We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jacqueline Strum, President & Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Media. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jacqueline below.
Jacqueline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?
Building a team for a new business has many challenges. For a legacy business, there often comes a watershed moment that forces you to redefine the requirements of your team.
When I came into my role as Associate Publisher at Wine Enthusiast, I inherited an entire team of legacy staff. I had just wrapped running a different business at ThirstyNest and was now challenged with managing a team I hadn’t personally built. I was most concerned with whether there would be mutual respect. This was all in the fall of 2019 before the world changed.
I started evaluating company culture, the status of morale and working styles of everyone on the team. Were they motivated to remain at a company with a new outlook? Were they capable, but unhappy? Was there burnout from COVID? I had a lengthy list of tough questions to ask. Additionally, I had to be really honest with myself about whether the company was doing what needed to be done to grow the next 5 or 10 years. By the time I was named President of Wine Enthusiast Media in May 2021, I was reshaping the group to create a vision for the future. After four years of evaluation from 2019 to 2023, that vision came to fruition with a talented team that meets the needs of the business.
I learned the most from my mistakes. When a new hire is not a fit or an existing staff member is no longer a fit for the direction of the company, you can feel it. I ended up essentially rebuilding our staff and our processes from the ground up to get to where we are today. I’ve learned to trust my gut, take as long as needed in an interview process, and seek out advice on conflict-resolution for current employees. Given the time, effort and financials that go into hiring, bringing someone on for a role that does not meet expectations or requirements for the company is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was raised in the wine and spirits industry, and have worked professionally in the field for almost 20 years. I earned my degree in International Business with a minor in Fine Arts from George Washington University. I went on to receive an Advanced Degree from the Wine Spirits Education Trust passing with Distinction.
My career began in communications, working with wine and spirits clients at various agencies. During my early tenure at Wine Enthusiast, I led the revamp of the consumer events division, creating the Red & White Bash, and oversaw the execution of the iconic Wine Star Awards. This was while I managed the corporate PR strategy as Director of Communications.
I left the family business for a brief period to learn about publishing and digital media before returning to start ThirstyNest, the first wine and spirits registry for the modern couple. In 2019, I took on the role of Associate Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Media. I led the development of innovative digital product offerings, multi-channel media programs, and the label sales division, and I added a new style and voice to the publishing team’s culture. This helped drive my team towards double-digit digital growth while maintaining a healthy print publication.
Wine Enthusiast Companies is composed of Wine Enthusiast Commerce and Wine Enthusiast Media. On the commerce side, Wine Enthusiast Shop provides premium wine-lifestyle products, reaching millions of consumers globally via direct mail, an e-commerce site, and a business-to-business division. On the media side, Wine Enthusiast magazine is an award-winning print publication and online resource that showcases wine news, food trends, and more than 25,000 ratings and reviews annually.
In 2021, I was named President of Wine Enthusiast Media and my sister, Erika Strum Silberstein, was named President of Wine Enthusiast Commerce. Within two years of being named President of Wine Enthusiast Media, I oversaw an overhaul in content strategy and business infrastructure to bring in the next generation of wine drinkers without losing attention on Wine Enthusiast’s core audience. This included refocusing the print publication to be a luxury-driven medium, expanding both digital and social platforms to new users, and creating a more thorough SEO strategy in partnership with VP of Content Dara Kapoor. To ensure Wine Enthusiast is present where audiences are present, I strategically expanded departments that focus on creating video, podcasts, and TikTok content.
Making efforts to help the wine industry be more inclusive, I changed the magazine’s ‘40 Under 40’ list to remove the age restriction and become the ‘Future 40’ to better represent the inclusion this feature was always meant to convey. Also, the tasting panel was restructured to be more equitable in pay and stands as the most diverse panel in the market. Additional tasters for Italy, Napa and Sonoma were onboarded to bring more reviews to readers and producers. These changes bring fresh perspectives to the industry’s current and future wine drinkers.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Maintaining patience has played a key role in building my reputation. I came into a more senior position fairly young, as a female leader in a male-dominated industry, and as a part of a family business to boot. I had a mountain to climb to gain credibility, and I’ll probably never be done.
However, I’ve worked hard to maintain my confidence and belief in my own capability. If someone doesn’t believe in me, I don’t need to waste my time convincing them. My actions and my work will speak for themselves. Life is too short, and my time is too valuable.
I’ve hired some of the smartest people I’ve ever met to my team. Knowing I have them to help us get to the next level means we’re unstoppable. I sometimes have to grit my teeth and make the hard decisions because I know it’s the right thing to do. Reputation will follow if you do what you think is right.
Any advice for managing a team?
I’m a very transparent person for better or for worse. I have found that being as open and honest as I can be is the best way to build trust. When you build trust amongst your team even when they’re having a tough day, or you are, you’re able to support each other without fear of retaliation. That’s the kind of place I want to come to work every day.
I also have found that having outside resources is helpful to maintain some objectivity. I’ve enlisted an advisory board, networking groups and an executive coach for years. Having people you can speak to outside your company makes a world of difference in opening your eyes. Whether it’s tools that are available to help the team or just looking at a problem in a fresh way, having outside advice is invaluable in managing a team.
Additionally, I have a strong sense of humor. There are few conflicts, tough conversations and intimidations that can’t be slightly diffused by a few jokes. I think life is funny even when it’s extremely serious. That irreverent take has gotten me through some very trying times in business and in my personal life as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: WineEnthusiast.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wineenthusiast/ & https://www.instagram.com/jackistrum/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WineEnthusiast
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wineenthusiast/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wineenthusiast
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WineEnthusiastCatalog/videos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wineenthusiast?lang=en
Image Credits
Photo of Jacqueline Strum holding wine glass: Credit to Paul Aresu. Photo of Erika Strum Silberstein (left) and Jacqueline Strum (right): Credit to Wine Enthusiast.