Episode Transcript

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Rianka Dorsainvil (00:00:00): Chasity welcome to 2050 TrailBlazers.

Chasity Cooper (00:00:04): Thank you so much for having me.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:00:07): I am. I'm just beaming right now and smiling from ear to ear because this feels kind of like a full circle moment for me, because how we initially met was you were interviewing me for a company that you were a freelance writer for. And that, I think that, was back in 2017.

Chasity Cooper (00:00:36): Yeah, definitely. Definitely four years ago. I remember us meeting at a We Work space in Arlington, Virginia, and I was writing for Her Agenda at the time. And I think I might've also been doing some program work with Rhonesha Byng who's the CEO. And I just remember, you know, walking into one, a beautiful We Work space. Like at the time when We Work was poppin. That was the thing. But also just having, so we spoke for maybe two hours, a long time, a long time, a long time. And ever since then, it's just been us encouraging one another, supporting one another. So I'm super thrilled that this has been such a really cool full circle experience.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:01:27): Yes, yes. And for the listeners, if this is your first episode, you're listening to 2050 TrailBlazers. This is a bonus season for Black History Month, where it is our History Maker Series. And we are celebrating all Black women. I have proclaimed the year of 2021, the year of Black women because we get it done! And so, that's why I'm just beaming, right? Because now is my opportunity to celebrate you and everything that you're doing in this world to make it better. And so, just, thank you for joining.

Chasity Cooper (00:02:06): Absolutely. It's my pleasure.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:02:08): So let's talk about your journey. You are a communication strategist, marketing guru, wine connoisseur, which we are definitely going to talk about. Again, we met at work. This is when we were both well, I'm still based in the DMV area, DC Metro area. And then, you know, we got to talking making sure like, "Hey, are you good" and checking in doing, prayer texts? Like what can I pray for you this week? And then you hit me with "I'm moving". And so then, you moved to Brooklyn. We would love to hear what took you to Brooklyn. And now, you're in Chicago. So talk to me about your move from here, Brooklyn and back to your home base of Chicago.

Chasity Cooper (00:03:03): Absolutely. So, after I graduated, which is so crazy to say 10 years ago after finishing my time at Syracuse University I moved to DC and really, it was just, I didn't have much of a plan post-graduation as many people may think. I moved to DC, got an internship, and I knew I wanted to work in communications. And so during my time in DC, I was doing just a mixed bag of things. I obviously had this fascination with social media. So every job that I had back while I lived in DC, I was doing something in that capacity. And then, 2016 happened and I started to feel this five to seven year itch that I heard people who lived in DC experience: like you've been in DC for, you know, between five and seven years. You're like, Hmm, do I want to stay here and really plant roots? Or do I want to, take this time to wrap things up and head out. So going into my sixth year in DC Metro, the end of 2016, I was like, yeah, I think it's time to move on. The jobs I was having, I was working in nonprofit and they just weren't going anywhere for me. And they weren't really giving me the space to be extremely creative, like I wanted to be. So I remember actually being a part of the urge in the community, I saw a job listing, in Brooklyn for a communications manager position for, at the time, known as Motivate.

Chasity Cooper (00:04:39): So they were the company that owned CityBike, Capital Bikeshare, Divvy and other bike share companies across the country. This was before they got bought out by Lyft. And so, I remember going to Brooklyn interviewing for the position. I was like sneaking to Brooklyn. I had to be very strategic about, when I got the invite, when I could schedule the interviews, whatever, whatever. And so I ended up getting the job, putting in my two weeks, had the goodbye parties, like all this stuff. And then, about a week before I was supposed to leave, I, mind you I'd never received any paperwork cementing my employment. I definitely got a verbal confirmation that I accepted the job where I'd been offered the job. But I never got any paperwork. And so, HR was being a little sketchy. I was like, Hmm, I wonder what's going on? And I remember sitting in my office at my old job on a Monday afternoon around at one o'clock in the afternoon. I just heard this quiet voice. And I'm a believer. So I truly believed that was God speaking to me, like rescind, that's all I heard. I was like, okay, cool. So I was preparing myself for what this HR rep was going to tell me, which came three hours later. She's like, yeah, we're going to have to rescind the verbal offer. Of course,I didn't go into panic mode and I'm one that's like very, you know, type a, I like things to flow the way they need to flow. UI, I'm a recovering control freak. I'll say.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:06:19): I like that.

Chasity Cooper (00:06:23): So I called my mom, and my mom flipped out. She's like, "yeah, well, what are you going to do"? You've already put in your two weeks. Okay. Just, just relax. I will figure this out. I had friends in New York. I was writing for publications by that time. So I was just like, okay, we'll wing it. Everybody who's ever moved to New York without a job has figured it out. Like this is something you see on TV and in the movies. Like, I'll be fine. So I ended up moving to New York for about six to eight weeks. I was freelancing. And then the reason why the job I had gotten the offer for was rescinded was because the woman who would have been my boss moved to another company. Long story short, she ended up becoming my boss at the company that she moved to. So it did, it ended up working out. But after about two years living in Brooklyn, if any of your listeners have lived in Brooklyn or they currently live in New York city, they get the flashing lights. It's always on. It runs you down after a while. And I just felt very exhausted all the time. And again, I felt in my career, what I was doing, you know, still heavily social media focused with nonprofits, I was like, this isn't where I want to be. But at the same time, wine started to pick up.

