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
Provocativo Bubbles: From Family Vineyard to Global Wine Brand w/ Briana DiTommaso
Picture a young girl planting grapevines at age ten, later rushing to shower and change so she could conduct wine tastings, occasionally interrupted by phone calls about escaped goats reaching the local Walgreens. This storybook childhood, filled with family meatball subs, gardening, and winemaking, formed the foundation for her multifaceted career.
Unexpected connections are a recurring theme throughout her life which led her through restaurant ownership, culinary achievements, and eventually to a devastating period during COVID when she lost her 18-year restaurant business through divorce.
The turning point? A chance conversation with a stranger on an airplane that connected her to Provocativo, where she now serves as executive winemaker, partnering with pop star Bebe Rexha to create organic sparkling wines that rival champagne at half the price.
Her story serves as a powerful reminder that resilience, openness to unexpected opportunities, and the courage to embrace multiple passions can transform even our hardest moments into stepping stones toward fulfilling work.
Ready to taste what Brianna has created? Use code GATHER20 for 20% off at provocativobubbles.com and experience the magic for yourself.
This Episode is Sponsored by:
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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. Hello, darn it with these round circles. Hold on. This happened in another episode. Okay, there we go. I don't like being round. Round's not my shape. Do you design with round Anything round?
Speaker 2:Not really. No, no, I feel like I'm a little bit sharper than that yeah, me too yeah, yeah, I don't like the round well, cheers.
Speaker 1:I don't know what you're drinking. Are you drinking anything?
Speaker 2:just water right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, I know I. I was thinking I should have poured some wine that you guys sent over. We should should have, we should be drinking together. Let's text our guys Can you bring us some wine? Right? We could do that. Weed bubbles S-O-S. This is not paid or a plug, but Nixie, the seltzer brand. They just came out with soda. They just sent me some. It is so good. This is the Coke and it's like really, really hot right now and it's just like it's hitting the spot.
Speaker 2:It's super good.
Speaker 1:But what's good about it? It's very refreshing.
Speaker 2:Is it sugary? It just tastes like the real thing. And well, no, it's stevia based, okay, no artificial colors, I know, but we're here to talk about you.
Speaker 1:We don't have to talk yeah, do you have a nugget ice maker?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Do you have a nugget ice maker? Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, do you we'll talk all about the wine and stuff. But do you put ice in your wine? Probably not wrong yes, I do.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it really. It really depends because you know, it's always been a thing. It it's an italian thing, I think, where you know people in my family when it's super hot outside and humid, that's. We decide to make it different. And then we got adventurous some time ago when it was like you know what we're going to go outside, it's like July in Chicago and the humidity is through the roof and it's like almost 100 degrees or it might be 100. Pour our white wine over ice and just put like a squeeze of grapefruit in there or a slice of lemon and just make it super refreshing. And that was like our adventurous. Now it's like I'm making anything with bubbles, you know, like anything becomes provocativo and I'll mix whatever, like I'm. I'm game to try anything.
Speaker 1:So good. Yeah, I got so much flack and I know that this is probably not the best, but I put ice in my red wine. On Instagram, people went nuts. They were like you're not a real foodie. I know I shouldn't. That's where there's yeah. That's kind of no, no no, I could.
Speaker 2:I, as as a winemaker, I'm going to question these people. I'm going to throw it out there to all you ice haters what kind of red wine are you drinking? Are you drinking red wine from the United States that has been ameliorated? And do you know what amelioration is? Amelioration is when the winemaker adds water to their wine, and I can tell you that I don't do that, so it's legal in the United States. So they might be already drinking wine that water has been added to it. So they shouldn't be knocking your ice cubes because it's refreshing, I know it's refreshing for me.
Speaker 1:It's not that I think the wine has to be chilled, it's just like I don't know. I'm a red wine year round girl. I like red. I like red a lot. But anyways, ice the ice chips. You got to get one of those makers.
Speaker 2:I love that. I want to get one.
Speaker 1:I know they're the best Prime Day actually is coming up. We got ours last year on Prime Day and it was like next to nothing. It was really, really cheap.
Speaker 2:Send me the link.
Speaker 1:I will. I will Use it all summer long. Well, I don't think we're using this full video. If we use any clips, I don't know guys, I'm melting over here in Connecticut. The heat wave is like here. So, anyways, okay, let's talk. Let's talk about your childhood, and the reason that I want to focus on this is because it sounds like one that so many of us dream up. I'm picturing you like running through, like literally I was reading your bio, learning more about you, and I'm picturing you like running through vineyards eating cheese and bread. Is that what it was like? Talk to us about it.
Speaker 2:That's, that's that's pretty close. Um, you know, as a really small child, I think I would like to say that, thanks to my parents, my life was pretty darn magical and my grandparents, you know, and it's not that like you know, I had the coolest Schwinn bike on the block. It was that we always were. We were raised different, you know, on, we never went to like McDonald's and you know, we barely went out to eat. My mom and dad, both were like phenomenal cooks. Everybody in my family. They would always gather around the table and, like, the whole mantra of life was first we eat, then we do everything else. Right, I was so fortunate we had this like magical garden, like at our house. We always had like ducks and chickens and all these exotic animals, you know.
Speaker 2:And then one day my dad decided I think I was 10 or 11 years old, my dad decided that instead of building, you know, one to $2 million homes, he was going to take this big, beautiful piece of property and turn it into a vineyard. So it started out as just doing it for consumption, for ourselves, you know, and I was already having a little half a glass of wine. It was traditional for us. This wasn't, like you know something like inappropriate. This was something that was appropriate and it taught us how to respect alcohol and I think that actually helped me from high school on, because I respected it and I didn't abuse it. So then, all of a sudden it was like, okay, 10, 11 years old, I was like my dad's shadow. I would go to you know what now is the vineyard, and I started planting grapevines and he started digging out the wetlands and he had the local fish hatchery, you know, stock it with fish and all this wildlife was like just around us. Wildlife was like just around us and I was just, I was so in awe because it was like it, it felt like I wasn't there. I it felt like I was in Italy transported me somewhere, you know.
Speaker 2:Um, then my dad built the beautiful uh estate that is on the vineyard, the vineyard, beautiful estate that is on the vineyard, the vineyard. Now that's our family's home and that's when, like, really, all the magic started. My dad did initially, you know, in an apprenticeship, you know, with Dr Enders, you know, who is a doctor of viticulture and venology. But he was also raised from like nine years old on making wine with his grandparents. It was just tradition, you know. So something that he always wanted to share with myself and my siblings, being that I was actually, you know, I was lucky enough to be there through everything, the build of it.
Speaker 2:You know, like I said, I was like 10 years old started planting grapevines and then I, then I started to really just fall in love with it because I I saw, you know what we planted, something that looked like a twig, you know. And then, after years of taking care of these, these vines, and all of a sudden they started producing and producing more and more. And you know, then we had our families home there and then it was like game over, because then came the goats and the sheep and the chickens and the cats and the dogs and I'm giving birth to how many animals. And you know, pruning grapevines, and you know, helping customers out in a tasting room, and you know, I knew more about wine and I wasn't even, it wasn't even legal for me, to buy alcohol.
