Laura Swanton, Founder at Laura Michael Wines, Inc.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A couple walks into a real estate office in Napa Valley, looking to buy a second home. If you guessed the next sentence would be, “And instead, they bought a winery!” you’d have the story of Laura Swanton, owner of Laura Michael Wines. Laura, a former high-tech exec, knew nothing about producing wines back in 1999 but she did know what it took to make and sell a product. And that’s what she’s been doing ever since, with her award-winning cabernet and zinfandel. In this episode of</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is Capitalism,</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Laura talks with Patricia O’Connell about her journey from wine lover to wine producer. She shares the mistakes she made on the way, and how she arrived at the sweet spot in the volume of sales for Laura Michael Wines.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen in to learn about running a small winery and producing premium wines.</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></p> <h1><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></span></h1> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[:24] Patricia O’Connell introduces Laura Swanton, owner of Laura Michael Wines.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[:39] Laura, a former high-tech exec, knew nothing about producing wines back in 1999 but she did know what it took to make and sell a product.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[1:03] Patricia O’Connell thanks Laura for joining</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This Is Capitalism,</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">the podcast, extraordinary stories of extraordinary people.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[1:33] Laura shares how she got into the wine business. She and her second husband purchased a winery on an impulse, then added a second property! Laura continued in tech while her husband quit his job to run the winery. After three harvests, her husband left so Laura bought him out. She left her career to bec