One day, her son curled into her lap and asked her when she was going to do just one job, so that she had time to snuggle him more—and her mind was made up. In 2016, Jonelle made Traveling Vineyard her full-time job.
How Wine Guide Jon Today, Jonelle feels comfortable picking and choosing tasting dates that fit into her schedule. She doesn’t conduct more than eight tastings per month—a few on weeknights, but mostly on weekends. She spends a few hours a day on Traveling Vineyard tasks while her children are at school, like social media updates and coaching her team members. She says her boys “love helping out” with her 30-minute tasting prep, organizing wine info sheets onto clipboards while she packs up wine, glasses, and accessories. Jonelle has found that networking and recruiting don’t require a great deal of time or effort. Her Traveling Vineyard business comes up naturally in daily conversation because people love to talk about wine and getting together with friends to learn something new. Conversations like these easily lead to new tasting events—and even new team members. For Jonelle, tastings are about creating an environment where guests can enjoy good company, good wine, and good food. No extra frills required.