Speaker 2:So it was, it was, it was like that magical life where I would be out on a tractor and my mom would run outside, you know, with a meatball sandwich, you know, or I would see her roasting peppers outside, or, you know canning tomatoes, making homemade jaranar, you know beautiful gardens and animals everywhere. So it was, it was like out of a storybook and it was. It was super magical. And then to be working with my father, I mean, that was, that was, that was priceless and to see what the people that would come and it would attract all these phenomenal people, people that really just appreciated the fact that he just put a 20 acre boutique vineyard in one of the best suburbs of Chicago, you know, like something unheard of. It's like somebody just plopped it right in the suburbs. You know, um, but it would, it would, it would do the same thing to even our guests. They would constantly say that it transports them back in time to their family member, or it transports them to Europe, italy, whatever, and people just kind of like got sucked into it.
Speaker 2:You know, I almost felt like they got sucked into it just as much as I did, but Is it still active now? It is. I'm there every week. I'm. I actually just went through and I pruned the whole vineyard by hand. I did 90% of it myself. My daughter came and helped me, my 15-year-old Giada, she came and helped me, and then the master, my father, was out there with us a little bit. So, yes, it's still producing. I would love to have you. You have to come.
Speaker 1:Are you kidding? Nope, we were just talking. I have the travel bug.
Speaker 2:Cause I'm like can I come tomorrow? No, what's the name?
Speaker 1:of it or can you share it? Sure, it's Valentino vineyards. Okay For all the people, and I know we've had a lot of guests in like Chicagoland area. How?
Speaker 2:close is that? So you know we're just. We're just North of the city. How close is that? So you know we're just north of the city. If there's traffic, it's about, I would say, 45 minutes to an hour. If there's no traffic, it's a little under. So it's just northwest of the city.
Speaker 1:That's good for a getaway, though. I think that's healthy. You know, escape the city.
Speaker 2:It is. It is so you got to come see the city and come see the vineyard. You'll love it, it's like.
Speaker 2:I feel like something that you would appreciate. You know it's. I would be out in the vineyard, you know, working in the vineyard, working with the vines, and then I would rush home and shower, or sometimes shower at the vineyard, and change and look super nice, so to greet guests and give them wine tastings or tours, you know whatnot. And one day I was just like, oh, it was a hot day like today and I'm wearing all white. I looked beautiful, like all white summer. I'm like this is this is great. You know, I got to, I got to do all white and the phone rings and I'm like hi, valentino Vineyards. And they're like we're calling Valentino Vineyards. I said yes, and who are we speaking to? I'm like this is Brianna, this is so-and-so from Walgreens. I think your goat is here.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, how far is Walgreens? How far?
Speaker 2:Like two minutes down the road driving, but it made it. It made it all the way to Walgreens and I will tell you, I went in my heels and all white outfit and I don't know if you've ever seen a goat jump before, but they jump really high and she wasn't really receptive to like getting in my car. Awesome it was. It was like, honestly, I don't think anyone's experienced life.
Speaker 1:I've had the the most unique life. I think I love those kinds of lives, though, because you just have a more full picture of what people experience. I love picturing that gorgeous white outfit, wine, meatball sub, the whole thing. I love that. It's a really great mood board for the life that I want. It's a very hearty mood board. I love it. I'm like, okay, I need, I want to come visit, but would your mom like bring me a meatball sub? That's like my first question. Absolutely. I'm like could she?
Speaker 2:you know what it's like in an Italian household. They're not happy. There's no telling her no. It's like are you hungry, can I get you something? And you're like no, I'm okay, no, no, no, what can I get you? And I'm like just say something. She's not going to shut up until you eat something. You know, because you know they want to like Italians, they want to love you, they want to hug you. You're in their house, you're part of their family and like they're just like come, come on, eat something, drink something with me, tell me something, give me a story. And we want to laugh together. Let's play some music, you know. Let's dance.
Speaker 1:I don't know for you Like. So your parents are still living. My grandparents have passed away, like my grandpa's brothers, and like kind of like the patriarchs of the Italian family. And so now for little Wesley. I'm like man. He's really going to miss that culture, unless I like intentionally surround him with it.
Speaker 2:You need to, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 1:You need to, you need to it's you know, Hopefully I instill some of that in him. You know just by nature of what they taught me.
Speaker 2:Look at your charcuterie board which let's keep it real it's an antipasto platter. Of course that's how it started.
Speaker 1:That's how it started.
Speaker 2:For all the American people that cook charcuterie. It's an antipasto, all right, it's an antipasto platter till the day I die, but your antipasto platter is so beautiful, so like to me, that just that screams like hello, I'm Italian, yeah. You know, that's, that's us, that's like welcoming, that's like the first thing people see at the house. It's like you put this beautiful board out and you're like come eat, let's go.
Speaker 1:You know I love that. It's so funny. I'm working on a top secret project right now. On a top secret project right now, and that includes a lot of words. I'll leave it up to the imagination for people, but someone I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it yet, but I interchange the. I use the words charcuterie, like cheese board and antipas, and they're like whoa, whoa, whoa. Pick one Like you can't use. I know they're all. I can identify with all three, right, they're all very different, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:We'll see, Maybe I'll put my foot down. Well, I love picturing that and I'm sure I'm going to end up there, but I feel okay. So from childhood I think you talked up to like age 16 in that story, maybe older, when a recent goat with a goat with the goat. Yeah, how old were you with a goat?
Speaker 2:Oh darn, I probably was still in my teens 17, 18, 19, something like that 20. I was somewhere in that, in that range. But yeah, I mean, it's it kind of almost just feels like it was yesterday, because you know, I'm I'm still there. It's my parents live there, it's our family's home. It's always felt like home to me. It, no matter what it's like, I feel like I belong there.
Speaker 2:You know, and it's you. Do you forget about everything? My, my 15 year old, who, you know, like 15 year olds today. They're like, and I'm like I take her to work with me and she left her phone in the house because she had no charge. So we're out there and we're pruning together and so I set her on, you know, the South side and I'm on the North side, so we're facing each other and we're pruning and then we, we move on to the next vine and we're pruning, and so we're just talking, we're talking. It's, there's beautiful sun and the breeze and you hear all the birds and nature's with you, and then you hear the bees. At points she looks at me and she goes, mom, and I go. What she goes? Oh my God, she's like. This is so peaceful and I said, isn't it?
Speaker 1:nice.
Speaker 2:She goes mom, I'm so relaxed here and I said, well, yes, it's nature, it does it to you and there's so many elements. You're working with your hands. You don't have the phone hyper stimulating your eyes or your brain. You know, you're just your vitamin, you're soaking your vitamin D in and you're just amongst the vines. So she got it right away and I was happy she did, because I feel like life everyone's lacking, that we're always in the grind.
Speaker 1:But when you could go to work and you could feel that sense of peace. How special is that? I was my entrepreneur brain. I'm like do you guys offer retreats there? Like everyone listening is probably like sign me up.
Speaker 2:So you know we actually we did our first yoga retreat last summer. Um, yoga retreat last summer Okay, it was a Provocativo sponsored, it was. So we had um Provocativo bubbles, we had Valentino vineyard wine, we had I actually had a doctor, a couple doctors there as well Um wonderful, amazing women from core power yoga teaching a strength class. I actually cooked for everybody. So, it was, it was, it was quite beautiful, it was something. So now we're in the works right now of doing a couple different retreats and events.
