Interview with Jean Arnold Sessions

By Monica L. Dashwood

Jean Arnold Sessions runs Hanzell Vineyards. Located in Sonoma, California, the exquisite 46 acre winery is committed to the best traditions of Grand Cru Burgundy: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of extraordinary quality. Jean has served the wine industry since 1979 with executive positions at Chateau Montelena, Jordan, Chalk Hill, Williams & Selyem and Jackson Family Farms. She is married to Winemaker Emeritus Bob Sessions.

Can you tell us your responsibilities at Hanzell Vineyards?

I am the President. I provide the strategic leadership for the company and I am considered an integral part of the wine making team. I work and make blend decisions with the winemaker, to ensure the production of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I also make all the financial decisions.

The other part of my job is to tell our story and I make sure it is told appropriately. Additionally, I also manage the board of directors.

What do you love doing the most in your work?

I love communicating the Hanzell story and negotiating our journey with the board to accomplish the company vision. I know the vision, and my job is to hold that vision high. I fight for that. That’s the best part of this job, because I get to articulate the vision to the industry, the media, and the public at large. With the proliferation of labels in the market, it is very important to make sure every one truly understands our vision. As an example, just one of our distributors represents 18,000 labels.

What attracted you to the wine industry? Did you know it was the career path for you?

I happened on it. I was a dancer and a starving artist. I taught ballet. I was a modern dancer, following closely in the footsteps of Isadora Duncan. I was at Fresno State University, where I took some wine classes. I was drawn to the intrigue and excitement that was wine— from the romance of it, to the mystical. To pay my way through college, I started bartending. I found out early on, that was where the power was in a restaurant, it was either in the hands of the chef or the bartender. I couldn’t cook, so as a bartender, I took on the responsibility of managing the wine list. Then a cooperative of wine growers came to me and said: “Since you sell wine in a restaurant, would you sell wine for us in the market?”

Well, I was starving. I went from being this skinny little dancer that would go into the student union at school and not be able to afford a dinner, to a wine sales representative that could afford to buy a whole dinner! And I’m no longer skinny!

I made a great career move at that point. I didn’t think I’d like sales, but I went in and convinced the Student Union to pour Cribari wine (a wine I was representing), when they already had a major endowment for their stadium from Gallo. So, I got Gallo wines bumped and got Cribari wines into the Student Union. That event was a major coup and I loved it.

What steps did you take after becoming a sales representative?

I realized I didn’t like working for large corporations, because I felt I had very little impact, I felt I wasn’t seen, and didn’t have a voice. I liked small family wineries. I pursued that and started as a sales rep. for a small family owned winery. I worked my way up through family owned properties. So, it allowed a path to move up, if one was creative and willing to work hard. I identified with the independent companies more. They had to be passionate about what they did. And I cared about sustainability. I cared about what they produced.

As a child, you spoke about an incident that strongly influenced your life and made you the woman you are today. Can you tell us about this defining incident?

When I was a young girl, I put together a talent show. I had a special interest in bringing people together. I was 10 years old. I put on a talent show and we charged 10 cents. I got all the neighborhood kids to come in and do their acts. I didn’t do an act. I was the stage manager, and we raised $3.00, all pennies, 300 pennies. I made a promise to the group that I was going to give the money to charity. This was a defining moment in my childhood. I spent it on candy, but not all at once, ten cents here, 15 cents there. Until all of a sudden it was gone. I have been so guilt ridden about that incident, I tend to give a fair amount of money to charity now.

Growing up, I also had a fair amount of loss. I lost my father when I was 12. I realized then, that you won’t have the people you love around forever. That’s why I really care about connection and empathy for people. I love the story behind the 300 pennies. Now, I spend a lot of my time, giving back. Julia Child was famous for saying, “When you reach a certain level of success, you have a responsibility to give back to your community.” In the wine community, I spend a lot of my time mentoring younger people, predominantly women. I formed this girlfriends group that gets together every year and we have raised $100,000 for women’s health.

Through the business, I do a lot of teaching. That’s another way I give back, I teach about the wine business. I’ve always used my ability to teach about wine. I lovestorytelling and I bring that into Hanzell.

Did you always have ‘the know all’ confidence to be in this position you are now? What steps did you take to get there?

Never! My dream was to be in a top position of authority in the wine business. It was my big dream. Now, I have achieved that. At the start of my career, I had gone to a head hunter. I was working for Chateau St. Jean as a wine representative. I went to the head hunter to see if I could apply for another position. He told me that with having a degree in dance, which was in physical education, that I couldn’t go anywhere in the wine business, and I should be happy I had the job I had. That was in 1985.

If you tell me I can’t do something, I have the type of work ethic, that says, “oh no—I can do it. I’ll figure out someway to do it.” I worked with that challenge and kept moving up. I’ve always felt I knew my job well. That I could take on the bigger challenges.

