Tag Archives: responsibility

Associazione X e Y!

… e poi accade che ti chiama un “professionista” del settore. Uno di quelli che come inizia a parlare, si elogia e si sbrodola elencando i suoi benemeriti lungi 30 anni di carriera. Ovviamente omettendo, per esempio, i vari provvedimenti effettuati dall’AGCM, l’Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato a suo carico e sfavore.

Ti chiama perché cerca aiuto professionale, collaborazione, premettendosi come persona pulita ed integerrima; persona che, a detta sua ovviamente, non ha mai chiesto ne ricevuto nessuna commissione. E pensare che, di solito, è proprio chi fa queste premesse che poi, diciamocelo, razzola male. Chi altro, mai visto e sentito, ti fa una premessa del genere se non per lanciarti l’esca?

Insomma, dopo essere stato gentile e disponibile per comprendere se l’interesse fosse vero o meno; dopo aver fatto chilometri di strada per un incontro insignificante che non auguro a nessuno, ecco che, dopo tutto questo, il “professionista” in questione, inizia ad informarsi – non prima badate bene – e chiudendoti le porte in faccia per una presunta collaborazione che non avverrà mai, ti chiede le referenze nel settore, occasione ghiotta per poter riassumere le proprie, ovviamente.

A parte iniziare, per cortesia a domanda ricevuta, un elenco che lo lascia da subito senza parole, incomincio a notare una certa, come dire, ansia da prestazione finché, eccola, la domanda: “Ma lei, di che associazione del settore fa parte?

Sorrido, respiro e con calma, semplicità e profondo orgoglio, rispondo: “Faccio parte di …”

Lascio vuoto lo spazio dedicato al nome dell’associazione per questi motivi: non mi ha dato il tempo di completare il nome; non è mia intenzione passare per chi vuole fare pubblicità; non è il tema di questo post. Spero comunque di essere riuscito a trasferirvi la sensazione di taglio/vuoto che ho avuto anch’io, quando con la sua risposta immediata e concisa il “professionista” è montato letteralmente sulle mie parole.

“Allora io e lei non possiamo collaborare, perché io faccio parte dell’associazione Y”.

Ora, premettendo che a me, di che associazione si faccia parte o meno, non importa tanto da influire in fase conoscitiva sulle caratteristiche professionali o umane di una persona, visto che sono abituato ad una mentalità aperta come quella che esiste fuori dal nostro bel paese, ho risposto a tal “professionista” che vista la sua esternazione per me fuori luogo, ero io a quel punto a non gradire di aver a che fare con lui. Sinceramente, anche rincuorato da quella specie d’incontro, tutt’altro che professionale.

In tutta trasparenza, io mi ero informato prima su di lui, e pur sapendo del suo “schieramento”, ho acconsentito ad un incontro rendendomi disponibile ad una collaborazione, a prova del mio pensiero di cui sopra e di quanto già espresso in passato.

many hands symbolizing teamwork/power/unity/equality

Ecco qui, un altro estratto della nostra bella Italia, fatta da persone che per puri giochi d’invidia, poltrona o paura, si nascondono dietro un’associazione, un partito o addirittura, ahimè, dietro una squadra di calcio.

Come dissi a lui: “Povera Italia! Ma come possiamo risollevarci dalla crisi, se corriamo ancora dietro a questi sbandieramenti da bar Sport, senza imparare a fare rete e sistema? Neanche non si stesse parlando di Franchising!

Com’è finita? Per la cronaca, il “professionista” già ansioso, ha iniziato ad agitarsi talmente tanto che causa urla ed imprecazioni, mi ha costretto a salutare e a chiudere la comunicazione anticipatamente, malgrado stesse ancora parlando. Ehm, scusate, urlando!

Si, l’Italia è piena di allenatori e purtroppo anche di “professionisti”. Buon lavoro!

Follow the three cyrcles

I am currently working on a new challenging project, at DESITA, merging some of the latest food trends.

Food Retail scenario is changing and we are surfing the big wave.

After months passed studying the market and the food products related to this awsome project, I came across to the following article.

You will not read about the project (next time) or about something trendy but you should read it to understand yourself, if you wish to live in a better way:

“The universe really is amazing. There are cycles in everything in the universe. There are cycles in weather, the seasons, the economy, wars, moon, sun, animal populations, geological formations, sea, physics, clocks and a million others I don’t have room to mention.
But did you know that your body also has a cycle?
And I am not talking about the obvious, nor am I talking just to the ladies here. This information is important for Everyone, so listen up! If you are not familiar with body cycles yet, so much is about to make sense…
Your body runs on 3 eight-hour cycles per day. Formally referred to as the Circadian Rhythms, and known for thousands of years via Ayurvedic teachings, to me understanding and applying these body clock principles has been the reason behind enjoying easy digestion, keeping my weight from fluctuating, never experiencing fatigue and maximizing my metabolism.

