iconic<\/a> brands<\/h2>\nSome opportunities look like luck from the outside. Inside the story, they usually look like attention, preparation, and the courage to act when the moment arrives.<\/p>\n
Ron Rubin has built a career around that kind of practical optimism, first in his family\u2019s liquor distribution business, then as the leader behind The Republic of Tea, and later as the owner of River Road Family Vineyards and Winery. What stands out to me is how grounded his lessons are. Ron talks about mentors, reading, risk, innovation, and culture in ways that feel lived, tested, and refined over time.<\/p>\n
His new book, Gold in Your Backyard: Lessons in Life, Leadership and the Power of a Dream<\/i><\/a>, is built around a simple idea that many leaders forget when they are chasing the next big thing. The most valuable lessons and opportunities often sit closer than we think, sometimes in the people who shaped us, the customers right in front of us, or the habits we practice every day.<\/p>\nI asked Ron about debt, instinct, customer trust, crisis planning, innovation, learning, and the long view of leadership. Here is our conversation.<\/p>\n