Chasity Cooper (00:07:46): So everybody knew I had this love for wine. I'm writing about it. I have a blog, et cetera, et cetera. So in the summer of 2019, so July 2019. And I was like, I'm going to come home to Chicago and figure it out. I'll just, you know, be still and breathe for a little bit. And yeah, that's been about over a year. Of course I had so many plans for 2020, so many plans for 2020. To travel and host wine events. And then, you know, the whole Corona Virus popped up. It was like, hey, you guys are,quarantining and staying at home. So, all of that to say, I really am grateful for how each place and all the people I've met in each of these places has added to my story and just created this experience,in such a wealth of experience for me as a professional and personally too.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:08:42): Yes. Wow, an amazing journey. And, and you mentioned that you graduated only 10 years ago. So, just imagine what is ahead of you. And so it just brings me excitement. So in the, I guess, corporate America world, where you are a communication strategist and marketing strategists, representation matters. And, especially in the world that we live in today. Talk to me about some of the ways that you have continued to make an impact, not only in your workplace, but also having that ripple effect, you know, throughout your sphere of influence.

Chasity Cooper (00:09:35): Absolutely. So I'll say and I guess I have this too I have my growing up in Evanston, which is right outside of Chicago pretty affluent, very diverse community. You know, even in middle school and then elementary school, I started to notice that, I did have a lot of Black and Brown peers around me, but because of my academic excellence, I was often the only Black student in certain,events or certain activities. And that that started at elementary school. And then, it only increased as I moved forward to high school. And so, you know, AP classes, honors classes,I started getting used to being the Only One. Of course then, I go off to Syracuse University, a private school in upstate New York. Again, this experience of being one of few or the only. It's definitely been something that's been a part of my journey. And I know it has been a part of a lot of journeys of Black women and Black men as well. And especially as I continue to move forward in my career, tay's a perfect example. I'm so glad we're having this conversation. But, for example, I would say, it has related to recently being Black in the workplace. Last June, of course, afer the murder of George, George Floyd, there was clearly an uprising. But this wasn't the first time many Black people have felt this angst and grief about seeing another Black body murdered in broad daylight.

Chasity Cooper (00:11:23): And so, this obviously shook so many of us. And then, you know, a few days later blackout Tuesday happens. And I recall sitting at home by this time we're, you know, maybe two or three months into quarantine and just being in awe: like I'm one of two Black women at my current company. And I was like, so I guess it's up to me to say something like, I, my conscious wasn't allowing me to, I was restless. And so, I remember emailing my vice president and I was like, "Hey, we need to say something about what's going on. You know, being that I am one of two Black women at this company, I don't want to put myself in this position to be y'all's mouthpiece, but I don't know who else is going to step up and say something". And so, that prompted me to write an essay, a short essay for the company blog about being Black in the workplace and what we tend to experience around times like this. And it's, it was a weird feeling because it's like, yes, I have this platform to speak up and say how I feel,a feeling I've had for, you know, a long time just being Black in this Country, but also it's like, "what change are you all going to make on your end"? Are you dedicated to hiring more black people? Are you making the change within your leadership teams or within your company culture"? And not just my company, but other corporate companies. It just can't be lip service. And so, I'm learning from that experience that, ys, I do have the opportunity to step up and say something, but sometimes, you know, I also don't need to teach white people how you know about my experience or how I need to be treated, but it's, it's been an interesting ride.

Chasity Cooper (00:13:32): And I know it's only going to hopefully, you know, with everything that has happened over the last year, more companies are really being honest about how, they operate and what changes they need to make in order to make their Black and Brown employees and people of color and LGBTQ plus feel, welcome in these company cultures and not feel like they have to stick out or speak up for everybody. It's like, I am here because I'm talented. I'm great at what I do, but also you're going to recognize me as, you know, this full person in my case, being a Black woman and make sure you're honoring that. So it's definitely been an interesting experience, and I'm realizing now that there's power in me being able to speak up and really take ownership in who I am, and I shouldn't have to be quiet or be silent about that.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:14:36): Absolutely. And just to reiterate what you mentioned about George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and just the craziness of 2020 you know, I, I've said this and I, and I'm going to continue to state this: is that 2020 was yes, we were in a pandemic and I try to see the silver lining in everything. And I would say the silver lining in the pandemic is that the world stopped. The world literally stopped. There was halted travel in a sense of flying business halted, paused and trying to figure out, okay, you know, one let's make sure home and personal is taken care of from this, from this virus that we don't even know much about. And everybody was just home. Everybody was home, everybody was watching the TV because it's just like, okay, well, let me stay informed and let me, figure out what's continuing to go on. And then you know, George Floyd happened in June, and I think for the first time other people outside of the Black community finally saw what we've been seeing our entire life.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:16:17): So while I hate the pandemic so much has happened in, or during the pandemic, that has been emotionally stressed, draining you know, we had birth in the pandemic. We've had a death in a pandemic, had a business merger in a pandemic, 2020 was a lot. And then on top of that, we still have to figure out how to show up to work. And while we hold many titles as Black women, first we're human, and then we are, Black women. And the reason why I'm dedicating this bonus season to History Makers and Black History month bonus season to Black women is because we are the backbone to America period.

