the PhD, packaging my research findings into a Masters thesis, I moved back to Nashville, TN, my hometown. Needing cashflow while looking for chemistry jobs, I took a gig in a wine shop. A month in, my manager said, “You know winemaking is a real job, right? And that it’s mostly chemistry? Maybe consider it.” So, within a couple months, I had secured a harvest laboratory internship at Williams Selyem, one of the most iconic and prestigious wineries in California’s Russian River Valley.
Over the next 8 years, I rose quickly in the Russian River winemaking world, becoming the Assistant Winemaker for the pinot noir producer EnRoute, part of the historic and acclaimed Far Niente family of wineries. During my tenure there, I directed multiple winemaking projects, including overseeing the 2016 Marty’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, which became EnRoute’s highest scoring wine to date (93 points, Wine Spectator). Pretty cool, right?
While being trained to take the reins at EnRoute, I got a glimpse of what my life would look like as an executive winemaker at a commercial winery, and really did not like what I saw for myself. The grueling harvest seasons, inability to travel between August and November, the lack of cultural diversity and artistic community in most wine regions. Time to move on!
…a District Manager for Jamba Juice…
In 2018, I moved to New York City, seeking a new career in the wine industry, and in a place with a more vibrant, diverse artistic scene. I quickly got a job as the GM of a soon-to-open wine shop in Penn Station. With the store built, my staff hired, and the initial inventory order ready to submit, the shop’s owners informed me that the worst had happened: their retail license application had been rejected! Not wanting to lose me, their GM, while they reapplied for a new license, they gave me a new job: District Manager of their several Jamba Juice franchises around Manhattan and Jersey City. So, I became an expert in not just winemaking, but now also smoothie making and running quick service restaurants.
…and a Marketing & Communications Coordinator for a wine collecting services company?
In 2019, with no guarantee that the wine shop was going to actually receive their license, I took an opportunity with Domaine Storage in Edison, NJ, where I have been employed since. My role with Domaine has shifted over the years, spanning most sectors of the company. For most of that time, I helped manage and operate Cellar Trading, their retail division. This included managing the online store; strategizing, writing, and assembling marketing emails to clients; and growing business via hand sales and client outreach. I’ve since moved into Marketing & Communications, writing external and internal communications for Domaine, strategizing messaging, maximizing SEO, and helping manage both the company website and social media pages.
And in the mornings, I still write poetry. I never stopped.