5 Lessons From A World Class Vineyard


Jun 10, 2017

 by Stephen Conca
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I was listening to Jim Hershaw’s podcast on his experience at the Harlan Estate, one of the most exclusive vineyards in the world, located in the Napa Valley. Here are the highlights from the podcast, and put your life into perspective on what you’re trying to accomplish and see if you can relate.

  1. You can focus on doing everything right, in this case it was the meticulous soil prep, trimming of the vines etc. Then you get hit by a massive hail storm and it destroys the harvest. Completely out of your control. You can do everything you possibly can think of when it comes down to the details. However, when something happens that’s out of your control, you have to let it go. ONLY FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN CONTROL. Bad weather, crappy boss, car breaks down…you can’t control these things. Let your negative energy go.
  2. Are you just showing up…? To work, to the gym, etc. Are you just going through the motions or is there a bigger purpose? If you’re a coach you want to win, correct? If you’re a business owner, you want to make more money, right? Yes, but the difference is that vision should be bigger then that. It’s about developing people and helping them to see a bigger vision of what’s in front of them. Why do you eat healthy? Why do you focus on the proper technique while exercising? FOCUS ON THE PROCESS and the outcome will take care of itself. The Harlan Estate is all about the meticulous process of making great wine. Why? Wine brings people together to have an amazing experience and share stories and emotions. Focus on YOUR process, on whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish. It took them 12 years to get their first batch of wine when most other vineyards produce in 3-5 years. They weren’t satisfied in the beginning so they kept refining the process. They embraced the process and now they are considered one of the finest vineyards in the world.
  3. What are you willing to sacrifice to say NO to in order to achieve your goals? Better health, better sleep, a better body, saving for a vacation…what is it that you have to REFUSE in order to GET what you want? How long can you continue to say NO until you get it.
  4. You can’t be everything to everyone. Harlan discards about 30% of their grapes on the vine each year in order for the rest of the grapes to get the ultimate nutrients from the soil, and as a result, their grapes produce world class wine. Most of us are strapped with time and energy. What can you do to begin to TRIM the excess waste in your life and put your energy to better use? Less TV? Less Social Media surfing? What is it?
  5. You have to do it YOUR WAY. You are very unique. You are at a particular place in your life right now that’s different from anyone. There’s no other person on the planet like you. All the people in your life had some influence on you. You don’t have to look at others and try to do the status quo. Take advantage of your life experiences and focus on where you are right now. Use these uniques circumstances and influences to mold your focus and direction. Don’t chase other people’s success. Embrace your process, not someone else’s
  6. Do you have a vision of where you want to be? How will your story will be written? Bill Harlan has a 100 year vision for his vineyard. Now he will be long gone in 100 years, but his vision and purpose will hold true. What’s the legacy you want to leave? Are you living for a bigger purpose? Once you can figure out your bigger purpose, then lessons 1-5 will come much easier. Everything you do, everything you say, will fall back to YOUR PURPOSE. What is it?