Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty
Nina DobrevandJulianne Houghare proving that old adage about mixing friendship with business wrong.
The two actresses and longtime pals are co-owners inFresh Vine Wine, a company known for its collection of premium, lower-carb and lower-calorie wine produced and bottled in Napa, California.
Since its launch in 2019, Fresh Vine Wines have rapidly gained visibility, credibility, and a loyal national customer base. And on Thursday, the brand took another giant step forward, going public on the New York Stock Exchange.
“It’s super exciting,” Dobrev, 32, tells PEOPLE, sitting down with Hough for an exclusive interview hours before ringing the NYSE’s prestigious closing bell. “We honestly can’t believe it. It’s an extremely monumental milestone for us.”
“It’s beyond anything that we ever really imagined,” adds Hough, 33. “Wine is about sharing, right? It’s about like creating memories and experiences. And a lot of companies stay private for so long, but to be public is like, ‘You can come and join the party. It’s for everyone.’ So hopefully people will be excited to be a part of our company and watch it grow with us.”
Below, Dobrev and Hough open up to PEOPLE about building their brand, what they’ve learned from one another, and whether friends canreallywork together:
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PEOPLE: Congratulations on going public!Hough:Thank you! We’re so excited. We look very like poised right now, but on the inside, we’re like, “Ahhh!“Dobrev:It’s so cool. Our company is now public! And we got the best ticker in the world. Our ticker is VINE. How fitting is that for our company?
It’s an extra remarkable achievement because you have a female CEO, too, Janelle Anderson. Only 6% of the listed companies on the New York Stock Exchange have a female CEO.Dobrev:That’s crazy to me. We need to change that, and we’re here trying to contribute to that statistic to make it higher.Hough:We’re trying to do that in our own industry as well. In the adult beverage industry, there are so many men who create their own brands. At the end of the day, we’re women. We love to consume wine. And we found that as women, we were able to listen to our customers and consumer needs in a way no one else was, and give them what they really want.
What made you both want to get into the wine business?Dobrev:Well, I’d say that years of market research brought us to this category [laughs]. You know, Jules and I have been around the world and we’ve been lucky enough to taste incredible wines. It was about time that we started our own.Hough:But we also live holistic and balanced lifestyles, and we wanted a wine that would reflect that.Dobrev:That’s important to us, to live a guilt-free life.Hough:Exactly, because I don’t like the word “guilt.” And we could also see how people were becoming more health conscious, focusing on their holistic approaches, but they didn’t want to compromise on that beautiful experience of a premium tasting wine.Dobrev:Our wine provides that to the consumer. You don’t feel guilty. You can have it and have a good time and also feel good the next day and still work out and still do yoga. It’s not one for the other.
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How long have you two known one another?Hough:It feels like forever.Dobrev:We came out of the womb together.Hough:[Laughs] Yeah, totally! No we technically, I think it’s about 10 years? Give or take?
Mixing friendship and business, was that something you worried about?Hough:A lot of people even say don’t do business with friends and family because it gets complicated, but our experience in it has proven otherwise. When you have great communication and you have a foundation of respect for one another, you get two different perspectives and you’re able to challenge each other in a way that just helps you be your best self. And that’s been what’s been incredible about working with Nina.
Nina, what do you love about working with Julianne?Dobrev:I love how giving Julianne is. She gives her time. She gives her energy. She is the most magnetic person in every room and she makes every occasion feel so special.Hough:Oh my gosh, thanks Nina.Dobrev:And she’s taken me to the hospital more times than any of my family members have…Hough:I have.Dobrev:I’m very accident prone!
Sounds like you balance each other out.Hough:Yes, the polarity. We have different strengths, so Nina will definitely be more focused on a certain area and I’ll be focused on another. It’s the divide and conquer mentality. Instead of us both trying to do everything and make every decision together, we allow each other the space. Like, “This is Nina’s expertise. This is my expertise. Let’s focus on working smarter, not harder.”
What have you learned about one another working together that you didn’t know going into this?Dobrev:I was just surprised that we hadn’t done it sooner! It’s been so seamless and great, and it’s so fun to share this experience with someone I love. It just make it that much more fulfilling.Hough:We’ve grown a lot together. We’ve both had our ups and downs — we’ve had career moments, milestones, and this is just yet another one to be able to celebrate. To create something that you love with somebody that you love? That doesn’t happen every day.
Well you have a full range of wines, a Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a Rosé. And they’ve gotten such a great reception.Hough:One of my favorite things to do — and Nina’s been doing it as well — is we have a lot of friends who are wine snobs, and so we will bring our wine and have them taste it before they even know it’s ours. They’re like, “Wait, what is this? I want to know more.” And we’re like, “Oh, it’s Fresh Vine Wine.“Dobrev:You get real user feedback, in real time, which is nice.
You’ll be handing them out as holiday gifts, I’m sure.Dobrev:Well it’s a great gift to bring someone because it’s affordable, but a premium experience. It’s also a great stocking stuffer. If fits perfectly in the base of the stocking. And there’s a lot of restaurants now that just do a cork fee, so you can bring your own bottle.
What are you both doing for the holidays?Dobrev:We’re just going to be with my family and go to a winter wonderland area and watch movies and drink hot chocolate and sip on wine, obviously. I plan on being wine drunk for two weeks straight [laughs].Hough:I’m also all about like reflecting on the year and what the next year can bring. That’s usually my plan: to think back on all the beautiful moments of last year, have gratitude for what it was, and focus on the year ahead.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions?Hough:Resolutions are really tough because it’s always a mentality of like, “I have to do this” versus “Igetto do this.” So I try not to go in with the approach of, “I have to do this in order to be happy or in order to be fit.” The healthiest approach for me is, “How can I have the most sustainable version of happiness? How do I create a balance throughout my life where I can have pleasure without feeling like I have to compromise my health?” It’s about longevity and sustainability, and not a pendulum swing.Dobrev:And that’s what Fresh Vine gives you! That balance.
We talked earlier about the how male dominated this industry is. Before we go, what do you say to other women out there who might want to follow in your footsteps? How do you inspire them to move forward?Dobrev:Look at us. Here we are. We’re doing it. If you need an example, we’re right in front of you. But you don’t need an example. Anyone can do anything as long as their heart and soul is into it. So follow your passions.Hough:One of my biggest things is embodying the fact that anything is possible. And if I can do it, if Nina can do it, if Janelle — our incredible CEO — can do it, you can see that it’s possible. You have to trust in yourself and try. And remember, there’s room for everybody. It’s not, “How do I compete with that?” It’s “How can I contribute to that?”
source: people.com
