After a devastating flood forced Chrishon Lampley to close her Chicago art gallery and wine bar, she turned that loss into the foundation for Love Cork Screw, a nationally distributed wine brand that has sold more than two million bottles.
In this episode, Chrishon shares how she broke into the wine industry with no upfront capital, got her products into major retailers, and navigated the realities of building a consumer brand without millions in marketing dollars.
She also reveals how a wine created in honor of her late father became the official white wine of the Obama Presidential Center, and what it took to rebuild after nearly losing the business again.
Main Takeaways
- A devastating setback, like losing a business to a flood, can become the foundation for something bigger if you keep moving forward.
- Building relationships and repeatedly asking for the sale, even after rejection, can open doors that money alone cannot.
- Chasing notoriety across too many markets at once can cost more than it earns; focusing on one market at a time builds real traction.
- Consistent, face to camera content can rebuild a business faster than relying on a marketing budget alone.
Highlights Include
- [00:32] The flood that closed Three P’s Art Lounge and led to Love Corkscrew
- [01:26] Becoming one of the first African American women with an on and off premise liquor license in downtown Chicago
- [05:58] Starting the Love Corkscrew blog as a way to heal after losing the gallery
- [11:14] Explaining what a negociant is and pioneering the term in the wine industry
- [17:30] Building Love Corkscrew from nothing through commission and consignment deals
- [24:41] The advice from Barefoot Wine’s founders that changed her strategy
- [32:07] Losing her father and creating the Lampley wine line in his honor
- [35:00] Landing the deal to become the official white wine of the Obama Presidential Center
- [39:30] Running the Clink and Sip Festival and the Sipping Empower Foundation
- [44:29] Committing to daily social media consistency to rebuild the business in 2026
Links Mentioned in This Episode
Watch & Listen
- Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t
- Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323
Social Media
- Instagram: @lovecorkscrew
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