Chasity Cooper (00:17:09): Period.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:17:11): Period. And I don't need to explain why. What also is something that you share where I am hearing so many similar stories about the "Onlys" and what I mean by that is being the only Black person or person of color in your company and the company not speaking up until they were told to by that person of color. What I appreciate about 2050 TrailBlazers and the listeners is that we have a very diverse set of listeners!

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:17:50): Though we are in the financial planning space, the financial services industry, that's my day job, I'm a financial planner. And so, I attract a lot of financial planners. The conversations that we talk about transcend, you know, the financial services industry in me. You can dub this conversation and take out financial planning and put CPA or marketing, or doctor, lawyer, et cetera. And, there's a lot of white people who listen to this podcast as well. And typically if it's a DEI podcast, for some reason, you can feel like you're preaching to the choir, but in this instance we're not. And so I want to speak directly to our colleagues who are not of color and tell them that. And I love, in an episode before yours, Chasity, we spoke with Minda Harts where she said, you have to become an activated ally where you can no longer just stand aside and just say, "oh, yes, I believe in Black Lives Matter". I do support my colleagues of color. You know, speaking is no longer acceptable. You have to talk the talk as well.

Chasity Cooper (00:19:14): You're absolutely right. And I love the work that Minda does. I have her book: The Memo. She's absolutely brilliant. And you're right. I think living in a city like Chicago it's extremely, you know, I would say is segregated, but very diverse. And even when I got hired at my current company, wasn't, it didn't surprise me that I was like, "oh, I'm the only Black woman here" when I walked in. And I was like, "I'm about to get this job". I just, I knew I was like, yeah, let's go work out. And you know, my coworkers are great. They're very well aware. You know, even to the point of during last week's, just shenanigans in the Capitol in Washington, DC, I had no idea what was going on until, we're having a Skype discussion in our team meeting and everybody's like, "yeah, it's complete chaos". And I was like, well yeah, this is, this is white entitlement. So you know, somebody in like, well, how do you, how does someone come up to the Capitol looking like just dressed as a moose or whatever that guy was dressed up as. I was like this is white male entitlement.

Chasity Cooper (00:20:32): And now in these spaces, as we're having, since America's being shown who it is, who it has been all this time. Yeah. I have no problem in being like, yeah, y'all need to call y'all's cousins and tell them to Cut that out. Cause I know, I don't want to assume that, all white people have people in their family that are this vile and vicious, like we saw on the Capitol last week, but I just generally use the term cousins. Hey, tell your family members, tell your friends, it's time out for that. You have to actually be this person that you say you are: I stand with black people. I believe that Black Lives Matter. Okay, Susan, then make sure that you are "walking it like you're talking it" to quote the Migos. I just, I really do believe that this is a time, this has been a time for you know, specifically white America and they've been so shocked. Every time something happens, it's like, "I can't believe". No, believe it: it's time out for you to stop having this! You know, woe is me. Like, "I can't believe it"! No, this has been happening for generations. And it's up to you and your cousins and your friends and your neighbors to actually do something about it. So yeah. Black women in particular, we're tired. We've been tired, but still, of course, we're going to show up and we're going to show out and we're going to do what needs to be done because that's what we do.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:22:07): That's what we do. And, you know, I, of course, beyond me interviewing you now and just following you on social media, we're friends. And so I know a little bit of personal tidbits of just "we're tired". We don't want to wear the cape anymore. That has been your sentiment shared publicly as where through just Twitter and you know, Instagram. And so for the other communication strategists that are out there who want to support this conversation with the platform that they have, right? Because they, if you're a marketing, if you wear the marketing hat at your firm, first of all, if you were the CEO or President hat your firm, this is your responsibility, right? Leadership comes from the top. Now everyone at 2050 Wealth Partners, at our financial planning firm everyone is a leader in their own right. And we know our employees look to us for guidance and leadership. So, you didn't have to tell us, or nobody had to tell us to make a statement when the events, when many events happened last year in 2020. However, what I'm hearing again also from the "Onlys" who are at firms, companies, corporations, is that they don't want to ruffle the feathers of their clients, their consumers, by saying Black Lives Matter as a communication strategist. What does that say actually to consumers by them, these companies and firms are not standing up for just what is right? What does, what message are they actually sending with silence? What is the silence actually sending?

