We were lucky to catch up with Lindsay Kana recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lindsay thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

Yes, I take vacations, and I believe time away is actually crucial for business improvement! I often hear business owners say they can’t afford to take even one day off, but I think this is something that was taught when we were growing up…business first, work day and night, etc. But this leads to burnout for business owners, which leads to unhappy employees, and family. When we take a step back from the “day to day’, it allows us to reflect and mentally recharge. Some of my best business ideas/improvements have actually come about while on vacation! So much of my inspiration comes from visiting other industries and seeing what they are doing that’s working.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been working in the wine industry for the last ten years. I started my career as a consultant for wineries, helping owners and managers with business growth and development. During that time, I fell in love with the industry…the people I met were amazing, and seeing wineries in action really inspired me to start my own. In 2020, I left consulting and my husband and I started selling wine online (Kana Wine) and having events at our home. I absolutely loved the interaction with our customers, and knew I wanted to grow the business into a brick and mortar. Our hometown (Bastrop) has a charming, historical downtown, and my heart was set on finding a spot there and creating a relaxing wine lounge for community members.
In November 2022 we learned that a downtown winery was going to close, and we met with the owners to see about purchasing it. All of that consulting work came into play, and we were able to make the numbers work, and secure a spot downtown! It was not an easy start…all of the alcohol restrictions and permitting took a while so we were not able to open right away, but were making payments. I found a workaround and pulled permits for temporary events so that we could bring in some revenue before officially opening.
We opened the doors to “Kana Wine Tasting Lounge” in February, 2023 with a mission to make wine “fun”, and less intimidating. It’s a relaxing space with lounge furniture, created to inspire conversation and connections. Each guest gets to choose their own unique glass to enjoy a glass of wine, and we offer tastings daily. In addition to wine, my husband also makes cider, and everything is created in our downtown location. Each of our wines tells a story through the label…whether it’s a memory from Bastrop’s history, or one of our family members, our goal is to connect with each guest through wine!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I listen to a podcast every morning called “The GaryVee Audio Experience” with Gary Vaynerchuk. He is so inspirational, and I’ve adopted many of his practices. One is to express gratitude each day. I make a note of one thing I’m grateful for, and it just sets the mood for my day. There are so many things we can be worried about, especially when owning a business, so focusing on gratitude each day is key. The other thing is to lead with kindness. Each person is fighting their own battles, so my goal is to show an act of kindness to each person who comes in our wine lounge.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Referrals and Google! The majority of people hear about us from someone who has had an experience at our wine lounge. Google is also key for driving traffic that isn’t local. We pop up on winery searches, which is great!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kanawineandmore.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanawinetastinglounge/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kanawines