Founder Stories: Tony Hartl of Seed Wine

In mid-November, soon after we launched Need 3.0, Mr. Tony Hartl was kind enough to reach out to offer his support of the company and our work.

As a Need customer himself, he had an outset goal of supporting local entrepreneurs, whilst also committing himself to ethical and sustainable causes in life and business.

Over time, we learned of his latest project, Seed, which is a phenomenal Argentinian wine with a charitable spin. (We’ll let him explain a little more below.)

Naturally, we were enormous proponents of his work and sought to involve Seed in some capacity with Need. And, just ahead of Valentine’s we found our opportunity.

You’ll notice Seed gracing the pages of Vol. 3.3. And, as such, we thought we’d commemorate the occasion by interviewing Tony for our ongoing Founder Stories series.

Tony’s a remarkable man with an equally striking story. We hope you enjoy his insights as much as we’ve appreciated his company recently.

Kari: Before we dig into the meat of the conversation, how did you come across Need?

Tony: A local entrepreneur who is a friend of mine told me about Need and how it was Dallas-based. I was intrigued and went on the website to learn more.

KJ: Matt, our founder, mentioned that you both met via a friendly email exchange, wherein you expressed your support for Dallas entrepreneurs. What roots do you have in Dallas?

TH: I came to Dallas in 1995 to start Planet Tan. Even after I sold the company in 2008, I decided to keep a residence in Dallas. There’s such a great energy here and I really got plugged into the Dallas entrepreneur community. I serve as an advisor to a lot of local organizations such as Biz Ed- Business Accelerator and National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), which teaches the importance of education and goal setting for inner city schools. As well for the past 14 years have belonged to E.O.(Entrepreneurship Organization) which I’ve belonged to the same small forum of eight founders of companies from various industries. I’m passionate about mentoring young entrepreneurs and helping them succeed. Even though my primary home is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Dallas has a special place in my life.

KJ: You seem to have had an amazing journey. Can you share a little bit of that background and how you’ve arrived at your current stage in life?

TH: I grew up in very humble circumstances with a single mom who passed on a lot of values about hard work, integrity and perseverance. When you start a business from the ground up, your values are put to the test. I relied on my mom’s great example and made sure I never shied away from staying late and getting up early. After 13 years of working long hours and always putting the business first, I sold Planet Tan and made plans to travel around the world. In 2009, I visited 12 countries in 12 months. That journey reinvigorated me about the next phase of my life, which included writing a book and starting a boutique winery in Argentina called Seed Wine.

KJ: You’re also an author (Selling Sunshine: 75 Tips, Tools, and Tactics for Becoming a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur). Do you think you have any more books in you?

TH: Oddly enough, I’ve always been inspired to write a children’s book so I think there’s still one left in me. The book The Money Tree really stuck with me as a child and I’d love to write a book about entrepreneurship geared toward kids that drives home important principles.

KJ: If you were talking to a first-time founder or early-stage entrepreneur today, what’s the top piece of advice you’d give them?

TH: Be prepared to bring a blanket to the office because the hours are irregular. It’s early, it’s late, it’s around the clock. When you launch a new business, it’s like having a baby. That business requires your attention constantly and it has to come first. You have to make a lot of personal sacrifices in those early years, and you won’t see the payoff right away. You have to persevere and be resilient because you will face a lot of challenges and obstacles in your path to success.

KJ: You’ve built, invested in, and nurtured a broad spectrum of companies and concepts in all sorts of different industries. How do you go about selecting those areas? Or is it more of a general curiosity.

TH: I look for companies that go beyond just making money. The business needs to arrive at the right opportunity in the marketplace. That can be an underserved segment of society or a business that makes life a little bit better for people. My philosophy is that I want to enrich the world and in essence pay rent to the planet while I’m here on this short journey.

KJ: Tell us about your new project, Seed.

TH: Seed Wine is harvested on a single-vineyard winery in Altamira, Argentina. We produce less than 200 cases of Malbec annually. We use only the world’s best winemaking techniques: hand-picked grapes, ancient canal irrigation, 43-year-old vines, and a 16-month aging process in new French oak barrels.

(Editor’s note: Seed is available by invitation only at www.seedwine.com.)

KJ: Why Argentina?

TH: In 2012 I traveled to Argentina with my buddy and fellow entrepreneur Alex Chang with a dream to summit Aconcagua. After busting my butt for five days straight, I ended up with High Altitude Pulmonary Edema — which can be fatal. I had to be helicoptered off the mountain. As I nursed my wounds, I fell in love with the culture and wine of Argentina and was inspired to create my own Malbec.

KJ: There’s a wonderful social good component to Seed, providing books for schoolchildren. What led you to incorporating this idea at the core of a wine business?

TH: I believe that we all have a responsibility to give back and make our corner of the world a better place. I didn’t want to just make a great wine. I wanted to make a great wine that did good. Education is a passion of mine because it leads to a better life and a better future. Books seemed like a good way to help

KJ: Wine is an all-new frontier for you. What do you think the next few years look like for Seed?

TH: It’s been exciting learning about the rotisserie of the industry. It has really been an eye-opening experience. Even though winemaking has been around so long, there’s still an enormous opportunity to create a great product with a conscientious component. Long term, we’d like to eventually found an area school in Altamira. We’ll do it one book at a time until we get there.

KJ: You’re a busy man. What else are you working on, beyond Seed?

TH: I enjoy spending time with my 15-year-old son and preparing him for the next stage of life. I’m always pursing new adventures on my bike, whether at my home in Jackson Hole or around the world. I recently mountain biked 480 miles on the Camino de Santiago across the Pyrenees in Europe. I’m planning a trip in the spring to cycle across Northern Italy.

KJ: What drives you? You seem to strive for success in all aspects of life.

TH: I’m extremely curious about the world and love learning new things. Ultimately, I want to be the best person possible and evolve as a human. That means growing personally and giving back to others. I love seeing different parts of the world and meeting passionate people all over the globe. Travel invigorates and inspires me.

KJ: We see you picked out a few items from Need!

TH: It was a great v-neck shirt and a really nice blazer.

A special thanks to Tony!

Want a bottle of Seed Wine? Order at http://seedwine.com/offering/

And be sure to see Seed in action as part of Vol. 3.3: Together.