MYSTORY WINE COMPANY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Owner
- MyStory Founder
MyStory founder, Alexei Khimenko, was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. At the age of 10, he was accepted into the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy. After graduating at 17, he joined the Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich Theatre. Alexei toured around the world for nearly four years, fulfilling his childhood dream of exploring the world, its cultures and traditions. Alexei's touring career brought him to the United States where he worked with multiple ballet companies before retiring as a principal dancer following 12 successful years.
Just before his 31st birthday, Alexei opened his first business - Aleksey's Market in Nashville, Tenn., where he sold Russian and Eastern European food and delicatessen.
Two years later, in 2005, Alexei expanded into to the wine and liquor business by opening Aleksey's Imports, a wine and spirits wholesale distributorship. At first it was a one-person operation, with Alexei taking orders one day and delivering them to customers the following day. But his business grew quickly, challenging Alexei to expand into East Tennessee with the opening of Aleksey's Imports Chattanooga. With his Nashville operation continuing to grow faster than expected, Alexei sold his market in 2006 and then the Chattanooga company a few years later to focus on the Nashville wholesale business.
In 2012, he was approached by Ajax Turner, Nashville's premiere beer wholesaler, and a few months later Aleksey's Nashville became part of Ajax Turner Co. After three years with Ajax Turner as Managing Director of its Wine and Spirits Division, Alexei left to spend more time with his wife and kids who were about to enter school, and to pursue his new dream.
During his career as a wine wholesaler, Alexei learned the inner workings of many suppliers' operations and helped launch multiple new brands. New brand concept development was always the most favorite part of his job. For quite some time, Alexei dreamed of combining his background in art and theatre with his experience in the wine business. He wanted to tell his story - and to inspire others to share theirs.
When I was in sixth grade, some kids made fun of my clothes. I came home and had an emotional meeting with my parents. They said, ‘we're poor, duh," but they challenged me to be the first person in my family to graduate high school. And I was determined I would never have to apologize for my clothes.
Certainly, there were always people who said something is not going to happen or that's impossible, but I realized who is responsible for what happens - it's you. You're the person responsible, so I kept telling myself: Success sits in your chair.
Building the businesses was not the most important thing in my life, but the rewards were. They allowed me to give back to the community and to the world. The single most important thing a human being can do is make sure the world is a better place because they are there.
I set the business goals in my life, I wrote them out and followed them. I learned about the world's best food and wine the same way. I found mentors who helped me understand and shared their experiences, and I encourage you to get out there and do the same. Write your own story!
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Consulting Winemaker
Victor Hugo Roberts is the owner/ winemaker of Victor Hugo winery estate vineyard.
The family legend has it that he was named after a great uncle and a great grandfather (the man who Anglicized the family name from the French name Robert to Roberts), with no reference to any literary connection.