Making Room by Gather
Hospitality. What do you think of when you hear that word?
For some it's old school 'stuffy' entertaining for others it's something to do with the hotel industry. One thing is for sure, as a culture we're not talking about it much.
Food * Design * Relationships have seemed to have taken a back seat to what our culture focuses on and values yet...we find ourselves in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. Something has to change, it's time to get back to our tables, and we're making room for it!
Making Room by Gather invites you into a new conversation on everyday hospitality. One that rewrites the way we approach opening your doors and filling your tables. Shifting the narrative from 'how does this make me look' to 'how does this make you feel' these buildable conversations aspire to inspire connection through everyday gathering.
Kayty's chic and a little quirky interview style will make you feel like you're sitting with a friend talking about how to grow in confidence as an everyday host. You can expect conversations from navigating challenging relationship dynamics to foundational cooking techniques and everything in between.
Whether you are a seasoned host or looking to develop new friendships and grow in your skills for the first time, there is a seat at the table. Join us weekly for new conversations with expert guests and with Kayty in her beloved Date with Kayt episodes. Continue the conversation @gatheritentionalliving
Making Room by Gather
From Grandma's Kitchen to the Nation: Dan Mancini's Journey with Mama Mancini's
This episode invites listeners into the heartwarming story of Daniel Mancini, co-founder of Mama Mancini's, as he shares his inspiring journey of transforming his grandmother's recipes into a national food brand. Through his narrative, we explore the themes of family, quality ingredients, and the power of food to foster community and connection.
• Daniel reflects on his bond with his grandmother and the influence of Italian culture on his life
• The transition from the garment industry to food entrepreneurship
• Importance of quality ingredients in creating authentic flavors
• Building genuine relationships as a key to business success
• The significance of "slow food" in a fast-paced world
• A wide variety of products reflecting traditional Italian recipes
• Encouragement to cherish family memories through shared meals
Tune in for a conversation that nourishes the soul as much as it does the palate.
Find Mama Mancini's on QVC, Costco or wherever you shop!
Follow them on social @mamamancinis
This Episode is Sponsored By:
Feast & Fettle get $25 off your first week of hand crafted, flavor packed meals delivered straight to your door so you can soak up the season with code GATHER25 at checkout
Watch our Youtube episodes here!
This time of year, I miss my nonna, my Italian grandpa, that we lived with for quite a few years, especially as a later teen and even, yeah, into early college, and for me, christmas is time with him. Christmas is the smells and the flavors and the shopping and the prepping, and he taught me how to holiday well. So this time of year, I think a lot about Italian food and the flavors and the culture and the community and everything that surrounds it, which is what makes this conversation extra sweet to me. I've had a few conversations on Italian heritage and culture, but none like this one. You guys know that I am a Costco enthusiast and a foodie through and through, and so there was a brand that was introduced to us that is sold at Costco and QVC and retailers across America, that is leading the way in prepared Italian food, and I knew that we had to dive into this conversation. Now I'll be honest. When this conversation first came to me, they said listen, there's this Italian prepared food brand, and immediately a few question marks went up for me how good is it? Are there any weird textures or flavors? And, more importantly to me, what are the ingredients? Now, if we're going to talk about Italian food, I knew that it had to be good, and not just mediocre, but really good. And so they sent some my way and I tried it, a little bit nervous, to be honest, but at first I knew that all of the ingredients were ingredients that I stood by. They were the real things that my nonna would use, that I would use in my own kitchen, that were whole and good for my body, no weird preservatives or anything artificial. So I tasted it and I looked at my husband, colby, and I said how in the world did they manage to capture this, fresh off the stove, long simmer, straight from Nana's kitchen, flavor and texture and experience. I don't know how they did it, but they do it. And so, right after I tried it, I knew I had to talk to them do it. And so, right after I tried it, I knew I had to talk to them.
Speaker 1:Dan Mancini has this incredible story that so many of us will find inspiring and can relate to in different ways, of working from the moving from the garment industry in New York City to turning his grandma Anna's recipes into this nationwide sensation. This story is heartwarming and inspiring, whether you are an Italian foodie like me or you are someone who is looking for a massive career shift. There is so much about this conversation that will just warm your heart, especially as we go into the holiday season, but if you're not familiar with Mama Mancini's or Daniel and his story, here is a little bit more about him. Daniel is a co-founder of Mama Mancini's, a longtime entrepreneur, having spent many years as a co-owner of a successful garment manufacturer in New York City Through the ranks of the retail apparel industry. Daniel is a master at relationship building and we talk more about that, which was one of my favorite parts of the conversation. In 2009, daniel left the garment industry with a vision to manufacture and distribute his grandma, anna Mancini's recipes. Daniel is the public face and the sound of Mama Mancini's, including a key component of their new products and customer sale process. Daniel is the voice of radio advertising and on television sales representative of the company and their products on QVC Guys.
Speaker 1:This conversation is one that is really, really sweet to me and, again, italian culture and food goes right along with the holidays, and I hope that it warms your heart the same way it did mine. Well, if you are going into the season and the new year and you are just like my goodness, I feel fried. I don't want to cook. I need some help with my school's lunches and snacks and the kids are home all day long and you need help feeding them. Feast and Fennel wants to come alongside you. They want to get those snacks in your kids' mouths and off of your plate so you don't have to do any prep, any shopping. Private chef, intentionally curated, good ingredients that you could feel good about feeding all those hungry mouths that are in your house this season. G-e-l-ecom and use code gather25 for $25 off your first week. Some of my favorites are their egg bites, their overnight oats. I love their lunch salads. We love their dinners. We love all of it. And if you are in the Northeast, you get to take a breather as you end one year and start the next to feed your family. Feed them well, feed them with ease and you can feel good about it. That is gather25atfeastandfedalcom for $25 off your first week.
