Meet Sunny Fraser | Travel & Entertainment Writer, Beverage Consultant, Wine Judge

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sunny Fraser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sunny, what do you attribute your success to?
It’s simple, really, food, wine, travel and people. Food and wine especially have been integral to my successes as a non-profit CEO, a fiduciary banking executive, a boutique winery owner, an inventor and now, consultant and writer, so I recognize this deliciously dynamic pairing for its role in all of my accomplishments. It may seem superficial to some, but they may not grasp that the hobnob and the subsequent written posts about my experiences of eating, drinking and traveling have expanded my food and wine education, built my vast network, strengthened my credibility and broadened my reach.

For me, it has always been about collecting new people and connecting, making connections and being a connector. I relate to people through food and wine, spirits too. I have built a vast fraternity through food and wine. I pay it forward by connecting people through food and wine, allowing them to prosper through my resources and vast connections. My style of business relationship development revolves around pairing food, wine and people together, and my travels have allowed me to be a more versed, interesting storyteller that can relate to people across cultures. Food and wine can be a great icebreaker, a way to relate and find commonality to allow people to get to know each other better and this can lead to new and stronger personal and business relationships. I would match people with a perfectly paired wine dinner, and voila, they connected, built connections and I was their connector. People were always grateful for the experience and new relationships. Being invited to my home for dinner became the gossip and people would ask when it was their turn, and in return, they always wanted to work with me and send business my way. It has been a time-consuming, sometimes taxing, financial investment in relationship building and serial networking, but the success of my brand has revolved around giving and connecting. Food and wine have always been my “go to” assist. Sharing my food, wine and travel experiences morphed into writing and photography, both keys to successfully broadening my network.

To attain success, it also took a heavy hand of stick-to-itiveness and some forced and reinforced confidence. I am an introverted extrovert with a 51/49 brain (creative, innovative, organized and analytical). Yes, we exist. As a shy child, I pushed myself beyond timid and coerced the confidence. And now, I can be the life of a party, if needed, equipped with some good wine, food and interesting stories, so as John Lovitz famously said on SNL, “Get to know me!”

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think it’s best to focus on how I got to where I am today, and the rest will follow. I am a travel and entertainment writer and tastemaker, with a focus on luxury lifestyle, food, wine and spirits, passport ready and open to narrate any experience. I am also a business management and marketing consultant and connector with knowledge and resources in business organization and niche skills in beverage brand building and especially, fine wine and single-serve fine wine. Additionally, I am a wine judge in several national and international wine competitions. My story to date does not follow any traditional narrative, yet somehow each milestone provides the necessary experience to complement the next and there are some common themes that emerge and bind this tale of “many hats” together.

I have always been a social worker at heart, so it’s not surprising that I graduated with a psychology degree from the University of Florida and began my career as a public guardian case manager, acting as the legal guardian for indigent adults who were adjudicated incapacitated. It was where I began to hone my relationship building skills. With over 100 clients to visit each month, I had many personalities to please and placate. It taught me patience, reinforced respect, perfected my problem-solving, refined my troubleshooting and pushed me to persevere, de-escalate and maintain methodical details, all attributes necessary to many of my successes. Once I began my career, I always strived for more and was quickly promoted to a supervisor of the case managers, but that wasn’t enough, so I simultaneously enrolled in a Dual Master’s Program. I worked full-time during the day and took full-time classes and completed internships at night. Sleep was not a topic during this chapter of my life. I graduated with a Master of Science Degree in both Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, took my board exams, and became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a specialty in Marriage & Family Therapy and a Nationally Board-Certified Counselor.

