Meet Matilda Hay

We recently connected with Matilda Hay and have shared our conversation below.

Matilda , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Learning and growing have always helped me find confidence when stepping into new spaces. My imposter syndrome usually comes from feeling like I don’t know the people, their work, or that I know less than others. But by focusing on learning and personal growth, I’m able to move past it. I don’t think I’ll ever fully overcome it—trying new things and meeting new people will always be a little scary—but I’ve learned to jump in and not overthink it. Once it’s done, I take time to reflect, understand what I felt, and figure out how I can grow from the experience.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m the founder of Wings Wine, an LGBTQ+ wine brand celebrating queerness, diversity, and community through sparkling wine. What started as an idea—turned into this business where I am meeting queer people that inspire me everyday. We’re officially launching in April, bringing our first two wines to the market: A rosé sparkling and a white sparkling wine that will be available online in California and in select stores.
We’re also starting a blog to share more about wine, our mission, and LGBTQ+ culture. This brand is my part of celebrating the queer community that gave me so much, I want people to feel that joy when they see our bottles, come at events and we really just want to spread queer joy!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three things that made the biggest impact on my journey were resilience, adaptability, and building genuine connections.
• Resilience helped me push forward when things didn’t go as planned—like leaving my career in media behind and starting from scratch in wine. Moving to LA and being patient to find new people, even if it feels really lonely at the beginning.
• Connections with the right people—mentors, peers, and community- everything is possible with meaningful connections! Asking for help is a big thing for me, it’s important to not be shy and share struggles, someone out there can always help find solutions!
• Adaptability allowed me to create new ideas even if I did not know anything about where it would lead me. Starting something new challenged myself but the lessons I learned throughout life gave me the ability to adapt to what was thrown my way.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always looking to collaborate with folks who share a passion for wine, community, and celebrating queerness. Whether you’re an event organizer, a brand that aligns with LGBTQ+ culture, a chef who loves pairing food and wine, or a retailer looking for something fresh, I’d love to connect by mail ([email protected]) or IG @wingswinecompany!

I’d love to work with partners for events, pop-ups, and creative collaborations that bring people together over great wine. Working with charities is a big part of our mission as well we want to support and celebrate the queer community in any way possible! Spreading queer joy!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.wingswinecompany.net
• Instagram: @wingswinecompany
• Linkedin: Matilda Maria

Image Credits

Jessica Hinds