Brian J Springer

I have been grateful to have been selected to manage a team that has been able to take what works from business and commerce and, hopefully, eradicate the forms of stress and miscommunication that lead to toxicity and abusive behavior.    The management of our company has been composed of nearly half those who identify as female.   My greatest goal is to find more BIPOC members to our team in general.   I do not wish to engage in tokenism, but I was delighted to see that we just put in place two managers that are of color.   Our team in NorCal is half women, and women are the overwhelming leader in sales in our half of the state.    Our company, as a whole, has been an integral donor to Lift Collective, and they have been our designated source of donations and volunteer work.   Two of our managers at the top also sit on their board in Austin.   As our director of sales, I have devoted any free time to help building and maintaining KXSF 102.5 FM in San Francisco, which meets regularly to openly discuss JEDI issues in our community.    I am grateful for having the pledge to help me navigate what can be very touchy business situations.     I strive every day to hear our team members and, unfortunately, have had to field a few moments where reps have had to tell me that they do not feel comfortable with Suppliers or Clients and have been extremely grateful that I have not have even one moment to get pushback from any member of upper management against our employees being able to work unfettered by abuse.     If we have to accept this is the way we are to make a living, as a society, for the time being, I am honored to be a part of a group that understands that success means keeping the conversation on business and including all beings, based on behavior, makes us more healthy as an organization.    In all my years in the wine business, this is, by far, the healthiest culture that I have had the privilege to work for.   I am most certainly, not creating and fulfilling the goals that I intend to in my own personal thoughts, but so far, in the short two years I have managed this team, I am glad we can provide a mechanism for all to make their living, based on who they are and how they act, free of abuse and manipulation.