This was my first significant crossroads, and I surprised myself by taking the unexpected path with a strong nudge from my life partner, David Gordon. While preparing to open a private practice, I was presented an opportunity to be the CEO/Executive Director of the company I worked for, the largest public guardian program in the country and the model for the State of Florida. I was 29, inexperienced as a business executive and leader, and maybe looked 15 in her mother’s suit, taking over the position only held by seasoned, middle-aged men. In my quest to confront my own status quo and push myself beyond my comfort zone, I became the youngest CEO of this non-profit organization. I wasn’t an expert in executive leadership at the time, but I was driven and keen in commonsense. I was thrown into the role with no training or roadmap, so I just took a methodical stance, dissecting each department (intake, case management, bookkeeping/entitlements, legal and administration) and immersing myself in every aspect from statutory regulations to audits to marketing and event planning, grant writing, donor relations and so much more. The board had terminated the entire C-suite and more to start with a clean administrative slate, so I filled five full-time roles from CEO, CFO, COO, grant writer/fundraiser and so on. Belief and resolve got me through this challenge. I always convinced myself that I could do anything I set my mind to and especially if I had good support by my side. Finding an efficient, well-educated assistant that fit with me well was a difficult task, but when I did, I mastered delegation and shined. I also recognized that relationship building and the cliché of “who you know” were critical to success across all businesses. I was a therapist who decided to use my relationship building skills to successfully cultivate connections in business.

Relationship building has always been my secret sauce. It’s a simple concept but takes finesse. I collect and cultivate people. This is at the core of all my successful transactions, so it stood to reason that I “killed it” when I was inexplicably recruited hard to lead business relationship development and fiduciary banking at a private bank. I really didn’t understand why the CEO of the bank wanted me so much, but it all came together when he said I was simply hired for my network. My network referred these multi-million-dollar, complex estate, trust, and guardianship cases to me, because I wasn’t a banker pitching a sale, I was a community leader, public guardian, therapist deescalating their complicated cases filled with confrontational family dynamics and the judge and attorney decision-makers saw a competent relationship expert in the room. It was brilliant.

I always had a sophisticated palate, desiring lobster over fish sticks, bearnaise over ketchup and Stilton over a processed American cheese single as a child. I suppose I was a foodie before the term existed. So how did an innately shy woman relate to people and find common ground? Food and wine, of course. Food and wine have been a part of my entire success story from building donor relations by auctioning off private wine pairing dinners at my home or business relationship development with my fiduciary banking clients. My secret ingredient has always been my vast network. It still is. I laughingly joke that there is likely no more than two degrees of separation between me and anyone I need to get to. So, it’s not classified when I say the final component to my success has been confidence. Is it innate? NO. Does it come easy? NO. But do I stand in line to get into a club? NO. I’m 5’3” and have learned to walk like I’m 6’ tall, look people in the eye, breathe steady, shoulders relaxed, core in and create a presence of being relevant all of time. People usually meet me and believe they already know me or have heard of me. They probably haven’t, but I’m outwardly confident and people are drawn to that. The bashful me gets a verbal beatdown from my strong, inner voice, reminding me that I win when I want to, when I truly believe in me.

When the cutthroat culture of an established old boys’ network felt like it was squeezing out the joy derived from my vast successes in corporate America, that is when I resigned to start my DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise), a majority female-owned company. I personally think that’s an advantage. I built and marketed a successful boutique, award-winning, Miami-based, California winery to Top 50 Wineries in the World on Twitter and to the first ever US winery to use social media on its wine label. I lived and worked in Miami, traveling back and forth to California, where my cooperative winery was located. I was certainly ahead of my time as it related to social marketing, but food and wine continued to be a consistent theme in building relationships. I discovered an untapped niche in fine wine over ten years ago, developing and patenting “Wine Tube,”  the first single-serve format for the delivery of fine wine. I became an inventor and have since been awarded a second US patent titled “Glass Wine Container.” I became a marketing expert in the niche of boutique, fine wine and single-serve fine wine, and I always wrote professionally in all of those positions. I handled all the copy that most companies pay a public relations or marketing firm to do.

