The Flipped-Classroom Format 

 Self-Paced Prep: Independently review the weekly course material (6 chapters, 21 focused lessons) on your own schedule. Live Execution: Meet live for 60 minutes to tackle real-world roadblocks, test concepts, and learn dynamically from your peers. WHAT ELSE? - The Complete Wholesale Tool Kit: Advanced pricing calculators, goal planners, and comp set analysis templates to take the mystery out of distributed sales. - 6 Live Strategy Sessions: Interactive group deep-dives designed for high-level peer-to-peer learning and accountability. - Private 1:1 Coaching: One 45-minute private session with an instructor to audit your specific pricing structure or business goals.

Cohort Schedule. Wednesdays  9:00 AM PST/12:00 PM EST

July 8th: Session 1 "The Strategic Landscape" July 15th: Session 2 'The Fundamentals of Customer-Centric Marketing" July 22th: Session 3 "Introduction to Wholesale Pricing" July 29nd: Session 4 "Understanding Points of Distribution" August 5th: Session 5 "Introduction to the 5 Buyer Types" August 12th: Graduation & Session 6 "Advanced Financial Management"

Why Develop Your Wholesale Muscle?

Navigate the complex U.S. distribution landscape with strategic guidance ensuring profitability.

Mastering Distributor Relationships

Optimize performance and drive growth through effective partnerships and proven tactics.

Master Your Business Through Your Distributors

Leverage distributors as key partners for direct business growth and long term viability.

About M. Learning Academy

M. Learning Academy is a professional development platform dedicated exclusively to the alcohol beverage industry. Its instructors are current and former senior-level executives from within the industry who teach from direct operational experience. By combining strategic insight, financial and operational rigor, applied learning systems, and proprietary execution tools, M. Academy equips producers and suppliers with the skills necessary to strengthen performance and profitability. Created for winery and spirit brand owners, national and global sales leaders, and high-potential sales managers seeking promotion into executive leadership without traditional business schooling, the program is designed to accelerate real-world wine business mastery. M. Academy also serves professionals transitioning into VP-level or C-suite roles who require deeper financial fluency and cross-functional leadership capability.

Founder & Instructor Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 

Amanda is a nationally-lauded wine industry leader and business strategist with an expertise in creating future-forward and foundational success. Mrs. Higgins first rose to prominence in the industry as a founder and leader of the Ancient Peaks brand. It was Amanda who led the company as Executive VP from a family vision into a leading U.S premium wine brand. Amanda’s efforts have been recognized with accolades such as a Wine Enthusiast Top 40 Under 40 honoree award (2019), a Social Visionary of the Year nomination at the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards (2019), Central Coast Wine Industry Person of the Year (2020), and inclusion on the SLO Tribune’s Top 20 Under 40 list.

Founder & Instructor Peter Baedeker

Peter is the Owner & Principal of Baedeker Wine. He served as President of the $100M California distributor, The Henry Wine Group, which was acquired by Winebow in 2015. After graduating cum laude from Tulane University, Mr. Baedeker started in wine & spirits wholesale and quickly ascended the ranks in distribution to eventually manage a team of over 100 sales professionals. He went on to work in the brand development side of the industry and was responsible for creating a European sparkling wine brand that was acquired by a private equity enterprise. He has also served as Managing Director of a California estate winery and now guides American and European family wine business to success in the U.S. market.