Then there’s that interim time, where you ask, was this right? How do I make this work? Did I take too big of a jump? There is some insecurity during those times. After working hard, and figuring things out, I now say; ‘feel the fear, and do it anyway’. Fake it until you make it. The higher you go up in business, the greater the repercussions. Sometimes they can feel devastating, but they are not.

I learned from Sally Jordan of Jordan Wines, she was the ultimate socialite. I actually had to go through an etiquette school with her for three days before I could be appointed executive vice president. I learned something very important from her, self esteem and confidence. She said, “if you make a mistake, you say you’re terribly sorry and then, proceed.”

Have you had balance in your life as you rode to the top?

I keep myself too scattered. I say yes to too many things. I did sacrifice a lot of my personal life. In the wine industry, work and personal blend together. Is there a balance? No. But I don’t have to work as hard now. I have boundaries now for self-care, for fun. That’s why Mama Mia is my cell phone ring.

I spoke at Harvard’s business school, their women’s forum. The oldest woman in the room led the program. Most of the other women students were in their 20’s-30’s. One of the women asked, “Is it still true that we need to sacrifice our life to be successful in business?” I said, “No, I don’t think so. Focus, specialize, do what you’re great at. Find your niche.”

The woman running the program stood up and said, “Absolutely not. If you’re going to make it to the top, you have to sacrifice your life. Those top guys on Wall Street are there until 3 a.m.” These young girls had tears in their eyes. 2/3rds of the women with MBA’s don’t go into business. I think you can make it work. I do.

What would you say was your greatest professional accomplishment in the wine business?

I was instrumental in the creation of the brand image for a number of successful brands. In the wine business, brand image is everything. Some of the worst brand creations I have seen are when wineries have misidentified their vision and the way to articulate it. I remember a South African winery that thought they could make their brand relevant by creating a design using South African art, well that’s fine for art lovers, but in the wine industry, the gate keepers, the consumer press doesn’t care about South African Art.

The other big claim to fame was crisis communication. Hanzell Vineyards went through a crisis, but through it, we were able to keep our brand equity, and actually increase our brand loyalty. We had a chemical contamination, it was not a health hazard, but a contamination that’s common-place in the wine industry, but people didn’t know about it. We did all the research and saw that this was a problem that the wine industry really didn’t have a handle on. This was the Enron era, where you couldn’t hide and have the loyalty. So, we did testing more than any winery in history and shared it with the press. We were very successful. Within the industry that’s what we’re known for now, because it was a risk that we took and used it in our favor.

What was your greatest personal feat?

Surviving in a male dominated industry. One of my strengths has been knowing how to effectively communicate with men, and women. How do you get a connection? It’s a sales tactic. Being mindful, insightful and intuitive on how you connect—genuinely connect. Not the batting of eyelashes. Not the sexy outfit. That’s too easy. With some older men, I use humor, statistical facts, non-emotional positions.

What advice do you have for aspiring women wanting to move up in their careers?

Even if the road is hard, do it any way. Dance with it. Be really good at what you do. As you move up, you get shot at. People are out to get your position, your power, and your perks. Work very hard, don’t compromise and keep your values. Don’t act from fear. Tell your truth. Keep the bigger picture in mind. Fight the battles you can fight. Live by The Serenity Prayer. Be mindful. Remember the Rule of 10s. What would that decision mean in 10 minutes, 10 months, in 10 years?

What is your greatest fear?

I know this is an archetype of some kind—one that is characterized in women’s magazines. My greatest fear is ending up a bag lady, alone, poor, unable to support myself. That is a huge fear.

Would you say that fear has driven you to be where you are?

Yes, in some ways it has been a great motivator, but like with every archetype, there is a light side and a dark side. I have made some wrong decisions based on that fear, where a better decision would have been made if I was not afraid. I have been very successful in our wine industry. The path has not been easy one however; I wish I made some of my decisions from a place of strength rather than out of fear. Knowing there is abundance, knowing that there is enough in the world.

What kind of a leader are you?

I think I am a direct communicator. I lead by example and by teaching. The times I am not a good leader is when I have to get something accomplished and I get a bit too intense. I realized that with every step up, you have to know that your words are powerful. I want to learn better discernment around this fact.

Who are your inspirations and why? Who had the greatest influence on your life?

Jim Barrett, the owner of Chateau Montelena. He mentored me. He’s a true inspiration because he’s a man of his word. Judy Jordan is a good mentor. Then there’s Madeleine Albright. She said, “There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not reminded I’m a woman.” And every day she gets up and changes the world. If Madeleine can feel and do that, I can.

What do you want to be known for? What would you want your epitaph to say?

She cared. She was a giver. She loved her kitties.

What’s your favorite Hanzell wine? What would you eat with it?

1991 Chardonnay. It’s fabulous. I would have it with a roast pork—one of my favorite combinations.

Do you dare to tell me a favorite vintage wine outside the Hanzell selections?

I like the older champagnes. 1988 or 1992 Krug champagne.

What one word would you say encapsulates your essence, a word that best describes you?

Striver. I’m a striver.