Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/913027
94 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 the smartest teams are distinguished by only one characteristic: Teams with more women outperform all others. Women, the researchers say, "mind read" better than men. And because they are good at reading complex emotional states, women help their groups function at a high level. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg makes the important point in her book Lean In that we know what women are up against externally. But putting these external chal - lenges aside, is it possible that women hold themselves back internally? I believe we do. In our industry, here are some of the ways: First, by language. I can't tell you how many business cards I have from profes - sional women who call themselves Wine Chicks, Wine Goddesses, Wine Witches, Wine Divas, Wine Dolls, and so on. Language can marginalize. To self-inflict this makes no sense. I also think women hold themselves back by failing to adopt a professional demeanor and appearance. Don't get me wrong, I think women should dress like women if they want. But I also think it's next to impossible to negotiate a contract or ask for a higher fee or a higher salary when you're wearing sandals and spaghetti straps. Indeed, in some parts of the business— like winemaking—dressing the part can be critical. One of the most famous consulting winemakers who is a woman told me this about her experience: "If you look at the women who have been in the business for a very long time [Merry Edwards, Cathy Corison, Zelma Long, and so on] you'll see that, for the most part, we wear minimal makeup and usually work in jeans, boots, and work shirts, with our hair cut short or pulled back into a simple ponytail. Most of us are rather on the tall side, and all are athletic. I think the slightly-androgynous look was a comfortable choice for us, and also helped us blend in well with the existing winemak - ing teams. We learned quickly to look like we belonged in the cellar, to literally pull our weight in moving heavy equipment or jumping onto a fork lift." I also think we may sometimes sabotage ourselves by internalizing the old idea that you can only be a great business person or a great mother, but you can't be both. Of course you can be both. Thousands of women have. Maybe they aren't Martha Stewart making homemade Christmas orna - ments (with a small army of staff), and maybe having a business project done is sometimes better than having a business project perfect, but being a business person and being a mother are not mutually-exclusive ideas. (My own "wine solution" for this—since I'm a single mother and I own my own busi - ness—is Champagne. I drink a glass of spar- kling wine or Champagne every night, and I have for 20 years. I consider it indispensable to motherhood, and the source of creative entrepreneurship.) I also think we all must toughen up a bit when it comes to the idea of likeability. Many studies show that the more successful a woman is, the less she is liked. That hurts, and women especially take it to heart. I recently got an email from a young woman who has just published a very significant and very good book on wine who was crushed by the criticism and often mean behavior of her professional colleagues. When any of us is mean or critical about a woman just because she's successful, it's damaging for all of us. Scoffing at feminism is another "nail in the coffin" of our potential success. Frankly, I am stunned by the number of young women in the wine business who say they are "not feminists." This is a naïve and dangerous viewpoint. I wonder if any of these "not feminists" can imagine being permitted to go to a tasting as long as they "didn't talk." Finally, I think we hold ourselves back when we don't own our successes. Success can make women uncomfortable, and as a result, we are often self-deprecating. I recently gave the keynote speech at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Symposium. During one session on soil and terroir, the moderator asked each of the winemakers if they were important . . . or if their wine was what it was because of terroir. All of the male winemakers said, "Yeah, I think I'm important." The female winemak - ers sidestepped a direct answer and said things like "lots of factors matter." Indeed, for this speech, I conducted some research myself. I asked 50 very successful women in the wine industry this question: 94 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 Heather Bradshaw Eileen Crane Celia Welch Cathy Corison Emma Swain