In 2017 I made a risky move. I quit my successful career as a vice president for a multimillion-dollar winery without having another full-time job lined up. I didn’t quit because I was unhappy. I loved the benefits and lifestyle of working for a winery. I quit because I realized that I had a talent: and I wanted to help other people realize their dreams and business success. Fast forward four years later and I am a tenured Professor of Business & Entrepreneurship at Napa Valley College.

As a professor, I change lives every day. I coach people of all ages and help them achieve business goals in the start-up and growth phase. I have several student success stories, but one that sticks out to me is Christina Correa. I met Christina in the Spring of 2016. At the time I was a part-time instructor teaching Marketing at night. Christina was one of my first students at NVC. She and her family had recently purchased B&B Foreign Car Repair. She was a longtime student but since the purchase of her family business had gotten serious about her studies and finishing her Associate Degree in Business.

I remember Christina not just because of her drive and ambition, but because she continued to reach out to me for advice and direction after she graduated. Christina also took classes at the Napa Small Business Development Center. What I love about Christina’s business is that they are a female-led business in a male-dominated industry. 

Christina told me, “My dad is a mechanic and he is good at fixing cars. Because of my knowledge, I was able to help my family start the business. I was required to take Business Law to obtain my degree which helped me understand the legal entity we should form. Claudette taught me marketing skills to help us market our business. Studying business at Napa Valley College gave me the backbone to start B&B Foreign Car Repair.”

 Thankfully B&B Foreign Care Repair was deemed essential and Christina’s family remained open during the pandemic. However, that is not the case for a large majority of our small businesses. In an article published by the Northbay Business Journal (1) nearly 50% of wine country businesses closed during the pandemic and won’t reopen. This figure is frightening if you consider when someone spends $100 at a local small business, $48 is recirculated back into our local economy. But if that same $100 is spent at a big box store or national retailer, only $14 makes it back to our local economy.(2) 


Easy one-click buys and overnight delivery has changed the way we shop. As a busy mom, curbside pick-up was a game-changer even pre-pandemic. However, supporting small businesses is more important now than it ever has been! 

Today, and every day, eat, drink & shop local!  

 

  1. Wood, Susan. “Yelp: Nearly Half of Local Virus-Related Business Closures Are Permanent.” The North Bay Business Journal, The North Bay Business Journal, 17 Aug. 2020,
  2. Nearly $20 Billion Spent by Americans This Small Business Saturday®: The U.S. Small Business Administration.” Small Business Administration, 3 Dec. 2019, r. 

About Claudette Shatto 

Claudette is Napa savvy! Coupled with her upbeat personality she is the perfect new addition to “The Vine” on-air team.  

She has lived in the Napa Valley for 20 years. She is married with two elementary-aged children. 

When not on-air, Claudette is a Professor at Napa Valley College. She teaches Digital Marketing for NapaLearns. She is also a contributing blogger for Napa Valley Kids.  Her recent passion project is teaching leadership to first graders. 

You can listen to her on-air Mondays & Fridays from 3 to 7 pm.


 

 

 

 

 

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