Marketing vs. Selling: Lessons from a Top Washington Winery (for all small businesses in a slow economy)
Tonight, something incredible happened in my entrepreneurship class at Gonzaga University. My uncle, Craig Leuthold, came to speak to my students.
Craig is the owner of Maryhill Winery, the fifth top-producing winery in Washington State. To put that in perspective, there are over a thousand wineries in Washington. He didn’t just stumble into this success; he built it intentionally.
As I listened to him speak, I realized his lessons map directly into what I teach in my Freedom Funnels Cohort. Here are the three counterintuitive principles that will change the way you think about growing your business.
1. Beat Your Own Drum (Evidence vs. Arrogance)
Craig has been saying this for decades: You have to be the first one to beat your own drum, because if you don't, nobody else will.
At Maryhill, they build every award and accolade into their marketing strategy. They say it first, and they say it often. Many service providers shy away from this because they don't want to "brag," but there is a massive difference between arrogance and evidence:
Arrogance: Claiming something you haven’t proven.
Evidence: Stating a demonstratable truth about the value you deliver.
When you sit on your evidence, you create a marketing gap. Your ideal client is scrolling past you, looking for the very proof you’re too afraid to share.
>> Action Step: What client win or transformation have you kept quiet? Write it down and make it the focus of your next post.
2. Don’t Coast When Things are Good
Craig shared a story that "stung" the room. After the pandemic, Maryhill’s sales were at an all-time high. Revenue was up, momentum was real, and they felt they could finally sit back. They slowed down their marketing and innovation.
It cost them.
The biggest marketing mistake isn't failing to market when things are slow—it’s stopping when things are good. When your sales are strong, that is your signal to double down. While your competitors are getting comfortable and coasting, that is your window to widen the gap permanently.
If your calendar is full right now, don't just relax. Build the systems that will hold your business steady when the slow season inevitably arrives.
3. Personalization is the Key to Conversion
Data from 2025 and beyond is clear: the more personalized your message, the higher your conversion rate.
Craig understands that Maryhill Winery has different audiences:
Wine club members vs. first-time tasting room visitors.
Wholesale buyers vs. gift purchasers.
If you speak to everyone generally, you aren't effectively speaking to anyone. This leads to the most important distinction in business:
Marketing vs. Selling
Marketing is everything you do to get someone to find you (Reels, SEO, referrals). It gets people to your door.
Selling is everything that happens after they find you. It’s the trust-building path, the warming sequence, and the specific invitation to take a paid step.
Most service providers are "filling a bathtub with the drain open." They have great marketing (the tap is on), but no selling system (the drain is open). People find you, but they have nowhere to go.
Building the "Banks" of Your Business
When you build a personalized selling system—using specific SEO, automated resources, and nurture sequences—your business becomes like a river. It flows according to how the banks are built.
Right now, your business likely flows entirely through you. By building these "banks," your presence is required for the magic, not the logistics. Your business keeps running even when you need to step away.
Ready to find your gap?
If you want to see where your sales path is leaking, take my free Revenue Leak Quiz. In two minutes you're get a free Revenue Leak Report.
👉 Get your free Revenue Leak Report here →
Let's stop building on rented land—and start building an asset you actually own, that doesn't own your time.
That’s exactly what we do together in a Freedom Audit:
30 minutes.
Full business scan.
A clear 90-day plan.
PLUS two weeks of real-time support from me while you implement :)
Or
If you want to go deeper, my Strategy Sessions are where we can diagnose and fix anything from hiring and team dynamics, to offer build-outs and raising capital. And anything in between.
This is support—before you actually need it, my friend. :)
Always cheering you on!
Jenny
P.S. If you love data-driven business strategy and want to grow with more intention—for more money and margin—subscribe to my YouTube Channel and I'll see you next time.