“Robin is not just an expert; she’s a recognised global thought leader in wine tourism, with a career spanning over 25 years.”
Robin Shaw of Wine Tourism Australia, has spent over 25 years shaping the future of wine tourism and crafting unforgettable wine experiences. With a career that has seen her recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts in the field, Robin has worked across various roles, from developing wine tourism strategies for regions and enterprises to leading immersive study and trade tours and creating direct-to-consumer strategies that drive business growth.
Robin’s journey to founding Wine Tourism Australia began in 2012 when she faced a personal turning point following the redundancy of her favourite role. Despite the challenges of starting her own business, Robin’s passion for wine, food, and travel guided her as she carved out a niche in wine tourism. Over the years, she has grown her business into one that not only serves the wine industry but also helps businesses connect with visitors in a meaningful way.
Robin helps small-to-medium enterprise visitor-focused businesses increase the value of their direct sales through tailored online and in-person customer service, sales, and tourism training programs.
Robin is known for her attention to detail and her commitment to quality. She specialises in managing projects, running workshops, and creating memorable cellar door experiences that leave a lasting impression.
Robin is passionate about improving customer service and sales through hands-on training and mentoring. Her practical approach to these areas, along with her role as a speaker and conference moderator, has made her a key figure in the wine tourism industry.
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
She is a woman I regard as a colleague and friend who runs a family winery and vineyard in South Africa. Carolyn Martin is a visionary, a dynamo and someone who absolutely walks the talk. She’s generous in every sense of the word: with her time, her energy, her money, her words of support. She believes in people, especially her employees, who sometimes let her down in the worst possible ways, sometimes due to their backgrounds, sometimes it just happens. Nonetheless, she creates pathways for their success, ruthlessly encouraging them to participate in learning that will enhance their roles and their lives. She gives back to the local community in tangible ways that change lives immediately and forever. She is a life-long learner, inquisitive, curious, demanding to learn from anyone who she believes can help her on her quest to understand the world of wine, food, business and people. But the biggest why is simply that she is genuine and she ALWAYS shows up. And I want to be more like her.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
Freedom to make choices about what type of work I do, travel to wine regions across the country and the luxury of being able to accept opportunities to travel and present at conferences around the world are primary reasons. Experiences are far more important to me than making money (and often to my financial detriment…).
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- Consulting is hard. Constantly hustling for work is tiresome and not something that comes naturally to me. I wish I’d had more guidance on pricing, writing proposals and how to self-promote when self-promotion is something I really hate doing…
- Working alone is hard. By necessity, I work from home, and I find it difficult to motivate myself—more often than not. I need the energy of other people for creative stimulation but can’t abide open-plan offices, so co-working spaces aren’t for me. Ideally, I’d have a business partner, but the times I’ve tried that haven’t ended well.
- Being a self-employed woman over 50 presents financial challenges that I didn’t anticipate. For example, refinancing a mortgage was impossible until I had three years of books to show. Cash flow is challenging; paying myself super is non-existent. If I’d REALLY looked carefully at the pros and cons of running a business vs being employed I may have made a different decision.
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
Understand YOURSELF first. Some people are simply better suited to being employees rather than entrepreneurs (as per Michael Gerber). Work through the different scenarios that can arise and test your appetite for risk: uncertainty of income, limited access to finance, inability to work due to illness or accident, working alone vs being part of a team, hustling for work, risk of burnout, etc. Ideally, engage someone you trust who knows you – and is an experienced business person – to pose these questions and provide feedback. It’s easy to wear the rose coloured glasses in those early days and think ‘she’ll be right’ – but you WILL be tested, and sometimes on multiple fronts at once.
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
- Know your numbers. (It’s my weakness). Engage an accountant or financial adviser who will work with you and provide real time feedback and advice. A business coach may be appropriate.
- Know your worth. I struggled to set an hourly rate / project rate that genuinely reflected my value. It’s easy to undersell yourself – do the research to work out what the market will bear and what you need to survive and thrive.
- Get good at Marketing. (I’m a terrible self-promoter). Understand your customer base and how to communicate with them. I’m regarded as an expert in my field but as new players enter the industry, my ‘history’ is unknown and word of mouth only goes so far. My best strategy so far has been writing articles and delivering webinars or presentations (free or paid) because that’s my strength. Social media promotion is not as relevant (for me) and isn’t my happy place (but I’ve now got someone who can promote me in this space). Be prepared to outsource this important task.
- Learn to Network. The first thing I did when I decided to pursue the business seriously was join the board of an industry association and become a member of other relevant wine and tourism organisations. I attended every networking event I could and it paid dividends. Get your pitch down pat – that can take some work.
- Build Resilience. (Life experiences have resulted in me being good at this). Have strategies in place for unexpected downturns. No-one could have predicted the government would impose extensive restrictions on personal and business liberties as a ‘health response’ to a virus that ordinary thinking people knew instinctively would become endemic. Some businesses thrived; many didn’t; some never recovered. Understand what the worst case scenario looks like for your individual situation and whether you could maintain your business / lifestyle, etc. My initial response was to move to webinars – until everyone (including me) got ‘Zoomed’ out. Consider professional services like a life coach to work on ‘you’.
What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you’re not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?
- 50% passive income from online courses;
- 30% active income from direct training / education / consulting across the country from my mobile ‘office’ aka Grace Vin Tourer (my motorhome);
- 20% income from leading study tours and speaking engagements around the world.
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
I have gained value from various programs over the year, in particular around refining my elevator pitch. The Facebook group is also valuable for giving and receiving advice.
Learn more about Robin and Wine Tourism Australia.