Speaker 1:Hi, I'm Katie, a hospitality educator and the host of Making Room by Gather podcast. I am set to see our communities get back to the table through hospitality, but it wasn't always this way. My husband and I moved to Thailand and through it I experienced some loneliness, and with it I was given a choice to sit back and accept it or to do something about it. And for me, that meant two things that I needed the healing to learn how to accept an invitation and the confidence to know how to extend one. Through this process, I developed some of the richest and deepest relationships of my life.
Speaker 1:Through Making Room by Gather, you will hear conversations from myself and experts in the areas of food, design and relationships. You see, there are countless things trying to keep us from the table. But can I tell you something? Take a seat because you are ready, you are capable, you are a good host. I tell everyone that I'm Italian. Okay, so, like, if you meet me, it's like hi, I'm Katie, I'm Italian Basically. That's how it goes, and the running joke is that I'm not really Italian because technically, I'm only 25%. So I was raised living with my Italian grandpa who was a hundred percent Italian. But when it all breaks down mom side, dad side, right, I'm only 25%, but I hold very tightly to my Italian heritage the culture, the music, the food, all of it. And so it made this conversation very exciting for me because, technical numbers aside, I am Italian.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, I think everyone, when you speak to them, they all say they have some Italian in them. And you know what? It's more than heritage, it's more of a feeling and what you love. So good for you.
Speaker 1:I love the way that you put that. Like you put some Dean Martin on, like the rat pack, I feel like everyone wants to be Italian.
Speaker 2:You know, I used to say that. But then some people would you know, friends of mine give me a dirty look, saying, well, I'm not really. It's meaning that I'm not really. I said, well, no, I bet you back there somewhere. And I and I always say to them so where do you like to travel? To Italy, everybody says Italy these days.
Speaker 1:So I mean it's, we're going to talk a little bit more about your family, and specifically your grandma, and of course, about you as well. But so I live in Connecticut, right near New Haven. Have you been to this area? I?
Speaker 2:like peppy pizza.
Speaker 1:Of course. Okay, so you're peppies. Is that your loyalty?
Speaker 2:I'm a peppy. Well, I'll be honest with you. Whoever is not as crowded I go, so Sally's or peppy's, but I love peppy, so yeah.
Speaker 1:I had a guest a few weeks ago that was Sally's through and through. But you know how it goes you eat your way through and then you pledge your loyalty.
Speaker 2:That's it, and it's amazing the battles that happen over those two places.
Speaker 1:Right yeah, as a little kid we grew up, I was down there all the time eating at, oh my gosh, tony and Lucille's. I don't know if you've ever eaten there, and they have since closed, but once it gets past a certain point in the night, it's a little bit questionable down there. There's a lot that goes on, as I'm sure we can all imagine, but I talked to some older family members and friends that are Italian, more Italian than me, and they said that it wasn't always this way. It wasn't always the way that people wanted to be Italian. It actually was a hard life for Italian immigrants when they first came over. Was that part of your grandma's story? I mean, we'll get there, oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. My grandparents came here in 1921. Actually, my grandfather came over first. He came over in 1919, end of 1919, established a business. He was an ice man you know the old days where you heard about stories about carrying ice up the steps and then he went back to get my grandmother and they came back in 1921. And, yeah, I mean, nothing was easy, right, they left there. The most, the most uneasy thing about it, I believe, is my grandmother left behind her mom, her dad and 10 brothers and sisters to come here to start a new life, which says a lot about you know being dedicated and you know believing in our country.
Speaker 1:So yeah and no. No FaceTime, no Facebook updates. I think, like when we really stop and realize what that looked like for them, it's you get a new appreciation, a new empathy, right Understanding of what they went through. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I remember there were a lot of stories, too, that family friends have told me. All of my grandparents have since passed away, so in my adulthood I don't have them to share those stories, but we have family friends. Yeah, and they would say that as Italian kids in America they would get beat up Like it was pretty intense racism against Italians. And yeah, it's.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've heard that you know, I grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, so you know, I didn't, I fortunately I didn't experience that. But good. And it was a diverse neighborhood as well, but everyone seemed to get along.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's good, definitely has changed. Well, your background is very interesting to me and I don't think so. I've interviewed a lot of people in the food scene. I have never had anyone with a story like yours. So you made, I mean, talk about drastic shifts. The reason I love sharing about career shifts is because I feel like so many people want to make them but they're scared to take the step. They think kind of like yours, like oh, I have, I'm interested in something totally different, but it's never going to work. And your story says something different, right? So so you were in the retail apparel space. Did I say that, right? Is it safe?
Speaker 2:to say yeah. So I actually started in the retail apparel space working for a department. So is that a long gone? Probably before you're born, abraham and Strauss and Gimbels. And then I made a career change in like 83 to the manufacturing business in New York, clothe, the garment business.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how did you get into that Cause? That's very I mean, that's really specific. You'll hear people like doing fashion week jobs or things like that, like all content creators. That's what my generation hears, but retail apparel manufacturing that's very specific. So how did that start?
Speaker 2:So I was working uh, again in department stores my whole career at that point and the last job was working for a department store called Alexander's. And this was when all these big sale days started. Years ago they didn't have sales. It was like once a year it was called the day, and tonight sale. Now, all of a sudden, everything was a sale day and I remember sitting in the office closing the store at midnight. That was when we were closing and I looked at the clock and I said I've lost my mind. I got to make a career change. So I actually called a friend of mine who was in the garment business, a family friend forever. My wife and Debbie her name is Debbie have been together forever as friends and she was in the garment business. She said I have a friend, let me connect you. And I moved from. She said I have a friend, let me connect you. And I moved from uh, uh, alexander's to uh, a company in the garment business, like overnight, which I love, by the way. I loved it, I loved it.
