"Absolutely Fabulous" Awards

"Absolutely Fabulous" Awards

Yep. More fun days at work. Networking with all the great Travel Salem people for their Absolutely Fabulous Awards held at Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Not a "Typical" Day of Work

Not a "Typical" Day of Work

Check out a not-so-typical day at work at Willamette Valley Vineyards. 2008 vintages are going to be great!

in·flu·ence [in-floo-uhns]

INFLUENCE

1.the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.

2.the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.

I attended the United Way Young Leaders Society event tonight in Portland. Alan Cabelly, Professor from Portland State University, was the guest speaker. He spoke about Leadership Styles using the DISC behavioral test. The DISC behavioral instrument is based on the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston, PhD/ Marston was interested in how people felt, behaved, and interacted with the world around them. (2) The DISC method is easy to administer and interpret. This instrument helps determine the different personality types (ie, Dominant, Influencer, Steady, Conscientious) of each person in the workplace.

First off it was nice to be out amongst young professionals who are not employed in the wine industry. It was very eye opening and it was nice to get into the city and rub elbows with the corporate world. There were doctors, finance, bankers and human resource people. There was a point and time I aspired to be in the corporate business world, but I honestly don't know how people do it! Wearing a suit and tie everyday. If I had to do that, at five o'clock I would immediately run to the bathroom and change into jeans.

After a quick assessment, I landed in the D group (Dominant).

DOMINANT. People with the dominant personality type tend to make quick decisions, are very results-oriented, are direct and straight-forward, and often display a high level of initiative and energy. To motivate a dominant person, a leader should foster that person's initiative by removing obstacles and giving the person freedom to act without interference.

Although dominant people are strong workers, a dominant person can cause conflict by being too blunt, restless, and impatient. Dominant people try to do everything, and they may act without knowing all the facts and without considering others' feelings.

So I only slightly agree with some of these characteristics. I feel like I am more of an Influencer with a side of Dominant.

INFLUENCER. The influencer is outgoing, persuasive, gregarious, and tends to be good at delegating. By influencing and persuading others, the influencer creates an environment for personal success. The best way to motivate an influencer is to create a social environment that includes constant interaction with people. In these circumstances, an influencer will demonstrate trust in others and spread enthusiasm throughout a team, creating a democratic relationship favorable for working conditions.

Certain situations, however, can emphasize the weaknesses of an influencer. For instance, the influencer is not very task-oriented and may not follow up on delegated jobs. The influencer's strength at building friendships can be exploited easily when he or she has to make unpleasant decisions. Instead of doing what is best for the job, the influencer procrastinates on decisions so as not to rock the boat.

Just for fun I have included the other two leadership styles. So which ones best describe you?

STEADY. The steady person is dependable and easygoing, technically competent, and able to teach. His or her emphasis is on cooperating with others in existing circumstances to carry out a task. The supreme motivator for someone with a steady personality is security. In this regard, repetitive tasks, established work patterns, and routine work are best for a steady person.

The status quo is the ideal environment for someone with a steady personality. The steady person tends to resist change, especially new directions that challenge personal structure. The steady person also can be a poor delegator.

CONSCIENTIOUS. People with the conscientious personality type are thorough, attentive perfectionists who can think ahead and prevent problems. To achieve results, the conscientious person works carefully within existing circumstances to ensure quality and accuracy. Unlike influencers, people with conscientious personalities prefer little or no people contact and would rather define limits of authority themselves. Detail-oriented jobs with precise instructions give people with the conscientious personality type the clearest road to success.
This person tends to be rigid and overly detailed. Instead of talking about a problem, the conscientious person will write long memos and avoid personal communication.

Thanks to Steve Krug, Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Club Member and Volunteer, who brought a few bottles of the 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir and 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling to share with guests

Celebrate the small things

On my way home from Trader Joe's (my favorite grocery store ever...see celebrating the small things), I noticed that my XTERRA, who I named Hops, was very close to hitting 145,000 miles. I knew this called for a celebration. As I turned the corner onto my street my odometer hit 144,997 miles. YIPPY! I pulled into the parking lot and headed to my parking spot. As I pulled into my parking spot the odometer hit...144,999.8. No!

So picture this. I back up Hops and pull forward, I back up Hops and pull forward. 144,999.8! I come to the conclusion that the odometer must really reverse when you back up. So I reverse out of my spot, drive around the little island and go to pull back into my spot. The odometer reads 144,999.9. Just short! I reverse and pull forward.

