Entrepreneur Profile of Doug Tomlinson in SF Business Times
January 22, 2010
What company does: Eleven wine stores that offer wine tasting and small plates at airports.
HQ: San Francisco.
2009 revenue: $9 million (projected).
Employees: 95.
Founded: 2005.
Source of startup capital: Strategic and private investors.
Background: I left a management-consulting job at Deloitte.
Age: 40.
Residence: San Francisco.
Web site: www.vinovolo.com.
Big picture
Reason for starting business: I was in an airport at the end of a consulting project and someone suggested before we left for our respective home offices celebrating with good wine. I said to the group there are no good wines here. On the plane ride home I thought more about that.
Biggest plus of ownership: I feel very fortunate to lead a company that’s making so many people happy at a time when they least expect to be happy.
Biggest drawback: It’s hard to stop thinking about the business.
Biggest misconception: You have to really love what your company does to stay as committed as you need to be to grow a company in its early days.
Biggest business strength: I am good at finding very talented people and putting them together to build something none of us could’ve done alone.
Biggest business weakness: I have too many small flaws to count. The key is not to worry about that.
Biggest risk: Walking away from a great career to try something that might not work. Now the biggest risk is taking for granted the success we are enjoying.
Biggest mistake: I’ve been lucky that I’ve made a thousand little mistakes, and to learn from those, and avoid really, really big ones.
Smartest move: Focusing relentlessly on making wine approachable to our guests. This focus has allowed us to create a whole new way of presenting wine, and a whole new way of training our wine associates.
Biggest worry: My biggest worry last year was that the economy would get so bad that customers would stop spending money on good wine. That didn’t happen. Now my biggest worry is we have to remember that wine discovery is personal, and to have a conversation with each guest to make it personal.