Our country can boast many Italian excellences, people who at some point in their life have decided to create something, sometimes starting from scratch to realize their dreams. In this interview, the protagonist is Giovanni D’Antonio, manager of the company Miamo, which deals with luxury wellness, namely personal care products, such as:
- liver spots,
- acne or
- wrinkles.
The start of his career
Let me explain: Giovanni D’Antonio is an “upright person” or as he defines himself, a self made man: he claims that to reach such heights at the beginning many sacrifices were made. In particular he had to study economy and then work many hours a day, as well as travel to become competent and cover this important role.
Wait … there is more: his family has virtually always been involved in the field of wellness! His mother is a pharmacist, his father a plastic surgeon and since childhood he has grown up with the motto «one has to love oneself» it follows with having to take care of one’s body … And that’s why his company of cosmeceutical products is called Miamo.
The Italian and American markets
After this brief introduction, we went into more detail to ask about the differences between the Italian and American markets. His answers show that the American market is surely larger than the Italian market and offers more opportunities but on the other hand is governed by huge companies that have a bit of monopoly over everything.
But it’s not all … Italian trade is smaller, but made up of many small and medium-sized businesses, which are often of the highest quality and in fact shops frequently open in America with Italian names. This is definitely a viable strategy because it fascinates people, who are then tempted to buy.
Lastly, about this topic, he concludes by saying that in fact the opportunities in America are far greater than those of our country. Why? Because in Italy, unfortunately, when there is an idea, there are few investors, who are only willing to invest roughly 50 thousand euros.
On the contrary, in America, there are many people willing to invest if you have a winning idea, there is a lot more funding there. That is why, according to Giovanni D’Antonio, the Italian policies on access to credit should change, which often unfortunately stifle the entrepreneurial abilities of so many young people.
Miamo: a family business
At this point, the interview continues, and we find out that Miamo, a luxury wellness company, is a family-run business. Giovanni’s sister and mother, both pharmacists, developed the line, the products, and are head of scientific management: a winning duo since they are completely different generations. That means they cover everyone’s needs at 360 degrees.
Consider this: scientific expertise alone was not enough to create the company. At this point someone needed to deal with the managerial and administrative part, skills that pharmacists certainly could not have. So it was Giovanni D’Antonio who succeeded in creating a synergy that led to success. He says that, however, almost daily he organizes meetings with his family, a real round table, so that he can compare and understand the best solutions for any kind of problem.
Between technology and traditions
At the end of the interview, he is also asked what his relationship with technology is. The entrepreneur replies that in reality, although his business is quite traditional, using intelligent technology is a winning weapon. Giovanni D’Antonio explains that nowadays no technological tools can be spared, even for simple actions such as ordering, handling credits and displaying catalogues, but without letting technology prevail over traditions and vice versa.
To conclude, the last question is: «Close your eyes: where would you rather be now?» Very ironically our interviewee answers «Miami under the sun».
A good interview that shows how often made in Italy is underestimated and it is a demonstration that even in our country there are some Italian excellences that shouldn’t be overlooked.