ABOUT

They say good things come from some of our greatest losses.  Back in 2020 I was laid off from a marketing position unexpectedly.

New York City is not a place you want to find yourself unemployed, so I sat down to come up with a plan for a marketing consulting company.  I called it Sugarfly, a merge of two words, which to me, combined wine and travel  as well as being inspired by the butterfly.

The butterfly is a symbol of transformation, and comes from something small to something bigger and beautiful.  This came to inspire my logo, intention and perseverance.  The loss of one job became the entrée into working for more brands that I could have imagined.

TRAVEL

 I came to the US to work as a travel agent in Los Angeles.  At the time, I was young, eager and honed my sales skills devising itineraries and selling trips. From there I became a marketer after joining Tourism New Zealand to promote and market the country as a travel destination in the US and Canada.  I left Los Angeles to pursue a career in New York, at Travelzoo, a travel deals site.  From arranging TV appearances to developing advertising campaigns, branding, trade shows and awards shows I went off to start my own consulting business.

WINE

It was in New York City that I started taking night classes for wine and eventually after several years of exams, finished my Diploma of Wine & Spirits in San Francisco. This is an accolade that relatively few have as it is hard work.  During this time I had a brief stint at Lot18, a flash sale site for wine heading up their experiences category.  In 12 months I generated 1 million of sales mainly curating travel and wine tasting experiences.  This exposure planted the seed that I needed to move to California if I was serious about this industry.  In 2013 I moved to California and started consulting for Festival Napa Valley as an event director, working on multiple large scale dining events for high net worth patrons, plus helping wineries build brands.  I was their Event Director for three consecutive seasons working with notable luxury brands, celebrities and stunning winery locations to create unforgettable experiences for donors and well heeled patrons.

Wine marketing led me to packaging, logos, labels and picking paper stock.  Building a brand that could be picked off a shelf amongst many competitors is not easy.  From labels to websites, to events such as the America’s Cup Yachting Regatta, the Sonoma County Wine Auction, the Sonoma County Vintners Tasting, and brand sponsorships I worked with more than 20 leading wineries in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

I took on a position at Jackson Family Wines in 2018 where I devised and led several initiatives for their most expensive wine ($410 SRP) including a partnership with the Guards Polo Club in London, sales team visits to Bordeaux and Tuscany, sommelier tastings in Las Vegas and Phoenix, a complete rebrand, stunning photography and new website, fitting for selling a luxury lifestyle.

HOSPITALITY / SHORT TERM RENTALS

In 2022 I purchased two short term rentals in St Augustine, FL and learned first hand what it takes to run a successful hosting business.  I also learned that many hosts need help attracting bookings, developing the theming and look of the property, managing the pricing strategy and get more 5 star reviews.  It made sense to add coaching and short term rental advisory into Sugarfly’s capabilities.

BRAND EXPERIENCE

Throughout my career, it has been a great honor to work with some of the most well-known and innovative wine, food, destinations and hospitality brands, to name a few;

Arista Winery, BuyWithMe (sold to Gilt Groupe), Dry Creek Vineyard, Parmeson Wines, Castellucci Napa Valley, Culinary Institute of America, Ehret Family Wines, Festival Napa Valley (formerly Festival del Sole), HANNA Winery, Jackson Family Wines, Lot18 (now TastingRoom), Liana Estates, Merriam Vineyards, Opus One Winery, Peju Winery, Rochioli Winery & Vineyards, Sandals Resorts International, Sean Minor Wines, Shadow Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma County Vintners, The Ink House, The Wine Foundry, Tourism New Zealand, Trentadue Winery, Travelzoo, Truett Hurst Winery, Wine Road of Northern Sonoma County, VML Wines, Wines of British Columbia and Wines of Bordeaux.

It is an honor to work with clients who trust me to help them take their business to the next level.  I hope you’ll be next.