#Brandcrush - WomenWhoLoveWine

We’ve been in love with a fun, relatable Instagram account, @womenwholovewine - a collection of memes and funny quotes about, you guessed it, wine! Their Instagram is massively successful with over 330k followers, making them the largest wine-related meme account on the ‘gram. They took their success and created a store full of Women Who Love Wine merch. We had the honor of interviewing them, here’s their story!

Tell us about yourself and your business!

Shop WomenWhoLoveWine is a witty AF apparel and home goods line meant for wine-lovin’ women. Founded in 2016, ShopWWLW is all about day drinking and women empowerment! 

What inspired you to start your own business?

Honestly, we truly wanted to share our love for wine with other babes in the form of affordable, unique merch.   

Is this your full time job?

Shop WomenWhoLoveWine is definitely a full time gig. A huge thank you to our customers for keeping us busy! With that said, we both also work in social media marketing, and are moms to little girls. 

How do you structure your days?

We don’t. Totally raw, unstructured, and full of chaos.  

Where and how do you work best?

We definitely work best when we are slightly tipsy. Jk…. But really. We are a duo of boss babes, and we each bring our own unique attributes to the company. Shop WomenWhoLoveWine is a great blend of creativity, girl power, and sheer love for each other (and wine). 

Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?

We do not have any current contests going on, but we would love to offer anyone reading this the opportunity to score 15% off when you subscribe to our blog at https://www.wwlwblog.com/subscribe.   

Where is your business based?

We create and ship all our merchandise out of St. Louis, MO. 

What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?

We truly wanted to bring something new to the market. We didn’t just want to be “another graphic tee shop”. So when we ask a poll on Instagram, or send an email out looking for feedback, we actually take your advice!   

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and attracting new customers?

The most effective way to raise brand awareness is to be organically yourself. Do not try to mimic another company’s branding. Don’t try to do what anyone else is doing. Just be your own brand, and trust us, you will find a tribe that will love you!  

What have been your biggest challenges so far?

The biggest challenge we face as a small business with a large social media following is the false impression that we function like a large business, because we don’t. This isn’t Amazon Prime. Our apparel doesn’t ship next day. We hand-make, hand-print, and hand-package every item in our shop. Our pillows are even hand-sewn on one of our grandmother’s old sewing machine. And although it may take us a few extra days to get your merch to you, we promise it’s made with love! 

How did you overcome these challenges?

WINE (isn’t that the answer to everything?) Ok, but really… transparency. We try to show our small biz side through our Instagram stories, and we truly value every message, comment, email, and shout out we receive! 

How do you keep motivated through tough times?

Would you shoot us if we said wine again? 

How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?

Be unique. Owning a small business is kind of like dating. You don’t want to pretend to be someone you’re not, because then the person you are dating will end up falling in love with the false version of you. Same thing with owning a small business. Stick to your own branding. Have your own voice. Create your own content. The sales will follow. 

What is the best advice you have received recently?

Marry someone who owns a vineyard. 

What do you wish you had known when you started your business?

Not every item will be a best seller, and its okay. Just because you LOVE someone, doesn’t mean everyone else will.

Who are your biggest influences? Who do you admire most? Who or what inspired you to do what you’re doing now?

This is a tough question! We are truly inspired by every female-owned small business. It sounds cliché, but it is so amazing and inspiring to see people (especially mamas – we are bias!) put their dreams into action, and create products that people love.

There is NO greater feeling than seeing a follower show off an item from our collection on their social media. I recently ran into someone at my local Target WEARING ONE OF OUR SHIRTS, and without knowing who I was, I asked her where she got it and she went on and on about how amazing the company was. That in itself is empowering.  

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

Just do it ! Recognize you will make mistakes, and learn from each and every encounter. BE UNIQUE ! 

What business tools/resources could you not work without?

Obviously social media. And wine. 

What surprising lessons have you learned along the way?

Some people are just down right rude. Don’t take peoples’ criticism to heart.


Where can we find you?

Instagram: @shopwwlw, @womenwholovewine

Twitter: @wwlwine

Facebook: @womenwholovewine

Pinterest: @womenwholovewine

Website: www.shopwwlw.com

Email: womenwholovewine@gmail.com

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