Speaker 1:I absolutely loved it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did it for a long time, 25 years.
Speaker 1:I mean, I feel like we can make a whole episode just diving into that.
Speaker 2:Oh, I have stories about the garment business back in the 80s when it was what you hear about. It was pretty wild, but I remember my grandpa, I absolutely loved it.
Speaker 1:My grandpa, who was a true I mean true Italian man through and through. I mean everything that you would expect he was. And then he was actually in the trash business as well. He had a trash business but he dressed so sharp and loved his clothes and loved the shoes and what was as fashion started to change. He got so frustrated with fast fashion, you know he missed that kind of like old world's department store. You know industry.
Speaker 2:It's true, it's sad, it's gone right. Yeah, it is, it really is. You know, now we go on online and we buy everything which is what I do also but you miss that whole environment of really seeing like a fashion show in every store. You go to right, it's really what it is.
Speaker 1:And the connection to a person right, yes, yes, like he always talked about, like his shoe. You know, I don't want to say shoe guy in a negative way, but, like you know, there was a person for everything.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely yeah, and that probably had the shoe guy. He probably had the suit guy, the guy who went for his shirts his hat probably wore fedoras or hats, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, not as much, but a little bit, yeah, yeah, wow, that's so. It brings me back, as we're talking about this, to all the stories that you know. It's so sad. As a kid, a young teenager I was a teenager when he passed. I would hear these stories and roll my eyes, and now I'm like man. I wish I'd sit for hours and listen, you know, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's important to capture those stories. I tell people because people ask me now, how did you get the recipe? Like what happened, and I said I was very fortunate. You know, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and I say capture all the stories. And I didn't. I learned all the food but I didn't capture all the stories about their life in Italy. And you know I feel bad I didn't. But I always tell everybody if your grandparents are alive or your parents are alive capture the stories.
Speaker 1:They're important. There's that company. They don't sponsor us. Probably should, is it? Is it story worth? Do you know what I'm talking about?
Speaker 2:it's, uh, yeah, it's, I'm gonna look it up, though sounds I know colin might work with them or something.
Speaker 1:Um, uh, it's this company where it sends, like your grandparent or the matriarch, patriarch in your family, an email or a text, like every day, every week, with a question prompt, and they fill it out and then at the end of it it prints it into a book and you could buy one for everyone in the family.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's really cool.
Speaker 1:It is really cool. We were given one from my husband's grandparents. It's really special as pictures, but I'm definitely missing that from my family as well. So your career switched pretty drastically, though. From here you moved to the food industry. So here's the deal. My husband and I worked in the food industry just a little bit. We had talked about the possibility of having products on shelves, possibility of opening a brick and mortar. We mass produced food and sold it at expos. We've had like little tastes of everything. I've taught food styling workshops. There's a lot of the industry that people don't know about. There's a lot to learn, especially if you're not from it. So when you made this leap to enter the food industry, did you have some kind of a background or did you just go in and deep dive?
Speaker 2:Knew nothing about it. Wow, absolutely nothing. I was. You know it was about 2008. You know, if you think back 2008,. The economy was crashing, you know everything was turning upside down. And then the garment business it became really tough. I mean, it went from where Macy's had eight Macy's across the country, corporate offices. You had one, so now you're dealing with one buyer and it just was so difficult.
Speaker 2:I said I can't do this anymore and I just had this thought what if I took my grandmother's recipe for her meatballs and her sauce? Because I knew you could find a meatball in the supermarket in the frozen aisle, and I just called it a lab project? To me it wasn't a meatball. I would be like what is this? And you could find decent sauce in jars that you could, but you couldn't find it put together, which is the way it's supposed to be. And I just thought to myself you know what, maybe, if I find a way and this is truly where my head was if I find a way to take my grandma's recipe for meatballs and sauce in this climate we're living in, where everybody's freaking out, maybe it'll help people go back to the dinner table, like I remember growing up simple dinner, sit at the table. You know you have your family fights and your discussions and good days and bad days. But there was. I just that's really what I thought about and I took a pot of meatballs no company, nothing, no name and I went into Whole Foods with it to try to get someone to try it and they just kept trying to throw me out.
Speaker 2:They were like you can't come in here with a pot of meatballs. I said, well, you know, I just and this was on a monday, the night before was 60 minutes and they did this whole thing on whole foods and how they like to help local people, start companies and or at least you know, support it. So I said, wait a minute, you just did this whole thing on 60 minutes. And they were like, yeah, but you just, you know, you can't come in here with a pot of meatballs, so, so I wouldn't leave. And eventually the guy said all right, sit down at the cafe.
Speaker 2:And out came the prepared food manager and he tried the meatballs and he said this is the best meatball I've ever had. What's the name of the company? And I said I don't have a company. So that's truly how the whole thing started. So it really and that gave me, you know, the hearing. You know, to me Whole Foods was the supermarket. Right To hear this guy say to me this is the best meatball I've ever had. That was like my, you know, check that. Okay, this is not a bad idea.
Speaker 1:So maybe other people don't care as much as I do. I'm kind of geeking out because, again, I know that process and once you get into Whole Foods, that's a huge like accelerator right To have them behind you and so that's a it's a huge food career milestone. So I mean you could share whatever you wanted, whatever highlights you wanted, but what were the next steps for you? Because now you guys are QVC Costco, I mean the whole country.
Speaker 2:It's insane, it's in the whole country. It's wild.