I started successfully writing in graduate school when I was awarded a grant for sharing my story. I carried that over into writing grants awarded to the non-profit that I ran. From there, I even wrote the press releases that garnered national and international media recognition, including “Beverage Breakthrough of the Year” in a national food and beverage packaging magazine, TV segments and more. I handled the content for our websites and social media, romance copy for our wine labels and marketing materials, so it seemed like a complementary next phase to write about the events I attended, the restaurants I enjoyed and the places I traveled to. It allowed me to relate to others in a way that drew them into my personal experience and made them want to experience it in the way I did. My writing has taken me places, not just travel destinations, but on a whirlwind of recognition through national and international print media, TV interviews, awards, and an overall growth in my network.

Writing, for me, seemed like the clearest next step in my evolution. I have been writing for my entire career, but always task-oriented and never in a way that brought me pleasure. Writing about my experiences makes me happy, so I started to be a contributing writer for publications and decided recently to focus on my own brand, SunnyOnScene (SOS), as a travel and entertainment experiential writer for luxury lifestyle events, wine, spirits, food and more in the 305… and beyond. While I have a social presence, I am in the process of refining the SOS website (sunnyonscene.com) while simultaneously launching MiamiDineGuide (miamidineguide.com), a couples’ journey into dining, food, wine, spirits, travel and events in Miami and beyond. Both were founded out of a need to accommodate and appease many requests for suggestions of travel itineraries including food and wine, where to dine locally, nationally and internationally, what to drink, what wine to pair and more. People consistently seek out advice from us related to food and wine, so I determined there was a market for what was already stored in our collective brains and the new things that we would learn and encounter. The demand came from people viewing my social media posts and me consistently capping out on the number of personal friends allowed on sites, like Facebook. This morphed into Instagram and other social media platforms without limits. It was a means to an end, which led to writing and consulting, allowing me to finally focus more on my creative side.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, it would likely start with a four to five-course wine pairing dinner at my home with a curated group of guests that my bestie could relate to through food and wine. With a classically trained chef and wine expert living under my roof, it stands to reason that my home is one of the better places to dine in Miami and maybe, in this country. We do have a waiting list, seriously.

I’m a people pleaser, so I would allow my bestie to have a say. However, if my BFF wanted me to handle the entire itinerary, it would go something like this. Post Pilates class and weather permitting, Day 2 would likely be a trip south to Alabama Jack’s in Key Largo for some Bloodies, conch, fish dip and live music at this divey, waterfront institution, a fave of mine before I knew it was a Kathy Lee Gifford must. As a counterbalance, I would head northwest for an adventurous, nature walk on the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park. I love to share our beautiful city through a good nature walk and this one comes with exhibitions of alligators, ibis, herons, turtles, pond lilies and more. There would likely be a pit-stop or two heading home to include, Robert Is Here for fresh, made-to-order, fruit milkshakes at this exotic produce stand or just a quick look-see at the petting zoo in the back, featuring massive land turtles, goats and even, an emu. Time-permitting, I may slide in a visit to Knaus Berry Farm for a sniff of their famous, home-made cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, and possibly some souvenir jams to go.

I would, of course, check my schedule of events for the week, because Miami, as I have dubbed it, is “Event City USA” and you never know what is happening here, so some of the itinerary would TBD based on what might pop up on a given day.

Day 3 might include Pilates or a swim in the pool, a walk to the Chinese Bridge and Deering Estate, an in-home massage followed by a heavily requested house specialty of pastrami-cured smoked salmon scrambled in eggs and caramelized onions served on a toasted, scooped Everything bagel with chive cream cheese and crispy capers paired with tangerine juice mimosas and my adult-rated, iced lattés (espresso, whole milk, coffee liquor and Godiva chocolate liquor over ice). Then maybe, a trip to Wynwood for an art walk of sorts. Wynwood is known for its aerosol artists, with the streets, sidewalks and walls filled with graffiti graphics. While in Wynwood, it would be an Opentable toss-up between Momosan, Uchi and KYU for some bites. Uchi, if it was happy hour, because they have a “not-to-be-missed,” spectacular one, with only a short 1.5-hour window. Or depending on how much time we had, we may opt to head over to the Rubell Museum for a stroll of its provocative art gallery followed by some small plates at Leku.

