We were lucky to catch up with Lynn Dowdell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lynn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

Vin Collective is a luxury wine & spirits experience company and we travel nationally and internationally to curate experiences for your wine and spirits’ pleasure. I also hold several events open to the public throughout the year you see, most of the events and experiences that I host and or emcee are private events, fundraisers, dinner parties and celebrations held in Tampa Bay and throughout the country. There are times when some of the same clients will show up at nearly every event, promote my events or sponsor a ticket or two so that another can indulge in The Vin Collective Experience. This is something that I didn’t expect, however, I am very grateful for the support and kindness shown to me and those new to Vin Collective. And because I am a person who loves to volunteer and give back, I always try to find ways to show my appreciation to those who frequent Vin Collective.

This year, I put together a themed dinner party that I usually host as a private event for clients and business dinners and invited several clients. I asked the men to show up relaxed and the ladies to show up laid back. The ladies were a bit concerned but they granted my request. We all met at the appointed date and time, we listened to smooth Jazz to start the evening off while enjoying some light fair and a welcome glass of champagne. I prepared a dinner that catered to all eating styles (vegetarian, pescatarian & meatatarian) and paired it with three fragrant wines during our courses. Of course, this made for great conversation and kept the momentum throughout the evening. I closed out the evening with a refreshing cocktail and a light dessert.

The end was met with compliments and suggestions that I not only do this every year for them but also host the same dinner party style for the public. It gave me great pleasure to give back and to see clients who’ve never met engaging and having a great time together.

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’m Lynn Dowdell, the owner and wine curator of Vin Collective, a Luxury Wine & Spirits’ Experience Company. I am a one-woman show. I love wine and as far as I can think back watching my aunts on Sundays when we all met at my Grandparents’ house for dinner, my aunts would sit at the dining room table looking like models, laughing, talking and drinking wine. I always dreamed of the elegance and sophistication that they had and one day it would be me. My Godmother, who is also my great aunt had me working as a greeter in her beauty stores and salons at the age of six. I was born to be a sophisticated businesswoman!

I would probably be described as a sweet-tough cookie who loves wine and will go almost anywhere to have it! I want to share my love for wine and my experiences with the world. I love to educate and train from my past professions and I have brought that passion to Vin Collective through edutainment (educating while entertaining). I travel nationally and internationally to educate myself on the wine world. I bring back knowledge, experience and excitement to my clients nationwide and provide tasting experiences, host events, fundraisers, private parties and provide other services such as wine etiquette, cellar curations, bourbon tastings, spirits’ tastings, curated wine and spirits box, and wine companionship.

I am also a certified beverage and champagne specialist. I am a wine ambassador and a bourbon ambassador. Through my unceasing in education, knowledge and experience, I am able to provide my clients and potential clients with the concierge level of service that they desire and I aim to give.

Vin Collective – Luxury Wine and Spirits Experience. Vin Collective is a traveling wine and spirits’ experience company with curated selections that bring the finest to your glass, for an exclusive tasting experience. I offer unique and personal collections of wine and premium spirits to indulge you in a journey like no other and elevate your palate and expand your knowledge of the wine, winemaker and region. I adore small gatherings and I love grand events as I curate the experience to allow what you have in mind to come to fruition. This is what makes Vin Collective unique.

My mission is to Engage | Enhance | Edutain

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I don’t know if I would call what I did to bring Vin Collective into being a side hustle. Side hustle – work performed for income supplementary to one’s primary job. Although I’ve had a few side hustles, I guess I never considered entertaining as being one of them. I’d host dinner parties and celebrations because that’s what my family and friends did for pastime, have parties and celebrations. I was always called upon to put an event together or referred to a friend or colleague as the one to go to for themed parties and elegant affairs. I love bringing people together and seeing everyone have a great time was a reward in itself.

I used the same core process, preparation and care that I put into the events and celebrations that I hosted and emceed back in Indiana to bring about a luxury experience to my clients here in Tampa and around the US. Each experience is curated to bring out what my clients desire for their guests and themselves. We have a great time! It’s never serious like sitting in on a lecture, although I do speak on the world of wine as well. I now travel nationally and internationally to host, edutain and participate in events, conferences, and more. I named my company Vin Collective because I provide an experience in all areas of the beverage industry from wine to spirits.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Attention to detail, I believe, is what has helped build my reputation. I come from an era of providing the concierge level of service. This means you do everything you can to make your client feel welcomed, special and happy with the service you’ve provided for them. I feel, by being knowledgeable and experienced in the stories I tell about the wine, winemakers and the region in which the wine comes from shows not only my appreciation for wine but my appreciation of the process from the beginning to the end. In providing a concierge level of service, professionalism is at the forefront. I am professional, courteous and on time whether I’m hosting an event or participating in an event, conference or seminar.
The ability to be or become a good leader or provide good leadership comes from being a great server. I always tell people never think you are too good to serve, for if you do, how can you call yourself a good leader? The passion I have for people and providing excellent customer service shows through conversation to execution of an experience with Vin Collective.
I attribute most of this to my upbringing, natural leadership and literally more than half of my life working and managing in customer service.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vin-collective.com
• Instagram: www.instragram.com/vin.collective
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vincollective
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vin-collective-luxury-experience-winelady
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/vincollective
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vin-collective-lutz?osq=Wine+Tasting
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok/@vincollective

Image Credits
SM