Speaker 1:So I think what I'm really appreciating is you made a career shift. You were incredibly determined, which I appreciate, because it requires that. I mean, it requires that, but then things really took off. So what were the next few steps after that?
Speaker 2:So the next thing I did was I approached a local supermarket opening up in our town that was in South Orange, new Jersey, and it was a supermarket opening up called Eden Gourmet. They were a division of Garden of Eden in Manhattan and I met with the three owners and I said look, I really want to do something with this meatball. And they tried it and they said the same thing. They said you know what? We'll support this if you figure out a way to make it. And honestly, I didn't have a clue how to make bulk meatballs right. I knew how to make shirts and pants, ladies' sportswear.
Speaker 2:So a neighbor of mine had retired. He was in the food business for many years. His name was Carl Wolf and he had another business, was an appetizer business, but he was a guy who started a company called Alpine Lace Cheese Very successful, really nice guy. And I went to him with it and I said what do you think of this? And he goes I think it's a great idea, let's do it. He said, but you're going to have to be the one he goes to run this thing around and get it going. He said well, you know, we'll make the meatballs, you know we'll be that part of this with you, but you're going to get it going. And I literally just took packages of meatballs to all the local supermarkets and, little by little, it was like I tell people, one meatball at a time is how the company started, literally, and it wasn't easy but it was a struggle.
Speaker 1:I love hearing, though. I mean, so many parts of your story are similar to parts of our story where you have to ask. Once you have the dream, you have to speak it, you have to tell people about it, you have to network and find community and keep knocking. And it's incredible. I'm incredibly excited for you guys. Costco is my favorite. I always say I do like so much free advertising for them because I'm just obsessed with their company.
Speaker 2:I don't know the ins and outs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know the ins and outs, but for you guys to land there and just huge names getting to everyone's tables, that's a huge accomplishment. So we're excited for you. But the lady behind it all is your grandmother, Anna. What did you guys call her?
Speaker 2:Nana.
Speaker 1:Nana, you did so, not Nana, yeah.
Speaker 2:No Nana.
Speaker 1:Nana, that's really sweet. Okay, so my Italian grandpa somehow ended up Nana with an A at the end, which is not the correct one. But no, that's more of the feminine version, but that's how we ended up. No one knew that was my Nana, but your grandma, anna Nana is the lady behind it all, so what was it about her cooking and her recipes that you were like, oh, this is different.
Speaker 2:So first of all, I grew up in her home. Right After my grandfather passed away, we moved in with my grandmother. The old saying is to take care of her, but she truly took care of all of us and she would cook seven nights a week. I don't ever remember going out to dinner when I was a little kid. We all just ate home and everyone loved her food.
Speaker 2:So you know, fast forward, when I had this thought of you know doing this at the time crazy thing, which you know really was it was like you're going to take a meatball and sell this meatball. But I remember when she made the meatballs, everyone loved them. There was no one who said I don't like this. And also people would say to us in the neighborhood, the neighbors next door, or we had distant cousins who lived in the area or just friends. So when's your grandmother making the meatballs? We want to come over. And I just connected with the fact that when she cooked, whether it was the meatballs or the lasagna or anything else, the house filled up with everybody and it was a happy. Everyone loved it.
Speaker 2:So you know, I kind of thought you know, grandma's got the recipe. It's not a complicated recipe. What I realized was that, like I said in the beginning, you know all the meatballs you see in the supermarket I call land projects and I didn't understand it. And that could be a reason why this thing actually happened the way it did was because we didn't go into this with, okay, we have to add all these ingredients like everyone else does, because that's what America wants. I thought to myself I don't think America really wants that. I think that's all America is being offered. Think america really wants that. I think that's all america is being offered.
Speaker 2:So we you know I we follow grandma's recipe beef, romano cheese, eggs, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, that's it. And little by little, you know people caught on that. Okay, this first of all. When I say grandma's recipe, there truly is a grandma. A lot of people say in the food business oh, this is my mom's or my aunt's or my cousin's or my grandmother's, and then you look at the ingredients and you go your grandmother used these ingredients. And then you know these are like from, from, like you know a pharmacy, she didn't use this. So it truly is grandma's recipe. So that's.
Speaker 1:That's such a good quote, dan. That's such a good like soundbite. It's so real, you know, so real, it's very real. It's very real. Like I don't know if you feel this way, I feel the same way about sausage in our country right now. So there's a lot of people in our life that aren't Italian and so they'll use sausage and I chew it and I'm like this is like rubber. This is an Italian sausage, right.
Speaker 2:You know it's great, it's funny you say that so fast forward. You know, when we got the company off the ground, we were trying to add new items and one of the items we wanted to add was a traditional Italian sausage pepper and onion and onion. Now, keeping to grandma's you know, not her, maybe, her recipe for the sausage, but her, her vision of what a sausage is supposed to be for us. You know, I always say she's watched, she's on North Star. So I always say but grandma put this on the table.
Speaker 2:We couldn't find a sausage that didn't have nitrates in it and we're like this is no good. So it took us over two years to really put a recipe together. And you know, you know, and make this sausage that was pure. For the same reason you said and when you know people eat the sauce and they're like, wow, this doesn't taste like any other Italian sauce I had, I said in a good way or in a great way. You know this is because it's what grandma would put on, like what any grandma would want on her table.
Speaker 1:It's so funny. Sometimes people will cook Italian food and they're like oh, it doesn't taste the same as when you make it or when I eat it at this restaurant. And I think that the ingredient quality, like you're saying, is what people are missing, like a good Parmesan versus a cheap Parmesan right or a good balsamic versus a cheap balsamic. It makes a drastic instant difference?
Speaker 2:Yes it does, and it's a little bit more expensive.
