Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Philip.
Kristen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I had never known what exactly I wanted to do career-wise, but I knew I wanted to do something creative and people-oriented. I went to K-State thinking I would go into advertising, but radio broadcasting won me over. I worked in the industry from 2009 to 2013, and I had another part-time stint from 2018 to 2024. I loved connecting with people and creating opportunities for special moments, like someone seeing their favorite band or winning a vacation. But I knew I needed something more and decided to apply to Oz Winery on a whim in 2013 for a side gig. It turns out, it was everything I wanted in a career-something new and challenging every day, a creative outlet, and getting to enable other people to have a good time. I assumed every role and responsibility that presented itself, and by 2025, when the former owner decided to pursue her own dream career, I realized the winery was mine and took the leap to become the owner. Being so hands-on as an employee allowed me to learn every aspect of the business, from our winemaking and product development to advertising and events. And over the course of my time with Oz Winery, I’ve developed such a love and appreciation for wine as an overall cultural aspect. I get wine to celebrate big moments and anniversaries, grab bottles to share with girlfriends when we all get together, share a bottle while watching my favorite movies with my mom, drink a glass on the deck to watch the sunset, and my husband even proposed to me during our first trip to Sonoma. There’s such a deep connective and social aspect to wine that I cherish, and I’ve tried to create a space to cultivate that at Oz Winery.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any small business faces its challenges, especially those that are tourist-driven! You are always at the mercy of traveler patterns and manufacturing bottlenecks. I remember one particular period when we had a delay in our year’s bottling due to delivery delays with bottles and labels (two pretty important pieces). We only had 1 wine to offer people for 3 weeks, and that was an absolute beating. You want to provide the experience, have the product to share, and put your best foot forward for every customer, because many times it’s their first impression of you, and you’re trying to create a repeat visitor or online shopper. Being so limited was a huge setback in being able to display what we could do, and since wine is so subjective, not everyone is going to prefer 1 style. Thankfully, being honest about the situation, answering any and all questions they had, and still sharing Oz Winery’s story can leave a good impression on people. They’ll remember someone who is helpful and passionate even in a tough situation. Connecting with people is one of my favorite aspects of the business, and that part can happen even without all the bells and whistles.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Oz Winery is a small-production winery whose labels are inspired by L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. We purchase our grapes, and fermentation, blending, and bottling take place in our building right in the heart of downtown Wamego. When I started, I had no background or formal training in wine and winemaking. But when I am inspired by something, I learn absolutely everything I can about it! I loved the overall cultural aspect of wine, the artistry behind it, the root in connecting with family and friends over a glass-it was a world I was happy to dive into. I had been at the winery for 2 or 3 years before I started taking part in the blending process, dissecting the base product after fermentation, and have been hands-on in the development of our wines and purchasing of our grapes since then. Our goal is to make wines that are approachable to everyone, from beginners to experts, as our customer base is a wide range of people from all over the world. I’m extremely proud to be part of something that means so much to so many people; it’s truly incredible how iconic the Wizard of Oz remains. Hearing people’s stories about watching the movie every year, collecting it, and feeling connected to a past loved one through it is one of my favorite parts of my day. Let alone being a product that is unique in its own right and a space that encourages taking time to enjoy yourself, the winery’s overall atmosphere is truly magical.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I was extremely lucky to have found my mentor in my boss, the original owner, and her family. I learned so much about running a business and balancing a life outside of it from them. She also gave me the space to grow in the workplace and assume different roles and responsibilities that ultimately gave me the confidence to take the reins and make it my own. In the pursuit of growth, networking has been an important factor. I think looking to people outside your direct line of work can help you build strong relationships and learn new skills or gain advice beyond the echo chamber of your industry. I’ve looked to people in the community who run restaurants, event directors, and even large agricultural operations to bounce ideas off of or ask for certain business advice. Everyone has a wider skill set than their job may be defined by, and you never know what aspects you may need different perspectives on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ozwinerykansas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozwinery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OzWineryKansas
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-philip-ozwinery/