Speaker 1:Very interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cause it is we have to share. You know, like I feel like God God gives us a tools to create and make these things and like what is it if we don't share it with others? Right, so good. I want to invite everybody to my table all the time, yeah. No I wish I lived there honestly, like my parents.
Speaker 1:How far are you?
Speaker 2:Five minutes.
Speaker 1:Quick accent, but I get it. I get it. It's different to be able to wake up and unwind on that property. That's sweet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have what I call the semi-trailer, which everybody nowadays. They're building houses, you know, out of these, like you know, containers are called a container right? Container homes. I always joke around with my dad that one day he's going to find everything that's in there, like all the tractors. It's just like out in the grass and like I'm going to live in there Crazy. I'm like no, no, no, you don't understand. I'm just going to get a generator, some water and I'm going to live there.
Speaker 1:You know it's a great plan. I support it. It's very Vogue right now actually. Yes, I just saw an ad. Actually it's probably going to come up for everyone. After this conversation, hilton started like you could rent um, as they're like hilton airstreams really and you could just like rent it in like the woods somewhere. You know like they just like have them set up but they're like luxurious.
Speaker 2:So look at you, you and hilton, I'm turning containers into, into beautiful spaces, beautiful space I mean isn't, isn't that like, like an artist, you're an artist, you know, I, I, I see you, you're an artist. So, like when you're an artist, it's like you want to. That's your goal is to turn something into something beautiful, right? So I mean, I love it. I love that when people do things that are outside of the box.
Speaker 1:I'm like I'll come with you and refurbish that container. Surprise, believe it on me, okay. Well, I just want to fill in a few gaps, because we've said provocativo a few times. Listeners might not know what it is. So, real quick, give us the rundown from growing up in the vineyard to where you are now. What did career steps look like Like? Did you go to college? Did you go to certificate programs? What did jobs look like? Just tell us, I guess, what you want us to know. So it's actually a very I'm very fortunate.
Speaker 2:You know, I owe everything to the vineyard. I owe everything to my parents, because I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today without them and I kind of just went with it. I went with the universe because the universe kind of just guided me Right. So it was a labor of love at the vineyard. And you know, I was sitting in the tasting room alone one day. My dad was out in the vineyard doing something and I look outside and I see this ginormous motorcycle gang pull into the vineyard and I was like huh, who are they? So they all come in the door and I said welcome to Valentino Vineyards, how may I help you? And they said my name, Brianna, and I was like, yes, You're kind of scaring me.
Speaker 2:And I'm like, yes, and they kidnapped me and sent me to Russia. No, no, I'm like clenching the arms of my teeth. She was on a container to Russia wasn't she.
Speaker 1:That's the container.
Speaker 2:No, all jokes aside, I know. And no human trafficking. No, they. I thought they were there to see my father and they were actually there to see me. And who was it? It was Jean Bonchet, the Jean Bonchet which is, you know, one of the most world renowned chefs ever. You know, if the listeners recognize his name, one of the most prestigious awards you can win as a chef is the Jean Bonchet award.
Speaker 2:Um and uh, patrick Chabert, and um, uh, pierre Paulin, and like a bunch of other chefs I don't remember who else, and like just a bunch of other bikers, you know. So they all rolled in on their Harleys and they sat down, they started doing wine tasting and this is where my luck can I call this part luck, my luck of the universe happened. They asked me if I would like to apprentice under them. So they heard that this like 18-year-old kid was making wine, working in a vineyard and cooking and inviting people to her family's you know boutique vineyard and for wine tasting, pairing dinners, and they were like who is this kid, you know? So they just found it super intriguing. I then apprenticed under Jean Banchet, patrick Chabert and Michel Cotier, now Patrick. He was the understudy of Jean Bochet, but Patrick, before he worked under Jean, was one of the I'm sorry, he was the youngest chef to receive a Michelin star. He had a Michelin star by the age of 21 when he was in France 20 is so young, if people don't know yeah, so young. And he's this like whole fabulous story too, about you know what he, where he went and how cooking made him travel the world. And then Michelle is like one of the most amazing pastry chefs I've ever seen in my life. So they asked me to apprentice under these three wonderful men at what was called the French culinary experience.
Speaker 2:At the time we did dinners and events and we worked for decor. You know, decor I don't actually Kitchen equipment, beautiful, it's like it used to rival Wolf and Viking. Okay, so we used to do like we were influencers before an influencer was invented, because what would happen is everybody would come to the school and we would cook on this decor equipment and then we would sell it to them. You know, so it's like we were doing all these demonstrations, or like one of the companies I remember off the top of my head, patis France. Patis France would hire us to use their dessert products in making fine desserts. So then we would, people would come and they would sit and we would do these beautiful demonstrations. You know we would supply to other restaurants and then, you know, I was always cooking more and more for the vineyard and people would come in for my pairings and you know just it was.
Speaker 2:It was the life, honestly, like I was really lucky. I had like the most rock star world renowned chefs, like to the point where I actually cooked for Paul Bocou. And tell me, give context, funny enough, I made him eggplant. Okay, yeah, because you know they they always. You know, being an Italian working with French men, you know they could not even. They were mind blown with how many ways of eggplant. You know, like, what I could do with eggplant. So you know, when Paul was coming and they asked me to cook, I said okay, the first thing was well, what do you want me to make? And they said eggplant. And I looked at them and I was like really, they were like we would like you to make your eggplant towers and I was like no problem Cause they were beautiful and they just tasted even better. So it was, it was such an experience.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, there were no iPhones at that time, so no, no no, no, no no, no, no no no no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, right, no, they really weren't. And like I had a flip phone, I had a silver star tech that I had pictures of my goat Apollo and pictures of me and Paul Boku, and ask me where that is now.
Speaker 1:And man, it is kind of crazy. What's that? There's that whole trend right now, like the butterfly effect. You know, people are like man. If this didn't happen I wouldn't be like here, like wherever here is.
Speaker 2:It's it, it really it? Honestly, I wouldn't be me, you know it. It shaped me. The vineyard shaped me. Um, you know I, I had a job since I was 12 years old, I started working at a farm and I started working in a kitchen in a farm, you know, that's down the road from our vineyard. And um then, at like 14, I decided to like, create a fake birth certificate and lie and say I was 17 to start working in the restaurant industry. Um, I was a dishwasher, you know, I did any job you could think of in a restaurant food runner, dishwasher, bus girl, waitress, hostess, anything you could think of I did, you know, just not delivery driver, though.
Speaker 1:I get it. You know, as you're saying, all that I'm like man. Some people look at like success or certain collaborations or whatever that we're going to start talking about and think like, oh my gosh, like that seems like it happened overnight or whatever. They forget like all the years, like you're talking, since this has been like a lifelong pursuit like it is a slow buildup Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And so that that transitioned me to want to open restaurants, right. So, like 23 years ago I think it was, is when I said, ok, like now is time I need a restaurant, right, because I was driving my dad nuts in the vineyard because I wanted to, like, do a full-blown restaurant and he was not having it. So, um, I said you know what I got to do both now I got to open a restaurant, because if I don't ever do it, I don't I'm thinking to be mad at myself, right? Um, so 20 some odd years, 22, 23 years ago, whatever it was, I opened a restaurant with a partner and worked my butt off, was very successful, ended up expanding five times, no joke. I owned and operated it for 18 years, 18 years.
