The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America's #1 Wine Brand

by Bonnie Harvey, Michael Houlihan

Overview

This is the story of a little winery that broke all the rules—and left its footprints all over the industry. When Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey started Barefoot Wines in their laundry room in 1986, they had no idea what they were doing. They had no money or experience, but they made up for that with creativity, resourcefulness, guts, and grit. By the time they sold the brand to E&J Gallo in 2005, they’d won a ton of awards and helped transform an entire industry from stuffy and intimidating to fun, casual, and socially aware. This is a guidebook for anyone in business and a great read for everyone who loves a rags-to-riches story. The Barefoot Spirit is not a dry business textbook. The lessons are cheerfully woven into a twenty-year story that’s inspiring, amazing, and entertaining. It’s a case study, an idea book, an uncommon peek behind the curtain of the wine business, and a snapshot of the American spirit, West Coast style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780988224544
Publisher:	Evolve Publishing
Publication date:	05/21/2013
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.78(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.86(d)

About the Author

Bonnie Harvey is the co-founder of Barefoot Cellars, along with partner Michael Houlihan. She was vice president for nineteen years. She had a wide variety of duties, doing whatever was necessary to operate the business. While Michael's role was "big picture visionary," Bonnie translated his ideas into workable processes and displayed a genius for managing the millions of details that come with a start-up. She proved to possess a rare combination of creativity and business savvy that served Barefoot well. In the early days of the brand, Bonnie was responsible for bottling oversight, supply inventory, and label design-in fact, the famous footprint is actually hers! Bonnie has a passion for helping young entrepreneurs choose the right path. She loves showing others how to avoid painful and costly mistakes and directing them toward profitability. Michael Houlihan is the co-founder of Barefoot Cellars. Though his business card read "Head Stomper," he officially served as president and CEO for nineteen years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 How Hard Could It Be? 1

Chapter 2 Now What? 21

Chapter 3 Taking on the Behemoth 43

Chapter 4 Have You Had Your Brick for the Day? 65

Chapter 5 Hit the Enemy Where the Enemy Is Not 95

Chapter 6 Mama Mabel, Surfers, and Monks 123

Chapter 7 The "Romance" of the Wine Business 155

Chapter 8 Never Waste a Perfectly Good Mistake 195

Chapter 9 A Smaller Slice of a Larger Pie 215

Chapter 10 The Spirit Lives On 251

About the Authors 274

What People are Saying About This

Yahoo! Small Business Writer - Adrienne Burke

"Fun beach reading for small business inspiration. The Barefoot Spirit is an entertaining rags-to-riches story of American entrepreneurship. It's the first-hand tale of California rule breakers Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, founders of the country's top-selling wine brand."

Kip Marlow

I try to read all the books of the authors on my show and am just getting into The Barefoot Spirit. It's one of the best books on entrepreneurship I've read. —Kip Marlow, Entrepreneur & Host of Entrepreneurs Club Radio

Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback, Entrepreneur, & Sirius XM Radio Host of The Fran Tarkenton Show - Fran Tarkenton

"Great read, great book. This story is beyond wine and the love of wine, it's about starting a business."

Rebecca J. White

I thoroughly enjoyed The Barefoot Spirit. Since we just started classes this week, I decided to make it recommended reading for my entrepreneurship classes. It tells a lovely story and it embodies so much of the entrepreneurial mindset. The books was so readable and so intimate — it made me feel like I was on the journey with you. Both of you come across as such real and honest folks who were not willing to compromise your values to succeed. But that is not the BEST part of the story. You, in fact, were able to use those values to succeed in unconventional ways. One of the most important lessons I took away from this was that you were absolutely focused on excellence but you were able to combine that with fun! That is and has been my goal in my classroom. I think we need the barefoot spirit in education! When young children in kindergarten are asked how they can be creative — can they solve problems, dance, draw, sing, etc. — they all say yes — watch me! By the time I get to my college students — most of them are too fearful to have fun and try new things. We have to change our system! I have already used more than one quote in my classes the first day already! In sum, I loved this book. I also enjoyed the fact that it was a partnership story. (My husband and I are both educators and work as a team) and I loved that there was such a strong female in this story. Sometimes that is hard to find in entrepreneurial stories. It was easy and fun to read (just like the barefoot spirit), it made me smile and I believe students will find it a fun addition to their library and in the process they will learn the most important lessons of entrepreneurship! - Rebecca J. White, Professor, Entrepreneurship and James W. Walter, Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship Director, Entrepreneurship Center, The University of Tampa, John H. Sykes College of Business Tampa, Florida Outgoing President, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Editorial Reviews

“This is a warm, wonderful, inspiring book that entertains and motivates at the same time.”
--Brian Tracy, Author of The Power of Self-Confidence

