Meet Stacy Brooks

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stacy Brooks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stacy below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Stacy with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My work ethic is deeply rooted in the example set by my parents. Both of them began working in blue-collar jobs as teenagers. My father recently retired after working 60 years at the same company, and my mother spent over 30 years as a cosmetologist. They worked incredibly hard not only to provide for us but to show us the value of commitment, stability, and independence.

They made it clear to my siblings and me that while they wanted us to have more opportunities, we were also responsible for earning our own way. Nothing was handed to us.

That foundation still drives me today in my full-time career as a marketing professional but also in my hobby as a blogger and my role as a founder and board member for a small charity.

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

I am that introvert who, as a child, preferred being in my room writing in journals and “publishing” my own magazines in three-ring binders made out of construction paper, rather than doing a lot of socializing or playing outside. I guess that was the start of what was to come in my adulthood – writing, planning, communicating, and quietly leading in various ways.

I’m a proud native of Reston, Virginia, a diverse and unique community that sits about 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. Reston is one of the first planned communities in the country. It was founded on the principles of bring people together of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds where they could live, work, and play together. This was a wonderful community to grow up in and it truly shaped me into the adult I am. Being from a small town (that is not so small anymore!) I am also part of a very large and close-knit family. My family values are strong; everything I do comes back to family.

In my day job, I am a marketing leader who has primarily worked for tech start-up and large technology consulting firms. I have held roles in communications, internal and external relations, social media management, marketing campaign management, email marketing and event planning. And, because of that work ethic I discussed previously, I could not just stop at doing one thing!

For the better part of three decades, I have been immersed in a love for wine, storytelling, and connection. My journey into the wine world began just after college, in my first “real job” where I was part of an event planning company that managed a three day wine festival. What started as a “job” quickly turned into a passion that has led to many new accomplishments and successes.

In 2010, I launched *Virginia Wine Know*, a blog dedicated to sharing approachable, engaging stories about Virginia wine. I wanted to create a space where everyday wine lovers could explore the region’s vineyards without intimidation. To further ground my knowledge, I earned certifications from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the International Wine Guild, where I hold a Level 1 Sommelier certificate.

The following year, in 2011, my mother passed away from cancer. Through my grief, I found relief in continuing to visit the wineries and enjoying the beauty of nature – something my mom also loved to do. So, while I continued writing my blog as a way to manage my grief, I also created an organization in her honor to help cancer patients with financial assistance. Cindy’s Legacy is a 501c3 charity that has provided $100K in grants to hundreds of patients across the country. I’m very proud to run this organization in a volunteer capacity as the founder and President. We’ve been going strong for 14 years.

As I kept busy with my career in marketing, I’ve grown my social media following for Virginia Wine Know (on Instagram) and have thoroughly enjoyed continuing my wine journey. And, just this year – finally after many years of fitting it in – my love for wine, creativity, and mindfulness has come together in my new book, *Vineyard Vibes: An Adult Coloring Journey through Virginia Wine Country*. This adult coloring book, a new labor of love, is a celebration of Virginia’s wine culture and an invitation to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself through color, art, and storytelling. It’s also inspired by my own journey toward mental wellness.

Vineyard Vibes: An Adult Coloring Journey through Virginia Wine Country can be purchased on Amazon.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

As for most important qualities, being a being a good listener (active listening) and being a good human rank at the top. As far as skills/areas of knowledge, I believe that writing is one of the most important skills a person can have. My love for writing starting from a young age and throughout my life has been a major constant in both my career / profession and my personal endeavors. In marketing you have to excel in writing. But, also in daily life writing can improve mental wellness. Writing is what brought my passion for wine to life. Writing helped me navigate grief. My advise for others is to pick up that pen, start to journal, and see where that leads you.

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 am always looking to connect with passionate individuals and brands who share my love for marketing, charity, wine, wellness, and creativity. I welcome opportunities to collaborate on wine education events, vineyard experiences, marketing campaigns, product partnerships, and mindfulness-inspired content.

Whether a winery, artist, event organizer, lifestyle brand, or fellow wine enthusiast with a creative idea, I would love to hear from them.

As the founder and director of Cindy’s Legacy charity, I am always interested in sitting down with folks to talk about patient advocacy, support organizations, being a caretaker and lessons learned while navigating a cancer diagnosis with someone you love. I’d love to be the guest on industry/healthcare related/wellness podcasts or panels in this capacity.

To explore potential collaborations, please reach out via Instagram @vawineknow or @cindyslegacy or through my websites: www.virginiawineknow.com or www.cindyslegacy.org.

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