Day 4, Pilates and then beach day, likely South Beach Day! It would probably start with a walk from the marina around South Pointe Park and along the boardwalk. If it was a month with an “R,” there would be a probable stop at Joe’s Take Away for some fresh stone crabs and fried chicken to enjoy on the sand. On a day where the cruise ships were heading out of port, it would definitely require a resy at Smith & Wollensky with an obligatory table on the water for the most surreal view of the ships departing to sea paired with a prime burger, fries and wine. Maybe, an after-dinner cocktail at Strawberry Moon at the Goodtime Hotel for some rooftop, lounging poolside, people-watching action.

Day 5, it would be the requisite nature walk of the day, this one through Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens and its butterfly conservatory. It would possibly be followed by a much-needed mani-pedi to restore and reconstruct the piggies after so many steps and miles. Sustenance would be had either in Coconut Grove with some moule-frites and bubbles at a Grovite institution like Bouchon or maybe, something newer and sexier, like Key Club, or crossing the highway to nearby Coral Gables for a delicious selection of wine and bites at Vinya Table.

On Day 6 and 7, if we didn’t decide on a spontaneous, quick road-trip to Key West for oysters, conch, cocktails and sunsets, the final days might include another beach day, but this one on Key Biscayne at the Ritz-Carlton for some pampered salt life. Another option would be some real Miami culture, by way of food-hopping down Calle Ocho. The ventanita (little window) of the famous Versailles is an essential stop for café con leches, then maybe, a walk-through Palacios De Jugos for a fresh-squeezed-to-order, exotic juice paired with a croqueta preparada (a panini-pressed Cuban sandwich with roast pork, ham, swiss, pickles, mustard and smashed croquetas). If my bestie preferred a more elevated version of 8th Street, then it would be Café La Trova at the bar, sipping mojitos, listening to live music and possibly jumping out of our seats to periodically salsa and meringue. Since adult beverages and foodie destinations are clearly a prevalent part of my BFF guidebook, I balance the indulgences, as I do in my everyday life, with consistent, healthy movement.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My life has been a compilation of many influences, so it’s difficult to shoutout to just one. I am the granddaughter of a legacy family, my grandfather, the late Frank L. Fraser II, pioneered the cruise ship industry in Miami and was the reason that the Port of Miami is now dubbed the cruise ship capital of the world. He died young at 57, so I never met him. Yet, I owe some credit to his history. Although he accumulated vast wealth, I am not an heiress, so let’s get that out of the way. I am self-made, having put myself through college and graduate school, and also got my first job on my own. His great accomplishments were impressed upon me from a young age, so I continually believed it was in my DNA to achieve. It motivated me to strive for betterment.

I didn’t have a mentor in the traditional sense, but I had many champions along the way and likely some who don’t even know the impact they had on me. My late father, Frank L. Fraser III, was a creative visionary, who with my uncle, came up with the brand name, Royal Caribbean. No, we don’t get free cruises, but I’m certainly open to it. My father, too, was a pioneer, usually ahead of his time, and shot with many arrows. He was a serial entrepreneur with the aforementioned traits, so life was a periodic nail-biter. He believed in the strength of women and instilled a drive toward independence and leadership. He was a kind-hearted man, with a charming magnetism that people were drawn to. I credit him with why I’m a giver and prefer giving over receiving. His career highs and lows left imprints, allowing me to grow and emerge into a competent risk-assessor.

