I had the opportunity to participate in Entrepreneurship @ Cornell last week. Besides it being enjoyable to get back to campus after a 15-year hiatus, I left feeling inspired by the people I met. This included my fellow speakers, attendees, the faculty and most importantly the Cornell students. Anyone worried about the state of America today and the next generation of leaders need only spend a week like mine to gain a renewed sense of optimism. More than anything, the drive to create new enterprises to solve new and old problems with innovative approaches and the sense that “no one can stop me†I got from so many individuals was gratifying. Cornell seems to be doing a better job than most university systems in coordinating across the various schools to support and encourage entrepreneurship. As Director of Entrepreneurship @ Cornell, Zach Shulman said, “I have 13 bosses. I report to all 13 Deans and they all support our activities.†The ability to cut across schools as diverse as Agricultural, Business, Hotel, Engineering, Industrial & Labor Relations, Law and support would be entrepreneurs regardless of their chosen field is powerful.
Jay Walker ‘77, a keynote and founder of Priceline.com and Walker Digital put the entrepreneurial bug in perspective by calling it a “diseaseâ€. Do you have it? If you do, you can’t get rid of it. He also made a great point that you don’t build a company with a group of people who ALL have the disease. That would not be successful. You need a team that can build processes, and get things done. That certainly fits my experience. As I said to some of the classes, we are glorifying the entrepreneur this week and it is a great thing. However, one does not build a business with all entrepreneurs. One builds a business with a team of people with complimentary skills and ability to execute. Every visionary who can articulate the future and see what no one else sees, needs someone pulling back asking the questions: that sounds great, but how do we DO that? What needs to be in place to make it work? What about these problems?  One must have a balance and the how do you actually do what is being proposed way of thinking is critical.
Jay went on to identify 10 ‘superforces’ – Jay Walker shares 10 ‘superforces’ of the business future. At the opening night banquet, the superstar Mayor of Ithaca, Svante Myrick addressed the group. Mayor Myrick is truly a remarkable leader. He called all entrepreneurs the “annoying†people without whom, nothing would change. When I commented to Jay Walker that I’d like to see Mayor Myrick in higher office, he said something with which I immediately agreed… “We need fresh leadership doing good things at the local level. Let him do that now.†In the excitement for how good I think he is and his potential on a larger stage, its easy to forget that we need a whole bunch of Svante Myricks doing exactly what he is doing locally in this country. The Mayor and I got into a little twitter exchange after his talk above.
Leading into the celebration, I had the privilege of participating on the CHR Technology Entrepreneurship Roundtable at the Cornell Hotel School. This roundtable was of the highest caliber and I really enjoyed learning from and debating the latest developments in hospitality and how technology is affecting everyone’s businesses.  There are several people I met through the roundtable with whom I will remain friends far into the future. I presented the case for why today is better than any other time for new brands to reach their audience, which led the group to a discussion of the asynchronistic nature of startup/new brands vs large established brands. This applies to hotels and to beverage brands. The bottom line is using today’s technology, a new brand can communicate with its core following or “Tribe†directly, something that in the past was nearly impossible or cost prohibitive to do. Larger established brands have a much harder time competing at that level and by their very definition, cannot micro market as easily.
Jamey and Carl both brought great perspectives as we took turns telling stories and engaging with the audience.
The Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship hosted two panel/socials that promoted a group of entrepreneurs interacting with students. Both of these were a lot of fun as I enjoyed the panels and students!
Finally, I’ve had a half dozen follow up calls and discussions with student entrepreneurs since last week. These folks are pushing ahead with their various new ventures and represent the future of our country. I am pleased that I can play a small role in giving them input/guidance on their respective journeys.
Excited to announce the first Beer Industry Technology Symposium in collaboration with our 10th Annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium… it will be a technology extravaganza!
New Beer Industry Technology Symposiumâ„¢ “BITSâ„¢â€
Set For June 30 & July 1 in Napa, California
Craft Brewing Industry Leaders to Collaborate on Best Practices and Strategies BITS to partner with the 10th Annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium® “WITS®†for First Event
For Immediate Release
February 20, 2014
(NAPA, Calif.) – Leaders of the brewing, distribution and technology industries have formed the new Beer Industry Technology Symposium, BITS, to create a dedicated industry forum where technology and strategy intersect. The first BITS will be held in Napa, California in conjunction with the Wine Industry Technology Symposium® – WITS® June 30 & July 1, 2014 at the Napa Valley Marriott.
The purpose of BITS is to address the unique information technology, and service needs, of the beer industry. BITS is dedicated to bringing the world’s leading beer industry professionals together with the world’s leading technology experts, to foster learning and discussion. Panels of experts will discuss specific examples and case studies that will deliver tangible take-home value and create relationships.
