Pamela Personette

Founder & Director , Illumination Hospitality Group

It’s always fun to hear from visitors to our site…and even more fun when I get to meet them in person. Pam contacted me after visiting the site to let me know that she thought the site was “fantastic” and to tell me how much she was looking forward to joining we 50+ers with her upcoming birthday.

What intrigues me about Pam is how she assessed her experience, talent, and dreams and combined them all to start Illumination Hospitality Group. She specializes in training the tasting room staff within the wine industry. A former Montessori school teacher, she embraces the philosophy of providing a welcoming environment where tasting room staff put customers immediately at ease.  She teaches winery staff to form a partnership with their visitors by asking appropriate questions, listening, tailoring their tasting experience specifically to them, providing wine education where needed and providing information about the winery’s specialization and available vintages.  Emphasis is placed on making the customer feel special and doing so in a respectful manner—grace and courtesy for adults!

Pam teaches the staff to enhance their visitor’s experience by making it inclusive, informative and fun. And, I personally would like to thank her for her work.

As I have visited wineries throughout the nation, I know from personal experience that wine tasting can be fun or frustrating. As indeed, any retail experience can be. All of you know what it feels like when you walk into an establishment and wished you hadn’t. Sometimes the staff doesn’t acknowledge you’ve entered, continue talking to each other and ignoring you, or might exhibit a snobbish attitude. Isn’t it appalling that when we receive great service, we are astonished!

A staff member can make your experience truly memorable and enjoyable as did Judy Toyota of Argyle Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley when I visited their tasting room this Summer.

I guess at this point you can tell that I think Pam has found a much needed niche. And, I hope that she will branch out and offer her expertise to the rest of the retail industry as well.

But how, you may ask, did she get here?  Pam is of the “jump, ask questions later, and always land on your feet” persuasion. Her friends encouraged her to move from New York to San Francisco and at a time when many educators were jumping off the academic ship so to speak, and landing in corporate positions, she took an alternative route. She left her corporate position and turned instead to academia, although she took her experience including the ABC Television Network and radio with her, of course.

Pam had always wanted to work in education.  It took her two years of working full time at KCBS in San Francisco and going to school at night to earn her Masters of Education, as well as her Montessori credential. After teaching at various Montessori schools in California, she accepted a position in the beautiful wine country town of Sonoma. Once she saw the town square, she was hooked. She worked at Sebastiani Vineyards, Cline Cellars, Benziger Family Winery, Imagery Estate Winery and Larson Family Winery on weekends and during summer vacations. She taught school during the week and took wine classes at night. She even made time to do something she also feels is very important…to give back. Pam continues to volunteer with Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California. Maybe this drive and energy is what keeps Pam “landing on her feet.”

Last year, she made the decision to start her own business. She married her love of education and business acumen, to her interest in the wine industry and Illumination Hospitality Group was born.  Pam did not let the nay-sayers thwart her enthusiasm, nor did she let various small business agencies tell her she needed an extensive business plan, logo developed, or expensive collateral (brochures, etc.) She kept it simple…developed a brief business plan, put together an attractive information package that explains her business and her qualifications, rented office space, and had a website developed. Many women who start their own companies might take a lesson from Pam…keep it simple and just go for it!

Pam now teaches within the wine industry and college classes as well.

She shares these tips:

• Don’t let well meaning people discourage you.
• Do it!
• Don’t be afraid.
• Go with your gut.
• Keep laughing.
• Network, network, network.

Pam is embracing a Fabulous new life at 50 and we welcome her. Remember, she may well be the reason you are having a blast while vacationing in wine country!
Visit Pam at http://www.IlluminationHospitality.com