Chasity Cooper (00:24:12): The silence is more, I think fear. And, you mentioned that just a minute ago. People who don't want to ruffle the feathers of clients or donors or stakeholders,we're talking about human rights, Black lives. It's not up for debate. Black Lives Do Matter. And, people try to throw in different colors of the rainbow, no! Black lives matter period. And I think the lack of acknowledgement from some of these companies from these corporations is not only fear, but it's also ignorance because, you know, some of these companies will still profit off of the work or the creativity of Black people. You have, you know, companies who have, openly quoted something that one of us might've said on Instagram or Twitter that has gone viral and put a spin on it and been like, "oh, this is like the cool thing that all the kids are saying, you know, let's run with it and make money off of it". Companies are quick to profit off of Black genius, but you don't want to acknowledge our mere existence and that's not fair. So I think, it's fear, it's ignorance and it really just shows a lack of acknowledgement and understanding of the Black experience in this Country. And companies need to be held accountable. You know, day after day, you have people like Minda Harts who are challenging these corporations to change from the inside out. It can't just be as simple as slapping something on the website or putting up a Black square. You have to actually take the action to ensure that Black and Brown bodies who work for you, who share their genius day after day feel, you know, valued, but also that you're honoring them and acknowledging them. I also, we'll get to this in a minute, but also, having a foot in the wine industry, that whole thing blew up too for them as well. And so you started to see wine companies and brands put out statements and figure out how they're going to make their companies more inclusive and diverse. And it's definitely been an awakening for everybody, but, you know, being in these two industries, I've been able to see how quickly people have the fire lit up under them. Okay, we actually have to do something now. We can't just continue to fly by the seat of our pants, but we need to put plans and plans in action and plans in place. So that we're actually doing what we say we're going to do.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:27:13): Yes. And companies can no longer do inaction. There has to be action. They have to not only talk the talk, but walk it as well. And let me share with all of the owners, the CEOs, the Presidents of firms, the HR managers, that Gen Z is not taking no crap. Gen Z is not taking anything other than excellence and socially and culturally aware companies, period. Gen Z is looking before they are applying to your firms, to your companies, to your corporations. They are looking at leadership. They are looking to see, am I represented in leadership? They're looking to see what statements did you all say in 2020 about things that have happened about the Black Lives Matter Movement and what did you actually do about it? So you can no longer go under the radar. And saying "okay, time will heal all wounds and time, let's have time pass and they will forget", no! Gen Z is not! Gen Z is calling out their parents on social media who are white supremacists. Like, we see it! So best believe they will not be applying to your companies. And if they do, if you do not say what you're actually, if you don't do what you actually said that you're going to do, they're going to leave. So I appreciate Gen Z, right? Because it's giving us all the courage to be our true self. I will also like to give some praises to the seasoned Millennials and Millennials as well, because we're speaking up as well and you are a shining example of a Millennial as well. So before we get to the intersection of your wine and you being a communication strategist in that front as well, I want to talk about, or I want you to provide advice to the other "Onlys" in the room where they are the Only, whether they're in the marketing department, where they are the communication strategist, you know, where they do have the responsibility of making statements on behalf of the company. However it does come from leadership, but it's their job just to craft the message, you know? And you even also share your experience of dealing with this kind of burnout and just wanting to take off the cape. What advice do you have to the other "Only's" to kind of rebound and kind of bounce back from when all this craziness brings you down?

Chasity Cooper (00:30:32): Yeah, I have learned, especially working from home last year, it was a lot. And I had to remember a couple things. So one that I have to extend grace to myself. Just as much as I extend grace to other people, if someone's like, "oh, I need another day or two to get this done". Sure. You know, take your time. I have to give myself that grace as well. And if I'm feeling like I can't concentrate, or my mind is all over the place, except what is, and not put too much pressure on myself to perform. Because you know, our environment, current environment is putting us in a position where we have to be at home all the time. We still have to show up to work. We still have to interact with friends and family. We still have to take care of ourselves. It's a lot that we all are handling right now. And so being the Only, I've just remembered, it's okay to close my computer exactly at five o'clock. It's okay not to answer certain emails.

Chasity Cooper (00:31:41): I will give this: I'm going to say this as tactfully as I can, but so Monday, everybody now by the time everyone hears this, you know, we're going into MLK day weekend and when I got hired by my company last year, I thought it was interesting that they didn't observe the holiday. I was like, yo, this is actually a national holiday. Banks are closed. How come we have to work? And so I didn't think much of it last year. And I also say that, you know, MLK weekend also usually falls around my birthday. And so, I ended up going into work. I did what I had to do this year. And, okay that actually falls on my birthday and I was like, "look, I'm taking this off". There's no reason why we should be working one on this day because of Martin Luther King Jr., but also it's my birthday. I'm not about to. And so, actually received an email from our CEO this morning saying that it is now a company-wide holiday. And so I didn't exactly know how to take that. There was no excitement for me, because one, I had already had to put in the time to take this day off. It's almost, it's uncomfortable because this holiday is almost 40 years old and it's 2021. And just now, it's just mind blowing! And all I did was just texted my group chats this morning. Like, y'all look at this, please look at this. And they're like, wait, what? I'm like, yeah. I'm like, the good thing is I get my vacation day back. But, it's also, what? It took so many people taking this day off for you to also realize maybe we should observe MLK Day. Yeah. Cause if it weren't for MLK, I probably would not be, you wouldn't be able to hire me or you wouldn't even think twice about it being a thing. So I say all this to say, take advantage of your PTO friends, take the mental health days, take the sick days. The work will still be there. Do not feel like you have to work yourself to the bone where as I said before, we're managing a lot personally. So it was just like one day at a time, if you don't really feel like you're bringing your full self to the job or to your computer or to your kitchen table that day, let your boss know and be like, "hey, I'm only going to be working at about 50% capacity today" I'm going to do my best, but I am feeling like, you know, X, or if you don't feel like sharing don't share, but just, just make sure you're taking care of yourself first and foremost, because you know, it's, it's so important, especially right now.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:34:49): Yeah. And for the listeners who do have the power to make change in your company, listen to everything that Chasity is saying in a sense of, we need mental health days, you know and sometimes we don't even have the capacity to explain what is happening in our world because our feelings are valid. And sometimes when we do share them is kind of brushed off, making us feel like our feelings are invalid. And so just if, if an employee says they need a mental health day, please just give them their mental health day.