Speaker 1:But to me I'm like I'll sacrifice, I'll leave something else behind for a good balsamic, because-.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and so the way I address that is. Some people will say well, you know, the sauce is a little more expensive than I said, but wait a minute, you're holding a cup of, you know I won't name the chains coffee. You just spent six bucks for a cup of coffee, but you're not going to spend, you know, six bucks for sausages that could feed family of four. So they go. Yeah, I guess that's true. So quality, you know, and quality has become really important these days. I've noticed, you know I'll go to the supermarkets, but Costco especially, and that's the place and I could send you 20 photos of this People read the labels now.
Speaker 2:Yes, everything they pick up, they turn it around, and of all ages, you know my daughter.
Speaker 1:That's why we're on this interview right now. I'll be honest, because people will say can you like? Can we talk about this package food or this package food? And my husband and I really value quality food. You know, like we have a family now, I've had my own health issues that we're trying to like. We worked through for a few years and the first thing that I did was look at your ingredients on your packages, on your products, and I was like you guys, we share a value here. And I'll tell you even more than that you guys definitely value quality ingredients. You show that in everything you do, but it shows in the taste too, so it's a ripple effect. So you're right, it is.
Speaker 1:People do read the ingredients. It's important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they're important. So one of the first times I realized that those ingredients made that big of a difference, back in 2009, when we just really started going, I networked with everyone I knew in life and I said I want to get on either the Rachel Ray show, the Martha Stewart show, and Martha had her show. Remember, it was the Martha show. Right, did you do it? So what happened was I went on for the longest time networking. No one knew anything. And then I finally connected with a friend who knew how to get me to Martha and within like a week of bringing her up a Martha package of my meatballs and sauce, I'm on the show and she opened the show talking about she holds the package up and she talks about my grandmother and she talks about the ingredients. And when that happened I said there it is, it's it matters.
Speaker 1:Yes, Goodness. Well, I am very excited for you. That's like everyone in the hospitality industry. It's like just got to get some.
Speaker 2:Martha, I love her. I love her what she did for me that day. You know, it was a time when a lot of people thought you know, I was crazy, like you know, really, and when I stood like if you watch the videos on YouTube, when she actually holds the actual package up, you could see me almost pass out. I was like, wow, you know, this is so.
Speaker 1:Those moments I mean I can almost like get the chills as you're saying that when I was first kind of like starting this show and taking a pivot in my career to Jacques Pepin or people say his name differently, but yet he came on my show. He lives in the same town that I live on, I live in and his support for us just in the show and to sit down and take an hour of just like undivided attention, it had a very similar effect and so I can understand that he's a big deal.
Speaker 2:He's a big deal. Yeah, he's a great guy.
Speaker 1:He is. He is very, very sweet. Well, one other. If you see me typing, I'm taking notes. I forgot to put a pen and paper here. I wrote this note that people say that food doesn't matter when it comes to hospitality, and I understand what people are saying. People are busy and they're saying don't make food be the end, all be all, just make, just spend time together. That's what's most important, and I can understand where people are coming from. You don't want to wait for perfection in order to gather, but I want to challenge that a little bit. I think that food matters more than we realize, and the example that you gave with your grandma, anna, where, when she had meatballs, it created this whole experience. It was a core part of the memory. And so what happens is, as a country, we've gone to fast food so much chips and dip, things like this, which all have its place but we've lost what I call slow food, we've lost the slow cooked, we've lost the quality, and food really does matter, oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Food is what brings people together. Yes, right.
Speaker 1:And good food inspires and connects us in a way that's hard to put words to.
Speaker 2:Yes, right, so, and good food inspires Right and connects us in a way that's hard to put words to. Yeah, yes, absolutely, and it's about slow food on. So I go, I'm on QVC pretty often. I'm on at least once a week, sometimes twice a week, and one of the expression Thank you.
Speaker 2:One of the expressions the host will use is when they talk about they go. Mama Mancini's is not fast food, it's slow food. Fast meaning because of the quality we bring to you. We're bringing you slow cooked, real food that you can get to your table quickly and spend more time with your family or your friends and enjoying your life.
Speaker 1:So do you use that on? Like every t-shirt and every package that is such?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're slow food fast.
Speaker 1:That is a fabulous way to describe what you guys have created. Yeah, yeah, so good food. Yeah, no-transcript. You guys are in the right place at the right time.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Okay. So we talked a little bit about QVC. We dropped the Costco word, which my listeners love. We've dropped a few of these other retailers. We haven't yet talked about what you specifically offer, and so I know you offer quite a bit. I sent you guys an email when we first started and said, listen, I'm gluten-free, what do you have for me? And you sent me a great selection. But talk to it doesn't just have to be the gluten-free listeners. What are you proud of that you offer these days?
Speaker 2:So, first off, we offer my grandmother's original recipe for her beef meatballs and her sauce. Right, and that's what you're going to find Like if you go to Costco or if you go to pretty much any supermarket across the country Publix, the whole country and then we offered from there we have our turkey meatballs and sauce. And you know, people would say to me back then well, your grandmother didn't make turkey meatballs. I said yeah, but my grandmother would approve of this turkey meatball. So right, and she would, and I know she would. So from there we offered the sausage, peppers and onions and we have an extensive line.
Speaker 2:Now. We have a fettuccine Alfredo with roast chicken. We have these paninis we just launched. These Italian paninis are so delicious. We have meatloaf, an Italian-inspired meatloaf, and my grandmother would make this meatloaf. She found a way to take American dishes and put her spin because that's what she knew. So it has pecorino Romano cheese in it and that's what makes it. You know a little bit Italian, so we have that.