SteadyServ Technologies®, has built technology to help bars and restaurants, distributors and craft brewers — even patrons — keep track of the beer remaining in a keg and more effectively manage their beer inventories. SteadyServ’s Founder and CEO Steve Hershberger said, “Given the massive changes occurring in the beer industry, BITS is the right gathering at the right time. Getting the craft beer industry together, to discuss technology solutions and the strategies needed to ensure continued growth and success, is difficult due to both the high number of beer producers and the vast geographic differences in their physical locations. BITS will provide an important venue for the industry’s thought leaders to collaborate for the greater good of the industry. SteadyServ will be there in full force.â€
The growth and importance of craft beer is widely documented. According to the Brewers Association, the number of craft breweries in the US has risen from a low of > 100 1977 to > 3,500 in 2013. Over the next 5 years, the growth in craft beer volume is expected to be greater than over the past 25 years combined. Given this explosion in consumer demand, and the number of new operations that have been formed, there is a specific need to understand best practices and strategies within the industry. Many new brewery owners are attempting to reinvent the wheel in terms of processes and systems to run their businesses. BITS aims to be the industry-wide resource to help educate beer industry members and unite them with best-of-class technology providers.
“After owning a rapidly-growing craft brewery from 2010 – 2013, and then working with a number of others to help build their beer businesses, I spent a lot of time networking with other breweries and observed their efforts to manage growth and establish systems that are vital to run an efficient and effective business,†said J. Smoke Wallin, BITS Chairman and Founder. “While there are many beer industry events such as NBWA and GABF, there has never been a forum focused on the technology needs of craft brew operators. BITS will fill that void.â€
Expected attendees include craft breweries, distributors, retailers and on-premise and technology providers. There will be content for everyone from the Owner/GM/President to the Information Technology Manager or CFO to the Brewers to the Sales Managers. Building on the successful model of WITS, with cross-functional workshops and keynote speakers, BITS will draw from industry leaders to present tangible take-home value as a result of a focused gathering.
The agenda includes sessions on: Technology Leadership – Best-of-Class Tools, Consumer Direct Sales – Managing the Tap Room and Online Presence, Trade Sales & Marketing – Craft Beer Route To Market – Gaining & Managing Distribution, Brewery Operations – Hops to Kettle to Keg or Can
Interested sponsors and speakers can contact Waunice Orchid (Tradeshow Coordinator) Waunice@swgnapa.com (707) 261-8716 today. Registration will open March 1, 2014. Space is limited and BITS is expected to sell out, so register early.
www.beertechnologysymposium.com
ABOUT BITS:
The Beer Industry Technology Symposium (BITS) was created to address the unique information technology and services needs of the Beer industry. BITS is dedicated to bringing the world’s leading breweries, distributors and retailers together with the leading technology experts to foster learning and discussion. Expert panels and keynotes discuss leading edge case studies involving consumer direct marketing and sales, operations, financial management, trade sales and distribution, brewing and input management
We are in full planning mode for the 10th Annual WITS… hard to believe that a few of us sat around brain storming ideas for a “technology extravaganza for the wine industry” almost 11 years ago. Â Please plan on joining us this year in Napa, CA as we celebrate a decade of WITS, for what promises to be our most exciting and well attended event. Â Here is the link to the press release and posted below as well.
10th Annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium to Unite Wine Business Leaders, Technology Experts on June 30 & July 1, 2014
(NAPA, Calif.)  —The 10th Annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS)®, the premier event showcasing the strategic use of information technology and services for the wine industry, has been set for June 30 – July 1, 2014 at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel. www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com
Executives from wineries, distributors and retailers gather annually at WITS, the only annual conference designed exclusively to foster education and debate around the application of technology solutions for the wine industry. The 2014 WITS program includes:
Educational Tracks – Sessions on Technology Leadership, Small Business, Consumer Direct, Trade Sales & Marketing and Vineyard & Winery Operations
Speed Dating – To celebrate the 10th technology extravaganza, WITS has introduced “speed dating†for winery CIOs and technology companies. This will provide opportunities for quality one-on-one time with key decision makers and thought leaders.
Plus Beer, with BITS – WITS has united leaders in the craft brewing industry to add the first Beer Industry Technology Symposium (BITS™) that will run concurrent with WITS this year.
“In today’s rapidly changing business environment, where consumers are driving massive change throughout the industry, it is vital to get it right when it comes to your route to market, as well as the strategic and tactical use of enabling technology,†said J. Smoke Wallin, WITS Co-Chair. “WITS is the only place where winery owners and GMs can sit side by side for a day of learning and discussion with CIOs and other technology leaders from across the three tiers,†he added.
