Sunshine Foss - Building a Community-Driven Wine and Spirits Travel Shop with Happy Cork
In this episode of the Rise Urban Nation Podcast, host Taryell Simmons interviews Sunshine Foss, the founder of Happy Cork, a wine and spirits travel shop with a focus on community and highlighting underserved, minority-owned brands. Since opening in 2019, Happy Cork has become a travel destination for those seeking the largest selection of black and minority-owned wine and spirits. Sunshine shares her passion for providing a platform for these amazing brands, as well as offering a diverse variety of accessories made by people of color. The Happy Cork team tastes every bottle, ensuring that only delicious and affordable options make it into the store. They welcome patrons to take their time, ask questions, and enjoy the amazing experience Happy Cork offers. Tune in to learn more about Sunshine's journey in building this wonderful community-driven business.
RISE Urban Nation: Own Your Story. Scale Your Impact. · sunshine foss, Sunshine Foss, Taryell Simmons
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Show Notes
About Sunshine Foss:
Sunshine Foss is a woman of many talents. Born in Brooklyn, New York to St. Lucian parents, Sunshine had the best of both worlds: Brooklyn roots with an upbringing on the beautiful island of St. Lucia – affording her the opportunity to flourish and cultivate the woman she is today. Upon returning to the concrete jungle of New York, Sunshine once again moved – this time to Miami where she pursued her first passion, design. While living in the sunshine state, Sunshine became known in the Miami community as the best kept secret for everything vintage.
A new shift in her career followed her return and marrying to Remo Foss; the two pursued a career in real estate – complimenting each other’s talents of sharp business and a keen eye for design. Two kids, available space, and a dream later: Happy Cork Wine and Spirits was born.
Sunshine’s love for design greatly influenced the feel and product selection while developing the Brooklyn-based store. From the wood pallet cash wrap to the tree stump hanging display, the store features up-cycled/ recycled merchandise along with an amazing assortment of wine & liquor. Sunshine spared no detail in ensuring Happy Cork is truly a happy place made for the community to find joy upon entering. Unlike other wine and spirits shops within the local community, customers are treated like guests, invited in to ask questions, touch the bottles, and indulge in all the store’s offerings.
The mommypreneur is constantly thinking of new ways to ensure the community Happy Cork serves is kept at the center. This commitment to community includes featuring local artists, working with other small businesses to keep the block clean, and hosting events – currently virtual – as a means to continue cultivating beautiful connections amongst the people Happy Cork serves.
Connect with Sunshine Foss!
- Website: www.happy-cork.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cork_happy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happycorkbrooklyn/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiiXevDcq4k7CvO8ZedP0Xw/featured
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