Speaker 2:You know, I always tell people you can go to our website. You know mamamansinescom, and we have a store locator. We have a list of all the items but it's extensive and we keep, you know we keep adding, you know, like we just added these paninis recently and we also just added, which we're rolling out now, roasted chicken breasts and flame grilled chicken breasts, italian seasoned, that I could tell you they're so delicious. And going back to quality, my daughter, with kids four and one, I had sent her some of this roasted chicken we do and she texted me yes, she goes, dad, the kids love it, do you have any more? And I feel good giving it to them because she's a Costco shopper and she reads every label like most do. So it's pretty extensive at this point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how does it come, dan? So I know that mine came frozen. Is that common? How does it arrive to shoppers?
Speaker 2:Right, so well, we shipped it to you frozen, because that's how we would ship to you. Know someone.
Speaker 1:It's great though.
Speaker 2:It's convenient. Yes, so we're fresh in the store. So if you were to go to Costco, that big deli section where all the packages are the food, we're there, so it's, we're in delis across the country. If you go to a store like Publix, you'll see in the deli section are fully branded, says Mama Mancini meals, ready to go, and a lot of them come with a pasta, if you are, which I'm so proud of, if you're a public shopper and you look at the sandwich board, the home style meatball sandwiches Mama Mancini's meatballs, so. But it's shipped fresh all around the country and it's sold fresh in every deli where we're.
Speaker 1:We love the deli department, yeah, so that's kind of like that old world Italian too right, the deli. I just I don't know I miss. I miss that Dan, I miss that deli, just going with my grandpa to the Italian delis and I don't know? Do you call them hard rolls where you live? Do you know what I'm talking about?
Speaker 2:when I say a hard roll, yes, yes, yeah, so like a hard roll sandwich and my husband, who's Swedish, always laughs.
Speaker 1:He's like it's not even hard, it's a soft roll yeah.
Speaker 2:I think everybody has their own name for it, right?
Speaker 1:But what else do people call that roll that we're talking about? Is it a Kaiser?
Speaker 2:roll. Yeah, I think it's actually. That's what it is. Okay, Maybe sometimes it has little seeds on it, or it has. Yeah, but it's round and it's very it's round.
Speaker 1:It's very soft, but there's a slight crisp. I remember before we found out I was gluten-free and really had to stop for health reasons On the way to school. Like in high school, middle school, my favorite breakfast was an egg and cheese on a hard roll.
Speaker 2:So good, oh yeah, I still have them.
Speaker 1:Do you, man we'll enjoy one for me. Next time you order one, get two and have it, we'll get a gluten-free roll, I know. If you have a good gluten-free bread supplier, let me know. I'm still looking. I'm still looking.
Speaker 2:You'll find one.
Speaker 1:I know right. Well, there is another side of just your life I guess that I want to tap into for a second. From your bio, you are said to be a master relationship builder and I read this and it warmed my heart because for that to be said about you is so beautiful and so rare in this time and culture. And so so rare in this time and culture. I think a lot of Italian heritage probably speaks into that, because I think a lot of Italians are great with relationships, generally speaking, of course, but I want to hear from you what we're in, a time and culture right now, where people are craving relationship and craving building relationship and they don't know where to start all of these things right, we're lonely right now. We're desperate for people. What would you say to people that are like I would not say that about myself, but I wish I could, I wish I was a master relationship builder. What are the keys to relationship building?
Speaker 2:I think one of the first keys is you have to listen to people when they talk. And I think a lot well, especially in I've been in sales my whole life with some form of it, and I find that a lot of people in this industry, or they, don't listen. If you want to build a relationship with someone you know, whether it's outside or inside, you need to listen to what people have to say. And look, not everyone you come in contact with is going to be someone you're going to be able to build a relationship with, right so? But I think being nice to people is really important.
Speaker 2:I mean I don't see any reason not to be nice and over the years, even going back to what's in the garment business, I mean I've, I mean I built these relationships only because I respected the people who, uh, you know, I worked with, whether it's a department store buyer or, you know, a food buyer in a supermarket, uh, I mean I would, it's it, and I'll sit in meetings sometimes and I'll overhear people in another room or whatever, and somebody will come in and they'll start talking, but they don't listen to when someone else talks and you could see it starts to build a little bit of aggression maybe. So I say I've always listened when someone talked, I respect what people say, and I've always listened when someone talked. I respect what people say. And and again, not every person you come in contact with you're going to jive with and be able to build a relationship with, but it's, I think, genuine.
Speaker 2:I mean it's tough for me to answer because it's like no, I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 1:No, did you say you're embarrassed by it? No, but you know Well. No, because the thing is I tell so recently it's one of the greatest compliments I can get is people will say, katie, you're such a great question asker, like when I just meet them in public and someone asked me recently how did you learn to be such a great question asker? My gosh, my light is doing all this weird stuff on my end. It's like illuminating over here. Ignore that, but I tell people I only learned to be an intentional question asker because I was surrounded by intentional question askers, and so I actually love hearing about you that you're a master relationship builder, because it's contagious, because it shows people what's possible, like when you're saying that you just want to listen, that you just listen to people. People aren't listened to in culture right now, and so when they are on the other side of that, it's refreshing, it's healing to a lot of people, which sparks connection, it sparks relationship, and I tell people right now Sorry, my light is really going- that's OK OK.