"Michael and Bonnie started the tradition of Worthy Cause Marketing and for well over a decade used their winery, Barefoot Cellars, to support the Mono Lake Committee’s grassroots efforts. Their approach helped spread the word about protection, restoration, and education at Mono Lake—inspiring people to get out and get involved."
--Geoff McQuilkin, Executive Director, Mono Lake Committee

"Michael and Bonnie took a chance on potentially losing sales when they supported our cause with Barefoot Cellars in the early 1990's. Their co-promotion with the League to Save Lake Tahoe took a strong position on a very controversial issue involving the development of the Lake Tahoe Basin. They helped us get the word out about our cause through wine shops, markets and restaurants in California."
--Darcie Goodman-Collins, PhD, Executive Director, League to Save Lake Tahoe

"Of the many supporters Surfrider Foundation has had over the years, perhaps none of them align with us like Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan. Their approach to work with organizations they believed in and encourage others to support these causes was innovative and effective. We shared common goals and through their marketing efforts we were able to share our mission with a wider audience."
--Michelle C. Kremer, Esq., Chief Operating Officer, Surfrider Foundation

From the Publisher

I picked up Michael and Bonnie’s book chronicling the Barefoot story with the intention of a quick scan and found myself spending the better part of a Sunday thoroughly enjoying myself reading cover-to-cover. I believe students will find The Barefoot Spirit both a great read and an important lesson in creative problem solving in the face of critical challenges.

Pat Dickson - 2013 President

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey’s lack of familiarity with the wine business was an asset. Because they didn’t have preconceived notions about the business – and because they were creative and resourceful - they were ultimately successful.

Cyril Penn

This book is arguably the best book I have ever read that details the real life challenges that every business has in getting established and growing to a substantial size. More importantly you should read the book and after you’ve done that give it to some of your clients.

Ric Payne

Michael and Bonnie’s book is a must read for anyone who is looking to start a business that will make it in today’s economy. Whether you are starting a company from scratch or investing your money or someone else’s, ‘The Barefoot Spirit’ illustrates the hands on and no cost best practices that will make your company a success.

Andrea Keating

The Barefoot Spirit will appeal to entrepreneurs, business people, non-profit leaders, and anyone who is passionate about activism, unlikely stories, and – oh yes – wine. In content, message and even writing style, it’s smart, funny, self-deprecating.

Michael Tate

I thoroughly enjoyed The Barefoot Spirit. I will make it required reading because it tells a lovely story and it embodies so much of the entrepreneurial mindset. I loved the “voice” of the book and storytelling is such a wonderful way to communicate. I believe students will find it a fun addition to their library and in the process they will learn the most important lessons of entrepreneurship!

Rebecca White

“This is a warm, wonderful, inspiring book that entertains and motivates at the same time.”

Brian Tracy

As an entrepreneur, publicist, and publisher, I found great insight in ‘The Barefoot Spirit.’ Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey’s tips on how to survive on less than a shoestring are clever, practical—and best of all, provides a good giggle to any entrepreneur in panic mode. This book is one that I’m already recommending to my readers, colleagues, and clients in start-up mode—as well as those who are ready to take their business to the next level. Here’s to going Barefoot!

Hope Katz Gibbs

2020-06-04
Novice winemakers upend the industry’s pretensions while taking on the jungle of the retail beverage sector in this rollicking business saga.

Houlihan and Harvey recount their adventures as founders of Barefoot Wine, which began in 1986 as a shoestring venture and swelled to a 600,000–cases-per-year success before being bought by E. & J. Gallo Winery. The book is in part a story of innovative marketing around a new image of fermented grape juice: a tasty, cheap, reliable wine that ditched haughty connoisseurship in favor of a friendly, approachable brand image—“California in a bottle”—aimed at harried supermarket shoppers. In addition to the offbeat brand name, the authors came up with a label with an iconic footprint logo instead of curlicued pseudo-French designs. They also created goofy but effective sales aids, like footprint decals marching across liquor store floors straight to the Barefoot shelf, and pioneered a “Worthy Cause Marketing” strategy of donating wine to charitable events in order to build brand awareness and goodwill. (Priceless free advertising came, they recall, when the elite French vineyard Château Lafite Rothschild threatened to sue over Barefoot’s printing “Chateau La Feet” T-shirts; the ensuing media hoopla sent sales soaring.) But it’s also a revealing look at the demanding slog of the mass market beverage business. The authors spent years making sales calls at mom-and-pop stores and trying to force their way into supermarket aisles that are usually closed to unknown brands. Houlihan and Harvey, assisted by amanuensis Kushman, distill from their experiences perennial business lessons along with tips on everything from negotiations to employee compensation, all wrapped in an entertaining, anecdotal picaresque. (“After Michael read the card carefully, he looked up and gave a slight bow, then presented Mr. Matsumoto with his Barefoot card, the one with the foot and the title, ‘Head Stomper.’ ”) Houlihan and Harvey make the wine trade seem a little less glamorous but a lot more interesting.

An irreverent, eye-opening business memoir.

Kirkus Reviews