WHNetwork Blog

For me, this past week was all about working for love, not money. In a perfect world, everyone would be passionate about their job. But what are you will to do, even if they don't pay you? Either because you love what you are doing that much, or because you are passionate about a cause that you are working for. These are the thing I was willing to do without pay this week:

On Saturday - through coincidence and serendipitous circumstances - I wound up cooking dinner (along with cohort Willy Brooke) for food & wine writer David Latt and his 5 guests, at Villa Andrea, one of the Beautiful Places properties. Besides his own blog, www.menwholiketocook.blogspot.com, David's writing appears on the NY Times and Huffington Post sites, among others.

I had only one day's notice, so really needed to pull it together quickly. Of course I wanted to showcase the local bounty; hmm, what to serve???

Here is what we came up with:

Parmelee Hill 2007 "Darcy" Marsanne/Rousanne & Parmelee Hill 2005 "Block B" Syrah
Thanks Steve Hill!

Tin Barn Vineyards 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County, Bennett Valley, Dry Stack Vineyard &
Tin Barn Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir Carneros Sonoma, Ricci Vineyard
Thanks Sandy Maus!

Nicholson Ranch 2007 Pinot Noir, Estate
Thanks Ramona Nicholson!

Loxton Cellars 2005 Syrah, Sonoma Valley
Thanks Chris Loxton!

Menu:

House Smoked Trout on Baguette with Cream Cheese, Cornichons, Shallots, Capers, Grape Tomatoes

Crab Cakes with Garlic-Red Pepper Aioli

Five Lilly Soup with Crispy Leeks

Caesar Salad with Vella Pepato

Duo: Beef Tenderloin and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Syrah - Port Reduction
Truffled Mashed Potatoes Asparagus with Preserved Meyer Lemons and B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Picholine Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Thanks Vallerie Cohn!

Cheese Course with Fresh Fruits, Marcona Almonds and Vella Cheeses: Mezzo Secco, Toma, Jalapeno Jack

Wine Country Chocolates: Cabernet Sauvignon & Port Truffles
Thanks Betty Kelly!

It was such fun to be able to show off some of the bounty of Sonoma to David - we hope he had a great time!

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Next it was time to prepare for the Sonoma Valley Rotary St Patrick's Day Party!

This is one of my club's biggest fund raisers. We sell a maximum of 1000 raffle tickets for $50/each. The winner - draw at our St Patrick's Day Party (open to the public) wins their choice of $10,000 cash or a trip to Ireland for 2.
Cooking a corned beef dinner for 250 is challenging out of a small kitchen! Thanks to a great team of volunteers, the day went smoothly. After cooking all day, it was time for dancing to the Rich Little Band. (Rich and his wife Joan own Little Vineyards)

I am sorry to report that I did not hold the winning raffle ticket! However we did raise quite a bit of money for some great causes, including The Boys & Girls Club, The Education Foundation, The Sonoma Community Center, El Nido Teen Center and more.

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This week we announced that the upcoming WineAndHospitalityNetwork.com "Industry Insider" Events will benefit Vineyard Worker Services.

Vineyard Workers Services is a non-profit which provides farm workers with temporary housing, affordable medical assistance, educational opportunities for their families and emergency services and assistance.

We are excited to be able to partner with a great organization that provides such an important service to our industry and an underserved part of our community.

Upcoming "Industry Insider" Events:

The Hess Collection, Napa, CA, May 28th

Nicholson Ranch Winery, Sonoma, July 27th

Do you have a food product you would like to showcase to 300 industry professionals at an event, as well as receive banner space and ezine recognition?
Call Margie at 707-933-0687 or email Margie@OTLConsulting.com for more info.

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Yesterday I was up at Sam Keen's place working at the Trapeze (one of my passions) for the filming of an 'at risk' youth group coming to learn to fly. It is a gift to be able to give youth facing some serious personal challenges the opportunity to work on issues around fear, trust, control and letting go.

We will be using the film to assist in our fund raising efforts so that we will be able to bring more youth up to experience the flying trapeze.

Do you have an interest in learning to fly?

Check out TrapezePro for info on lessons.

