“Stephanie’s parallels between wine and how we ourselves evolve are phenomenal. It is unique and so refreshing!” Lynn Gillette
Perspectives on Leadership and Life
The Unexpected Wisdom of Wine
What if the best leadership lessons weren’t in a book, but in a bottle?
This isn’t a talk about wine. It’s about what wine reveals.
Discover the Signature Experience:
a leadership talk where each theme culminates in a wine that brings it vividly to life.
“I’ve seen a kind of step-at-a-time clarity move through an audience as people get lit up. It's really quite amazing.”
Bill Callejas, CEO, Dauntless Creative
“Life looks different through a wine glass. Not because wine is glamorous, but because it is born out of struggle, nurtured through complexity and continues to live and breathe. In that lies an uncanny resemblance to our own existence.”
Stephanie Morton-Small
My life has never followed a straight line. UK-born, I’ve lived around the world and now California is home. I’ve made bold decisions, taken a startup wine estate to Wine Spectator Top 100 status, pioneered wine concepts and written lyrics from my stories. Today, I’m Principal, Strategy at Activequity and advise businesses on strategy. I also trade and invest in wine, precious metals, energy and AI.
My path has been a fine blend of business leadership, wine, the financial markets and award-winning songwriting. Running through it all is agility, an expansive spirit and an instinct to see things differently. Wherever life has taken me, I’ve lived by this truth: a change in perspective changes everything.
As a speaker, I use the lens of wine to reveal perspectives beyond the standard leadership playbook, giving audiences vivid touchstones they return to in leadership and life.
Stephanie brings a rare lens that helps leaders:
Thrive in Complexity & Uncertainty
Strengthen Discernment
Master Risk, Courage & Conviction
Lead with Authenticity & Build Trust
The greatest opportunities often belong to those who can see differently before the rest of the world does.
"Completely Riveting"
~
"The World Needs More of This!"
~
"Stephanie's Wine Parallels are Phenomenal”
~
"Wow! Powerful, Relatable, Inspiring!"
~
"Extraordinary."
~
"Powerful metaphorical storytelling, truly mind-blowing."
~
"There is nothing else like it on stage!"
~
"Completely Riveting" ~ "The World Needs More of This!" ~ "Stephanie's Wine Parallels are Phenomenal” ~ "Wow! Powerful, Relatable, Inspiring!" ~ "Extraordinary." ~ "Powerful metaphorical storytelling, truly mind-blowing." ~ "There is nothing else like it on stage!" ~
Wine-Inspired Perspectives
Explore Wine’s Unfiltered Genius: four curated talks, each blending three themes
Or build your bespoke leadership talk from eight individual themes
Each theme is 15 minutes. Use one, combine several, or run a series.
FERMENTATION
Navigating Uncertainty
(Uncertainty is the messy middle of change)
Disorientation isn’t a problem.
It’s the process of becoming.
BLIND TASTING
Intuition and Courage in Action
(Intuition is self-trust: the courage to hear your own voice and act on it.)
Instinct isn’t risky.
Ignoring it is.
TERROIR
The Power of Authenticity
(The foundation of trust, engagement and culture)
Without authenticity,
nothing aligns.
BOTTLE SHOCK
Regaining Momentum
(When momentum drops after a major decision or transition)
Progress pauses before it pays off.
You're not lost. You’re recalibrating.
DECANTING
Creating Clarity
(Creating the conditions for clear, high-quality decisions)
The best decisions aren’t rushed.
They’re revealed.
ÉLEVAGE
The Power of Perspective
(Experience builds range, perspective and judgment)
A résumé shows what you’ve done.
Your choices reveal how you lead.
CO-FERMENTATION
Collaboration
(Beyond skills, how experience and timing drive performance)
The mix matters.
The moment multiplies.
NOBLE ROT
The Power of Endurance
(How resilience and judgment define outcomes)
Ideal conditions offer predictability.
Imperfect ones offer rare value.
Each theme comes alive through Stephanie’s own stories, from wine business leader to financial markets trader, entrepreneur to songwriter.
Audiences gain perspective and insight, leaving with revelations of their own.
Experiences & Talks
The Signature Experience. This isn’t a wine tasting with a talk about wine. It’s one-of-a-kind: each theme builds through leadership stories, lived experience and business insight, then culminates in tasting a wine chosen to embody it, bringing the message vividly to life. The result is truly unforgettable.
It can also be delivered without the tasting: as a bespoke leadership talk built from a choice of eight wine-inspired themes, as a series or as a keynote.
For business leaders, investors, founders, entrepreneurs, executive teams, women in business, business schools and alumni wine clubs.
Stephanie brings strategic intuition, non-linear intelligence, discernment, authenticity and courage into focus in a world overwhelmed by noise, speed and over-analysis.
Drawing on her richly varied life and global wine career, Stephanie delivers compelling, wine-inspired perspectives uncorked with humor and hard-won insight. From boardrooms to vineyards, from trading in the financial markets to entrepreneurship, from creative breakthroughs to soul-deep clarity, she draws unexpected connections and brings a viewpoint few can offer.
“Stephanie’s keynote: there is nothing else like it on stage!” Holly Kostrzewski
Check out more audience testimonials
Book Your Leadership Wine Experience
“Wine’s Unfiltered Genius” with a curated wine tasting, for leadership retreats, executive teams and alumni wine clubs
A talk for your wider audience, plus the Signature Experience for senior leadership
Choose from four “Wine’s Unfiltered Genius” talks, each blending three themes
Select individual themes or combine them to create your own
FAQ
-
The Signature Experience is made for this. Each theme of Wine’s Unfiltered Genius builds through leadership stories, lived experience and business insight, then culminates in tasting a wine chosen to embody it. It goes far beyond a traditional tasting: storytelling, insight and sensory discovery combine into a journey that lingers long after the last glass is poured.
Tailored to your group, it’s ideal for business schools, business networks and private or alumni wine clubs seeking something elevated, meaningful and memorable.
-
Stephanie’s talks resonate with business leaders and entrepreneurs because she is herself a global C-suite business leader, entrepreneur and creative force. Through the lens of wine, she reveals perspectives beyond the standard leadership playbook and brings them vividly to life, so they stay with audiences long after the event. Her bold life choices and global career leaps inform everything she shares, from strategic intuition and non-linear intelligence to discernment, authenticity and courage.
-
As a highly respected businesswoman with a global career in wine and luxury, Stephanie engages audiences on navigating business, leadership and life.
-
Stephanie is available as a panelist and speaks from her diverse life experience spanning both the business and creative worlds.
-
Stephanie is a multi-award-winning lyricist and soon-to-be published author. Having established herself as a successful business leader before embarking on her creative journey, she understands how to get into the creative flow, while keeping a roof over your head.