Learn It 8.2.2: What Is an Entrepreneur?

Common Traits of Entrepreneurs

There’s no blueprint for entrepreneurial success. There are, however, common characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. In Harvard Business Review’s Entrepreneurs Handbook, the editors draw on research from multiple authors, organizing these common denominators into five categories:

  1. Ideas & Drive
  2. People Skills
  3. Work Style
  4. Financial Savvy
  5. Entrepreneurial Background

Ideas and drive—creativity, vision, and an ability to identify opportunities, in particular—are the elements without which there is no entrepreneurial venture. People skills include not only leadership, but the ability to build networks, communicate an inspiring vision, and influence people. Critical work style traits include a goal and planning orientation, a tolerance for uncertainty, a boot-strapping mindset, a commitment to continuous improvement, resilience, and core business and relationship characteristics, such as the ability to close a deal and accept advice. While in-depth accounting expertise isn’t required, entrepreneurs should have a basic understanding of financial statements and associated concepts. Finally, entrepreneurship tends to run in the family, with 48% of entrepreneurs raised in a family business. Prior experience—from formal education to previous work experience and past failures—are all factors that contribute to entrepreneurial success. In addition to the task-specific traits mentioned above, an ability to maintain balance, “grit and gratitude,” as Avi Savar (founder of Big Fuel, a global digital marketing agency) phrases it in an Inc. article, is essential for long-term business and psychological health.

The McBride Sisters[1][2]

How did two sisters combine to create the largest Black-owned, female-led wine business in the world in an industry dominated by white men? And remarkably, neither sister knew of the existence of the other before they were brought together by family in the 1990s.

Robin and Andréa McBride at an event for their brand Black Girl Magic. They are holding large wine bottles and are surrounded by decorative balloons.
Figure 1. Robin and Andréa McBride, cofounders of Black Girl Magic and the SHE CAN Fund.

“We had no idea that we had a sister out in the world,” said Robin McBride. “Andréa was growing up in New Zealand, while I was growing up in Monterey, California.” The two sisters had different mothers but share the same father. Each of them grew up in world-class wine growing regions- California’s Central Coast and Marlborough, New Zealand.

Once united, they started their work together in California in 2005. They both shared a passion for winemaking and a desire to shake up an industry long controlled by tradition and gender. They soon realized that they possessed unique experiences and backgrounds that could disrupt the industry.

Their trademark is combining vision with hard work. To learn the art of winemaking, they traveled every year for four years for the harvest in New Zealand. From there they did painstaking research to learn each facet of the business- from the vineyard, through the distributors, restaurants and retailers, and finally to the table. They faced many obstacles along the way, but they considered those obstacles as challenges to overcome.

“We bring our really different perspective on the wine experience but also, we are the only people in the world that can authentically grow sustainable premium wine grapes in two different hemispheres, in two different countries under one winery banner,” said Andréa McBride.

The sisters developed the highly successful Black Girl Magic line as a homage to their cultural heritage. In 2019 they launched the SHE CAN Fund to support the advancement of women in the wine industry. The following year during the Pandemic, the Fund awarded 30 women with $10,000 scholarships, totaling $300,000 in contributions.

“Since 2005, The McBride Sisters’ mission has been clear – to transform the industry, lead by example, and cultivate community, one delicious glass of wine at a time.”

  1. “Meet The Sisters Behind One of the Wine Industry’s Most Exciting Companies”. Fodor’s Travel. www.fodors.com/news/wine-and-cocktails/meet-the-sisters-behind-one-of-the-wine-industrys-most-exciting-companies. Accessed April 24, 2022. ↵
  2. “Our Story”. www.mcbridesisters.com/Sisters-Story. Accessed April 24, 2022. ↵