Read Sam Keen's book: Learning to Fly: Reflections on Fear, Trust and the Joy of Letting Go

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So many wonderful things to support, so little time...

What do you support? Tell me what you are passionate about...

-Margie

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Outside of the Beer/wine/spirits industry, I have been a group exercise instructor for many gyms for over 19 years. I don't do it for the money, but because I absolutely love what I do. I spend more on music, outfits, shoes and time than I do getting compensated. I just love to teach and motivate new members. I would also promote certain brands of liquor that I believe in or drink myself. What about you???? Liz

Liz Soliz

If you are a business owner, or even manager, this has got to be one of your worst fears. Someone files a sexual harassment claim against you. Now not only do you have legal trouble, but you envision your bank account and future going down the drain, while also having to deal with what others think, including your own family.

Yes, sexual harassment is real and there are good reasons for the laws that we have. It can damage, or even ruin, the lives of those who are affected. But what if it's not true?

I have to make it clear that most protestations of false allegations are most likely themselves false allegations. Many people who harass think there is nothing wrong with their conduct and that this which makes the accusation false. It does NOT. Also, a “false” allegation isn’t the same as “cannot be proven” which is the end result of many harassment investigations.

There are also many "misunderstandings" where someone misinterprets something or hears something other than what is really meant or being said.

I remember attending a sexual harassment prevention seminar years ago where a film clip was shown and then we were asked "Is the behavior you just saw sexual harassment?" There were about 40 people in the room. Every male said "no, it was not" and every female said "yes, it was." Hmmmm...

The following article just appeared in the San Louis Obispo Tribune. Who knows who is telling the truth or what really happened...

Dick Niner testifies that the sexual advances alleged by a former employee never happened
by Melanie Cleveland - mcleveland@thetribunenews.com - San Louis Obispo Tribune - http://www.sanluisobispo.com/183/story/647084.html

Winery owner Dick Niner testified Tuesday that sexual advances a former employee alleges he made to her never happened.

Niner’s wife, Pam Niner, also said that the former employee used her “feminine wiles” to advance in his Paso Robles-based company, and that the plaintiff acted in a “pandering” manner toward her husband when she visited the couple at their Wyoming home.

Niner, a Paso Robles winery owner and venture capitalist, is accused of making unwanted sexual advances to Tammi Herron, a former sales representative for his business.

Herron’s lawsuit also alleges that Pam Niner and Mike Musso, general manager for Niner Wine Estates, tried to force her out of her job when Pam Niner realized her husband had more than a professional interest in the employee.

Herron worked for Niner Wine Estates for four months before she resigned in November 2007.

Niner and his company deny the charges contained in the civil suit, a type of litigation that represents one side of a story.

Although he found her “attractive,” Niner said during testimony Tuesday that he never thought of her as anything more than an employee.

In Tuesday’s proceedings in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, Herron’s attorney Brian Osborne played a videotape to the jury of a deposition of Pam Niner. In it, she described Herron during her stay with the Niners in their Jackson Hole, Wyo. home as a “house guest from hell.”

Herron claimed in her original complaint that her work environment changed after she stayed as a guest in the Niners’ Wyoming home in August 2007.

Dick Niner paid for her and her children’s round-trip flights, sponsored Herron’s daughter at a Wyoming summer camp and offered Herron a place to stay for a week.

According to Pam Niner’s deposition, Herron “only spent time talking to Mr. Niner.” Herron’s behavior to her husband was “a lot of pandering … very supportive and comforting and bizarre.”

“He would be explaining business things, and she would say how brilliant he was. I thought it was absurd,” Pam Niner recalled.

Herron also spent “an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom” and “never lifted a finger” to help with household duties, Pam Niner added.

She also called Herron one of those women who “too often use their feminine wiles to get jobs and advancement. … (She is) much more interested in men who could do something for her than those who can’t.”

She denied having discussions with the general manager to pressure Herron to leave her job.

“I assumed that would take care of herself. ... I didn’t think she could do the job. It was clear she wouldn’t last long,” Pam Niner said.

When Dick Niner took the stand, he denied Herron’s allegation that he acted and said inappropriate things to her.

