Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Triplett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.
The most innovative thing have done in my career this far is reinvent the experience of wine for my under the radar city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. In my tasting room Twine Urban Winery we truly have something for everyone, the traditional wine drinker to the cocktail drinker. A traditional glass of Chardonnay, wine cocktail variations such as mojitos, mules etc, wine slushes to red wine hot cocoa we have you covered. You can drink out of yard cups, fish bowls, bucks , fountains or towers and let’s not forget our selfie wall and hashtags!
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?
Owner of Kalamazoo Counseling connection Est. 2012, located downtown Kalamazoo, MI. Private practice, I received Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan
University, with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy. I work with children, adolescents, adults and families and have experience working with delinquent and abused children in a psychiatric setting alongside of medical and psychiatric doctors. Service Kalamazoo Public/Alternative Schools facilitating groups focusing on anger management and conflict resolution. I have completed evidence-based training in Motivational Interviewing as well as DBT for substance abuse.
Founder of Black Wall Street Kalamazoo, and the Kalamazoo Black Business Expo.
Black Wall Street Kalamazoo (BWSK) is focused on the African American Community within Kalamazoo County, generational wealth building. BWSK is the areas Black Business Directory, highlighting and lifting the African American entrepreneur. The primary focus of BWSK is to provide a safe platform to exclusively increase the lifespan of the Black dollar. The guiding principles of BWSK are to access and aid in advocating for equal lending and banking practices, the primary to ownership and generational wealth. Business Education, acumen, economics and collaboration are consistently fostered in our endeavors.
We have consulted with multiple entrepreneurship support organization including community development, economic development, private and public agencies to give guidance on best ways to impact the minority business community: United Way of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Truth Racial Healing and Reconciliation, South West Michigan First (SWMF), the
City of Kalamazoo, City of Battle Creek, Chase Bank, LISC, Can-Do Kitchen, Black Arts and Cultural Center, Big Brothers Big sisters of America, Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership, Greater Kalamazoo Business Resource Network, SBA, WMU School of Business, SCORE and others. Invited to speak directly with the governor to express the state of Black Business in Kalamazoo during the worst economic crisis our generation
may ever seen. We have provided direct input to both to state Democratic and Republican representatives on legislation framing how to insure equitable disbursement of COVID relief funds. We provided strategy to South West Michigan First and assisted in directly ensuring 30% of the Michigan Restart grant funding was distributed to marginalized businesses in Kalamazoo. Our efforts have also resulted in an increase in access to entrepreneurship support resources and organizations. It is imperative to leverage our individual platforms, our voices, networks, and programming to build thriving Black Businesses. In a short 4 year period of time we have developed a proven track record of supporting and resourcing Black business owners.
The Roche’ Collection, Urban. Social. Luxury. I am the first Licensed Black female winemaker in Michigan. The Roche’ Collection brand is exclusively for the social casual wine drinker. The Roche’ Collection’s foundation connects culture and community. Our wine blends are bold and intentional taking the guess work away, making everyone an equally important. “Cocktail Ready” Our wines can easily shift to being a balanced coctail by adding ice and your favorite liquor. The highest values of the brand can be found in the diverse varietals, inclusive and approachable. You will find the wines take you on a journey throughout the development of your palate. Roché Collection matures with your palate to promote brand loyalty and legacy.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Funding is one of the biggest questions and hurdles many entrepreneurs have and more so Black entrepreneurs. My approach was to start where I could, fortunately that was in my home to keep the overhead down. I signed my lease to move into a commercial space and then the pandemic hit, scary but helpful actually. I was able to take advantage of a low barrier low interest loan. Loans are not bad debt if you have a plan to re pay it. I had low initial overhead, which allowed me to save profit to reinvest, with the reinvestment and loan was able to purchase additional supplies to produce more product in order to fulfill purchase orders for local markets and pay for my monthly rent. The local market sales were able to cover the loan and some of the rent for the new space, the new space sales where able to help pay for itself. I searched for business like mine that were going out of business to purchase equipment before I signed a lease so I was able to purchase major things while not having overhead. This is the example of how debt is a tool and how it can be used to grow and scale. The principles of my capital journey can be used in most instances so I hope it makes sense and I gave enough detail.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.therochecollection.com
- Instagram: Twine_urbanwinery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064522313389
- Linkedin: Nicole Triplett
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/twine-urban-winery-kalamazoo
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/southwestmichiganfirst/videos/2130995560420638