Chasity Cooper (00:35:39): Exactly.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:35:40): For everybody's sanity. And so now I would love to transition to how your love of communicating and wine came into play. The intersection of, you know, being a communication strategist and wine kind of school come into play. And now you're in Chicago so it's perfect. It's a perfect place for you to be, to explore and just, yeah, your journey.

Chasity Cooper (00:36:18): It's honestly been such a wild ride. And I mean, I never thought that, you know, my love for wine goes back to a study abroad trip in Spain the first time I, that wasn't my first time out of the country, but it was my first time going to Europe by myself. And I remember we were wrapping up the six week trip and the last excursion we did was at a vineyard. I Hop out and I'm like, "Whoa, this is, I'm not in Kansas anymore". This is something completely different than I've ever seen. And I had just turned 21 at the time. So you know, in Spain, drinking wine is part of their culture. They don't think twice about it, but here in the United States, you gotta be 21, or if your family grew up with wine on the table, it's common. And so that experience for me,definitely cemented a new found love for wine for wine culture. And you know, I've always loved telling stories. I've always had this very big imagination since I was a kid. I journals and I would tell these elaborate stories and book reports and different things like that. So when I really started to get serious about wine around 2016, 2017 that's when I knew I could use my love for writing, my love for storytelling and, you know, tell people about this Portuguese Vhino, or this Spanish Tempranillo, or this Cabernet Sauvignon all from Napa Valley on my blog and really just opened up this world of wine to my peers, to my family.

Chasity Cooper (00:38:14): And so last year definitely was a pretty big year for me as far as my writing goes. I've always had certain goals when it comes to, you know, when you plan, not plan, but when you set intentions for a new year, you're like, "hey, I would like to do X, Y, Z. And so, I remember in 2018 or 2019, I was like, I want to write for wine enthusiasts. I want to, you know, I want to pin these, I want to write these incredible pieces about wine and the people who are working in wine. And lo and behold, first of last year, I get an assignment. Hey, Chastity, you know, from an editor I worked with at another publication would love for you to write about malolactic fermentation. I'm like, what is that? Okay, I'll start my research. And so being challenged to write about something that I had no idea about was breathtaking, but it was also so fascinating. So I'm learning about Chardonnays that are oaked and unoaked. And then, you know, of course 2020 happened. So that also just started to spin a ball of talking about Black people in wine. And so I got to interview people, who are now friends, but you know, these giants in my mind, in the wine industry, these Black wine professionals who have been doing the work for decades. Being able to hear from them and tell their stories was such an honor for me.

Chasity Cooper (00:39:50): So it's, it's definitely I'm so thankful to be in this space right now where you know, I get to write these stories. I get to report and, and be a true journalist, but also I get to teach people about wine through private, virtual tastings. I definitely had on my bingo card last year for hosting a number of wine events in person. But you know, with the pandemic, it just translated to being online. And it's been so cool to meet so many different people from across the country and the world, and be able to share with them my knowledge for wine, but also get a better understanding of things that they enjoy and they love, and we're learning from each other. So, it's definitely been a cool transition having the talent and the gift of writing, and now just pivoting to explore this industry, in this case, his beverage that, you know, so many people love all over the world.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:40:55): Yes! And what I love about you Chasity is your strive for excellence, right? Because not only did you research, right you got introduced to a new term in a new way of wine and you didn't just stop there. You were like, okay I'm going to now study this and you hold your W set L excuse me, Level Two Award with wines with merit. So what, what does that for the listeners who may not know the education that goes behind learning wines?

Chasity Cooper (00:41:36): Absolutely. So there's so many within the industry, and it's like, you know, if you want to become a doctor, a lawyer, a financial planner, there are certain exams or certain there's a lot you need to know within the Wine and Spirit education trust, that's just one of the different education paths you can take. There's the Court of Master Sommeliers. There's the society of I think it's a Society of Wine Specialists or mixing up different acronyms, but there's different paths you can take in the industry. F you want to be in the fine dining space, which we all know is a little different right now. You would more than likely take the path, you take the path of going into There's the Court of Master Sommeliers and you'd become a Master Sommeliers. Or, you can become a Master of Wine that's if you want to really be, you know, in that fine dining, serving people, a wine director. For me though, I knew that hospitality really wasn't where I wanted to be. I do enjoy going to a restaurant. That's great. But for me, in my writing, I knew that W Set was going to be a better path because I'm still learning about the different regions. I'm still learning about different grape varieties, but I'm able to talk about it in a way that an everyday consumer can understand. And so taking W Set One, I took that in 2018, took W Set Two in late in June and passed that, I also took W Set Three in September, still waiting on those results.

