Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steve Salisbury. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Steve, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
When I was 10 years old, my parents purchased their first farm. It was a dilapidated old farm with buildings that required work but with great land for growing grapes. Within a couple of years they purchased more land bringing our total acreage to 60. As an only child, the three of us took care of all of this, and over time planted about 15 acres of grapes. I learned to drive a tractor at the beginning of all this, and it wasn’t long before I was also performing routine maintenance and repairs on all of our equipment. To top it off, through my high school years I also managed a 60 hive apiary (collection of beehives), and took a job at a new winery in the neighborhood. All of this combined with maintaining top grades in school required strong discipline and a great work ethic. This served me well throughout my professional career – I could always be counted on to get it done.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Michigan’s wine industry was in its infancy in the 1970s, causing me concern about whether this was the right career path for me at the time. Instead, I sought out corporate America, where I worked most of my adult life. Now in my retirement years, I wanted to do something productive where I would give back to the community. I felt that going back to my roots was the most productive and fun way to do this. I started If Vines Could Talk to do just that. Believing whole-heartedly in Michigan wine, I am a voice to help put our state on the map. Through the years I’ve built relationships with winemakers, growers and other industry professionals. As a result, I have a front-row seat to events shaping our industry. I write wine reviews, operate a podcast, speak publicly about our region, and provide consulting services back to the wineries for various events. I’m also excited to announce that I have recently made an agreement with the St. Joe Wine Shoppe to provide private, catered wine tastings featuring Michigan wines.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Certainly, my work ethic tops the list. I also have a unique way of connecting and communicating with others. Through my corporate career, I was able to develop strong consulting and engagement skills that have helped me along the way.
In my experience, a significant challenge faced by many is even understanding their strengths in the first place. A couple of decades ago, I was introduced to the CliftonStrengths assessment that went a long way to helping me sort out where I could make the biggest impact in my professional career. Whether it’s this tool or others out there, I highly recommend this sort of thing to help really dig into your strengths and capabilities. Then practice practice practice! Engage in industry groups, learn as much as you can about your craft.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Go all in on your strengths. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Early in your career focus on those few things you do best. As you mature, you can build out from there, and most of this will come from just showing up every day. Early on I took roles that I excelled in, but I also took roles that were more than a stretch for me. I believe in stretch roles, but don’t go beyond your reach. Take a realistic assessment of where you are before you dip your toes into unchartered territory.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/if_vines_could_talk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IfVinesCouldTalk
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-salisbury/
Image Credits
No credits. All photos are mine.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
