She Opened a Wine Bar for $100K. Then She Bought the Building

Hillary Zio spent twenty years working in wine for other people. Now she owns Isola, a twenty-four-seat wine bar in Kinderhook, New York with a list devoted entirely to the islands and coasts of Europe, and she owns the historic building it sits in. She's a Certified Sommelier, a wine consultant, a wine club founder, and the author of two books including her new memoir, Still Working in Wine: Twenty Years Later. She's also raising her seven-year-old daughter in the Hudson Valley. In this episode, she sits down with me to break down how she actually affords the lifestyle. Hillary and I walk through the $100,000 it took to open Isola, why year one was not profitable, and the half dozen income streams that fund the whole thing. She shares what it really costs to become a Certified Sommelier, from the $5,000 in coursework to the $15,000 to $20,000 in wine she bought just to train her palate. Plus, her rules for finding a bottle you'll love for $30. Hillary reveals the unexpected way she went from renting her restaurant space to owning the entire commercial building, what her in-ground pool cost to put in and what she pays every single summer to keep it, the $20,000 a year private school she no longer pays for, and the money belief that let her stop spending to impress other people. Get Ashley's Budgeting System (https://www.thefiscalfemme.com/budget...) to get clear on what's actually worth it to you, cut what isn't, and free up money for the things you really want. Get Hillary's new memoir, Still Working in Wine: Twenty Years Later (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2SPSJYN). Visit Isola Wine & Tapas in Kinderhook, NY (https://isolawinebar.com/), and follow Hillary on Instagram at (  / hillaryzio  , where you'll find her wine club, her online wine course, and everything else she's building. Check out Ashley's Money Club (https://www.thefiscalfemme.com/money-...) to join a community of women unabashedly going after their money goals. Here's what Ashley and Hillary cover: 0:00 Intro – Wine Bar Owner, Landlady, 2-Time Author & Sommelier in the Hudson Valley 2:00 Her Income Streams: What Actually Pays the Bills ($5K/Month Consulting + Restaurant) 8:00 How She Built a Profitable 24-Seat Wine Bar (The Strategy Behind Staying Small) 13:00 Opening a Wine Bar for $100K: The Full Cost Breakdown 18:00 How She Became a Landlady (It's Not What You'd Expect) 28:00 Is the Building Making Money? (Utilities Almost Killed the Math) 34:00 NYC vs. Hudson Valley: The Real Cost Difference 35:00 How She Saved Up for a $60K Pool (And the $10K Annual Upkeep) 38:00 "Nobody's Thinking About You" – The Mindset That Changed Her Spending 42:00 How She Travels 4 Times a Year on ~$10K Per Trip 47:00 The Divorce That Changed Her Financial Life (She Wasn't Making the Decisions) 50:00 Why She Gave Up Trying to Impress Anyone (And Where Her Money Goes Instead) 55:00 Her Wine Label, Europe Trips & What She's Building Next 57:00 What People Would Never Guess: She Reinvests Almost Everything 59:00 What She's Working Toward: More Wellness (Pilates Twice a Week)