Speaker 2:And then my, my old business partner I was married to, went through a nasty divorce because of COVID. Um, basically just walked away from everything in life and I was like I don't know if I'm up, I'm down, I'm sideways, I don't know what I am anymore. Um, and it was very hard, very hard Cause I it was 18 years of my life that I was in my people. You know, my sous chef was with me for the whole 18 years. Um, it was a hard. It was a hard thing because, being a female in both these industries and and you know, the food and the alcohol space, it's hard. And I didn't walk in my kitchen with respect, even though it was my restaurant. I walked in my kitchen and I actually wrote an article about this. I'll share it with you. The first thing that was said to me and everybody's head was down everyone who was working in the kitchen Um, and someone yelled out no ladies in the kitchen. And I was like okay, I said I get it, this is how it's going to be. I'm like all right.
Speaker 2:And I just, I just didn't say anything, I didn't cry, just went along with my day and I was like you know what I'm going to have to over perform? I'm going to have to show them who I am, not by words, not by screaming, not by talking to them. I'm going to have to show them who I am, not by words, not by screaming, not by talking to them. I'm going to have to show them physically who I am and what I can do, how I can help them and what I could teach them. And my food will say everything.
Speaker 2:I don't need words, right, and years later, one of the managers who, who was actually a male, walked in the kitchen and he went to go touch food. And they were. They got so annoyed because, I mean, anybody knows, you know like you're not walking into a chef's kitchen and you're not touching anything. So my sous chef, who was like my best friend, who would to this day, just kill for me, he literally looked at him. He goes, hey, no ladies in the kitchen. And I looked at him, I was like, and he's like, yeah, and I was like, okay, so now I know, and he, he admitted to me, he's like that was me, you know, um, and the funny thing is is the manager looked back at him and goes wait, and he pointed at me and he's like well, if there's no ladies in the kitchen, brianna's right there. No, no, patrona is not a lady, she's a chef, you know. So it's funny because you know, that whole attitude changes Right.
Speaker 2:So it was that, and then it was me being lost. I decided to help a friend sell caviar, which is probably like one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, because caviar is not easy to sell. But I did it as a favor, because I was bored and it was in the food industry and I and I knew how to do it and I was talking to other chefs. So therefore it made me happy because I landed back in kitchens, right, and I'm sitting in an airplane flying to southeast Florida and some man is sitting next to me and next thing, you know, I tell him I'm a chef and a winemaker and he's like wow, he's like we got to talk, I have the perfect position for you, and that's how I got connected with Provocativo.
Speaker 1:Are you?
Speaker 2:serious, dead serious. And you know, the funny thing is is there was no, they weren't looking for an executive winemaker. So he like weaseled my way in there, you know, like he had this, he had this like mindset to where you know, I told him at the time that I was about to sign a contract for a manager in New York because I needed somebody to manage my career. I just didn't know how to hone into, how am I going to move on without opening a new restaurant, because three kids opening a new restaurant as a single mother, yeah, yeah, that just wasn't about to happen.
Speaker 2:So, um, I told this man that and he's like, well, he's like, I think I should be your manager and I think I have a great job for you and I also have a, a show for you to go on. I have a cooking show and you know, let's connect, and you know, um. So I ended up signing two gentlemen as my manager Um, one I would prefer to not name, the other one was Chris Nassif, which was the creator of Botched Um, dr Paul Nassif's brother, um, and he had a show that he had created with another producer that they wanted me to go on, but then unfortunately, and he was a wonderful man. Chris passed away.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the other gentleman, before Chris passed away to the other gentleman, said hey, while we're waiting to do the show, I have a place for you. He's like there's this wine brand and they're looking for a face to their brand like a female, you know who's ethnic, and they wanted somebody to be like a real life influencer. And I looked at him and I was like influencer, I'm not an influencer. And he's like well, what do you mean? He's like you're influential in the food and beverage industry. And I was like yeah, but I'm not an influencer. And he's like no, he's like Brianna, just trust me.
Speaker 2:So the first job I had at Provocativa was an influencer. I was hired on as an influencer and I was doing work for them for about, I would say, three months and my manager just spoke to directly to the CEO, Hans Christian Holtz, and he said hey, just, you know, checking in with you, you know how do you like Brianna? And he's like oh, she's fabulous, she's perfect. And he goes I just wanted to let you know something. And he was like what's that? He like she's a chef and a winemaker. And it was just like and then, Hans, he zoomed me all the way from Norway and then, next thing, you know I'm on with the, the whole board. And then, um, a couple of the board members and also Hans, flew to Chicago. They wanted to taste my wine, they wanted to meet my parents myself, they wanted me to cook for them and they wanted me to tour them of Chicago. And that was it. Really. That was the day that it was.
Speaker 2:You know what do you want? The position of executive winemaker. And I said I absolutely do. I said, but, but here's what I'm going to tell you. I said I will not accept that position as it is. And he was like what? And um, I said what is in the bottle right now is good, but that's not me and I can't stand behind it. I said I want to change it.
Speaker 2:So at the time we had Provocativo, was magnums only, and it was a blend of three Spanish varietals. And the first thing I said to myself was varietals. And the first thing I said to myself was okay, it's a kava, so we're regulated by the kava regulatory board, right, so we have to have whatever type varietal grape is grown in the kava region. So what do most people know in the US or actually around the world? What? What white grape. Does everyone know Chardonnay? So I said I want to use Chardonnay and everyone knows, Chardonnay is like a big, bold variety, Right. And then I'm like then now I want a Spanish grape and I want it to be the dancer, I want it to be the artist, the delicate piece, right, that's where the Macabeo comes in. So, completely restructured the blend to and they trusted you.
Speaker 1:They went with it, totally went with it.
Speaker 2:Like my Hans is. He didn't like like even stutter, he didn't even think about it. He was like, yes, you know, to the point where, when he said it so confident and just so quick, I thought about it and I didn't say it out loud at the moment, but I was like I want to become an investor in this company. I said, because this is going to be something magnificent. I said and when you have a partnership like that and your partner's just like, yes, they believe in you and you believe in yourself, you're like okay, I'm going to put my own money into this, because it's easy when somebody else just hires you and you get paid to do a job, but when you're an investor and you're vested, that's a different story. You know that, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:Take a quick note of that thought Cause I don't want you to like forget where we were in the story. But I want to ask you a question how close were you to just quitting COVID divorce closing restaurant, like? How close were you to being like? You know what? I've dreamed big dreams, but maybe I'll just take a step back. Oh man, and the reason I ask that is because I think about that plane conversation.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I mean my listeners know this, follow me on Instagram up past season, like we are definitely in a pivot season where it's kind of like the you praying for opportunity, kind of like what right? Like wondering what the heck is going to happen next, tempted to quit, and I just want people to be reminded that those opportunities happen because, like you, like you knew Okay. So I guess first ask, answer the question, like were you close to quitting?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I was extremely close to giving up everything because, yeah, I, you know, we grow up in a world, in, in an ethnicity, in a spiritual world of going to church and, you know, know, believing like once you get married you can't get divorced, right. So it's like I'm a super loyal person. So I always had that thought in my brain, even though something was always telling me like this isn't right. And although COVID was really hard, I want to thank COVID for what I went through. I was, I was, I was about to give up on everything and I honestly thought about my kids and I said to myself what a disappointment I'm going to be to them.
