We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paola Cipollina. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paola below.
Paola, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I’ve always wanted to bring a new, different and fresh approach/point of view in every business/enterprise I’ve dealt with. Since the times when I opened my first fashion schools (in 1976 at the of 16) and the I’ve been able to create a whole franchise (EsseModa, 1984, involving prestigious stylists such as Fiorucci, Beppe Modenese, Roberta di Camerino, Ermenegildo Zegna and Ferrè to mention a few) my goal has been to provide a diverse and alternative environment to all the young generations who were willing to work in the field.
Then in 1996, together with my husband Max Leonida, I founded the performing art school “Accademia dello Spettacolo”, always following my objective of being a viable and solid alternative to the old methods.
In 2003 I created Astarox Productions, the company I currently co-own with my husband Max and William Penn University: in order to produce movies, TV shows and documentaries that wouldn’t just blatantly follow the commercial mainstream.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an awarded, experienced and talented Italian manager and entrepreneur. I started in the early 80’s working in the fashion business and creating the first franchise of international fashion schools: called “Esse Moda” and famous all over the world.
I can claim a practical and deep knowledge of the management rules and she’s able to show her undeniable skills in any production field that require strong bases of financial knowledge and budgeting.
At the age of 16 I created her first fashion school in Genoa and, in a few years, I gathered over 600 students coming from all over Italy… after such a great success I opened other fifteen national schools and three international schools (Japan, Morocco, Korea). In a short time Esse Moda became the first franchise dedicated to the professional education and many other entrepreneurs asked the help of Paola to successfully launch their businesses.
With a group of 60 teachers I’ve actually been – for over 7 years – the undisputed leader of every Italian fashion school, creating a brand of her won, a real franchise and working side by side with worldwide famous stylists like Elio Fiorucci, Raffaella Curiel, Beppe Modenese, Roberta Di Camerino, Francesco Pellati.
In 1995 I met my husband (movie director Max Leonida, currently Film Artist-in-Residence at William Penn University) with whom I created one of the first and most prestigious Italian school of performing arts: Accademia dello Spettacolo.
In 2003 I founded Astarox Srl, an international video production company, that immediately attracted the utmost loyalty of important, internationally renown customers such as: L’Orèal, ATM, Sony Pictures, Milwaukee, GeFi, Roche, Bayer, etc…
In 2007 I started producing TV shows (for RAI, SKY and Mediaset) and I financed my first feature films (“MANDALA – the symbol”, “Backward”, “Fai da te Facile”, RUN, “Bruna in Beverly Hills”), then in 2010/2011 I moved to Los Angeles (California) where I kept on producing movies, music videos, documentaries and TV series.
In 2016 I created LAfirstep, LLC a company that became immediately the most successful business point of reference and an actual intercultural bridge between Europe and the United States, offering a complete range of services that span from business venture investments to line producing, from talent management to feature film and TV productions.
I also organized important, international, cultural events (“Gusto Italiano”, “Tracce di Mille Miglia”, “Epicureology”) in collaboration with either private and national institutional partners (LA Film School, LA Dance Dream, LA Fashion Weekly, Italian Cultural Institute of LA).
In 2020, during the pandemic time, I permanently moved to Oskaloosa (Iowa) where I became American Citizen in 2022. I currently live and work in Iowa, where I still co-own LAfirstep LLC, together with Astarox Productions LLC and the franchise of Italian food shops “Rosso & Wine” and “Rosso & Wine Pronto!”.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I known this may sound cheesy and/or cliche… but the advise is to always keep your mind high on positive vibes! If we get stuck in what doesn’t work with us and/or our business… we run the risk to fall prey of a darker area of our mind, where nothing really works, nothing really is meaningful and everything seems worthless.
Life will never stop putting challenges on our way and it’s up to us to overcome them with confidence and serenity.
That doesn’t absolutely mean we can’t suffer or even cry when something bad happens to us: but our only way out is to roll up our sleeves and start over again, because the fear of failure is way worst than the failure itself.
Life is not fair and there’s no reason for which it should be! Let’s cope with that and let’s embrace the good, the bad and the ugly (sorry, I couldn’t resist to a Sergio Leone quote)!
I’ve always done everything with love, in my life, and I believe people can feel it and there’s nothing stronger than that feeling.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I moved to the US my life has been literally flipped upside down…! After an entire life spent in Italy (with the warm support and comfort of the ones I love, with the financial support of the national institutions, with the feeling of being safe in a familiar place) moving to the Unites States revolutionized my whole existence and I had to learn everything all over again: from the language to the driving rules, from the healthcare system to the tax return…
And when you feel lost and alone and vulnerable… your family of origin is ten thousand miles away.
