Though the wine industry continues to remain male dominated, California wine companies are striving to diversify their hiring practices. In 2021, Murphy-Goode Wines, under the umbrella of Jackson Family Wines, decided to give others a chance. Within Jackson Family’s culture of fostering diversity, ensuring equity, and strengthening inclusion, winemaker Dave Ready, Jr. and his team launched a nationwide employment offer in 2021 and promoted it as “A Really Goode Job.”
The beginning of Goode times
Tim Murphy, Dale Goode and Dave Ready, Sr. commemorated their long-standing friendship in 1985 over a game of Liar’s Dice on New Year’s Eve when they decided to jump into the wine business together. Never snooty, often irreverent, and always having fun are the trademarks of this unique operation that, quite honestly, doesn’t take itself too seriously. (Their Zinfandel is aptly named “Liar’s Dice.”)
Located in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley near Healdsburg, Murphy-Goode wines source from fine vineyards in California to produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and more. Murphy-Goode wines are as straightforward and unpretentious as the company itself, offering reasonably priced, high-end wines. A cultural presence with flexible business practices dignifies Murphy-Goode as a top employer in the wine business.
Dave Ready, Jr., a Minnesota native, is no stranger to the wine business. Dave’s father owned a wine distributorship in the early 1970s before his partnership with Murphy-Goode and was fundamental in bringing California premium wines to the national marketplace. At age 18, young Dave Jr. began to work in the California vineyards during harvest, which jumpstarted his education at the University of California, Davis, joining different research groups and finally becoming a winemaker for his dad’s company. Of course, formal education in enology is essential, but nobody could have prepared the wine industry for the trials and tribulations of the past few years in Wine Country.
“I am constantly learning,” says Ready. “It almost sounds like it’s just a throwaway line, but nobody ever trained us to deal with fires and smoke. “We’ve had a lot of harvests,” he adds, but this is a new situation. It’s fun to come up with strategies to improve the industry with the friends I have outside and inside the company. A lot of learning and problem-solving happens while winemakers are having a beer.”
Ready has been with Jackson Family for 16 years and celebrated his 30th anniversary in the wine industry in August, but wine flies when you’re having fun. “I’m not old enough to have worked for 30 years,” he says. “I officially started when I was 22, and I’m now at 52. It is amazing for someone to stay in a business for 30 years.”
In 2009, social media was relatively new, and wine industry leaders sought out influencers with fresh ideas to promote business online. In fact, Murphy-Goode was among the first wineries to employ someone specifically to focus on social media. Hardy Wallace, an accredited sommelier, musician and blogger from Atlanta, was chosen out of 2,000 applicants to promote and raise awareness of Murphy-Goode using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Wallace’s goal was to inspire people to become curious and passionate about wine. Today, Wallace and his wife Kate own Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! in Napa. “We were able to get our toes wet in social media, and Hardy, who was living in his office at the time we hired him, now has his own brand,” says Ready, Jr.
A really Goode job
Midway through the pandemic, an economic headache loomed over the wine industry. After all, millions of people were out of work. Why not diversify the industry by looking for employees who are looking to get into the wine business and bring some folks on board to initiate fresh ideas and initiatives for the industry? Ready and his team were looking for people with the desire to make a positive impact on each wine department within the organization.
New hires would acquire a strong knowledge of vineyards, winery operations, and wine in general by shadowing Ready and the winemaking team during harvest and assisting in winery operations. And, since the wine industry is far more complex than growing grapes and making wine, candidates would also learn about the growing and dynamic world of E-commerce by working with teams to drive awareness and build demand for Murphy-Goode wines. Candidates with a willingness and excitement to learn about the various aspects of the wine industry were encouraged to apply.
Potential candidate questions included but were not limited to the following: Have you wondered what it takes for wine to go from grapes to glass? Do you agree that the best moments are shared over a bottle of wine? Do your friends continually ask you for wine recommendations? Are you willing to have your employer pay your rent in Sonoma County, specifically Healdsburg? Wait…What? Yes! The winners will reside in a little slice of heaven in the middle of a vineyard. The back decks of both homes overlook the pastoral vineyard looped two-mile hiking trail. A gazebo divides the two houses. One of them is a two-bedroom, one-bath, the other a three-bedroom two-bath. Both are furnished beautifully and include state-of-the-art kitchens.
Applicants were asked to create a short video describing their ideal role in the wine industry, explaining why they would be a great addition to Murphy-Goode and upload the video to the official campaign website. The offer? Live rent-free in Sonoma County, soak up the scenery, and make $10,000 a month—for one year. As part of the year-long job, the selected candidates would receive specialized training across multiple departments at the wine company, including production during harvest, sales, marketing, hospitality and more. This impressive list of job perks (valued at $500k) attracted many applications. As it turned out, several thousand people of all gender identities, ages and backgrounds jumped at the chance. In fact, Murphy-Goode received more than 7,000 video submissions, some as far away as India, Chile and Australia.