These are the cycles:

4AM-12PM Elimination
12PM-8PM Appropriation
8PM-4AM Assimilation

During the hours between 4AM and 12PM, your body is in the Elimination Cycle. It never stops to work on your digestion and you can still eat or drink or whatever at this time, but understanding that this is the period most important for cleansing and releasing toxins (‘Eliminating’), we can make the right food choices if we are going to eat. It is best to stick to liquids and most hydrating living foods, as we let our body shed the toxins (think how you wake up tired, sweaty, headachie and with bad breath- all are signs of detox symptoms).

So if you do choose to eat during this period, it is important to go for anything that will require minimal digestion and supFreshiiGreenport this cleansing cycle, such as fresh fruit or green juices.

This is why you often hear experts refer to breakfast as ‘the most important meal of the day’, exactly so you can make a careful choice on what’s light on digestion, not so you can eat the most gigantic feast. You are breaking the fast (break-fast), so do it right or proper elimination won’t get a chance.

“The elimination cycle is without question your greatest ally in the preservation of health and prevention of disease”; “If a blood test was to be taken every hour for 24 hours, it would show that the bloodstream is most heavily burdened with the by-products of metabolism during the hours between 4am-12noon, indicating the stepped up elimination cycle, because it is the blood that carries waste material to the four channels of elimination: bowels, bladder, lungs, and skin”- Harvey & Marilyn Diamond, Fit for Life

During the hours between 12PM and 8PM, your body is in the Appropriation Cycle. During this period, we are most awake, active, present and therefore efficient at digesting, metabolizing and burning through the majority of our heavily concentrated foods. This is why the majority of meals (lunch, dinner and snacks) also occur during this cycle. The most important thing to do during this period however IS NOT to be dictated by the clock or so called ‘norms’ of mealtime, when we are too starving to care what we have for lunch and tend to shove so much food down ourselves too quickly, that by the time the body registers what happened, it is too late and we overeat, get bloated and ‘too tired’ to digest. The most important thing to do then IS to eat only when hungry and in smaller portions, so you give your body plenty of breaks and chances to break down through the food with the least required effort, so it reserves the energy for everything else you need doing, not merely wasting it on digesting your meals.

During the hours between 8PM and 4AM, your body is in the Assimilation Cycle. This is the time you are most likely to be relaxed or sleeping. This period is when all the ‘assimilating’ or absorbing of nutrients and minerals from your food occurs and gets transported to your organs, bones and cells via the blood. It is when all the rebuilding, renewing and healing takes place. It makes sense to eat dinner early, so that the foods you eat are digested and out of the stomach in preparation for this phase. As all the goodness gets drawn from the food for you to strengthen, the remains get ready for Elimination, the start of the next cycle all over again.

Freshii-WarriorBowl

Try this for yourself and be mindful of these three cycles for 10 days. Once you learn to pay attention to them, it will become second nature and your body will reap the bounty of benefits.

I wish to thank Tanya Alekseeva for the above great article!

Sostenibilità: la mia verità

Si, la verità. Nient’altro che la verità. Perlomeno la mia, ovvio.

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L’idea mi venne in mente lo scorso gennaio, quando alle prese con la presentazione per il mio intervento al TEDxBocconi, ho dovuto ripercorrere a ritroso più di 3 lunghi anni. Al TED, avrei dovuto parlare delle mie esperienze professionali in relazione con la sostenibilità, partendo dal progetto di ECOFFEE. Chi ha parlato in pubblico, senza essere un oratore e chi ha domestichezza con le presentazioni in Power Point, sa benissimo quanto sia difficile riassumere e racchiudere più di 3 anni di esperienze in 15 minuti e 15 slides a disposizione. Se poi, come detto nel post relativo, oltre all’emozione, ci si mette anche l’influenza …

Comunque, l’idea maturata nel tempo, è quella di scrivere per benino le mie esperienze, i progetti, le persone e le aziende incontrate e tutto quello che mi è accaduto nel bene e nel male, fino a questi giorni. In poche parole, esplicitare al massimo il mio intervento al TED, raccontando aneddoti e dettagli. Si, come detto, nel bene e nel male.

Perchè? Perchè la sostenibilità, quella vera, non è quella che si pensa o quella che si legge sui giornali o su internet. Non è quella che vi propinano le aziende dagli slogan tutti “green oriented” o i manager dai titoli inventati e posticci. Probabilmente non sarà nemmeno quella che vi racconterò io. Starà a voi giudicare, ma vi assicuro che scoprirete cose interessanti.

