Join Julie Riga as she sits down with Simone D'Antonio, chef and co-founder of Mamma Mia, to explore how a childhood in a family of restaurateurs, a strict kitchen education, and the courage to pivot can shape your entire approach to entrepreneurial leadership and purpose-driven innovation.
In This Episode:
✨ Why growing up in a restaurant family builds discipline, work ethic, and resilience
✨ How timing and precision in a professional kitchen become lifelong leadership skills
✨ Why service is half of the dining experience and how hospitality has evolved
✨ How to turn your background into an asset when making a bold career transition
✨ How Mamma Mia turns Italian cities into products: Capri, Torino, Roma, and Milano
✨ Why embracing discomfort, even on camera, accelerates growth for founders
Key Takeaways:
📌 Timing is a leadership skill, and preparation allows a team to deliver together
📌 Your past is your foundation, and your background can become the base of your next chapter
📌 Service shapes the experience, because people remember how they were treated
📌 A career transition does not mean starting over, it means building on what you know
📌 Purpose-driven brands are built from the skills and stories you already carry
📌 Growth requires discomfort, and showing up while you are still learning is authentic leadership
Memorable Quotes:
"it's a tough environment where timing is everything" (Simone D'Antonio)
"50% of the experience is the service you get. It's not even the food." (Simone D'Antonio)
"the vision of the company is basically this crazy culinary tour of Italy" (Simone D'Antonio)
"you cannot please anyone, right?" (Simone D'Antonio)
Perfect for entrepreneurs, founders, creatives, and leaders who want to turn their experience into a mission-driven business through discipline, authenticity, and purpose-driven innovation.
Connect with Simone:
🌐 www.saymammamia.com
🍋 Mamma Mia, premium hemp edibles with classic Italian flavors
🇮🇹 Capri, Torino, Roma, and Milano
Connect with Julie:
🌐 https://stacklist.app/julieriga
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