Ready and his team already knew the wine industry overlooked huge areas of the country, namely the “fly-over states,” which coastal residents tend to forget. After all, regional cuisines from Louisiana, Texas, and Minnesota also taste great when paired with the right wine. “We were completely ignoring these massive groups of people we don’t talk to because regionally, they’re very different than we are,” he added.
Ready knew what he was looking for—fresh ideas and innovative people who are passionate, ready for a life-changing experience, and willing to dive head first into the wine business, with or without past experience in the wine industry. “We literally watched all 7,000 video applications. Some were just passionate about wine, and others wanted to do something different for a career,” says Ready. As it turned out, Murphy-Goode narrowed the finalists to 17 for the 2021 competition and flew them to Sonoma County for a three-day, get-to-know-you seminar and job interview. Because they ended up with such incredible people, two winners were selected instead of one, and two others were hired for other jobs. (See “The 2021 Winners on page XX.)
The 2022 job search
The job campaign was so popular and successful that Ready and his team decided to repeat the competition in April this year, seeking two more winners from 12 finalists. “The quality of job candidates we’ve discovered through this campaign reaffirms that our approach of removing barriers to entry, and prioritizing passion for the trade without needing decades of experience, helps usher in the kind of diversity and breadth of specialties our industry needs to continue to evolve and grow,” says Ready.
Once again, a significant amount of applicant video resumes were submitted. Ready and his team were looking for people who would build relationships with employees, trade and consumers of Murphy-Goode wines.
They looked for individuals with the innate ability to provide hospitality to trade and consumers by contributing to a positive winery experience and who could effectively promote Murphy-Goode wines through various channels and events.
Once she learned she had made the cut, things began to get real. “I was elated that I got in to interview, but didn’t think I had a chance. Everyone was so knowledgeable, wonderful and kind. It sounds so cheesy, you know, High School Musical, but everybody else was just absolutely amazing,” says Neil.
As in tradition with last year, the twelve finalists were flown in on a Wednesday night. They were divided into two groups. “They were absolutely the most hospitable people. I couldn’t believe everything they had planned for us. They spoiled us rotten!” says Neil. The finalists created digital marketing content throughout the three days, showcasing Murphy Goode Wine and learned about the company as a whole. Each candidate participated in a warm, welcoming, communication-style 45-minute interview. “We all felt like we were already part of the family, and everyone felt good about their interviews. No one walked out of there saying, “Oh, I don’t know.” Everyone left saying, “’Wow, they made me feel so good.’ That speaks volumes about the company,” she adds.
The finalists enjoyed a farm-to-table dinner at Jackson Family wines, a tour of La Crema Vineyard tasting Pinot Noir, and a helicopter tour over the vineyards. “We did got to do a session on blending, which was a humbling, extremely fun and friendly competition. There were two guest judges there. I’ve never blended wine in my life. So, I just put together what I thought I would like. We got to name it, come up with a description and our own tasting notes, so it wasn’t an exact science, but it was a fun game,” says Neil.
Many tears were shed as the finalists said goodbye on Friday. While patiently waiting all weekend, the group created a group text message on WhatsApp. “We all wanted to be together to share photos and videos of the three days. So, it’s really neat that we all kind of suffered together over the weekend and reminisced about our three-day experience while waiting with anticipation.”
On Monday, the two winners received their phone calls but were told to keep it quiet while Ready and his team called the other 10 finalists. “I didn’t quite grasp it at first because they scheduled a Zoom meeting and said they had a couple of questions to ask me. Dave asked, “Could you see yourself living in one of those houses”? And I said, “Oh, 100%. Absolutely.” He said, “We could see you living there too.” Neil went silent for a moment while trying to process when Dave invited her to join the team. “And that was hard because we couldn’t say anything and wanted to share the exciting news, but at the same time, we knew that ten other people weren’t getting that call,” says Neil. “I think my face went numb. I was just in shock.”
A nature and animal lover, Neil plans to board her horse in Sonoma County after she gets to know the lay of the land. She also has a Catahoula hound and a significant other, who will be joining her. As a traveling nurse, he will work at one of the local hospitals.
After her Really Goode Job experience comes to a close, Neil has the initiative to enhance Murphy Goode and Jackson Family Wines even further. She is certified in health, wellness and nutrition and has worked as a trainer and corrective orthopedic exercise specialist since 2011. A huge push in the wine industry for health and wellness initiatives makes Neil a great fit. “This wasn’t my initial thought when I had applied with them, but this road could lead me down the path to corporate wellness and helping people. There are benefits to wine for health and wellness as well. Drinking in moderation can be part of a balanced lifestyle. There’s nothing wrong with including wine in your life because that’s also a huge part of socialization, overall health and happiness,” she says.
