Women of the Vine & Spirits Member Spotlight
About Cheryl Durzy
I come from the wine side of the industry. I spent the majority of my career managing the sales and marketing for my family?s Northern Central Coast winery. The majority of my time was spent managing the distribution network. Over my nearly 20 year career in the industry,
I have worked with over 200 distributors in pretty much every state. As a small-ish producer, I found it very challenging to navigate distributor and account management efficiently and profitably, especially in the era of consolidation.
Living in Silicon Valley and having constant exposure to the technology industry gave me the idea of creating a 3-tier compliant distribution platform that allows ANY producer of ANY size access to a marketplace. LibDib launched in the early part of 2017 and we have been working hard on behalf of hundreds of small production, craft suppliers (we call them Makers) that sell their products compliantly to restaurants and retailers in our markets (CA, NY, WI and coming soon is CO).
Late last year, we partnered with Republic National Distributing Company to expand our reach into more new markets. Our mission remains the same: provide
3-tier compliant access to all Makers that want it, in every state, via a technology platform and a high-quality e-commerce experience for the Buyer.
Q & A with Cheryl Durzy
What do you love most about the alcohol beverage industry?
The people in the alcohol beverage industry are just awesome. Everyone wants to be here, and most people are really passionate about what they do. And of course, we get to be around a fun product!
What?s been your favorite or most memorable moment of your career so far?
My first in person meeting with the CEO of RNDC (Tom Cole) at WSWA 2017 shortly after LibDib launched, and then nearly two years later finalizing our partnership together. That was most definitely the high point of my career. Having one of the largest distributors in the country understand and be a part of my vision for the industry and all Makers is just amazing. Together, we are going to evolve this industry for the better and it?s just so exciting to be a part of it.
What?s your favorite tip for someone in our industry?
It?s a really small industry, so try not to burn bridges. That distributor rep you had a bad experience with might become a buyer some day. Always be kind and reflective of other people and their issues they bring to the table. And small sips, it keeps you from having ?too much fun? at industry events.
What?s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
I like coming up with ideas and executing on them. I was the founder of MommyJuice Wines, a fitness sleeve called Stik Your Pose and came up with the idea for Tinder before there was Tinder. Coulda Woulda Shoulda!
PDF of Article: LibDib Wine of Vine Member Spotlight Aug 2019
Link to Article: https://www.womenofthevine.com/cpages/home
