Chrishon Lampley, Love Cork Screw- Like Wine, Business Gets Better With Time

Oct 27

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This week, I spoke to Chrishon Lampley, Négociant and CEO of Love Cork Screw, a wine and lifestyle brand. Love Cork Screw is an unconventional brand that is committed to producing a quality experience. It is more than just wine; it is a movement. Love Cork Screw is dedicated to providing its consumers with the ultimate experience in wine, entertainment, other products, and services. Chrishon wants her products to be an adventure for all five senses; that is why her brand is not limited to wine. Love Cork Screw is on the path to becoming a household name, as its products range from wine-scented candles, wine-scented body butter, apparel to accessories.

One word accurately describes Chrishon - relentless! Her extensive background has been a bedrock for her success so far; Chrishon worked in sales and marketing for twenty-five years. She developed communication skills while working in the industry, which she asserts has enabled her to sell anything to anyone. She combined her experience with her knack for entertaining people, which led to her co-owning a bar and art gallery for three years until she lost it all in a flood.

This seemingly incalculable loss drove Chrishon into depression for about a year and a half. She not only lost her business, but was also on the verge of losing her home. With encouragement from friends, she had a wake-up call and realized that her passion may not necessarily be her purpose. Even though she considers herself an awful writer, she started a blog inspired by what she was going through in that season of her life. Hence the brand name: Love Cork Screw. Her blog instantly became a hit and transitioned into a radio show. It served a dual purpose, helping her to relieve her stress and meeting the needs of others.

“My heart is still beating; I have a purpose” - Chrishon

Chrishon did not stop there; she wanted to venture out into deep waters. She wanted to do something that everyone told her she couldn’t do. From her experience, there was one thing that she knew well, and it was wine. Chrishon wanted to make wine more accessible, and she started her journey to becoming a négociant. She discovered that less than 1% of wine industry négociants are black women, and had to cross many hurdles to make her dream a reality. As a négociant, she has the privilege to source from different vineyards and own her formulas.

“I am here to break glass ceilings till there is no more to be broken” - Chrishon

Despite the numerous challenges of being a black woman in the wine and spirits industry, Chrishon has accomplished a lot in the past eight and a half years. Love Cork Screw has sold over a million bottles. It can be found in twelve states on various retail shelves, such as Target, Walmart, Total Wines, and More. Also, Chrishon has been featured on Times Square, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, CNBC’s “The Job Interview,” in Forbes Magazine, People Magazine, Buzzfeed, Wine Enthusiast, Food Network, and many more. Her most recent milestones are becoming the first African American company to add a nutritional label to their wine bottles and being picked up by Southern Glazers- the largest wine distributor in the nation.

In today’s episode, Chrishon shares her journey and motivation to keep going against all odds. She offers timely wisdom nuggets to entrepreneurs, encouraging them to take advantage of the times due to the pandemic and social justice movements. She shares information on finding opportunities and funding for one’s business venture; and key lessons on how to avoid pitfalls to becoming a sustainable brand. Chrishon also speaks about her virtual mentoring services and small business forums that she conducts to spread wealth to up-and-coming brands.

In This Episode You Will Learn: