Who’s Behind the Curtain at Silk Road Wines and Emerald Vines Media???
Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge; and the longer you are on Earth, the more experience you are sure to get.
L. FRANK BAUM, ‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’
Did you ever wonder why people begin a business? Especially when they either own or work at other successful businesses? Or…why do they start a business that is completely different than the one they own? Follow me down the yellow brick road (sorry for “Wizard of Oz” puns), and meet the great people “behind the curtain” at Silk Road Wines.
The country of Georgia (Photo Credit: http://www.mainfacts.com)Two great guys – Yanick Arakelov and Barry Greer, along with their wives Sharon and Candy, respectively, decided to take a trip one day to Yanick’s homeland of Georgia. Georgia, as a I reported in an earlier blog, is the oldest wine making country in the world – by over 8,000 years! Yanick and Sharon shared their love of Georgian wines with Barry and Candy, and because Yanick was not able to find his favorite Georgian wines in the U.S., the four of them decided to start a business importing wines, and VOILA – Silk Road Wines was born!
Yanick Arakelov
Yanick was born in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. He emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager and attended the University of Florida where he earned his bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics. (He also holds an MBA from Rollins College.) While in college, Yanick achieved his dream of becoming an American citizen, and subsequently joined the U.S. Army as a logistics officer and was deployed to Afghanistan. (Yanick continues to serve his country in the Army reserves as a Major!) When not working for the Army or Silk Road Wines, he loves to play soccer with his sons and spend time with his wife, Sharon.
Barry Greer
Barry is in his FOURTH career with Silk Road Wines. After graduating from THE Ohio State University, he became a firefighter/paramedic, and was the founder of the continuing ed program in paramedics for the University of Miami. After retiring from the fire department, Barry started a marble and tile business that was quite successful. He additionally invested with some friends in the hotel business, growing the company to make it one of the top five hotel companies in the U.S. The group sold the hotel company in 2017, and Barry sold the marble and tile business in 2019. But he wasn’t done yet! He partnered with Yanick (see above), and entered the wine business with AG Global Trade , LLC and is now the proud owner of Silk Road Wines. Barry and his wife Candy, who is also an owner of Silk Road Wines, have four children and seven grandchildren. Always the dynamo and cheerleader of the company, in his ‘spare‘ time, he enjoys golfing and traveling.
Sharon Arakelov
A self described military brat, Sharon moved around quite a bit before moving to Florida, but considers Tampa her home. She attended the University of Florida, earning a bachelor’s degree in interior design, and a master’s in building construction management. Sharon began work in 2012 with Greer Tile in Orlando, eventually becoming a partner. She and husband Yanick, invited Barry and Candy Greer to join them on a vacation to the country of Georgia where they all fell in love with the wine, and together formed the Silk Road brand. Sharon knows A LOT about wine and the industry, and is a great go-to person for information. She has two young boys who are fast becoming world travelers as much as their parents.
Candy Greer
A native of Tampa, and one of the owners of Silk Road Wines, Candy considers herself a “jack of all trades” having been an executive secretary, office manager, and a host of other positions in the marble and tile industry working with her husband, Barry. She’s the proud mother of four children and seven grandchildren, and loves to cook, travel, read, paint, play golf, and garden during her free time, or when Barry doesn’t have her working on a new project!
Cameron Wright
Say hello to Director of Operations and Events Cameron Wright! A native of Florida (and lover of all things Lilly Pulitzer), Cameron has a strong background in the wine industry. Her enthusiasm for event planning comes naturally, having planned many events for her family’s business, as well as local political organizations. Thanks to Cameron, our warehouse is in tip top shape, and if someone isn’t available to deliver a shipment she’s the first to jump in her car! She has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Keiser University, and in her off time (which is very little lately), you can find her curled up with a great book, at the beach, or on an adventure with her beloved husky.
RG Bowman
RG joined the Silk Road team in 2021, with a focus on retail sales and distribution in the state of Texas. He’s now our Director of Sales for both Texas and Florida. A graduate of Mississippi State University, RG played Division I football with the Bulldogs, making the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll every year, which recognizes student athletes that maintain outstanding academic accomplishments while competing in intercollegiate athletics. Thanks to his perseverance, Texas is fast becoming a ‘Silk Road Wines‘ state with customers such as H-E-B and Central Market food stores. If that wasn’t enough, his next great accomplishment won’t be in the stores or on the football field as he’s marrying his fiancee in May!
While not directly part of the Silk Road Wines family, I’d be remiss in not mentioning our “fabulous” marketing and PR agency execs from Emerald Vines Media. (Note: I’m one of those “fabulous” execs (LOL) so disclosure is necessary.)
Esmeralda Struyk
Esmeralda is the President and Founder of Emerald Vines Media – a woman owned company! After earning her Bachelor’s degree in advertising and PR from the University of Florida, she worked as a digital coordinator at &Barr, and a digital strategist at iHeart Media for the Orlando market. She’s a highly skilled artist, and majored in visual arts at the Osceola County School for the Arts. She and her fiancee, Justin, and their three dogs live in the Orlando area. She’s the Yin to my Yang! (When not working at EVM, she listens to podcasts by the pool, and enjoys having a glass of wine with her family or working on a new piece of art.
Dr. Kelly McBride
Last, but not least, me. I’ve got 22 years in the field of communications in a variety of industries from politics to finance to non-profits. I was a press secretary to a Pennsylvania Lt. Governor where I learned a great deal of media skills in training with the White House Press Secretary. I taught at the university level for ten years with several schools including Virginia Tech (go Hokies!), La Salle University (Never Stop Exploring!), and York College of Pennsylvania where I co-wrote the Integrated Marketing Communication program for both undergrads and the master’s level. I hold a B.S. in Business from Lock Haven University of PA, a Master’s in Education from Alvernia University, and a doctorate from Immaculata University. One of my proudest accomplishments is my published book called Media Relations: A Tactical Preparation for Life. I’m thrilled to be back in my “home” state of Florida after having grown up in Hollywood as a child. Like Cameron, I love to read (and discuss Lilly Pulitzer fashions with her), golf is also a passion, but my biggest endeavor is hunting for the ever-elusive Megalodon shark’s tooth on the Gulf Coast beaches.
So there you have it – a behind the scenes look at some of the folks who keep the Silk Road Wines wheels turning. Hope you enjoyed this little look behind the curtain…keep on keeping on the Yellow Brick Road!