I had to toughen my skin, enhance my defenses and start a whole new life in a country that – as I learned in time – has so much to offer and it’s still a place where, if you work hard (very very hard) you can definitely make it!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an awarded, experienced and talented Italian manager and entrepreneur. I started in the early 80’s working in the fashion business and creating the first franchise of international fashion schools: called “Esse Moda” and famous all over the world.
I can claim a practical and deep knowledge of the management rules and she’s able to show her undeniable skills in any production field that require strong bases of financial knowledge and budgeting.
At the age of 16 I created her first fashion school in Genoa and, in a few years, I gathered over 600 students coming from all over Italy… after such a great success I opened other fifteen national schools and three international schools (Japan, Morocco, Korea). In a short time Esse Moda became the first franchise dedicated to the professional education and many other entrepreneurs asked the help of Paola to successfully launch their businesses.
With a group of 60 teachers I’ve actually been – for over 7 years – the undisputed leader of every Italian fashion school, creating a brand of her won, a real franchise and working side by side with worldwide famous stylists like Elio Fiorucci, Raffaella Curiel, Beppe Modenese, Roberta Di Camerino, Francesco Pellati.
In 1995 I met my husband (movie director Max Leonida, currently Film Artist-in-Residence at William Penn University) with whom I created one of the first and most prestigious Italian school of performing arts: Accademia dello Spettacolo.
In 2003 I founded Astarox Srl, an international video production company, that immediately attracted the utmost loyalty of important, internationally renown customers such as: L’Orèal, ATM, Sony Pictures, Milwaukee, GeFi, Roche, Bayer, etc…
In 2007 I started producing TV shows (for RAI, SKY and Mediaset) and I financed my first feature films (“MANDALA – the symbol”, “Backward”, “Fai da te Facile”, RUN, “Bruna in Beverly Hills”), then in 2010/2011 I moved to Los Angeles (California) where I kept on producing movies, music videos, documentaries and TV series.
In 2016 I created LAfirstep, LLC a company that became immediately the most successful business point of reference and an actual intercultural bridge between Europe and the United States, offering a complete range of services that span from business venture investments to line producing, from talent management to feature film and TV productions.
I also organized important, international, cultural events (“Gusto Italiano”, “Tracce di Mille Miglia”, “Epicureology”) in collaboration with either private and national institutional partners (LA Film School, LA Dance Dream, LA Fashion Weekly, Italian Cultural Institute of LA).
In 2020, during the pandemic time, I permanently moved to Oskaloosa (Iowa) where I became American Citizen in 2022. I currently live and work in Iowa, where I still co-own LAfirstep LLC, together with Astarox Productions LLC and the franchise of Italian food shops “Rosso & Wine” and “Rosso & Wine Pronto!”.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I known this may sound cheesy and/or cliche… but the advise is to always keep your mind high on positive vibes! If we get stuck in what doesn’t work with us and/or our business… we run the risk to fall prey of a darker area of our mind, where nothing really works, nothing really is meaningful and everything seems worthless.
Life will never stop putting challenges on our way and it’s up to us to overcome them with confidence and serenity.
That doesn’t absolutely mean we can’t suffer or even cry when something bad happens to us: but our only way out is to roll up our sleeves and start over again, because the fear of failure is way worst than the failure itself.
Life is not fair and there’s no reason for which it should be! Let’s cope with that and let’s embrace the good, the bad and the ugly (sorry, I couldn’t resist to a Sergio Leone quote)!
I’ve always done everything with love, in my life, and I believe people can feel it and there’s nothing stronger than that feeling.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I moved to the US my life has been literally flipped upside down…! After an entire life spent in Italy (with the warm support and comfort of the ones I love, with the financial support of the national institutions, with the feeling of being safe in a familiar place) moving to the Unites States revolutionized my whole existence and I had to learn everything all over again: from the language to the driving rules, from the healthcare system to the tax return…
And when you feel lost and alone and vulnerable… your family of origin is ten thousand miles away.
I had to toughen my skin, enhance my defenses and start a whole new life in a country that – as I learned in time – has so much to offer and it’s still a place where, if you work hard (very very hard) you can definitely make it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.astaroxproductions.com
- Instagram: paolamariasavoia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paolacip2000
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paola-cipollina-5a971b1a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@astaroxproductions8257
- Other: https://www.paolamariasavoia.com (my personal website as an artist) http://www.rossoandwine.com (my franchise of Italian food shops) https://www.lafirstep.com (my business support company)