Course Curriculum

6 Chapters · 71 Lessons

  1. 1

    Chapter 1: The Strategic Landscape

    1. Lesson 1 (Study Guide): Foundations of Wholesale  Free preview
    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Wholesale Vocabulary & Terminology

    3. Lesson 1 (Video): Foundations of Wholesale Video Free preview
    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Journaling Prompt): The "Partner vs. Commodity" Audit

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Quiz): Foundations of Wholesale Quiz

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Study Guide): The Producers Reality 

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Video): The Producers Reality 

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Study Guide): Systems, Tactics, & SKU Strategy

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Video): Systems, Tactics, & SKU Strategy 

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Quiz): Systems, Tactics, & SKU Strategy 

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 1 "Review" (Journaling Prompt): Activating Progress

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 1: Elite Small Group-Cohort Learning Session

  2. 2

    Chapter 2: The Fundamentals of Customer-Centric Marketing

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Study Guide): Mastering Distributor Relationships

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Video): Mastering Distributor Relationships

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Quiz): Mastering Distributor Relationships

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Study Guide): Partnering with Your Distributor

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Video): Partnering with Your Distributor

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Quiz): Partnering with Your Distributor

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Study Guide): Introduction to Customer and Competitive Set Analysis

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Video): Introduction to Customer and Competitive Set Analysis

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Quiz): Introduction to Customer and Competitive Set Analysis

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Video): Creating Your Real-World Competitive Set Tutorial

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Downloadable Workbook): Competitive Set Tutorial Workbook

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Study Guide): Competitive Set Tutorial

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 2: Elite Small Group Learning Session

  3. 3

    Chapter 3: Introduction to Wholesale Pricing

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Study Guide): How Profit Relates to COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Video): How Profit Relates to COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Quiz): How Profit Relates to COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Study Guide): Understanding Distributor Margins

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Video): Understanding Distributor Margins

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Quiz): Understanding Distributor Margins

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Study Guide): Deep Dive into Pricing Fundamentals

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Video): Deep Dive into Pricing Fundamentals

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Downloadable Tool): Deep Dive into Pricing Fundamentals

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 3 (Quiz): Introduction to Wholesale Pricing

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 3 "Review" (Journaling Prompt)

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 3: Elite Small Group Learning Session

  4. 4

    Chapter 4: Understanding Points of Distribution

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Study Guide): Changing Your Mentality

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Video): Changing Your Mentality

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Study Guide): Accounts, PODs and Avoiding Common Mistakes

    4. Lesson 2 (Video): Accounts, PODs and Avoiding Common Mistakes Free preview
    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Journaling Prompt): Accounts, PODs and Avoiding Common Mistakes

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Study Guide): Understanding Turn Rates and Seasonality

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Video): Understanding Turn Rates and Seasonality

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Study Guide): PODs, Inventory plus Turn and Earn

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Video): PODs, Inventory, plus Turn and Earn

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Downloadable Tool): POD Goal Calculator

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 4 (Quiz): Understanding Points of Distribution

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 4 (Journaling Exercise): Understanding Points of Distribution

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 4: Elite Small Group Learning Session

  5. 5

    Chapter 5: Introduction to the 5 Buyer Types

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Study Guide): Relationship vs Self Actualized Buyer Type

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Video): Relationship vs Self Actulized Buyer Type

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Study Guide): The Pricing-Based Buyer Type

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Video): The Pricing-Based Buyer Type

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Study Guide): Social Proof Buyers and Dr. Cialdini_Study Guide

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Video): Social Proof Buyers and Dr. Cialdini

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Study Guide): Analytical Buyer and Conclusion

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 4 (Video): Analytical Buyer and Conclusion

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 5 (Quiz): Introduction to the 5 Buyer Types

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 5 (Journaling Prompt): Catagorizing Buyers

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 5: Elite Small Group Learning Session

  6. 6

    Chapter 6: Advanced Financial Management

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Study Guide): Introduction to Advanced Financial Management Systems

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 (Video): Introduction to Advanced Financial Management Systems

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Study Guide): Understanding Contribution Margin

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 2 (Video): Understanding Contribution Margin Calculator

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Study Guide): Inventory Management

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Video): Inventory Management

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 3 (Downloadable Tool): Simple Inventory Spreadsheet

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 6 (Quiz): Advanced Financial Management

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 6 (Journaling Prompt): Advanced Financial Management

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 6: Elite Small Group Learning Session + GRADUATION!

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