Speaker 2:You know, I've worked really hard thus far and when COVID struck, katie, I was opening a unit on my restaurant, expanding it. That was going to be my demonstration kitchen where I was going to have cooking classes and I was going to be filming for social media, giving demonstrations, doing private events, like kind of mirroring what I did at the French Culinary Experience. So you know, I gave up all my money, I walked away from everything. I left with no car, you know, and I just threw my hands up in the air and I said I have my health. I love my children, I've done it already and I'm going to do it again, and it's like at some point I just, I guess I had to tell myself there's no room for crying, there's no room for feeling sorry for myself, I just have to work.
Speaker 2:But it did take a minute, you know, more than a minute to find out what work looked like, and and I mean I even kind of heard you say that to me before when we've talked a little bit like what, what does that look like? We don't even know ourselves, and it's almost like you may think one thing and you may have to pivot, right? So I think the the best thing to say to anyone out there, your viewers, anyone in the world, is be resilient, do not give up, do not, absolutely do not let anybody tell you what to do or how you're doing it. You know, just keep going, keep going. Know that you may have to change something or pivot a little bit. Make a move. Um, don't be too hard on yourself.
Speaker 1:We had another guest who is a very successful children's book author now and she had never written a book before, had this like pipe dream was at her daughter's whatever. It was like ice skating match or I don't know was on the phone talking to a girlfriend or something. Was like you know, I really want to write this book. A book agent was sitting right behind her and was like I'll sign the book and I'm just like like these types of stories have to be told, because if you're just like locked into TikTok all day and it's a great platform in a lot of ways, but like you can start to believe in like a certain narrative, like only this type of person is successful, or only when you have like this much money, or it's only up, there's no downs, like there has to be a different story, but, but, but it's so crazy too, because sometimes you don't even want to measure success with money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause, there are two different things, you know.
Speaker 2:Um, and I and I think people, yeah, I think I think social media makes people super hard on themselves and, like we all have to remember, at the end of the day, people are only allowing you to see what they want you to see. You don't really know what's going on behind closed doors. You don't know what it's like to live a day in their shoes. Um, you know and I have to give it to people on social media like it is hard work. Yeah, it's hard work. You know editing and planning and calendars and this and that, and you know contracts and it's not easy.
Speaker 2:I mean, god bless, there's a lot of influencers and people that are very successful on social media platforms and other types of platforms that do a flawless job. You know, but it's it's not easy. You know, like I try a lot to you know, like, post and do everything and I'm not inclined with editing videos or even planning videos, you know, because I have so much going on. But you know, I find my own way to inspire people by showing them that I make bread. Or, you know, posting just even a picture of mussels or my dinner table, you know. Or if I'm flying to some weird country to go sell Provoctivo.
Speaker 1:So cool. Two really good reminders there. That I love is like when you know your calling, or like what you were made for, or the things that light you up. Like you know it, like you know, like, don't, don't let go of that. Like even when life is like, let me throw you this one, like yeah, I'm sure you could have never like you said, never imagined that that would have been a reality of your life. You know, and there you were. And then here came this guy on the plane. Um, so don't let go of that. And um, and oh, yeah, that social media. You don't have to be on social media to be successful. Like, right, it's such a lie. It's a good tool, it's a cherry on top, but it's not the end. All be all, yeah.
Speaker 2:And sometimes you just like I almost feel like sometimes you want to be private as much as you want to share with people Sometimes. Sometimes you just you just want to be private or you know? Um, I think people forget that social media is like more of a tool, you know, and I got to stop comparing, stop comparing yourself to other people and just go out there and do something for yourself and I think I'm still like chewing through your story because I think I had to hear it too Honestly, like it was like maybe more for me than anyone listening.
Speaker 1:But it's, it's all about like the next right step right, like sometimes saying the next yes, you're like I don't know, like I don't know if this is it, or I don't know if I want to do this it. Yes, you're like I don't know, like I don't know if this is it, or I don't know if I want to do this.
Speaker 2:It's just like it's one yes after another, and you were on your way to like sell caviar, right, like I was on my way to sell caviar and I was going to do a catering at fifth street boxing gym in South beach, like, honestly and like and then I'm sitting next to a man and we're both like wearing masks on the plane and I'm like in a mask and in a hat.
Speaker 2:So all I could see like is this I looked like a terrorist. I can I know we can't use that in like you know we can't use that word in an airport, but I mean, and it just happened and I just went with it, you know, and it was, it was crazy, it was I don't know, I would just. And then I saw the bottle. I saw the bottle of Provocativo and I was like what the heck is this? I see this gorgeous label with a Venetian mask on it. So it's a Spanish wine with a Venetian mask. So I was like, oh my God, I, I collect Venetian mask. I have like at least 15 of them in my office right now, and so that was not a coincidence to me. So, like to mess with the CEO, the first zoom to me.
Speaker 1:So like to mess with the CEO. The first zoom he popped on the zoom and I was wearing a mask.
Speaker 2:I had to, I had to, I had to like, just be different you know Um but yeah, it really was speaking to me.
Speaker 2:Um, you know the word provocativo could mean so many things and the name was speaking to me. And you know, listening to Hans and his story and his background, that really spoke to me. And you know, believing in your CEO and the founder of the company and then being allowed to CEO and the founder of the company and then being allowed to, you know, join as executive winemaker and become a partner and then transition into, you know, being one of the founders of this groundbreaking thing. And you know it was, it was so much fun because we've we have worn, we've worn so many different hats.
Speaker 2:It's not just about you know the wine and making the wine. It's about you know who are we selling to and how are we selling it and how are we getting there and going on tour with Bibi, finding the special celebrity who's going to match well with us, because it's not like, oh, wow. You know, like you just put a celebrity on your brand and you know it's going to. It's going to, you know, make millions. That doesn't happen, you know, and like, clooney did something years ago with a Limoncello. A Limoncello was horrible and George Clooney is George Clooney, so you can only do so much with who you are, because obviously George Clooney is amazing, but the product sucked, so just, I think the company went bankrupt or something, or nobody knows about it. If it's, I don't think it's still around, but you know it's.
Speaker 2:The product had to be perfect first, so we did it the right way. We built it around the product, so it was the labeling, the branding, what was inside the bottle, you know. And then we started what Hans calls is we dated. We dated with Bebe and I went on tour with her. Then I felt like a celebrity myself, you know, amazing.
Speaker 1:How did how did that selection happen, if you're allowed to share this part of the process, like was she just kind of always on a list of yours or how?
Speaker 2:does that. She was perfectly selected. She was, she was one of there, was we had a list, okay, she was, she was one of there, was we had a list, okay, and there was somebody that was extremely popular that we were also talking to. I will not name names, it's fine, yep, they, they could not stay on a Zoom, like no attention span, vaping all the time, and I, I was like this isn't jiving with me. You know, um, and I don't know she, just she just seemed right because, yeah, she's a New Yorker. New Yorkers are just like you get who you get, you know, like like they're real people, and I loved that. I loved that she was Albanian, because I felt like that, like, like European, like you know, substance about her. Right, I loved that she is extremely talented. You know, she's not just beautiful voice, a beautiful face, she writes and she sings opera. You know, she does things that others can't do. She's an amazing DJ, you know.
Speaker 2:So, um, we went on tour with her. You know we were in I don't even know how many cities and it was. It was almost like we knew each other already. Wow, you know we were. We were behind her bus, like sitting there, like drinking out of plastic cups and she was like doing a photo shoot of me and I'm like she's like wait, no, no, no, wait, just just wait, move your shades a little bit. And she's like wait, like do this.
