Meet Brianne Cohen: Wine Educator & Event Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brianne Cohen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brianne, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my own business (Event Production) in 2007……just before the recession….good timing, right? That timing gave me the thick skin I have today, and has likely helped me navigate being a small-business owner during the pandemic. I had to take a job or two between then and now. But I have been solidly self-employed since 2017. I decided that I wasn’t cut out for full-time corporate employment when I was negotiating with my then boss on my full employment and compensation package. I was jockeying for a larger base salary and more vacation time. I got one of the two, but I wasn’t happy. How could I let me fate and my compensation lie in the hands of someone else. It was a fundamental disconnect in my brain. That was the last “job” I ever had, and I can’t now fathom ever having another job where I work for someone else. I am
meant to own my own time and my own livelihood.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a certified sommelier, the principal in a lifestyle brand and business based out of Los Angeles, offering my services as an event producer, wine educator, and wine writer. Since COVID hit, I have educated and entertained over 4,000 people through my “Virtual Vino” online wine classes, both public and private. I regularly judge in international wine competitions and hold the WSET Diploma certificate, which is one of the most coveted and difficult wine certifications.

In 2018, the lightbulb went off. I already had what I needed. I had the decade long career in producing events and weddings and had achieved one of the most sought-after wine certifications on the planet. The foundation was there, I just had to get into the headspace. The confidence came over time. I worked on myself, hired a coach, and leaned on those closest to me. Now I can say that I wake up every day completely owning my day.

The WSET Diploma served as not only my biggest challenge in life, but even more so, my biggest achievement in life. This was the crowning masterpiece in re-launching my business. The Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) provides globally recognized certifications in wine and spirits. The Diploma program is their flagship program and is considered the stepping stone to the prestigious Master of Wine certification.

It took courage in my decisions to go after my desires even when it placed me out of my comfort zone. Many of my cohort worked in the wine industry and had knowledge of wines that I had never even had the opportunity to taste. I was an outsider, an underdog, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. If everyone else had to study only 5 hours a week because they’d be tasting and talking about wine every single day, then I’d study 10 hours. I’d watch YouTube videos, attend every trade tasting I was invited to, and keep my head in the books as much as possible. As I’d get closer to exam times, the walls of my home would be covered with flip charts covering every grape, wine region, and soil type. France was in my living room, the rest of the Old World in my dining room, grape varieties in the hallway, and the New World in my bedroom.

I was unapologetic about going after my dreams and desires and I was going to do whatever it took to reach this goal. I was in a deep desire to feel vibrant and alive again in my career, even though I was up against the WSET Diploma behemoth. After two and a half years of studying, flashcards, late nights, and the walls of my home covered in flip charts like the movie “A Beautiful Mind”, I was in the home stretch. Only one blind tasting exam of 12 wines separated me from the WSET Diploma certification.

In early April 2018 I got the news that I had passed the exam and successfully completed the Diploma. Shock and disbelief quickly turned into excitement and content. I did it. I followed my creativity, ideas, desires and intuition to create a new chapter and direction in life. Now in 2021, wine is main business and I was able to successfully pivot my business virtual and in 2020 had my best year yet. Literally my #1 revenue grossing year after 13 years in business. That was not an accident. That was the culmination of my hard work and drive.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Los Angeles is one of the best, most colorful cities on the planet. Showing someone around for a week would be a blast. And in no particular order, here is my short list!
1. Hike Runyon Canyon: it’s a rite of passage. Everyone must do it.
2. Fancy coffee shop: and be sure to order the most obnoxiously LA coffee. For example, an oat milk latte infused with lavender.
3. Venice Beach: it has gotten commercialized over the years, but still one of the most “LA” of LA spots.
4. Taco Truck: another LA rite of passage. You haven’t lived until you’ve ordered tacos al pastor and eaten them in a parking lot.
5. The Getty: one of the starkest and most beautiful museums. And with gorgeous views too.
6. Dim Sum: authentic with the carts and all. And don’t be stingy. Order all of the dim sum your heart desires.
7. Photos at the Urban Lights installation at LACMA: I can’t remember a time when these weren’t here.
8. The Dresden: old, dingy, and so very old LA
9. Musso & Franks: martinis and prime rib. Need I say more.
10. Zuma Beach: it’s gorgeous and quiet. A quintessential LA beach experience without all the people.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband deserves all the credit and recognition in my entrepreneurial journey. I KNEW I wanted to be an entrepreneur, own my own business, and have all the freedom and flexibility I wanted. But I didn’t quite THINK I could do it. I’m a safety girl. I like to fly steady and right down the middle. Taking risks and leaping into new things was NOT in my vocabulary. I can still hear him telling me (about 15 years ago) that I could do it. That is was no big thang and that I had all the tools I needed to do it. Without his voice in my head, I might never have taken the leap.

Website: https://briannecohen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sommspirations/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianne-cohen-mba-and-dipwset-5185403/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SOMMspirations

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sommspirations/

Image Credits
Jim Geiger, Jon Brown, David Herschorn