Christy Frank on Macro Economics & Romance Novels

The Alexi Cashen Podcast

Christy Frank is a passionate entrepreneur, gifted professional, retail mastermind, saleswoman, advanced sommelier, author, speaker, and educator based in New York City. She is a seasoned wine professional with 20+ years of experience in all US wine trade tiers, ranging from large, global drinks firms to small boutique distributors to on- and off-trade retail.

Her passion for wine is backed by a deep understanding of market context, history, and politics. She has contacts throughout the NYC and national wine scene, including store buyers and sommeliers, writers and press agents, distributors, and importers.

Today, Christy is the Education Development Manager at Wine Australia in New York City and a partner at Copake Wine Works in Copake, New York.

In this episode…

Ever wondered why independent retail stores you've known for years are not scaling up? It's not a lack of business acumen or capital—it has more to do about the macroeconomic factors and the restrictions that come with them. But what are these factors and what role do they play in the world of independent wine retail?

Christy Frank started her own wine store, Frankly Wines, in 2007. Since selling her store, she has gone on to play an even bigger role in the industry and she explains that independent retailers are choosing not to scale their business, not because they can’t, because it’s the wise thing to do.

Find out more about Christy Frank of Wine Australia, New York, and her incredible journey in the wine industry on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast. Tune in as Alexi talks to Christy about what it’s like to start her own wine store, the factors that independent retailers consider before scaling their business, how to eliminate the barriers in starting independent retail stores, and the romance novel that she’s working on that will give everyone a glimpse of what wine trips are like.