My mother, Jacqueline O’Neil was #1 at everything she did career-wise, and I mean, national champion-type #1. Failure was never an option for her, ever. She was not-so-much a nurturing type, but she was uncompromising and resolute about tasks, attaining stardom in every area of interest. She was also a skilled, non-fiction writer, columnist and author, who had multiple books published by a nationally known publisher (no self-publishing here). Her accomplishments were all tangible and she certainly influenced my desire to be a writer. She inspired a “no fail” determination that both created a lot of success in my life and some anxiety. I mean, I’m hard on myself, my own worst critic, but remained resolute about reaching the top… Because mom.

My sister, Peggy Fraser, has always been a cheerleader, reinforcing my morale and reminding me that I have always been successful in everything I set my mind to. She shifts the narrative every time my confidence becomes shaky. My life partner, David Gordon, a classically trained chef, wine expert, serial entrepreneur, strategy consultant and consummate risker taker, can be credited with forcing me out of my comfort zone many times, pushing me to risk for reward. While my adventure in food, wine and travel started long before we met, he also expanded on that side of me too, inspiring a more well-rounded, well-educated, skillful foodie, sous chef and wine judge.

Other champions include my late uncle, Lewis Fraser, who would consistently say I was like my late Great Aunt Minnie, petite, strong-willed and independent. A woman to be reckoned with, who garnered respect from the surliest of successful men. He always believed in me, unwittingly elevating my confidence. He was a well-accomplished, retired man, who saw me as a well-accomplished, young woman and even honored me, at times, by seeking my advice and counsel. Then there was my aunt, who calls me her clone, Carole Fraser Graham. She provided a maternal type of nurture that was always scarce in my life, doting on me with compliments galore. There were also influences like the late Barbara Mofsky, a mother of a teenage ex, who kept me in her life by choice. She was consistent and there for me, checking in on me throughout college and beyond. Through her guidance, I was able to purchase my first property in my mid-20’s without any financial assistance, which started me on a path to asset creation at a young age. She was also a good role model for overcoming strife with elegance and class, which helped me get through many challenges and obstacles during my professional career with grace.

Next came Frank Repensek, my nonprofit CEO predecessor, who gave me some advice that helped me overcome the pre-anxiety associated with public speaking, something I had to do quite often throughout my career. He told me about a workaholic character in the late 70’s movie, All That Jazz, that was burnt-out and would look in the mirror every morning before getting on with his day and say, “It’s showtime, folks!” This line lifted me out of my own panicked head during moments at a podium, presenting to the Florida Legislature or Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners. It was quite effective.

Lest I forgot the supportive players, who let me shine, like Jessica Lira, a young Stanford grad, who was a fortuitous find for my Executive Assistant during my role as nonprofit CEO and later as a fiduciary banking executive. She was my first mentee and reciprocated with the gift of loyalty, trust and respect, following me from one position to the next, providing the necessary support for me to be an effective leader and making me sparkle brighter always. There was also Debbie Koch, a Senior Vice President of Gibraltar Private Bank at the time, who just believed I was the perfect candidate for an open executive position at the bank, encouraging and even pushing me to meet with the CEO, creating a steppingstone from nonprofit America to corporate America.

While I have influenced people socially since my 20’s, so much so that many longtime friends still call me “Sunbox” (the original SunnyOnScene), after my email address that would send out a social calendar of where my young professional friends and acquaintances should be, the term, “influencer” did not exist then. In 2005 when I started at the private bank, I was introduced to the term, Centers of Influence, and the acronym, COI, by their in-house SVP/Executive Coach, Suzie Hise. COI’s were integral to the bank’s success in business development, and it was right up my alley. I had always built relationships with influential people both socially and professionally, which was why the bank CEO heavily recruited me there. He was very frank that I was hired for my contacts and the influence I had on them. I had never heard the term before then and she was my intro. I suppose, the COI pre-dates the influencer, so I was an influencer before influencers existed, and I credit Suzie and the bank with influencing me to refine my influence, which I still employ in every aspect of my personal and business life to date.

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