The Executive - Spring 2015

“I thought there was a growth
opportunity and I believed in the product,
and those are the two biggest things
you need.”
That is how he found himself working
out a partnership contract during his last
semester of graduate school in 2013.

Bullard, who was enrolled in a joint master’s program with Culverhouse and the College of Engineering, applied the same methodical problem-solving skills he had learned during his studies to reviewing the investment opportunity.

“It complemented my MBA learning
experience,” Bullard recalls. “I looked at
the finances and the balance sheets. The
hardest part for me being a first-time
investor was evaluating the company. I
didn’t have too much leverage. It wasn’t
like I was a shark on "Shark Tank." But
it was a good way for me to get involved
with a startup company without risking
too much of my money.”
He even managed to merge his
classwork with his new-found interest in
wine. In his International Business class,
he developed a case study about how to
introduce Spicy Vines to Hong Kong, a
plan he hopes to put into action someday.
But for now the wine is only marketed in
California. And the company wants to
find a national distributor, letting it sell
bottles in places like Alabama before it
starts thinking about Asia.

One of Bullard’s close business-
school friends says he did not know what
to think when he first heard about the
investment. “I was skeptical at first,”
recalls Caleb Davis, who graduated from
Culverhouse with an MBA in 2013. “I said
it’s a very, very competitive space and
industry to be in.”
But he also knew that Bullard would
not jump in blindly.

“He’s very bright and has a strong
work ethic as well. He likes to have fun,
but he gets his work done first.”
Davis says one of Bullard’s biggest
strengths is his ability to mediate
disputes. While he still has a linebacker’s
build, standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and
weighing 245 pounds, “he’s really a teddy
bear,” Davis says. “He’s definitely a nice
guy. He’ll do what he can to make you
feel good, and he wants everyone to be
happy. But he doesn’t live in lala land,
where everything’s rose colored. He a
realist. He likes to reach a conclusion, a
middle point, a balance point.”
Bullard, who now lives in Greenville,
South Carolina, has a day job with BMW
that keeps him more than busy. He is in a
management-trainee program, working
with the auto plant’s supplier network
and helping companies that manufacture
components like bumpers or car seats
operate more efficiently.

Still, he finds time to participate in twice-monthly calls with other Spicy Vines' directors and offers guidance on everything from personnel decisions to product development.

“The MBA from Culverhouse’s
Manderson Graduate School of Business
definitely helps by focusing on the
direction of the company and what
measures we need to put in place: things
like checks and balances, holding people
accountable, and how to track the sales
force,” Bullard says.

Participating in calls with BMW managers in Germany at the beginning of the day and West Coast wine makers at the end can make for a complicated schedule. But he credits his years on the gridiron for his success.

“I learned the time management skills during my undergrad years, balancing football and school and social life. And now I’m doing the same thing with BMW and wine and social life and home life.

And the product is taking off. The company has seen production increase by 225 percent in the last year. Major retailers in the San Francisco area like Whole Foods Market and Ralph’s grocery are stocking the beverage, and it is now available as far south as Los Angeles.

The biggest challenge is getting the word out to potential customers, Bullard says. Spicy Vines sponsors tastings and has developed a full line of promotional materials, from hats and shirts to underwear, marked with the company’s “Keep it Spicy” slogan. It also has developed cocktail recipes offering new ways to enjoy the spicy beverage.

Meanwhile, it has been racking up awards, winning gold at the Pacific Rim Wine Competition and snagging a bronze medal in 2013 in the competitive and influential San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Crystalyn Hoffman, one of the original founders of Spicy Vines, says Bullard’s measured approached has been an enormous help in addressing personnel and business growth issues. “He’s very balanced. He cares a lot. He’s also very business savvy. He’s not afraid to pick up the phone and call, which is something