Roosevelt Johnson
When Roosevelt (Rosie) Johnson, II of Tucson, Ariz., met his wife, Shannon, he knew nothing about wine. At dinner, while she explained how wine releases aromas, and used terminology such as “full bodied, tannins, and leg” Johnson was intrigued, and maybe a little intimidated. Truth be told, he had always felt wine stood on a pedestal, was unrelatable, and that one had to be of a certain class to enjoy it. “I had a wine palate that was so immature it needed a curfew,” he jokes. Nowadays, Johnson likes to pair wine with a nice burger, a great pizza, and regional cuisines that tend to go unnoticed. “You don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy wine,” he says.
Shannon noticed the 2021 Really Goode Job campaign online and urged Johnson to apply. He was chosen as one of 17 finalists, and made the three-day trip to Wine Country for the interview. But unfortunately, he was not selected. Disappointed, but not defeated, Johnson knew he had found his niche. He knew he wanted to be in the wine business. To strengthen his developing palette and enhance his wine academic language, Johnson completed the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level I certification. He then applied in May of this year when Murphy-Goode repeated the offer.
Johnson’s strategy for winning in 2022 was more sophisticated than last year’s. “I was not playing around; I was totally focused. I went there for a purpose, to start a new career, so my total mindset was different,” he says. “I brought my passion for acting, speaking and being on camera together, and combined that with my love of wine.” In his formal interview with the team, Johnson presented a scenario of hosting a wine-pairing television show. He described visually showcasing Murphy-Goode wines by attending festivals and demonstrating food pairings that everyone from any walk of life could enjoy. It would be fun-filled, spirited and educational, with light humor. He would also showcase more sustainable ways of making wine. “These days, folks are conscious about their purchases and when they need to know that Jackson Family makes their wine in the cleanest, sustainable way. They planned out their specific goals in two-year increments, and I found that so important,” he adds.
Because he had built such good relationships with the finalists and wine team last year, Johnson felt like he was going home when he landed in Healdsburg for a second try. “I felt like I never left when I returned. I felt at home, and I just fell in love with the culture of Murphy-Goode last year,” he says. Evidently the Murphy-Goode team had missed him, too. When Dave Ready called on a Monday morning in August to tell Roosevelt he had won, the Johnson family’s trajectory in life changed instantly.
“There are certain sacrifices you make when you and your wife are on the same page”, says Johnson. We’re doing this for the future.” After deep discussions about this life-changing opportunity Shannon said, “If you don’t go, I’ll be highly upset with you.” Because their nine-year old son has already started school in Arizona, he, his mother and 19-month-old brother will join Johnson in Healdsburg after the semester ends. “Having the whole family on board decreases a lot of tension and stress. “This is just a dream come true,” he says.
Johnson is also pretty excited about working with his new partner. “I’m so glad that they picked Lauren. She has a deep passion for wine, is super sharp and is a genuine person with a kind soul. I definitely think it will be a better company with her involved. “
Everyone who applied took a chance at a dream, which resulted in a bonding experience for all. Dream jobs happen, especially if you land a job working for a seriously successful company with an adventurous spirit and a collectively keen sense of humor. Let the Goode times roll.
The 2021 Winners
The 2021 winners began their dream job journeys at Murphy-Goode last September, shadowing Dave Ready, Jr. and the Murphy-Goode team before moving into separate roles that aligned with their respective interests and expertise.
Lindsay Perry is a Yardley, Pennsylvania native, but was living in Austin, Texas working in sports marketing when she applied for A Really Goode Job. She received scholarships to complete her WSET Level I & II through Wine Unify and the Roots Fund in 2020 and 2021 respectively, and she was looking to add her diverse voice to the ever-changing climate of the wine world. Perry joined the Digital Marketing team at Jackson Family Wines, where she will work on some of their other brands as well as cross-brand initiatives. She is excited to be staying in Sonoma County, where she will be able to show Roosevelt and Lauren around. Having just lived through the experience, she will be able to offer advice whenever they need it.
Veronica Hebbard, originally from Montgomery, New York, made her way to Sonoma by way of Orlando, Florida, where she worked as an engineer in the themed-entertainment industry. Her background in engineering opened up a world for her in the science of winemaking while exploring sustainability and innovation initiatives. In her application video, Veronica talked about making wine with her father in the basement of his home.
Hebbard will stay with the company as a Winery Systems Engineering Project Manager with the engineering department of Jackson Family Wines. She will focus on the research, development, and management of continuous improvement projects for all the Jackson family wineries. She has moved back to New York with her fiancé, who also works in the wine industry selling Jackson Family Wines.
