07/13/2026
I thought opening a winery would be about growing grapes. Instead, I discovered it was mostly about navigating paperwork.
My husband and I planted experimental cold-hardy grape varieties in rural Colorado, hoping to prove that a changing climate could create new opportunities for agriculture. What I underestimated was everything beyond the vineyard. We launched during COVID while raising two young children without nearby childcare, piecing together health insurance, searching for financing, and navigating a series of permitting processes that often stretched months—or years. At times, it felt like my most successful crop was three-ring binders.
Initially, I viewed each obstacle as an isolated frustration: another form, another delay, another rule. But conversations with other entrepreneurs changed my perspective. Whether they ran breweries, machine shops, childcare centers, or software companies, their stories were remarkably similar. The barriers were rarely a lack of talent or determination; they were systems designed with the assumption that founders had abundant time, capital, and specialized expertise.
That realization fundamentally changed how I viewed government. I stopped asking, “Why is this process so difficult for me?” and started asking, “How many good ideas never make it because the process is this difficult for everyone?”
My experience taught me that effective public policy is not about removing standards or choosing winners. It is about designing institutions that protect the public while giving innovators a fair chance to succeed.
So, I ask you: what would YOU change… if you could?
