Meet John Stanley

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

Hi John, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I suppose I have always been pushing boundaries when it comes to taking risks. In my younger years, I enjoyed all things having to do with speed and racing, so in the summers I raced motorcycles, eventually at the professional level, and in the winters I enjoyed downhill ski racing and became pretty good at that as well. I guess I just always felt more “alive” when pushing things to the limit, and the element of danger never seemed to bother me.

But what also came with risk-taking was a lot of training and preparation to minimize the actual risk, to mold the future by being prepared. When I was at my best, with great training and preparation, I would start a race already knowing in my mind what was going to happen, and when. So that once the green flag dropped, all that was left was the doing – it just flowed out of me.

And that’s how I approach risk in business as well. Don’t be afraid of risk, because life is all a big risk. The sad thing would be to shrink from risk and do nothing. So assess, train, get ready, be prepared, and then go for it!

Lastly, I’m recalling a quote from Helen Keller that struck me as true many years ago, and which still serves as a reminder of how to keep risk in perspective. “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

What should our readers know about your business?
Stanley’s Wet Goods was founded in 2016, and we opened our doors in Culver City in 2017. On the surface, we’re a bottle shop & wine bar focused on small-production, organic & natural wines from around the world. But I always frame what we do as celebrating community through great drink.

There are many layers to the experience we can offer to our guests (we also have a great wine club + a stellar lineup of beer, spirits, N/A, and food, plus a full menu at the bar), but it’s all about service to the community around us. If we’re not welcoming, listening, informing, and serving our guests, then all of the rest doesn’t really matter much. I think another thing that sets us apart is our strict standards for the wines we carry – all of which are farmed organically at a minimum, are naturally fermented, and contain no additives except for small additions of sulfur (a preservative) in some cases.

But the other great part of what we do is connecting our guests to the community of farmers, winemakers, brewers, and distillers we have the good fortune to represent. We develop personal relationships with many of these great people who devote their lives to their craft, and that puts us in a much better position to share their stories and passions with our community. It’s the connection of communities that I find endlessly rewarding, and it’s what I love most about what we do.

Nothing has been easy about our journey, but over the years, we’ve continued to evolve, refine, and hone our products and services to improve the experiences we can provide to our guests. If I were to point to two things that have had the biggest influence on the progress we’ve made thus far, it’s maintaining a positive attitude and perseverance. There have been so many challenges along the way, and it would perhaps have been natural to get beaten down in the craziness of it all, and I’ll admit that I didn’t always respond well to the challenges, especially in the early years. But I learned that by maintaining a positive attitude of “we’ll figure this out”, then facing the challenges head-on and never giving up, we did get through them. And through that perseverance, we nearly always emerged stronger, smarter, and better.

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?
Oh man – so many places! Where to start?

I live in Venice, so keeping things on the Westside, I’ll throw out a few ideas:
– Best place to kill a sunny afternoon – A stroll on Venice Beach, followed by crudo and a bottle of wine at Crudo e Nudo in Santa Monica. So simple but oh so good!

– Another indoor/outdoor hang, this time with a beer focus – Wurstküche in Venice. This place has been around for a while now, but is always worth a visit for the lineup of Belgian & German brews + some exotic sausages & fries. Yum!

– Old LA vibes in a dark bar – Dear John’s. The martinis are cold, the decor & menu look like they’re pulled straight from the 1960’s, but every dish is executed perfectly by the kitchen. I just never fail to have a good time here.

– Quintessential LA experiences – Hollywood Bowl, Santa Anita Park, Dodger game. These are all slow-down, immersive experiences that provide space to enjoy the company you’re with along with the event itself.

– Hike in Malibu – the fires have temporarily altered some of my favorite spots, but there’s still plenty of natural beauty just up the road, and it’s great way to get the day started. Follow it up with a stop at Malibu Seafood on your way back to town!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh gosh – there’s been so many people in my life who have provided support, love, guidance, mentorship, and wisdom throughout my life that I’d be hard pressed to name just one. I think we are all indebted to others throughout our lives, and that’s the great thing about the human experience. Despite this grand myth about American individualism being the key to our society and success, I really think it’s more about community, care for others, love, and sharing. All of that is far more powerful than any one person could be. None of what I accomplish as an individual is due to me and me alone. I’ve been provided some gifts, for sure, and my job is to use them. But also to help others, to provide the same care and support that I’ve received along the way.

But for sure, my deepest connection to support, love (sometimes the tough kind), and encouragement comes from my wife, Jean. She’s extraordinary in all the ways that really matter, and I’m a very lucky man.

Website: https://stanleys.la

Instagram: @stanleyswetgoods

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stanley-4239742

Facebook: @stanleyswetgoods

Yelp: Stanley’s Wet Goods

Youtube: @StanleysWetGoods