Quindi? Se avrete pazienza e voglia di leggere il mio punto di vista, prossimamente pubblicherò “svariati capitoli” sulle mie esperienze personali e la sostenibilità. Spero di riuscire ad essere abbastanza costante, perchè fino a febbraio ho già l’agenda abbastanza fitta di impegni importanti e viaggi all’estero e soprattutto, spero vi interessi.

Un ultima premessa: il mio blog è impostato sia per l’italiano che per l’inglese, a seconda di cosa voglio pubblicare e del pubblico a cui mi rivolgo. I post sulla sostenibilità saranno in italiano. Capirete da soli il perchè.

Buona lettura.

15 days of travels and food around the world

Last 12th of February, with a colleague of mine, I went to Ljubljana to meet some potential clients willing to develop a new food concept project. It was snowing and as soon as we entered in Slovenia, the panorama changed. slovenia0

Beautiful. Striking.

We arrived at the perfect time to make the check-in at the hotel and to have some free time to enjoy Ljubljana downtown. Have you been there? You should, its beautiful! Again the time was perfect to have an aperitif. We went to one of the most beautiful wine bar I ever seen, the Movia. The atmosphere you can brief there is totally brought from the vineyards. We had Movia Cabernet Sauvignon. Outstanding ! Dinner at River House.

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On the 14th, I flew to Madrid to meet an architectural and engineering group for Retail and Food & Beverages projects. Their great services are complementary with those of DESITA, therefore we met to find a mutual benefit business collaboration agreement. We succeed! Later on, we went to visit some of their projects. Dinner at La Tagliatella an impressive franchising concept.

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Last week I was in Dubai to attend to Gulfood. I was there together with FCSI EAME colleagues to guard the booth at the exhibition. We have been successful. Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) is the premier association promoting professionalism in foodservice and hospitality consulting. With over 1300 members in over 46 countries, FCSI members offer a wide range of consulting services including concept development, feasibility studies, food safety, design, marketing, operations and training. FCSI is changing a lot in its structure, philosophy and mission and we are all proud of this huge effort made by the Board of Directors. The website is brand new like the “foodservice consultant” magazine that provides authoritative insight, opinion and intelligence to help foodservice professionals keep in touch with the tings that matter.

It was nice to meet with clients, colleagues and old friends.

Dubai-Burj-KhalifaFor an important meeting I went to the Armani Hotel at Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It was my second time there after its opening and to meet with my guest, I went to the coffee shop in the lobby. Time was nice so we decided to share an Italian bottle of wine. With all my surprise, the young waiter served us the ordered white wine with apparent difficulty and … the white wine wasn’t cold and not even fresh. Unbelievable.

We pointed out the regrettable inconvenience and the waiter brought us immediately a new bottle … with the same warm temperature. We had to call the waiter back and ask at least for an ice bucket and wait for a more pleasant wine temperature.

The fact is that I paid that bottle like 70 Euro and I didn’t receive any good service. It’s a shame as we were in THE Location. Now I probably understand why the f&b manager didn’t reply to my emails last year when I had my dinner at Mediterraneo. Beautiful atmosphere but very normal food. I think Armani Hotel has a lack in training human resources. Mr. Giorgio, please do something!

While I was in Dubai, I’ve been invited from a Sheikh friend of mine to attend the Peru Food Festival at Madinat Jumeirah’s Souk Amphitheater. What a surprise the Peruvian food. It’s just great! And it’s considered on the the next food trend worldwide.

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So hurry up my friends, let’s organize a trip to Peru and all its wonders. Ready?

Well, I can’t write about everything happened because 15 days are quite long and things are many. I hope you enjoyed these few facts.

Traveling and sharing time with great people while having good food. Yes, that’s life!

Gelato. Done by the wind!

In Scotland, the ice cream that does not pollute is an example of how it can be exploited as a source of renewable energy such as wind. In Westertown farm in Aberdeenshire, the ice cream is produced by three wind turbines that can produce about 2.5 MW.

30% of renewable energy is used to power the farm and the rest is sold to Good Energy the leading company in the UK for renewable energy.

In addition to this, the company run by the family Makies produces 10 million liters of ice cream per year sustainable and aim to be one of the greenest business in Britain.

Although the choice of sources and the consequent reduction in CO2 emission, is his strong point, the choices environmental family Makies not seem to end here: many trees have been planted around the farm to encourage the repopulation of wild animals, also the biological waste in the production of ice cream are reused to fertilize the fields where it grows fodder that the cows they say they eat happy. 

What do you think of this “new attitude”? Is green business a real best practice? Well, I personally think, and ECOFFEE is the prove, that the world must change and even a small gesture like having a coffee or an ice cream, could help the cause.

In Italy we love gelato and we have Sigep, the most famous gelato Exhibition in the world. Should we think to improve this important approach and mentality starting from mass event to share the eco-conscious way of life and business?

What do you think my Sigep’s friends?

 

Kitchen nano garden

I never thought of buying a Hyundai!