hasity Cooper (00:43:22): So with these different levels, it's just, you know, climbing higher and higher. I'm learning a lot more about how to taste wine and to pick out different scents and aromas, different aromas and different flavors. How do I convey that to a consumer, in a way that they're able to understand? So for instance, if I'm trying to sell you a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, I'm going to let you know that it's going to have some grassy aromas going to smell very clean and very crisp on the palate. You'll get lime zest, you'll pick up some different citrus notes. You know, you may get some green apple, these are aromas and flavors you're familiar with, you know, as a human being, you know, what a granny smith, apple tastes like, you know what fresh cut grass smells like. So you're able to put in your mind oh this and it's a light bodied wine. It's going to taste, not like water, but it's going to be very light and it's not going to be heavy. You're not going to feel like you're drinking whole milk. So there's different ways I can, I've been learning how to describe wine. And I really do think that the W Set, while it is very it's, based in, the W Set is based in England. So, I mean, in the book, you know, they spell labor with, you know a "U", it's, it definitely has that, that the English spin on it, however, being in the United States, our palates are different, you know, Americans tend to prefer sweeter things. So really it's just been about opening up the world of wine to so many different people. And it's definitely helpful to get that, that education. So I can have these receipts whenever I pull up to, you know, say a company and they want to hire me for my marketing communications expertise. They'll know that, oh she also has her W Set Level Three with Merit, she knows what she's talking about, and she knows about wine. But even in having these receipts, even in having these certifications, it doesn't stop me from continuing to learn about the industry and the trends and all that stuff.

Chasity Cooper (00:45:47): So yeah, I would definitely inspire or encourage, rather anybody who's interested in learning about wine, take a course it definitely is going to be a little pricey, but now there are scholarships and opportunities for people to pay for you to take these courses if you're really serious about it. But it's definitely something worth exploring. If you know, it's always crossed your mind, like, oh, you know, I'm so used to drinking a Merlot, but I want to, try something new, Google it, look it up, ask questions when you're at your local wine shop. And don't be afraid of wine it's definitely one of my favorite things, for sure. Obviously.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:46:32): I love wine too. I mean, love it. And I recall being an intern and we went on a wine tasting and of course, this is my first time. I mean, before that in college, I did not drink it. It was, I mean I did not drink while I was in college.

Chasity Cooper (00:46:58): Not until you're 21, of course not. No.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:47:05): I think I started drinking wine,really in the corporate America setting, where it was kind of like a social happy hour type of thing. And we went to this, it was a wine bar and it was literally nothing but wines. They had olives and crackers and cheese for you, and fruit, and different things to clean your palate. And maybe you can tell us more about that, but everything's to clean your palate. But I remember tasting this red wine and I think this was my first introduction to red wine and it tasted horrible. And red wines tasted like that. So as, as I was listening to you, I'm recalling I can still, this was like maybe almost 15 years ago now, but I can still taste the bark in the tree and the earthiness of the red wine. And maybe even me sharing that, you can probably know what, I don't even remember what red wine it was, but it was, it was nasty. And so, I automatically assumed what, to me, nasty to me, assumed all red wines tasted like that. So as I explored more wines, I just went to red. I mean, excuse me, I went to white because I was like, whites are a little bit less harsh. Yeah. So how can you, I mean, wine can be intimidating to people, especially if you come from a culture or background where wine is not the first type of alcoholic beverage that's introduced to you. It's more so maybe like a hard liquor. So how could you, where do you start?

Chasity Cooper (00:48:50): Yeah. I mean, that's a great point because, and I often say that to people when I do my tastings, they're like, well, how'd you get into wine? And I was like, you know, talking to white people, I'm like, well, I didn't have wine on my table. Like, you know, we had, you know, when there was a celebration or holidays, Crown Royal, Hennessy, and Ciroc, you know, these are the things I saw growing up, but I would say honestly, you know, with the, there's a, there's a starter pack of wines that I typically talk about, you think about, you have your Barefoots and your Yellow Tails. That's where we all started in college. You know, first drinking wine, it's affordable, it's at the grocery store, it's accessible. And so when you're ready to graduate from the Muscatos, from the red blends it really is a matter of, okay, what do I enjoy about those things? Do I enjoy the sweetness of the Muscato? Do I enjoy the weight that it holds on my palate? Do I enjoy that? You know, it's definitely a wine that I love cold with a red wine. Do I like the sweetness? Do I like the dryness? So really kind of playing these things in your mind and you have to be able to be comfortable in just describing it, how it makes you feel. And, as a wine professional, it's like, I can decode what you're saying.