Speaker 2:And literally like with her iPhone, just like like photo shooting me, you know, and she just a really real person, you know, and humble, and what do I have to do to make this a million dollar or a billion dollar company? You know type of attitude and I mean I admire her for that, I admire her for the person she is and, um, it's just sweet and her family was always there. So, like that kind of like like touched my heart too, because, you know, you see somebody with these like really strong family values and you're like, wow, that's, that's a good person. So, yeah, I mean there was a list, it was just we all just really liked Bebe, you know.
Speaker 1:And in case anyone's either living under a rock or not putting the pieces together Bebe Rexha, that's who we're talking about. Who's what I mean? She's pop genre right.
Speaker 2:I mean she kind of fits in like everywhere, because she has some country, she has some country, she, you know she's.
Speaker 1:It's a smart business to be able to fit into multiple genres.
Speaker 2:She does, and you know she's done a lot of collaborations with David Guetta and a lot of other DJs around the world and she DJs herself, you know. So she kind of fits in everywhere, which is amazing. You know she's written songs for other artists that have, you know, gone. I don't even know award winning levels she has so many Grammys, it's, it's unbelievable, she's just impressive, Wow, Impressive for so many reasons, and a lovely person. She's just real, you know it.
Speaker 1:That doesn't feel like awkward you know that's so consistent with who you are and what you value too, and so it's so cool to just see you coming on with this brand. It's just making so many parts of your like childhood story make sense.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Yes, I know exactly what you mean and it's, it's, it's helped a lot, you know, cause it's like one day I'm on tour with BB and then the next week I'm at Costco and I'm, like, you know, talking to, you know everybody at Costco and you know that brand is like a really humble brand, you know. And then the next week I'm on Virgin Voyages, you know, talking to them. Or you know, I mean I I'm on podcast photo shoots, you know, having to be interviewed, and then I'm, my hands are in the dirt and I'm doing things at the vineyard and I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like the perfect ebb and flow of life.
Speaker 1:Does it feel that way?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, no, it does.
Speaker 1:It does I mean I mean not perfect, but you know what I mean. Like for me, it's perfect for me. Yes, if we were talking about that mood board earlier and I was kind of joking, but it feels like that it's like you get a taste of all the things that make you come alive.
Speaker 2:I'm not um, I can only take so much sitting still, and, like I do, I have to like work at the desk all the time. Lots of emails, lots of Zooms. You know partners all around the world. You know and doing sales part. You know you're wearing your sales hat for a second right, yeah. And then I get the fun stuff with the events and creating wine tasting events and I'm working with other chefs and doing like you know, the wine tasting events. Or you know pairings and cooking with them, or cooking with the wine, making different types of drinks and going to different types of not-for-profit events or whatever. And then next day I'll be on with Bebe or at a concert or something. I mean, it's, it is, it's, it's, it's a lot of different hats, right, man? And it's fun.
Speaker 1:It's definitely not boring. Multipassionate, and that's how I would like describe you, describe myself. That's the best. It's the best. And yeah, I think, when you like, stay true to the things about yourself, that you know, like we fear the unknown and security is easy and it makes us feel better.
Speaker 2:But if we don't open ourselves up, we don't allow opportunity in to flow. You know, and again, I wouldn't be here if I didn't allow it. You know, just to come and it wasn't comfortable by any means. You know I was giving up everything. I knew. You know I was giving up. I had my routines on, you know, when I was writing my specials, you know who was working under me, like I didn't have to communicate with words to my sous chef, like he knew exactly, like what I needed, without even words before I even like I turned to be like oh, that's exactly what I need, you know? Um, but yeah, I mean, you just gotta believe in yourself, it's good. And think, think outside the box, and like let stuff come to you. And never I, I feel like everybody kind of, and never I.
Speaker 1:I feel like everybody, kind of Everyone puts a cap on themselves?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was lucky because my dad is, I would say, a Renaissance man, an extreme genius, and he never put himself in one box, right. So he was always an artist in many different forms and he always told me do what you love and love what you do. And I always saw that he could do so much you know, and so I always admired that you know as a child. So I was like, okay, nobody's going to tell me I can't do something, you know. And my mom, for some reason, always thought I should be president. I don't know why. She was like I think you could be president and I was like what you know?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it was that idea that I think she was trying to give me, that like I could do anything if I put my mind to it. Right, and I think that's good. I think we should like inspire more yeah Of the younger generation Then and tell them you can do anything you put your mind to. Yeah, not make everybody like I feel like society forces people into certain, certain boxes. Yeah, you know, and I have limits.
Speaker 1:I've told the story a few times. I always knew that I wanted to be a part of like I know it sounds like kind of weird, but like helping communities heal and help like cultivate community. And for me I was like, oh, I guess that means social work, if I have to fit it in a box. Then I wanted to minor in business and they were like, oh well, that doesn't make sense, and so I dropped it. I dropped the business minor and then I graduated with a social work degree and I'm like, man, I don't want to apply to any of the jobs that are out there and I kind of love PR and I kind of love media, and so it's just, you can't ignore all that stuff.
Speaker 2:You don't fit into a box, no, and I think that's pretty amazing about you and I think that's why we really we really jive. You know, um, and I love that you put that out there for you know, all of your, your listeners, like it's it's pretty amazing. You know, and I think everybody has this you know wrong idea, too, of being a mother. I think everybody has this. You know wrong idea, too, of being a mother. You know, and like who you can be if you're a mother. You know, and it's like I feel like people are becoming more and more accepting in the workplace of mothers and you know, not shoving moms in a box, like just because we're a mom, we can. We could still be crazy. You know amazing business woman and we can still be sexy and you know, whatever we want to be, you know, but we can also be a mom and we can influence our kids at the same time. Yeah, you know awesome influence yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1:Well, I want to hear I'm looking at the same time. Yeah, you know awesome influence yeah, that's good. Well, I want to hear I'm looking at the time and I'm I'm one for long podcasts, but in case anyone's like, okay, could we just get a summary? No, okay, um, I'm going to there's like it's doing huh, I said they're.
Speaker 2:They're looking at us like what are you crazy girls doing?
Speaker 1:We're having fun. You can get a glass of wine if you want. I'm kidding Everyone listening. No, there's one question that I want to ask specifically about Provocativo, and then we'll do the three questions that I ask all the guests. So we've hinted to a few things, but I want you to tell us just like outright what the product is. So if people are like oh, I love wine, I love pretty bottles, I love all this stuff, like what can they expect with Provocativa?
Speaker 2:So they can definitely expect the most beautiful bottle. But I think part of my calling is to make the world, especially here in America, understand what kava is Like. No one understands yet kava right understands yet kava right. And kava is extremely interesting because we make our bubbles exactly the same way. Champagne is made in the Champagne region of France. We have this amazing regulatory board for the kava region that has so many rules that we have to stand by, and also our product is made with organic grapes in an organic vineyard. It is certified organic in a lot of different countries. So here in the United States we can add on the label that it is made with organic grapes. There is a compound that we do add, that's that is a natural byproduct of making wine. That right now the United States won't recognize as certified organic, but they're making a lot of noise in California. We're trying to change that, so I'm sure it will. And then in in the EU we are certified organic.