Trust me, if this beautiful concept will be soon available, I will be the first out of the store and I guess, the first of a long queue. 

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I can already think about the same concept applied also to our business. Whatever will be an hotel, a restaurant or just a coffee shop, this could be a very revolutionary equipment that could solve lots of environmental and economic problems.

That’s for sure: I will surely add it to the ECOFFEE equipment list.

This cool concept could be the best way to sensibilities the people about sustainability and responsibility, especially young generation, enabling you to add a real vegetable garden to your apartment kitchen or coffee shop, without too much of trouble!

There’s anybody of Hyundai management reading this post? Please contact me, thanks!

Verso la sostenibilità: on-line il blog del Progetto ParCO2

Il Progetto ParCO2 nasce da un’idea di SERINT GROUP e DESITA. Sviluppata con l’apporto di L’UMANA DIMORA, è stato condiviso ed approvato da MEETING DI RIMINI, che vi partecipa a supporto nella fase di start-up, con l’intento di intraprendere un percorso verso la sostenibilità, al fine di diminuire gli impatti ambientali prodotti durante l’evento Meeting di Rimini, comunicando l’attenzione dell’organizzazione verso le tematiche ambientali, la responsabilità e la sostenibilità. Realizzare uno spazio permanentemente e polifunzionale che riporti alla realtà del Meeting ed il suo impegno a beneficio del territorio. Generare cultura ed incrementare l’offerta marketing offrendo contemporaneamente ai potenziali sponsor la possibilità di condividere la propria attenzione verso i temi trattati.

Maggiori informazioni su www.progettoparco2.it

Vi ricordo che sarò presente al Meeting di Rimini dal 19 al 25 agosto presso l’Area della Sostenibilità chiamata Meeting Hearth, sia con uno stand DESITA che con lo stand dedicato al Progetto PArCO2.

ECOFFEE produce le magliette per il Meeting di Rimini

Sono contento di annunciarvi che la linea di magliette eco-friendly di ECOFFEE di DESITA, con i suoi     eco-mindful message attached (di cui l’acronimo è riferito ad Emma, mia figlia), è stata scelta come partner da un cliente speciale: il Meeting di Rimini.

In occasione della prossima edizione del Meeting, che si terrà dal 19 al 25 agosto, ed in riferimento all’Area della Sostenibilità, denominata “Meeting Hearth“, abbiamo prodotto le Polo ufficiali per lo staff.

Le Polo, di color bianco, sono di cotone piquet organico al 100%, certificate OE100, realizzate stampando direttamente con inchiostri a base acqua.  I colori ad acqua presentano un’ ottima morbidezza sul tessuto e sono ideali per creare effetti di stampa più tenui e meno appariscenti. Gli inchiostri a base acqua hanno finitura opaca, quasi come se il colore avesse tinto il tessuto a differenza degli inchiostri plastisol che hanno finitura più lucida e superficie più plasticosa, del tutto impermeabile e non fanno traspirare il sudore. Inoltre il plastisol non asciuga in fase di stampa e quindi necessita assolutamente di una sorgente di calore a 150°C per polimerizzare, a differenza degli inchiostri ad acqua che possono asciugare a temperatura ambiente.

Come potete vedere, il logo è stato posto in corrispondenza del cuore, mentre la scritta staff, sulla schiena. Vi Piacciono? 

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Vi ricordo che sarò presente sull’Area Meeting Hearth, con lo stand DESITA, sia come espositore, sia come co-ideatore assieme a Serint, della stessa Area e del “Progetto ParCO2“.

H&M in the quicksand – A very short pop-up story

When H&M unexpectedly opened a new store on the beach of Riccione (Rimini – Italy) I thought this was a smart marketing action. Then I started wondering if this could work.   Of course the store would have benefited from massive visibility, but was this enough?

The great adventure of the pop-up store only lasted one week. It seems that those in charge of developing the concept did not have all relevant licenses.

The Italian Guardia di Finanza sealed off the area and confiscated property.           Someone thinks H&M violated some provisions, while others state inspections were too severe. It seems evident to me that someone chose to turn a blind eye in order to authorize the opening of this beautiful pop-up store on the beach. 

I think that if some licenses were missing works could not have been authorized.  And I’m also convinced that if inspections were too severe the shop couldn’t have been inaugurated.

Do you want to know my opinion? I don’t care who is right or wrong, nor which business activities were damaged the most. What really infuriates me is that in order to place the new pop-up store several square metres of “dunes” were destroyed, thus damaging an enchanting protected area gathering fine sand and lush vegetation.

Just for another shop! And I’m saying this in a conflict of interest. This behaviour is really not acceptable, especially because H&M has always been involved in sustainability and conscious collection campaigns, we also spoke about.

I think everyone involved in this matter should deeply reflect on it. Don’t you think so?