Chasity Cooper (00:50:25): I had a friend text me a few days ago and she was like, I asked her about a recent wine experience. She's like, I don't want to, I don't want to describe it because you're an expert. I said, tell me how the wine made you feel. And if I need to decode or, you know, figure out what you're saying, that's fine. But I want wine drinkers, novice to expert to feel comfortable in talking about wine. It doesn't have to be in the very bougie, uppity, like, oh, this has so many delicious tannins, and yes, that's a characteristic of a red wine. But, if I'm talking to my, you know, home girls from, talking to my family, I'm not gonna put on these airs. It's like, yo, this tastes like blueberry, blue, raspberry jolly rancher, or this tastes like a banana Laffy Taffy. Things that are, that you can recognize.

Chasity Cooper (00:51:23): And so I would say if you're interested in wine, you know the starter five, I would say Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, other if you're into bubbles, Cava is definitely a great one. I know a lot of people enjoy Prosecco. That's a good one too. And the thing about these wines is that there's a, they come in that they all have range, so you can have a very dry Prosecco. You have a sweet Prosecco, you can have an oaky buttery Chardonnay, or you can have one that's unopened, really dry and crisp and almost zesty.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:52:01): So where do you find that information though? Because I love Prosecco. There's a particular brand, but I didn't know that there was actually, I did! On New Year's Eve we popped a bottle that I normally don't buy, but the brand that we typically get, it was sold out. So I was like, okay, I'll get this one because all Prosecco, in my head, tastes the same. That was not the case. So it was, it was nasty. So how do you tell?

Chasity Cooper (00:52:38): Yeah, so on the bottle and this is like, this is, I think what has to continue to be dropped into consumers. When you go into a wine shop and you're like, oh, I love Prosecco what the job of the wine person in the shop, whether they're an accomplished som, whether they're owner, whether, you know, they have a W Set two, three behind their name, whatever it is their job to explore various options for you. So if you came into my wine shop, which I'm hoping and praying will happen one day and you're like, Chaz, I want, Prosecco, that's, semi-sweet you know, something that I can blend with mango juice, pineapple juice, whatever, like, you're, you're making Bellinis for your home girls. I'm like, all right, okay, come over here. We're in Italy. I'm probably going to suggest something along the lines of Demi sec, which basically speaks to the sweetness in the added sweetness in the wine, the residual sugar. I should say,if you wanted something a little bit drier Brut,which you often see on, you know, bottles of sparkling wine, champagne that speaks to the dryness,or, you know, Prosecco obviously there's some sweetness in there. So really examining the label is really what I encourage people to do even more,you know, reading the back of it. Not just for the description of what's in the bottle, but where is it from. What's the, the year on the bottle, which is the vintage and the vintage really speaks to the year that the grapes were pulled from the vine and they went through the process of being made into wine. So if you have a 2017, you know, Cab Sav from Chile.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:54:40): Yes, shout out to Chile.

Chasity Cooper (00:54:48): The grapes report from the vine during harvest in 2017 and it's been in the bottle you know, depending on how long the wine was aged in the barrel, and then they bottled it and then obviously had to go through a shipping process to get to you. So it has some age on it. It has some mileage on it. And really just being keen on what is on the bottle. I know a lot of times, and I do this too, we'll go into the store like, oh, that's a pretty bottle. Or the label is gorgeous. Let me pick that up. And sometimes it works like I've definitely gone to the store, I'm like, that label is gorgeous. Let me pick, or the bottle is, is beautiful. Let me pick that up and see what it tastes like. You know, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but,you know, it's just a matter of reading it.

Chasity Cooper (00:55:36): Like before you buy anything, reading it, even if you have your favorite your go-to grape variety and a lot of people love Merlot, or they love certain red blends, you know, next time you're in the store ask and see if they have a red blend from a different country or, you know, maybe there's a different percentage say for instance, you love Cab Sav from California, you know, I would encourage you to try a Bordeaux from the left bank because, you know, nine times out of 10, it's going to be it's going to be a blend of Cab Sav and you know, Cabernet Franc or Merlot, or a number of different grapes that could be in that blend. So really just reading your bottle and really getting an understanding like, okay, this is, this might not be familiar, but we're going to try it. Or, you know, trying something from a different region. I always encourage people. Like if, you know, you love Malbec from Carmen near Chile or now back from Argentina, head over to France, because that's where those grapes came from. And, you know, try a French, you know, track a, which is the French version of Malbec or try a blend of, again, a Bordeaux blend, which will have some Carménère in it. So there's so many different ways you can play with it. And I'm always so geeked to talk to people about, I could go on and on.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:57:06): Yes. I see! I love it. I love it! So what do you think, just from your lens, you know, as a Black woman, what's, what's going on, what's happening in the wine industry?

Chasity Cooper (00:57:17): It's so funny, you asked me, cause I had this conversation the other evening with a couple fellow wine professionals, Black women and wine we're getting creative, like Black women have always been creative. We are the blueprint. Period.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:57:33): Period.

