Susan Sokol Blosser, President of Sokol Blosser Winery

08/08/07 • -1 min

"Hey, let's put on a show."
"How about if we invent a water-run engine?"
"No, I have it. Let's open a winery."
Imagine starting an entirely new career based on a whim. Well that's what Susan Sokol Blosser and her ex-husband Bill Blosser did, over thirty harvests ago. Not only did they launch their own winery and vineyard, they also helped build the very successful Oregon wine industry. Armed with a good education, strong commitment and a vivid idea of what grapes they wanted to grow, they created success. And now Susan is in the process of passing along what she's learned along the way to her children. And to us in the latest episode of "Here's What I Know" -- listen now.
For more information about the organic wines of Sokol Blosser Winery, see sokolblosser.com. If after listening to the podcast you want to hear more about Susan's life story, she's written a book, "At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, a Vineyard and a Life."

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Chris Van Dyke, CEO of Nau

Quick, think of the difference between a business and a philanthropy. Now that you’ve got your paradigm set, let Chris Van Dyke smash it. He runs an innovative clothing company called Nau. The organization seeks to make a profit, yet gives a large amount of each sale to philanthropies and much of its intellectual capital is open source. To learn more about it, visit nau.com.

To learn more about Chris and his career lessons, click here to listen.

Photo: Keven Focht, 2007

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Anne Tillery - Managing Partner, Pyramid Communications

Sometimes no matter how much you plan and pilot your career, it just winds up taking you where you're meant to go. That's pretty much the case with Anne Tillery. With a degree in English and International Studies, she had dreamt of working for a publishing house doing literary criticism -- that is, until she discovered she needed either a trust fund or the tolerance to live in a Manhattan five-story walk-up. Since she had neither, she wound up working on political campaigns and writing for non-profit organizations. It was really a chance encounter at a fund-raising breakfast that led her to a job she's passionate about and allowed her to build a business that truly makes a difference in the world.
Relax and listen as Anne shares what it's like to work in the fast-paced world of "giving voice to good causes."