Speaker 1:I tell people right now I think it's hard. People think it's hard to listen when you're carrying a heavy load, and life is really hard for a lot of people right now for different reasons, especially around the holiday. But if we just realize that everyone's carrying a heavy load and if we just stop and listen, we stop and express interest. What happens is when you show someone they care, they care in return and so you don't have to worry about leaving your stuff behind because they'll pick it up. It starts to create a connection where you're carrying each other and, yeah, that's what people are needing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't be embarrassed by it, dan. I think that in culture, right now too, there's definitely a shift happening where there's this relational intelligence happening with men, and I think that's so needed. Happening with men, and I think that's so needed. I don't know if you've heard of the Harvard study that shows that men I need to get the exact numbers straight. But men over the age of 50 typically don't create, don't form another new friendship for the rest of their life, and it's heartbreaking, it's devastating. It doesn't have to be that way, because then you put those numbers next to the depression statistics, right, and the quality of life statistics, and they go hand in hand. But we don't want to see it as that. And so, especially for men, keep going, dan, keep heading in that direction with confidence and strength.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's needed. What you just said about that study really blows my mind. What you just said about that study really blows my mind. I mean, I think everyone in life has friends and there's probably a few they can call really really good friends, right, and whether you've had them your whole life or not, we live in Tewksbury, new Jersey, which is out pretty far from where we were. We were living in a town called South Narns, new Jersey, and we had friends in that town which I'm still friends with, and I moved out here and we're literally in, like I want to say, the middle of the country, right, yeah, and there's one really cool restaurant in town that we frequent and I've, in the last three years, made some of the best friends of my life.
Speaker 1:Wow, so it's, yeah, it's um.
Speaker 2:I'm just going to let this light situation be Um, but I think it's also interesting because it depends on I get I don't get that study, but I could understand. If you know, when you're over 50, which I am you may be just living in the same place for the longest time, so maybe you don't have access or a reason to make new friends. So we've I mean I moved and we maybe that's maybe that they need to go back and ask those people if they moved.
Speaker 1:I think people get so complacent too, and there's this embarrassment that happens and I don't know what it is. So I call myself like a chronic new kid. I've moved almost every two years my whole life and I just had to learn how to form relationships out of survival. Honestly, I had a single mom who worked a lot, my grandparents worked a lot and they were very social, and I just kind of had to learn who my people were. I had to learn how to survive in a new setting, and I think it breaks my heart when people don't get to know their neighbors because things like that like someone will live in the same house for 10 years, which is a gift. It's a gift not to have to move Right, but there are people that are around us, just in proximity, that we're like, oh well, if I haven't said hi, yes, I shouldn't reach out now. It's like no, it's actually the best time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's the best. You know what's really interesting. You say that I find that. So my, our youngest daughter, her husband and little baby live in Manhattan in a high rise and and people in the city. At times when you speak to them they could be living on floor number 13 with eight other apartments and have no idea who's living next to them.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:It's weird.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, I think someone I heard a recent kind of approach to this lately that we are so desperate as a culture right now to have connections across the country. Like, if you're in business, you want connections in New York, if you're I don't know an influencer, you want connections in LA, I don't know all these different places, whatever your industry is. But because of that, we're losing the people around us, right, and that's, that's the lifeline, that's the those are the healing relationships and connections, and so um we need more master relationship builders.
Speaker 1:We tell our listeners. We need a culture of people that are going first and pursuing relationships, initiating them.
Speaker 2:Um because yeah, so people just need to say hello to their neighbors, or hello my gosh eye contact, especially in the Northeast.
Speaker 1:I'm like, goodness friends, like let's just lock eyes again, Right, a negative way, you'd be walking down even in the town we lived in, which is suburbs, nobody like talked to each other.
Speaker 2:Here we leave, we go down the road. If you pass someone walking a dog, they're waving to you. Everyone says hello and you know what? When you do experience it, you realize how important that is.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you do it's.
Speaker 1:So I have a few friends and my husband that cringe sometimes. My husband and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to relationship building, but if I'm out in public or like we're on a walk and someone doesn't make eye contact, I almost like duck to get eye contact, like you're worth the eye contact. You're worth it and you know life's hard for both of us.
Speaker 2:Does he hide when you do it?
Speaker 1:Say it again, does your husband?
Speaker 2:walk the other hard. When you do it, your husband, does he like walk the other way? Does your husband walk the other way when you do it? Like he's gotten?
Speaker 1:more confident as the years go. He knows he's not changing me. Oh man, well, that is a beautiful thing to be said about you and keep kind of owning that loud and proud, because, um, that's a, that's something that a lot of us aspire for and need in our own communities, so it's really good.
Speaker 1:Well, I am gonna ask you the questions that we ask every guest at the end of our. I'm gonna ask you, oh my gosh. Let me rephrase that I'm going to ask you the same three questions that we end every episode with. But before we do that, I want to hear where can people shop your products? If they're like, I want to get them today or this week when I go grocery shopping.
Speaker 2:We have mamamanciniscom. There is a store locator. Just put your zip code in. It's going to tell you everywhere where you live and we're pretty much in every city and state across the country to some level, so pretty easy to find and just ask me, ask me to go in the supermarket, say do you have Mama Mancini's? And if they say no, say, say you got?
Speaker 1:to start carrying them. What an awesome kind of like it's awesome to be able to answer that question that way. What a huge accomplishment, instead of only in this region and this state, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's. You know, I still think to myself. Unfortunately, you know, my grandma was not around, but if she could, and anytime, I do still to this day walk into any supermarket and see that package. You know, with the photo at the top is my grandmother holding me when I was a baby like we said, left her entire family in 1921 to start a new family. And here she is, america's, enjoying her meatballs and sauce and other items for their family.
Speaker 1:It's just incredible. Wow, goodness gracious, that is a powerful, powerful legacy. Well, here are the three questions that we ask every guest after a conversation of food. This is always a funny one, but something you have eaten recently and loved.