Herron claims Dick Niner told her he loved her while they were at the bar of the San Luis Obispo restaurant Koberl at Blue. She also contends he tried to negotiate to see her more frequently, and then later kissed her with an open mouth twice in her car as she dropped him off at the Niner Wine Estate office.

“The events (that she alleges) didn’t happen. … I’m loyal to my wife. I have been for 37 years,” he said.

The jury also listened to voicemail messages that Herron recorded from Dick Niner that she alleges took place after her resignation from the company. In them, Dick Niner expresses concern over her leaving the company and not returning his calls.

“I think I know what’s up,” he said at one point on the recording. “I think I know what you’re going to try to do, and that worries me even more.”

Dick Niner explained to the jury he was also worried she was building a case to sue the company — not from anything he said or did, but because she had received objectionable e-mails from his general manager, messages that he had requested she forward to him, but he had not yet received.

“I assumed she was upset at the way Musso was treating her,” he said.
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How do you keep yourself - and your company - safe?

-Margie

It seems the news is the same every day “Recession!” “Poor economy!” “Stock Market down!” But what can you do to make lemon-aid out of lemons during these turbulent times? Especially in regard to employment?

First let’s look at it from the employer’s perspective:

During economic good times, the best performers are quickly snapped up by those “employers of choice” who can pay higher salaries and which then command their loyalty. Often these employees are kept by those companies even through recessions; they are that valuable. But this is not always the case…

Many star performers are let go out of economic necessity, and this can provide small businesses the chance to hire truly top performing employees that they might not get a chance at during boom times.

Another upside is that many eligible young workers have trouble finding employment during a recession, and this labor pool is one that may simply be unavailable to small businesses in a thriving economy, when most young workers are immediately snapped up.

So, as an employer, how should you take advantage? After all, didn’t we just acknowledge that were in a recession? It’s not exactly the time to staff up is it? As difficult as it may seem, now is the time to truly assess each of your team members’ individual strengths, weaknesses and contributions to the team, and to consider whether or not they are the best fit for your company. If they are not the right fit, it's time to find someone who is. Things to consider are:

1. Are this person’s unique skills and talents fully utilized in his/her position?

2. Does this person fully contribute what you need/expect from them in their their position?

3. Is this person happy in the job? With the company?

4. If you have answered no to any of these, is there another position within the company where this person would be better utilized?

Now is the time to rethink and realign your team so that each person’s skills and talents are maximized to be the best fit for your company, and for their job satisfaction. If there are workers who are not the right fit, now is the time to find that star performer who is.

Hiring bright, energetic, and loyal employees during a recession means your business has a better chance of riding the hard times out, and these hires will reward you with loyalty.

What if you are the one looking for work?

Most of the same old “job seeker” rules apply, however their importance becomes even greater. During “hard to hire” times, many employers look past poorly written resumes, non-personalized cover letters and other small (or sometime even not so small) transgressions, simply because they had no choice. Unfortunately, it leads job seekers to lose focus of these details. Now it’s more important than ever to get focused and pay attention to the details; use the checklist below to start:

* Have you read the job posting and requirements thoroughly?
* Do you meet ALL of the requirements?
* Do you posses the experience and education the employer is looking for?
* Are you in the geographic area of the job?
* Have you listed your work experience, including company names, titles, dates of employment and your responsibilities for each position?
* Have you proof-read your profile until you are absolutely sure is how you want it to appear? (It usually pays to have another set of eyes read it as a back-up)
* Have you customized your cover letter specifically for that/company/person/position?
* It’s not required, however you may wish to enclose a written professional reference or two.

There’s also a great article out by Mark Jewell called 8 Technology Etiquette Tips for Job Seekers – Read it and then:

* Network, network, network Let everyone know you are looking for work.
* Be flexible (this means pay, location, title, hours)
* Consider what other types of work might appeal to you and that you have the skills for.
* Get additional education or training.

And as with everything – remember that attitude is everything. Most of the job seekers I speak to are using this as a time to really identify what their passion is and what they truly want to spend their time doing. So plug into your passion and build the future you envision!

-Margie