To the average 16-year old girl, selling encyclopedias in London, England door-to-door might be daunting work, but for Alma “Lady A” Callan, it was an invigorating introduction to the world of sales. That was just the beginning of her career. Alma went on to work in every imaginable media entity, doing it all, from outdoor advertising, direct mail and radio to newspaper, television, and internet sales. A vigorous multi-tasker, spending her childhood on a small farm in Ireland’s County Louth ingrained in her an appreciation for hard work and the simple value of just getting it done. Currently, Alma is the president of Wine Media Advertising LLC. Her career efforts earned her recognition (twice) as the Honorary Mayor of Rancho Cordova, California (on behalf of the Rotary Club), and the attentions of a billboard company, who asked her to join their salesforce. During her tenure selling outdoor advertising, she began acquiring billboard properties and ultimately built a dynamic outdoor advertising company which she eventually sold. Over the years Alma has continued to polish her sales, marketing, promotions, and public relations skills working for other media companies such as Yell Global and AT&T Advertising Solutions. Alma also spent numerous years working in the wine business and with wine media. In 1989, she was in a gondola heading up to Sterling Vineyards Winery in Saint Helena, California, when she called her parents in Ireland and told them about the stunning view she was looking at. She shared with them how magnificent the fields of grapes were. Then she said, “I don’t know how, but one day I’d love to do something in the wine industry.” These would prove to be prophetic words indeed. With the launch of BuyWine.com, Alma brings her combined passions for media and wine together in one space. Listening to consumers over the years, she consistently heard the need for a single, easy-to-use space to learn about wine. After seven years of research, she launched BuyWine.com, a global marketplace for wine lovers and wineries alike. One day she hopes to sell her business and be on the front cover of Forbes Magazine. Alma believes that anything is possible if you work hard.
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