So a quick recap: I have parked, reversed and pulled forward, reversed and pulled forward, reversed and drove around and then parked and reversed and pulled forward. There are lots of people outside, and I am thinking I must look like a crazy person. But just for fun, I back up and pull back in. How am I going to celebrate if I don't actually hit 145,000? Well, it still didn't hit 145,000, so I give up. I am leaving this celebration for the morning.

Stop and celebrate the small things. Even if you fail, it can still be fun. Tonight I celebrate the small things: living in an apartment on my own, having a job, being able to run again, drinking a Ninkasi Spring Reign, planting Sauvignon Blanc with my co-workers and eating Tillamook Peanut Butter ice cream with Brent.

Celebrating a dream come true...planting Tualatin Estate Sauvignon Blanc

and making new lifetime friends and unforgettable memories.

Just figure it out

Spacing between the rows in the vineyard was questioned. I didn't
let not having a tape measure stop me from trying to figure it out!

Life has thrown a lot of curve balls my way. I very easily could have just given up and accepted that this was how my life was meant to be. But instead I just figured it out, moved forward, became even more independent, hard headed and stronger. Well, it seems like it has all paid off. What a sweet ride my life has been. I never imagined my life would be so great.

My childhood:

I grew up in Wisconsin in a lower to middle income class family. My parents divorced when I was a few years old. A couple years later my mother met a wonderful man, Bob, who she married and who later adopted my brother and me. My last name changed from Aleskowitz to Rochester. I met my biological father, Ben, when I was in a freshman in high school. Now I am lucky to have two really cool dads.

I was the first on my mother's side of the family to graduate college. I began working when I was just a young child, probably between the ages of 6-10, at my grandparent's bowling alleys: Showboat North and Showboat South. I cleaned shoes, helped oil the lanes, rang up customers at the register and even helped out by being the flashlight shiner for moonlight bowling. My grandpa taught me how to count back change, making sure all the bills lined up the same way in the register. It's still something I do to this very day.

My parents always encouraged me to try new things: I was a figure skater, dancer, basketball player, softball player, saxophone and viola player in the band, show choir singer, volleyball player, soccer player, artist and more. They both worked full time and somehow managed to make it to whatever extra curricular activity I was involved in at the time. They supported me, nurtured me and cared for me. They never gave up on me or my brother.

When I look back at my childhood, I am just so thankful that my parents challenged me to be the best person I could be. They let me make mistakes and learn from them. They punished me when they were really bad mistakes of course, but I learned. I learned that I have potential to do great things. As Mark Speckman, Head Football Coach of Willamette University Bearcats, said today at the Oregon is Home Luncheon, "Figure it out." Mark Speckman didn't let being born without hands stop him from playing and coaching football. He just figured it out. So next time you feel like you cannot do something, take a minute and just figure it out.

A dream come true: From Vine to Wine officially in the ground

Today my dream came true. We planted two acres of Sauvignon Blanc at Tualatin Estate Vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The experience was so much more than I ever imagined. Thank you to everyone who helped plant. Thank you to everyone who worked in the tasting rooms and office so we were able to do this. Thank you to JB for trusting us with such an amazing project: "From Vine to Wine".

Stay tuned for more pictures, videos and blogs. It has been a long day...signing off.

Becky Boots

Where's Becky Boots?

DMACC Wine Science Class

I am back! Back from the Midwest that is. Probably one of the best trips home ever. Spent most of my time in Iowa. Wednesday afternoon I departed Portland airport and headed East to Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa. The trip started out great when I checked in and they upgraded me to first class! Ha! See I knew flying from Chicago to Tasmania and then two weeks later Tasmania to Chicago, then one day later Chicago to Tasmania would pay off.

Thursday night I attended the Mid-American Wine Competition Wine Tasting where I was a guest speaker. What a great time. I spoke about my how Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) influenced me to quit my job in California and just move to New Zealand and work as a Vintage Cellar Hand. Hey, it all worked out just fine. I was the first DMACC intern and hope that there are many more to come. I spent three days in Iowa for Residential School for Wine Science. My classmates and I worked at Snus Hill Vineyard and Winery doing lab analysis, sulfur additions, a little bit of classroom work followed by our final exam.

I met some of the most inspiring people in the Midwest wine industry and tasted some fantastic wines. I also had the opportunity to stomp ground in the Wisconsin national sales area. I was able to make some Willamette Valley Vineyards wine placements throughout Wisconsin as well.

There a quite a few more stories to tell about my trip, and I will tell them over the next few days. Let me just reemphasise of how small of a world it really is.

Good night!

Becky Boots