Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Krista French

We recently had the chance to connect with Krista French and have shared our conversation below.

Krista, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day typically go like this:

I drink glass of water, settle in for a 10-20 minute guided meditation followed by positive affirmations. After that I’ll make a coffee and study for CMS advanced theory exam until it’s time to get ready for work. I try and study for two hours every work day morning and as much as my brain can handle on Monday and Tuesday when we’re are closed!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Krista French. I am a student of wine, a business owner, cook, and sommelier. I co-own Stylus Wine and Vinyl Bar with my husband Robby. We are a hifi vinyl record and wine bar with a focus on France. We’ve spent a good amount of time visiting France for R&D for our menu and to learn as much about French wine as we can by attending trade shows with a focus on a particular regions such as Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. We also love our neighbors in Washington State and the Willamette Valley in Oregon and have a pretty big collection of those regions along with other European wine regions. Stylus is an extension of our home, we want our guest to come in and relax be taken care of. We want wine to feel comfortable and approachable, not intimidating and snobby. You can come have a $300 of Burgundy in your leggings and a comfy shirt and we aren’t going to judge!

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My dad taught me the most about work. He worked hard and is very smart with his money. He taught my sister and I the value of hard work and had high expectations of us. It was tough then but my sister and I are both business owners and I know that came from his pushing us. Money wasn’t growing on trees in our family but we always had what we needed and felt taken care of, but if I wanted that fancy pair of jeans I was going to have to pay for them myself so I got a job as a dishwasher when I was 14 and then worked at a burger restaurant for most of my high school career. I was managing it as a senior. I look back now think how did my rebellious self manage to run someone else’s business and it doesn’t make sense to adult Krista but I made it work and am glad someone trusted me with their business!

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell her that she can do anything. Literally anything is possible, believe it, work hard, don’t be afraid to fail and you can do it. I know this from personal experience. Life is precious and short. Why the hell would anyone waste it be scared? Get up and go after it!

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I think so. I believe that I’m an open book, sometimes to a fault, I wake up and tell myself to lock it up but I have a hard time doing so. I do think that the older I get the more introverted I am, I enjoy quiet time with my husband and my cat. I’ve think part of that just comes with age though. Being comfortable in your own skin and without need of distraction’s that keep you from really having think, you know? I love people and serving them but I also need a reset and the peace and quiet of my sacred space to be able to do that.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d stop working so hard and spend more time with my kids, parents, sister. I raised my kids and then opened a business a few years later and now I’m raising a business which takes a lot of time and energy. I know I’m missing out on precious time with them because of my work and study schedule. I need to think of ways to remedy that sooner than later.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://styluswineandvinylbar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styluswineandvinylbar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/styluswineandvinylbar/

Image Credits
Fixed Focus Media