We were lucky to catch up with Paolo Scialpi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Paolo, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I believe that there are no right or wrong ways to take, when it comes to be successful. I have learned that, yes there is a “book” to follow but is even funnier and adventurous to try different path during the building of your personal success. My way of seeing the achieving of success is to be consistent in your vision, have a clear vision that will not be compromised also in challenging moment. What I mean by that is: dream about the vision, create a culture around it, do not change it when people say it it is totally wrong, take decision led by the vision and not by the moment and all this will pay you back, yes it will. You will have to wait, it is a long term plan but it will be worth it.
I have indeed an anecdote that goes along with this story:
After I started my bartending career in “discos” I joined the opening of a local bar in my hometown, Ostuni-Puglia, during my time there I jumped into a video of the “Connaught Hotel Bar” in London. It was about the experience that guests could have when visiting that place, well I felt in love and “To work there” became my reason to be successful at that time. Eight months later, without knowing anything I booked one way flight to London. I arrived there I did not have a job, I did not have an house yet but I had a mission :enter that team. I sent countless of CV to The Connaught which were, obviously ignored, I worked in a bar that I did not want to but allowed me to pay the bills. I stayed with my vision clear for 9 months, until a received that call “Goodmorning we are calling from The Connaught we would like to invite you for an interview”. WOW. Well I joined the team as a Barback, in 2020 and 2021 we were awarded as a “Best Bar In The World” , I than “climbed the way” until Bar supervisor position for two years. It was and still it is the biggest achievement I had in my professional path and It was the first moment that I felt successful in something. All that because I did not give up on the goal and vision

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Sure, me and my business partner we met during a summer in which we both worked in the same establish. He was my manager back in the days. Than our path divided for a short period, while I was doing my experiences. Than he called me one day by saying that he was opening a cocktail bar and restaurant and he wanted me with him for that. We created such a beautiful environment there for four years, during that time we had the opportunity to strength our friendship. Now we are brothers from a different mother and since I had the idea of moving back from UK we straight away thought together “let’s open businesses together!”

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I really like this one. I think what helped me, and still helps me, building my reputation is the consistency with how I do things. After my experience in the hotel, I build a “personaggio” that suits me well, for me. I do dress in suits all the time, in businesses occasion, I do shave the beard everyday, I have my hair done always in the same way.
In this helped me a lesson given me by my former manager “remember Paolo you have to be five stars inside and outside of your workplace.
What he meant with that was that we work in an industry, Hospitality, that requires to represent the place where we work H24. The people recognises us also because they associate us with that environment, so represent it at all times.
This I something that allowed me to find a lot of disagreement within my coworkers and friends but for me is it something that comes naturally.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paolo__scialpi/
• Facebook: https://it-it.facebook.com/palolino.scialpi
• Linkedin: https://it.linkedin.com/in/paolo-scialpi-a22571238?trk=public_post_follow-view-profile