The WITS Steering Committee, comprised of technology and business leaders across the wine industry, is currently finalizing panel topics and keynote speakers. Past speakers have included the CEOs, CIOs and leaders from Amazon, Facebook, Groupon, garyvaynerchuk.com, FedEx Office, Nielsen and 1800-Flowers, as well as experts from IBM, Oracle, Cornell University, UC Davis, Sonoma State University and many others.
Attendees and sponsors are encouraged to register early, as space is limited and expected to sell out quickly. Registration will open March 1, 2014. For more information visit www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com.
About The Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS)
The Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS) was created to address the unique information technology and services needs of the wine industry. WITS is dedicated to bringing the world’s leading wineries, distributors and retailers together with the leading technology experts to foster learning and discussion. Expert panels and keynotes discuss leading edge case studies involving consumer direct marketing and sales, operations, financial management, trade sales and distribution, winemaking and vineyard management. www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com
Keynote Announcement… please join us this summer at our 9th annual WITS conference… it will be great!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25, 2013     Contact: Waunice Orchard                                                waunice@swgnapa.com
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Thought Leaders to Discuss Strategic and Tactical Uses of Technology, Building Elite Teams and Lessons From the U.S. Military Special Forces.Â
Best Practices To Drive Wine Brands and Businesses
 at the 9th Annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium Symposium
Napa, CA— April 25, 2013— Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS) today announced its Keynote speakers for the 9th annual event to be held July 15 & 16 in Napa, CA.  Keynotes by Larry Broughton, Jonathan Good and Miles Ward bring elite leadership, social media and the transformative cloud to the wine industry.
Keynote ELITE: 5 Special Ops Success Strategies for Building Top Performing Teams: Imagine what would happen if you place 12 highly intelligent, Type-A personalities in a boardroom and gave them a task to perform. The result would likely be complete pandemonium! Yet the U.S. Military has discovered a way to turn top individual performers into unstoppable teams literally capable of toppling countries. Award-winning serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, and former U.S. Army Green Beret Larry Broughton shares his insights on transforming ordinary teams into extraordinary ones.
“I’m very pleased to have Larry, Jonathan and Miles join us on our Keynote program.†said J. Smoke Wallin, founder and co-chairman of WITS. He continued, “I have had the privileged of interacting with each of our speakers and know they will each deliver inspirational and thought provoking discussions that will deliver real take home value to all our winery attendees.â€
Jonathan Good, Senior SMR Solutions at Oracle will give a keynote on “Developing a Social Relationship Management Strategy in the Wine Industryâ€.
Find out how to create a strategic social media program that will build brand awareness and buzz, drive revenue and gain the trust of your online community. Learn social media best practices and how to manage and recruit a community of supporters who will embrace and recommend your brands through the use of social relationship management best practices.  Jonathan Good is a Senior SRM Solutions Consultant at Oracle. He provides technical and functional support to prospective clients and customers for Oracle’s Social Relationship Management platform.

Before joining Oracle, Jonathan was the founder of HelloSocialMedia.com – a social media and marketing agency that focused on the creation and execution of social media programs, including blogging, community development, Internet marketing, design and web development.
In addition, Amazon, a company that has revolutionized whole industries, has now gotten serious about the wine industry. Find out about how Amazon is building the next generation platforms that are literally transforming how software and services are delivered, from Miles Ward, Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services.Â
Miles will speak about Big Data for Real World Businesses showing tools, techniques and clear ROI for analysis in the cloud. Miles helped NASA live-stream the Mars Rover landing, developed the Obama For America 2012 presidential campaign, and has helped thousands of companies make the leap to the cloud.
“I’m very pleased to have such a strong program for 2013. I look forward to welcoming the industry to our 9th Annual event!†said, Lesley Berglund, co-chairman of WITS and co-founder and chairman of the Wine Industry Sales Education (WISE) Academy
Berglund continued, “When Larry Broughton is not speaking and coaching, his day job is running his luxury hotel company, Broughton Hotels. Having an operator who knows the wine business where it touches the consumer will provide a unique perspective to our winery attendees.â€
Early bird pricing to attend WITS end June 1, 2013. Attendees can register at www. wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com beginning May 1.
About WITS: The Wine Industry Technology Symposium® (WITS) is the focal point for thought leadership in the strategic and tactical use of technology in the global wine industry. WITS was created in 2005 by a group of wine industry and technology professionals to advance innovation and to address the unique information technology and services needs of the wine industry.  The 9th annual WITS is July 15 & 16 in Napa, CA. Join WITS on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more.
For more information, contact Waunice Orchid of the Wine Industry Symposium Group at 707-261-8716 or waunice@swgnapa.com
I wrote about being grateful on Easter Sunday, when I awoke to the stunning beauty of the Colorado Rockies at Grand Lake. Â In that post, I called out a long list of family and friends. Â Little did I know then, Â just a few hours later, my Grandmother, Ruth McMullan Wallin (“Mimi” to all of us) would pass from this living world to the next. Â There have been many great remembrances by family members to each other over the past two weeks. Â And while I won’t share those here, I will share the obituary my father, John Luther Wallin III wrote on his mother below.
