We are so excited to welcome entrepreneur, wine expert and real estate guru, Paula Harrell! Alondra is a real estate guru, wine expert and distributor that is going to help us understand her journey to entrepreneurship, and how she is building a winning business in the midst of a recession. We'll also discuss her inspirational journey, and learn how to stay FIT during these difficult times!

About Paula: 

Paula J. Harrell is a San Francisco native and founder of P. Harrell Wines. She is the daughter of an immigrant mother from Panama and an American military father, who raised her and her four siblings and built a series of thriving residential care facilities in San Francisco. Paula obtained a BA from UCLA, during which time  she studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, where her interest in wine began.  After completing her undergraduate studies, she returned to San Francisco where she pursued and received a MBA in Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship from SF State University.  She then spent many years assisting her father with the family run business, in addition to beginning what would turn out to be a long standing career in Real Estate Investing and Mortgage Finance. Paula continues to run the family real estate business.  Though real estate was her trade, Paula has spent many years indulging in several entertainment and civic endeavors.  She hosts several annual events each year, with the signature event being a holiday party of 300+ people running for the last 17 years, she co-founded the Oakland International Film Festival and currently sits on their board, she was one of the associates responsible for bringing Black Cinema Cafe (a showcase of independent films from the American Black Film Festival) to the Bay Area, and has supported many organization in their marketing and fundraising efforts.  And while all of this was transpiring, her interest in wine was expanding and she began an exploration through the wine countries of California and around the world.  And eventually, after over 15 years of indulging in the wine culture as a hobby, her long standing passion and appreciation for all things wine led her to make her own and start a private wine label which launched in November, 2015, and has grown her portfolio to three wines, with a fourth to be released early 2021. Her wines are an overall tribute to her family’s legacy, its dedication to community, friendship, cultural heritage & one another and in paying homage, she has named her wines after locations and family members that hold special meaning to her family’s life and business.   

About FIT Live: 

SGE prides itself on uplifting women and minorities who are changing the game in terms of career, life and entrepreneurship! We feel that by sharing the stories of inspiring individuals, dynamic individuals and entrepreneurs, we can encourage others to step out to do the same. That is why the SGE team has created the FIT Live Interview Series, designed to uplift people like YOU, and inspire individuals everywhere to find their own Faith, Intuition, and Tenacity!