Speaker 1:Um, and I can tell you this to me, so I love knowing that it's, it's super important.
Speaker 2:I mean, like, with the way of the world today, you need to know what you're putting in your body, right. We need to know that we're not poisoning ourselves. Who wants to wake up the next day Like, like feeling like their joints hurt or they have a headache or they're dizzy because they drank wine the night before? That's not supposed to happen. You know, um, I've always made wine, um, organically. You know, we just happen not to be certified organic either at my dad's boutique vineyard, um, and that's that's important to know. About provocativo, yeah, you know, that's that's really important. The the thing about it is is that you're going to get an organic product for roughly around $30 a bottle. You know, depends where, what state you're in, depends where you're buying it from, um, and this wine compares to champagne. That's 80 and up, right, so you're getting a massive deal. And you know it's when you're looking at calories. I mean, I know, here we're women, right, we always want to appreciate it yeah.
Speaker 2:Calorie conscious, right, you're looking at calories, you know, and you're looking also at the component, that there's no additives and preservatives and whatnot that are not considered organic or a byproduct, right so? And then you're getting it for 30 a bottle. What not better to do, you know. So it's healthy. You know. There's studies out there that are talking about, you know, um, bubbles, champagne, kava, whatnot they're, they're good against fighting heart attacks and heart disease, you know and it's. You find literature everywhere. You know about it. So I want to say, like you know, provocativo is.
Speaker 1:It's so good, it's, it's a brute, it's I was thinking I was saying at the beginning of the conversation I'm my friends know I'm like a red red wine girl through and through, but like, honestly, that's because no one's ever like introduced me to white Like I don't, like. I just don't know what to like do with it. You know what I mean, and so I am going to go try a glass.
Speaker 2:I'm so glad you are. You know it's, it's funny because you're saying you're a red girl.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But I like to identify wine drinkers as they either prefer dry or sweet. Okay, so I'm going to go. I'm going to put you in the dry category, yeah, okay, and you're burning hot today.
Speaker 1:I am burning.
Speaker 2:Nothing is going to make you feel better than drinking a glass of bubbles. It's refreshing, the bubbles are persistent and they're delicate. You feel amazing. It's like the floral aromas, the subtle vanilla in there. It's a very clean aftertaste. You don't get that a lot of wine. You get a weird aftertaste in your mouth and that's because there's clarifying agents and preservatives and red number whatever in it and you know you're not going to get any of that. And then, on top of it, the price point is so amazing that you can do something fun. You can make an Aperol spritz. You can throw a splash of Limoncello in there and throw it over ice. You know, I mean, it's that versatile. You can have it with caviar, which is like the perfect pairing, or you can have it with a hamburger or hot dog, it doesn't matter. You can have it all by itself with your charcuterie board.
Speaker 1:There we go, look at that tie-in. It doesn't matter, you can have it all by itself with your charcuterie board. Hey, there we go, look at that tie in, it's celebratory.
Speaker 2:It's it's, you know, you just, you feel fun. You feel fun when you drink it. It's that's why everybody loves, you know, popping a bottle of bubbles, because it's that celebratory moment and what makes us feel good is, you know, celebrating right.
Speaker 1:So good. I was just pulling up because you're like you're selling it so good, like I'm like I want to go get my bottle right now. I'm sure everyone wants to get their hands on a bottle. You guys are offering listeners 20% off direct purchases through your website, and so the code this is all going to be in the show notes, but it's gather20, like no spaces G-A-T-H-E-R, the number's two zero, and can you tell us the website?
Speaker 2:Sure, it's provocativobubblescom.
Speaker 1:Ooh love that. Yeah, I like the addition of the bubbles.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, and it depends like I would just go directly to the website and it's easy, comes quick to the door, Like I'm constantly. I know this, not that I don't have like a thousand cases to myself, but, you know, rather than me going to UPS and shipping it, I literally go on the website and I ship it to people. I'm shipping it to Texas, Seattle, New York, you know whatever, and just takes a couple of days, you know so.
Speaker 1:Mouthful of ice. Hold on Beth Ice. We were talking about this before, but I think it's called like the E-cozy on Amazon. It's like $75 on prime day. It's the best. I'm just like addicted to it, my glasses of it all summer long. Um, no one. Uh, when your team was sending me the bottles, I got an email and I felt like it was here like an hour later, Like it came so fast. I think it was overnight, but so fast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and honestly, that's how fast it is. It's like one or two days and it's there, you know, so it's super easy. I mean, everybody can follow us on Instagram, I mean, or go on my instagram to message us there, or you know, whatever I mean, I'm sure they can message you too yeah, I'm gonna tag all of the accounts in the show notes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, and I wanted to. Where'd those go? Um, sorry, my computer was screaming at me. It's like you're almost out of storage. I've never like I'm just, I'm not. This is like off the script, but it was like you need to delete stuff or else the conversation is going to end.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I know. No, I think we're good, though we're like at the last three questions, but I was like, how do I solve that problem? Call the IT department. I know, yeah, full name, my husband, that's who the IT? Okay, Well, we end each of our conversation. I feel like we could just keep going.
Speaker 2:This is like I know it's too much fun. We're going to have to like do it another day.
Speaker 1:I know, I know we really will. I don't say stuff like that lightly, but for the listener that's wanting to run for a glass of wine. Here's the three questions that we ask each of our guests, and I want to hear your answers as well. The first is something you've eaten recently and loved.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, that's like a really hard question, I know. I mean, yesterday I had mussels and clams and I just I don't know, I'm such a nerd, but I love mussels and clams. I had them over pasta and I just you know, I had a little. You could throw provocativo in there when you're making your clams and your mussels, and it's fabulous.
Speaker 1:Can I admit something to you I've never had either.
Speaker 2:You just hurt my feelings and it's, it's fabulous.
Speaker 1:Can I admit something to you I've never had either? You just hurt my feelings, you just hurt.
Speaker 2:Okay, Now you're coming. You're coming to the vineyard and we're going to make mussels and clams on an open fire.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Okay, yep, and I'm going to teach you, okay, how to make mussels and clams, because that's like a sin, you being Italian and not having that. We have to fix that. I don't know, but it's so hard for me to answer. What have I eaten?
Speaker 1:I mean Everything, probably, everything, you probably just surround yourself with good food.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I eat like four or five times a day. I know Same girl and yeah, and I'm, I'm constantly cooking. You see me on social media. I'm constantly like I'm making bread and I'm doing weird things and you know, um, I am constantly eating. And when I do go out which I don't love to go out often, Um, but I do love restaurants, especially here in Chicago, because I feel like we have some of the world's best restaurants here. Right, I love it. But you know what? I have something? Yeah, what is it?
Speaker 2:I was in Medellin, Colombia, about a year ago and I went to a Michelin star restaurant, I want to say it was called El Cielo and it was so fabulous. One of the courses we were brought out was like a hand scrub, was like a hand scrub. It was weird, but it was so good because they made this. We didn't know, you know, like they'd like put, they popped a bowl in front of us and they were like you know, break what was inside the bowl and it looked kind of like a truffle. And then they were like like, oh, exfoliate your hands. And I was like what? So this exfoliant was coffee and chocolate.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And they literally told us to lick our hands. I was like that's so fun. It was fun, so like that's. I guess that's why I kind of like really remember it right now, cause it was delicious.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, that sounds good. I like those flavors, yeah, and I'm all. I'm all for like an experiential eating, whatever, anything like that.