I also came across this “Morning Prayer” that executive coach Jim Warner shared with my YPO Forum some years ago.  It felt appropriate here as well.
Morning Prayer
Let me awaken every morning and be thankful for what God has brought me.
Let me awaken every morning knowing things are as they are meant to be.
Let me awaken every morning knowing life is a journey and I am just a part.
Let me awaken every morning knowing the day will bring challenges, opportunities and learning experiences.
Let me awaken every morning with self-love and self-acceptance, so I may be more tolerant of myself and others.
Let me awaken every morning with an open heart, so love may rush in and out like the tide of the mighty ocean.
This made me think of my Grandfather, John Luther Wallin, JR – Â “Luke” who passed way in 1998. Â I include an article my dad wrote about his father at the bottom of this post.
Shots of my grand parents
Â
Ruth Wallin
Wilmington, NC — Ruth McMullan Wallin, 95, of Wilmington and formerly of Columbus, Mississippi, died Monday, April 1st, 2013, at her home. She will be buried in her family plot in Friend- ship Cemetery, Columbus. A memorial service will be held in the fall, at a time to be announced.
Ruth was born in Newton, Mississippi, to Thomas Eugene McMullan and Ruth Hudson McMullan. She graduated from high school in Meridian, Mississippi, shortly after the death of her father, and moved to Columbus with her mother and brother, Thomas Eugene “Gene†McMullan, Jr.
Ruth married John Luther Wallin, Jr., and they had two children, John Luther Wallin III and Twila Wallin Robertson (deceased).
Luther Wallin, Jr., operated Wallin Lumber Company for many years, and later served as president of the National Bank of Commerce in Columbus. He and Ruth were early supporters of wildlife and forest conservation, and active members of the First Baptist Church. Ruth was known for her flower garden and contributed to her garden club’s “Plant the Town†initiative. Many live oaks and flowering pears in Colum- bus are the legacy of her group.
Ruth had a special grace, beauty, and dignity. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and had many friends.
She is survived by her son, Luther Wallin III, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Gordon; by Luke’s children, Smoke and his wife Anitra, Clay and his wife Sarah, Rain, Patrick and his wife Sheen, and Eva; by Twila’s children, Kim- berly and Lisa; by 11 great grandchildren; and by her sister-in-law, Dorothy McMullan Lang- ford, and her daughter Nan.
Friends and family may leave remembrances of Ruth at www.wilmingtoncares.com website.
I had the great honor of speaking at the 10th Craft Spirits Conference put on by the American Distilling Institute this week. Â ADI’s mission is to
The American Distilling Institute’s mission is to disseminate essential information regarding the art and science of distilling.
I must say, the energy at this conference was palpable. Â There are so many exciting things happening in craft spirits. Â The growth in craft spirits is a continuation and natural extension of what we have seen first in the winery space and later in the craft beer space. Â Today’s consumers more than ever before are interested in trying new hand crafted, unique expressions of wine, beer and spirits. Â ADI tracks the new distilleries across the US. Â Check this map out:
Truly amazing. Â One of the challenges a craft spirits brand owner has is route to market. Â You can do everything right in terms of setting up production, coming up with a great liquid, branding and packaging, but if you cannot get your brand into distribution, into retail and ultimately in front of the consumer, it is all for naught.
I participated on a panel of industry experts from distribution and retail and moderated by Craig Wolf, my friend and the CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America WSWA. Â Craig did a great job of bring together knowledgable people to give insights into this route to market challenge for young brands. Â Our panel included contributions from
Gary Keimach of Martingnetti in New England
David Jabour of Twin Liquors in Texas
Sam Rubenstein of Horizon Beverage in New England
Scott McKee of RNDC in Florida
Ken Fredrickson of Tenzing Wine & Spirits in Illinois
Here are my remarks on how a young craft brand can think about the challenge of route to market with some simple things to focus on for success.
Thanks to Bill Owens and Penn Jensen of ADI for leading the charge for craft distilling! Â It is a great movement that will only continue to thrive.
I came across this video of my address at Vanderbilt back in 2008. Â I had tremendous feedback from this from those in the audience. Â I thought I’d share…
 Vanderbilt University – Alumni Weekend 2008  J. Smoke Wallin the 1998 Distinguished Alumnus and incoming President of the Vanderbilt Owen Alumni Board introduced by Jim Bradford, Dean of the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.  Smoke addresses students, faculty, staff and prospective students on what matters in life, business and friendship.  He reflects on some difficult experiences.
 
 