Speaker 2:Okay. So, as I was telling you, we live in Tewksbury, new Jersey, and it's a small country town and there's one restaurant in town called the Tewksbury Inn. It's a they serve like a mixed menu, it's not any particular cuisine. But about six months ago I was talking to the chef and I said to him or my wife said to him what would your last meal be? And he goes pasta with pomodoro sauce. And it intrigued me because it's not an Italian restaurant, and I said, oh, my goodness, I love that.
Speaker 2:I said can you make cacio e pepe? And he goes, of course I can. I said can you make cacio e pepe? And he goes, of course I can. I said wait a minute, I go like this real cacio e pepe, because it's very. He goes no, I know what you're saying. I said no, real cacio e pepe. He goes. Yeah, pasta, pepper, pecorino, romano cheese and water. I said, okay, fast forward. Uh, I actually had it last night, was what I had there for dinner and he makes it for me, my wife's special. It's not even on the menu and I always say this is the best cacio e pepe you could find, unless you plan on getting on a flight and going to Rome. His name is Chef Alex, it's just. Yeah, so his Cacho. So if you're ever out here you're at Tewksbury Inn you say to one of the servers you whisper, I want Dan Mancini's Cacho e Pepe. And if Alex is there he'll make it it's a secret menu item.
Speaker 1:So I love it. I love it too, and Trader Joe's came out with their kind of own version and I tried it.
Speaker 2:It was not awesome and the crazy part is it's only three ingredients, but it's the most difficult thing to make is cacio e pepe, so I love it.
Speaker 1:That sounds wonderful right now. How about this, something you have found to be beautiful lately, and it could be anything.
Speaker 2:So, for the first time last month, we traveled to Provence, france. I've never been and I'll be very honest with you when I get on a plane, I would prefer to head to Italy, because I love Italy. And we did this, my wife and I did it. She loves France. I, you know, I love Paris, she loves Paris, and we took this trip and I fell in love with it. It's absolutely. I don't know if you've ever been it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:So what's the climate right now? What? What's the weather there now?
Speaker 2:Well, we were there mid October and it was like in the 70s or low 70s in the daytime. I think what happens this time of year they get these massive winds and that's a lot of reason why a lot of people don't go. It sounds crazy, but that's what I've learned. But the weather is kind of mild.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's nice though.
Speaker 2:I would go now. You know a lot of places close, but I would definitely tell people off-season go Just like relax there. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1:I haven't been to France in years, but we've spent a lot of time in Asia in our adult life. But I'm craving Europe.
Speaker 2:Oh, what part of Asia.
Speaker 1:We lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for four years. Oh wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's cool, it is, it's home.
Speaker 1:Say it again.
Speaker 2:That's on the bucket list here.
Speaker 1:Is it Well? Let us know when it's home for us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, really Wow.
Speaker 1:We thought we'd be there forever, got a different plans. We had a house there, we worked there. We have friends family nonprofits, like whatever direction you want to head we have some kind of insight into. So, oh, very cool. Yeah, we're hoping to go back this year with our son. He's 15 months, but it's it's 20 hours.
Speaker 2:It's a 20 hour flight, and so I'm like and he is very active.
Speaker 1:So I'm like, okay, what are my options here?
Speaker 2:You're going to be the person on the plane that everyone's like. I know they're not sitting next to me, so thankfully.
Speaker 1:Thankfully his temperament is good, like he's a good kid, um, and so usually the way that we approach it is as few layovers as possible. But I'm like you know what, colby, my husband, I was like, I think like five layovers sounds perfect, because it's like it's breaks, you know, it's like it breaks it up for the kid. We'll see, but he'll sleep, he'll sleep. I know I was gonna joke about benadryl, but you can't do that right now.
Speaker 2:No, melatonin, no you could take it for the exact right. Just fall asleep. You know when we just flew, kids are on the plane, I the plane. I don't know why people get upset, yeah.
Speaker 1:I know I mean kids are kids, right, kids are kids. Most of us have been through it. Yeah, he's done a ton of short flights domestically, just nothing that long yet. So we'll see, we'll see. But yeah, definitely let us know we love sharing, oh, thank you. Sharing our people and our places with people traveling through and, last but not least, a gathering you attended that made you feel a strong sense of belonging and, if you could pinpoint it, what it was that made you feel that way?
Speaker 2:So this may sound odd, but last week, for the first time in our town, the volunteer fire department has particular pancake breakfast to raise money. And we went and not knowing what to expect, I mean the food was great, but it was this incredible sense of community. Like people, you sit at this community table and it just it really cause. Again, we've only been living here three years, Right, and again we're out, kind of out in the country, so you don't have, you know, our neighbors are horses, so we don't have a lot other than the restaurant we go to. But it just felt so incredible when you sit there and you're talking to people and you know, the person to my right was the guy who owned the local farm that sells the apples we buy and it was just a strong sense of community and everybody coming together and we're talking. It was amazing Hundreds of hundreds of people coming through here to support this local fire department. So it was great.
Speaker 1:I love hearing that answer and again, that reminder. I think so many of us are thinking like we can't wait until we're on this trip or this retreat in this part of the world or whatever and we've, we miss those local things and, um, they're important. So I mean that's a really good kind of urge to people Like if you see those signs pop up downtown main street they're great oh yeah, yeah, that's incredible. I love that answer. Well, thanks so much for taking the time. That's incredible.
Speaker 2:I love that answer.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks so much for taking the time. You fed my husband and I well this week, oh great.
Speaker 2:I'm glad to hear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we are excited to continue to support you. Well, guys, if you buy anything that we talked about in this episode, be sure to tag us both on Instagram. We'd love to see your family eating, we'd love to see the products in your stores, and we will see you next week. Thanks so much, dan.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much.