Speaker 2:Bravo food right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Good food good food.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bravo to them. That's great. Um 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 you said earlier just being on your parents property. I picked up on that, but I don't know if that's your answer.
Speaker 2:I mean, I mean that would be really, you know, kind of that like go-to answer. It's always, you know, like a family gathering. That's where I really feel like I belong. Amongst the vines, we're all eating, you know, with family. You know, um, we just had some lifelong family friends come over to the vineyard. They were in from London and, um, you know, that always gives me that, like you know, sense of belonging. But I would have to say my other answer to you. I'm going to give you two part answers for everything. I think this is like the Gemini in me. I was lucky enough to be in a worldwide beauty pageant a couple years ago ago and it was called universal woman and it really was amazing being in a room and gathered together with all these just drop dead gorgeous from like the inside out women all gathered together and everybody you know like gives back to the world and there's just so many beautiful souls and even though you don't know each other, we were all put on a cruise ship together for like two weeks, you know.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I mean like we really like you know, we really honed in and like they became like family. So, um, I'm to give you my two-part answer and tell you it's either you know, in the vineyard or doing something with people that are like-minded, you know, like the Universal Woman pageant, just because it's like you know, I think why you and I feel like we've known each other for a hundred years is because you know we're we're strong and passionate women. So I would say too and that goes back same thing with BB strong, passionate women you know, that's what's, that's, that's what makes you feel like alive is women.
Speaker 2:Women supporting women.
Speaker 1:It's true.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Really good Thinking so many thoughts about that. I think we're in a time right now where it's like almost discouraged to be around people that think like you, because you know we say, like echo chamber, you don't want to get yourself stuck in that. And I think that where the danger comes is when you're only around people that think just like you or share the same values. But I think having the balance of both in life right, that's what magic is.
Speaker 2:It's always good to have that person that puts you in check, though I know, yeah, it's going to tell you like the raw truth.
Speaker 1:We don't like them, but we love them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, sometimes we don't like them, but we love them.
Speaker 1:We love them. Okay, my favorite one lately. Last but not least, something you have discovered recently that you think everyone should know about a Netflix show Amazon purchase anything like that oh, that's a hard one. Did you watch sirens? No.
Speaker 2:Is it good?
Speaker 1:On Netflix. Do I have to watch it? Okay, so I don't know your like TV. I don't know what you like to watch. I've never watched anything like this show in my life. Like I think it changed my life, like it's like a. It's a, but it's not like gross or weird. Watch it on a weekend where you have nothing going on, cause you will not be able to stop.
Speaker 2:I'm such like I'm. I'm a weirdo period. It's like I don't. The only time I watch TV is like when I'm at the end of the night.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:When I'm winding down every night, I have a Greek yogurt and a and a piece of toast with my homemade bread and honey and butter all the time, Right. So, in order to get my mind off of whatever is, you know, happening with you know, my multiple jobs and you know like whatever's happening in the house and like kind of like I have to do, do this like get my mind out of whatever's going on to settle down in order to have that solid sleep, right, sure, um?
Speaker 1:so this show might do that, it might not.
Speaker 2:I have to say I'm like I'm recently really obsessing with well, I was obsessing with well, I was obsessing with suits, believe it or not.
Speaker 1:My, my. I think it's my favorite show, yeah, so.
Speaker 2:I just finished that. And the other thing I'm obsessing with I don't know if you've seen the podcast PBD.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:Obsessing Really. Yeah, obsessing Really. Yeah, there's um, I mean, I think it's really a podcast for men, but I'm, but I'm obsessing with watching these men and hearing how they think Um.
Speaker 1:I know what's so funny. My mom has for sure sent me these clips. She I think my mom watches. That's so cool Okay.
Speaker 2:I'll watch and I'm obsessing, like because I, I like to get in. You know the mindset and the head of businessmen. You know, because we're around them all day and I have to deal with businessmen all the time, it's a male dominated industry that that I'm in, you know. So You're smart, I think I, I, I, I like that I and they. They talk about business a lot. You know, they have really good, you know, like amazing guests on the show and there's so many different. There's wait. There's four guys generally on the show and they all have a very different opinion on things. Great, you know. So I like watching that podcast and you know my current one was suits. I was, and I can't wait for um house of dragons to come.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, oh my gosh. So okay, we for sure like the same TV. So the main character in sirens is the one of the girls on House of Dragons. No, and she's very different. She's like a Nantucket preppy girl.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm going to have to watch it now. I'm going to report back.
Speaker 1:It's a mini series. It's only six episodes and for the first few you're like I don't know if I love this or hate it, but I can't stop. And it's unbelievable and it's so funny to hear you say that you watch this podcast. We're a big podcast family. My husband and I watch them all the time. But in college I always knew I wanted to be an interviewer. I just didn't know in what capacity and I would sit and just watch Dr Phil and my roommate. You are such a weirdo.
Speaker 2:What's wrong with you? Well, I'm going to beat you on that. I used to watch Jerry Springer.
Speaker 1:So funny, but I just I don't know. People have their thoughts about Dr Phil, now whatever I mean, I know, but I get it Like I just wanted to watch the box, though he was really outside the he.
Speaker 2:He was no one. No one on TV at that time was doing what he was doing, you know. So he was different and you know he did promote a lot of good.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes. So, yes, a lot of yeah Wow, very cool, my friend Well, a lot of commonalities, I love that. Dr Phil. I know I don't currently watch Dr Phil in the afternoon, my free time, but if anyone's like, do you still do that? I want to know. Um, no, but it's, it's really. Uh. I like that answer because it's a good call to action for us to kind of surround ourselves with. Oh chess, you play chess. I'm addicted. Are you really like on your phone? Or?
Speaker 2:in person. No, no, no, no, no With Louis in person. And yes, and we're super competitive. So it's like a knockdown, drag out, fight, sometimes, like the pieces are like moving each other out, you know like it's so fun.
Speaker 1:I feel like we have enough in common that I could trust that recommendation. I've never properly played. But, I'm a big game person, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Catan.
Speaker 1:I've never.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, we started playing. That too, we have our whole weekend planned.
Speaker 1:I feel like we do. It's like chess muscles and Catan. Wait, you forgot about Provocativo bubbles. Oh sorry, sorry, yeah, yeah, of course, I mean, that was just a given.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we are going to drink Provocativo, eat mussels and clams and play chess and Catan Surrounded by vines.
Speaker 1:While watching sirens. Oh, my girlfriend, I know my birthday is July 13th. Are we doing this? I'm kidding. There we go. I loved this. Well, thank you so much. Anything else, I guess that you feel like we missed that. You wanted to be sure to get on record.
Speaker 2:I don't think so. We covered a lot we did, but it just, it just felt like two girls having a good time. So that's the way I like it. Yeah, I had a fun time. Thanks for having me, of course. And we need to uh, let's make a cocktail. Oh, let's do that, let's, let's, let's do a provocative cocktail together.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, that'd be great. I'm like we do it right now, but my baby needs a cocktail. But baby's waiting for mama what my baby needs. Mama needs a cocktail, but baby's waiting for mama.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Oh man. Well, I'm going to attach everything in the show notes, direct links to everything, like the Instagram websites, the coupon code. So if you guys are listening and looking for that, you can find it there and we will see you next week. See you then.