Molly's Bottle Shop fosters a tight-knit community, while taking their business to new heights

Molly’s Bottle Shop—a Seattle-based natural wine store—symbolizes everything we love about small businesses. It’s inclusive, inviting, and creative—not to mention it sources and sells incredible wine that is adored by customers near and far.

Molly Ringe, the owner of Molly’s Bottle Shop, had already established a successful wine shop and a tight-knit community of natural wine devotees by the time she met Caleb, the founder of Black Gallina. But like many small business owners, she wanted to spend more time on the things she loved to do and less time on the things she didn’t.

Molly ultimately hired Black Gallina to manage a range of services—from building a parklet during the pandemic to streamlining taxes and finances—and found that it enabled her to spend more time traveling, buying wine, and engaging with her community.

What made you hire Black Gallina?

When I learned about Black Gallina, I actually wasn’t looking for help, and I didn’t really need it. But the Black Gallina team is extremely passionate about what they do, they’re smart, and I found that we share a lot of the same values, including helping small businesses succeed—especially ones led by women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.

I appreciated how good Black Gallina is at building community—which is something I’m passionate about—and respecting the way I wanted to run my business. Their helpfulness before we even officially started working together was incredible, and I knew they could be even more helpful over time.

What would you tell potential clients who are uncertain about hiring Black Gallina?

Don’t hesitate, just do it! Put your doubts aside, let Black Gallina learn about you and your business and values, and then let them help you for a month. Every person I’ve ever recommended Black Gallina to has said “Thank you, they’ve helped me so much.”

The reality is that small business owners can’t spend hours filling out taxes and payroll, but Black Gallina can and does a great job—and their rates are extremely reasonable. The services they provide are valuable because they enable you to be part of your community while growing and building your business. The peace of mind that comes with putting trust in someone frees you up to succeed in your business.

What does it mean to you to be able to focus on the things you want to instead of the things you have to do?

Knowing that someone cares about me, my employees, and my business is really powerful as a small business owner. Black Gallina has enabled me to spend more time on my hobbies—like traveling and scoping out wine—and business opportunities—like serving as an incubator for up-and-coming small businesses. I finally have the ability, space, and time to have those conversations and experiences.