Meet Holly Brown

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Holly Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Holly, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is a crucial trait that can significantly impact our ability to navigate life’s challenges. Based on my experience, resilience is cultivated through several key factors:

1. Optimism
The foundation of resilience often lies in optimism. This involves the ability to envision potential, recognize the upside, and focus on the best possible outcomes in any situation. Maintaining a positive outlook allows us to approach challenges with hope and determination.

2. Acceptance and Adaptation
Resilience requires the insight to recognize when something is no longer beneficial and the courage to let go. Being willing to move on from what isn’t working enables us to adapt to new circumstances and focus our energy on opportunities that lead to growth and success.

3. Self-Confidence
A strong sense of self-confidence is essential for resilience. Understanding that failures, setbacks, and difficulties are part of the journey empowers us to persist in the face of adversity. This belief allows us to take risks, keep trying, and work diligently toward our goals, knowing that with effort and a solid plan, we can achieve success.

4. Self-Care
Self-care is also fundamental to building resilience. When we neglect our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, we become vulnerable to stress and sickness. Prioritizing health and happiness is vital, as it fosters a strong foundation for resilience. Engaging in self-care practices leads to greater joy and the capacity to withstand difficulties.

5. Supportive Relationships
Strong bonds with friends, family, and significant others play a crucial role in building resilience. Knowing that we are surrounded by people who believe in us bolsters our self-esteem and encourages us to believe in ourselves. These supportive relationships provide encouragement during tough times.

6. Experiential Learning
Finally, resilience is significantly shaped by experience. Each challenge we face and overcome enhances our resilience, as we gain a deeper understanding of our capabilities. Recognizing that failures are temporary and that success often follows adversity strengthens our belief in ourselves and our ability to recover.

I believe that resilience is not simply an innate quality but a skill that can be developed over time. By cultivating optimism, practicing acceptance, building self-confidence, prioritizing self-care, nurturing supportive relationships, and learning from experiences, we can enhance our resilience and better navigate life’s challenges. Embracing these elements will not only help us endure difficulties but will also empower us.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My journey to becoming a chef, restaurateur, food writer, blogger, and cooking class teacher is a testament to the alignment of talent, skill, and passion. With a robust 25-year career in marketing and technology startups, my path to the culinary world may seem improbable, but it has been a fulfilling evolution that began with a transformative experience.

The catalyst for my culinary journey occurred in Marina Del Rey, California, during a digital media conference called Digital Hollywood. This event attracts professionals from a variety of industries, including tech, media, mobile, and entertainment—people eager to discuss what’s next in their fields. During this conference, I was representing a Seattle-based digital marketing agency as their Chief Innovation Officer, speaking on the topic of developing your online voice and managing your brand in a digital, social media-driven world. Little did I know that the lessons I shared that day would eventually guide me on my own path to becoming a food blogger and later a hospitality entrepreneur in the food and wine world.

My time spent in France and Spain significantly shaped my understanding and appreciation for the deep social connection between food and people. I discovered that when wine is added to the mix, you have a true cultural triumvirate. It was during these experiences that I began to refine my cooking style and was inspired to turn my career focus to hospitality. I began working with my winemaker husband to develop a lifestyle retail and experience brand.

This philosophy inspired the concept behind our hospitality company, Siren Song Wines. We are dedicated to recreating our favorite experiences from the culinary lifestyles of France, Spain, and Italy, bringing a taste of those vibrant cultures to our guests in a variety of of formats and locations in Washington and Idaho.

An offshoot of this venture is Holly’s Vineyard Kitchen, which is my cooking class business as well as an online resource specifically focused on culinary education, travel, product development, and recipe creation. Through this platform, I share my passion for cooking and the joy that comes from connecting with others around the table.

Currently, I’m working on exciting projects, including the expansion of our Siren Song branded wine tasting rooms and restaurants, the development of Holly’s Vineyard Kitchen branded products and merchandising concepts, and the writing of a book that encapsulates my culinary journey and experiences. Each step I take is driven by my love for food and a desire to foster connections within the culinary community and beyond.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

When I interview candidates for any position at our company, I always ask three pivotal questions. These questions are designed to uncover the deeper motivations and capabilities of each individual. Here’s a breakdown of each question and how an understanding of self relative to the answers can be an indicator of the journey one must pursue.

1. What Were You Born to Do?
This question aims to identify one’s innate strengths and passions. It asks you to reflect on what is fundamentally true about yourself —what comes so naturally to you that you don’t have to try. This is about understanding your core identity, values, and unique talents.

2. What Have You Learned to Do?
The second question focuses on the skills and competencies one has developed through education, experience, or practice. It seeks to uncover mastery and how this knowledge translates into confidence when performing specific tasks. Answers to this question help gauge level of professional expertise and readiness to contribute to the company.

3. What Are You Truly Passionate About?
Finally, I ask candidates to explore their passions. This question uncovers what they would choose to do even if no financial reward were involved. It reveals their core interests and inherent motivations, providing insight into how they might align their personal values with the company’s mission.

I find that the responses to these three questions are incredibly telling. When people are able to articulate clear and compatible answers—where their innate strengths, learned skills, and passions intersect—they are often poised for success. The alignment of who we are, what we’ve learned, and what we love creates a powerful foundation for achievement. Understanding your own answers can provide valuable insights into your path forward and help you unlock your potential for success.

Personal Reflection – In my own journey, I can answer these questions with clarity:

– I was born to perform and to be a spokesperson/public speaker
– I have learned to be a skilled brand manager, product developer, marketer, and entrepreneur.
– I am passionate about entertaining —specifically, sharing joy through food, teaching, cooking, creating exceptional food and wine experiences, and translating my culinary travel experiences so others can find the joy in the things that bring me joy.

Building a hospitality brand centered around food, wine, and events, as well as creating culinary products and experiences, serves as the ultimate creative platform that harmonizes who I am, what I know, and what I love.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I am currently tackling the exciting opportunity of expanding and scaling our business into multiple locations across various states, while introducing new branded products and experiences. While this growth is exciting, it comes with a variety of challenges. particularly as I pursue these goals in my 60s. Balancing my energy and managing the demands of work alongside my growing family, including six wonderful grandchildren, requires careful planning and dedication.

To overcome these challenges, I am committed to building a stable and competent team that I can rely on—this includes trusted family members and managers who possess both industry-specific experience and diverse perspectives from outside our business. This blend of backgrounds will be invaluable as we navigate this growth phase.

Our entrepreneurial endeavors demand both creativity and effective project management, but it’s equally important to maintain operational structure and efficiency. So, I am focusing on several key areas: enhancing operational frameworks, fostering innovative design, and seeking out and developing talented partners and dedicated team members. Creating a strong foundation with the right people is essential for our success as we move forward.

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Image Credits

Holly Brown

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