Chasity Cooper (00:57:33): So what I'm, what I'm learning, especially in wine is that we are sharing our own unique experiences in a way that shows our personality, but also, you know, welcomes people into trying things for themselves. So I'm dropping this because it's gonna, it definitely gonna happen in February, but a lot of Black women that I follow on Instagram, they take two reels and they, they're really creative in, in sharing their experience with wine and what they enjoy and what they don't enjoy. And I want to have this conversation around, you know, creating content in this wine space, like how, what inspires you to put up that reel or to write that blog post. We all have different perspectives and different vantage points. And so, I think Black women are, you know, one, our creativity is leading the way. I think we're also in the corporate space, I know a number of Black women who were buyers, who are distributors, who work for importers. We're definitely branching out into the different facets of this industry and staking claim, which I think is incredible. And we continue to blaze our own trails, whether, you know, you have a podcast or you're on video and you're doing reviews or you're writing like I am like, I continue to say there is space for all of us to thrive and I want to be able to support as many Black women as I can, as we continue to rise in this industry.

Rianka Dorsainvil (00:59:17): And so I know that you do wine tasting. Is that something that you're going to continue to do in 2021?

Chasity Cooper (00:59:27): I definitely think it's, it's definitely gonna continue. Because like I said, I would love to, you know, rent out a space, invite people, have them buy tickets and do this whole thing. I'd love to pull up to someone's home and pour for them, but COVID is still outside. So for the time being, I'm definitely going to continue the virtual wine tastings.

Chasity Cooper (00:59:52): They last an hour. And typically the way it goes is somebody will hit me up, like, "hey, Chasity, I want to do a wine tasting for me and my seven friends". I'm like, okay, cool. But here's how it goes. It's an hour on zoom. I curate the wine list. You all go buy the wines. And the cool thing is that I know a lot of people, you know, in this time they were like "oh, are you, do you ship wines? I do not because I would have to have a license to distribute and I do not have that. I am not a retailer yet. So it's easier for you to go to your local wine shop, the grocery store, target and pick up these wines that are, and I try to pick wines that are accessible and readily available in under $20 to $25.

Chasity Cooper (01:00:40): And so usually what happens is, you know, everybody hops on. I go through a quick presentation, giving you all facts about you know, the grape variety, the producer, things you need to know as a consumer before you actually taste the wine. And then, you know, it's open for question and answer over the course of the hour, usually goes a little bit over an hour just because the conversation is great and we're having a good time. So yeah, I definitely want to keep doing that and keep sharing my knowledge and keep doing these. Doing these keeps me on my toes, which I thoroughly enjoy. And I'm always learning something new whenever I do a tasting.

Rianka Dorsainvil (01:01:22): And where can they find this information? If people want to schedule a virtual wine tasting with you?

Chasity Cooper (01:01:29): Absolutely. You can go to my website, which is wine with Chas that's wine, W-I-N-E with W-I-T-H Chas, C-H-A-S.com.

Chasity Cooper (01:01:35): There's some information on there for you to email me, to book a tasting. And then we'll go from there. There's also information on the blog about glass where my top 20 wines of 2020 and just other, you know, questions or answers to questions. I get a lot, you know, how to pair certain wines with food. There's so many different things I want to continue to put on my blog so people can feel free to learn more about this as you know, we're all still at home and, and being safe and quarantining.

Rianka Dorsainvil (01:02:18): Yes. So there is so much that we can take from what you do with your writing and your brilliance there, from your love of wine you know, for the listeners, we have show notes. So if you go to 2050 TrailBlazers.com if there are articles that we've mentioned as Chasity just mentioned her website to book a virtual wine tasting with her, all of that is within this episode show notes. And so it will be easy to find all in one place so that you can continue to learn. And you know, we can share resources too. So Chasity, before I let you go, is there anything else that you would like to share with us or any, you know, just tidbits of advice before I let you go, that you want to share with the listeners?

Chasity Cooper (01:03:15): Sure, well first before I do that Rianka, thank you again so much for having me for just sharing your brilliance with the world. I've been so in awe of you and how incredible you are since we met, four years ago. So thank you again for having me. I'm always so grateful to have the opportunity to share these types of experiences, these, these full circle experiences with friends like you. So, thank you first and foremost, and then as far as you know, final thoughts go with wine, it can be intimidating, but have fun with it. And you don't, something I preach all the time, you do not have to break the bank to have a great bottle of wine. Some of my favorite wines come from Trader Joe's, and they're under $20. That is just the reality. Now, granted, I do have stuff that's a little bit up there. You know, I'm talking about $120, $150 haven't opened that yet.

Rianka Dorsainvil (01:04:25): Right, Have to wait for that. Wait for a special occasion to open that.

Chasity Cooper (01:04:26): But, I think what I'm enjoying about being in this space as far as wine is concerned, I love that it's such, wine has been around forever, and I love how Black and Brown wine makers, marketers, writers, influencers you know, enthusiast, how we're bringing our brilliance to this industry. We've been bringing our brilliance to this industry and we're going to keep changing it for the better. And so I would say, you know, please support Black winemakers Black owned wine shops support Black writers who write in publications by buying or clicking on the link of what they share and just be comfortable where you are in your journey and understand that there's space to grow and learn so much more. But always keep your glass full. That's what I like to say. Always keep your glass full and don't think that there isn't a space for you in this industry. If you're thinking about jumping into wine, there is space for everyone to thrive. And so that's all I would say.