Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Puil. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sarah , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I grew up traveling and in my early 20s I took a trip with my Dad to Chile and we visited Vina Santa Rita. I fell in love with the vineyard and listening to the winemaker. Let me tell you, he just opened up a whole new world to me, that I just had to know more about. I’ve been learning about wine ever since, everywhere I travel, I visit wineries, vineyards, and talk to winemakers. I got my inspiration for BOXT while sitting in a cafe in Paris with my husband. I loved how easy it was to get a delicious house wine all over Europe, but whenever I tried to find one in the states, the experience just underwhelmed and frustrated me.

Around that time, I had been invited to be an entrepreneur in residence at Next Coast Ventures in Austin, Texas. During my time with NCV, I was ideating across a bunch of EDTech and new media ideas, and I was asked to think about where my interests, experience and aptitude all intersected AND if I had ever had an idea, however small, that I wish I had done something with. I remembered the idea I’d had in Paris and my mentors at NCV really encouraged me to dig in on it – and that was BOXT.

Sarah , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My career started out in digital media at the New York Times Company. I got interested in the intersection of tech and media. That curiosity eventually led to my running global strategic partnerships for Apollo Education Group and that is where I got my first taste of the excitement and draw of entrepreneurship. While at Apollo, I developed and launched ‘Education Nation’, a five-year platform with NBC News that became one of the most impactful educational media events in the country. My next taste was as the senior vice president of product development at Strayer Education, where I created its first product innovation lab, focusing on employee development and new customer lead generation. My next leap took me to Civic Entertainment where I was again a senior vice president using my fluency in experiential marketing to develop growth strategies. This all set me up perfectly for taking the leap fully into being a founder. In 2019 I was named a Next Coast Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence and that’s where this new journey began.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There are three main lessons I have learned. 1 – Go for it. One of the best pieces of advice I received was from a lead investor. He heard my idea, told me to stop thinking of new ones and just do it now.

2 – Keep it simple. Solutions should be simple.

3 – Believe. Hone your idea, get feedback, find mentors, get grounded and have a plan – you don’t have to have everything figured out, you can iterate to great, but make informed decisions quickly. Details matter and when you don’t know, ask. The most important thing is to believe in your idea, find others who believe in it and want to take this journey with you, keep asking questions, keep iterating towards great, and dive in.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

On the outside, it looks like we’re just making wine in a pretty BOXT, but what we’re doing is so much more. We’re working to change exclusivity and language equity through the dynamic of wine. We’re not just educating people about why they like the wine they like, but how to talk about it in a way that is natural to them and that makes sense. In essence we’re helping people use their voice around personal preference and choice; showing them how to stand up for what they want and resonate with, instead of just going with what their partner or friend likes, or what’s trending.

And as I mentioned before, we’re working to change the environmental responsibility of the wine industry from the inside out. I sit on several wine-related boards and the conversation I push is about sustainability, climate change and how wineries and vineyards can contribute more to the solution. Every single day we’re talking about our environmental impact and we are continually hard at work refining the ways that BOXT can further reduce our carbon footprint and provide a luxury experience for our members. It was always in the plan, but it took 2 years to launch our eco-friendly wine refills – something NO ONE is doing. We launched refills in March of 2023 and it was so rewarding to accomplish another step in our sustainable journey.

The continued investor support, along with our growing membership base, tells me that we’re on the right track, as BOXT changes the way we all drink a glass at home, while offering a hassle-free and environmentally-conscious fine wine experience directly to consumers. Ready to tap in? Use code CANVASREBEL for $15 off your first BOXT order.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drinkboxt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkboxt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkboxt
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkboxt/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/drinkboxt