Do Epic Sh*t With Cool People with Michael Juergens, Bhutan Wine Company

May 22, 2024

Michael Juergens, a wine enthusiast and entrepreneur, shares his journey of building Bhutan's wine industry from scratch. He discusses how work-life integration, rather than balance, fuels success, blending personal passions with professional endeavors. Michael highlights transformative experiences, from running marathons in Bhutan to navigating personal challenges like divorce, which inspired his entrepreneurial spirit. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and innovation in winemaking, showcasing how Bhutan's unique terroir allows for sustainable practices in the industry.

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ANECDOTE

Divorce Changed Life Priorities

Michael Juergens experienced a long, painful divorce which shifted his value focus from money to meaningful work and relationships.
This personal challenge led him to prioritize doing "epic shit with cool people" and reshape his time management around passion and capacity.

ANECDOTE

Bhutan Winery Discovery Journey

Michael Juergens discovered Bhutan during a marathon trip and learned the country had no vineyard or wine industry.
His spontaneous visit sparked the idea and eventual founding of a winery in Bhutan, a previously untapped wine region.

ANECDOTE

Bridge Fruit Inspires Wine Vision

Michael Juergens shares the tale of a kid selling fruit on a bridge in Bhutan who handed him extraordinary guava.
This experience inspired the business model to grow the best fruit to produce world-class wine from Bhutan.

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Balancing work and personal happiness is never easy. But what if we told you that it’s not about balance but integration? Work-life integration is about weaving your personal interests and passions directly into your professional activities. Take Michael Juergens, for example: he started a winery in Bhutan by combining his passion and hard work, showing how this blend can lead to exciting business opportunities and happier life. And today, he’s sharing his journey to show how aligning what you love with what you do can help you achieve both personal and professional success.

About Michael Juergens

Michael Juergens, an experienced wine enthusiast and entrepreneur, built Bhutan's wine industry from the ground up. Discovering in 2016 that Bhutan had no vineyards, he founded the Bhutan Wine Company, now boasting around 200 acres cultivating 16 different grape varieties.

His journey into winemaking was fueled by over 25 years of traveling to global wine regions, where he gathered extensive knowledge and inspiration. Michael is not only a certified sommelier but also a master of wine candidate, reflecting his deep commitment to the wine world. His popular series, Drinking & Knowing Things, and its accompanying blog, translate his passion into accessible wine education.

Key Insights:

Choose the right partners. Collaborating with like-minded individuals can significantly impact your business’s trajectory. Working with people who share your vision and drive can enhance productivity and foster a supportive network, which is crucial for business growth.
Turn life experiences into opportunities. Any personal experience can lead to professional breakthroughs. Try viewing life's obstacles as chances to innovate and transform your business.
Plan for the long term. Success often requires patience and a long-term perspective. Entrepreneurs should focus on enduring goals and be prepared to invest resources into projects that will mature over time, ensuring lasting impact and stability.
Simplify your offerings. Making your products or services easy to understand and enjoy can widen your customer base. Demystifying your offerings will make them accessible to a broader audience, which can drive both engagement and loyalty.
Embrace big challenges. Taking on significant challenges can lead to breakthrough innovations and open up new markets. Entrepreneurs who are not afraid to step into complex or untapped areas can set their businesses apart from competitors and capture unique opportunities.

Michael’s best advice for entrepreneurs:

“If you're chasing passions without ulterior motives, inevitably, things materialize that you wouldn't have expected.”

Get Michael’s book “Drinking & Knowing Things”

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