Cristina D’Angelo, Entrepreneurial Italian Food Purveyor with a ‘Slow Food’ Outlook 

When I put the call out to my network that I was looking for women entrepreneurs to interview for the “In Conversation with” series,   I was rather enthusiastic when news of Cristina D’Angelo landed in my inbox. 

Cristina is the founder of ecommerce site Shop Bottega, a site dedicated to promoting the products of small artisans in Italy who make unique, handmade items with a “Slow Food” conscience. The shop’s cleanly-designed, easy-to-navigate website has a small, whimsical honeybee as its logo, and high-quality pictures of its often luscious or delightfully unconventional items (piglet cutting board, anyone?).

This venture is a natural for Christina. Her expertise is on Italian food, culture, and way of life, and her passion for all things Italy is evident from the carefully curated items she provides for sale.  As Cristina told me simply, “I love everything the country has to offer, and my goal is to put the spotlight on small artisans and craftsmen through my website.“

Define “entrepreneur” for me.
An “entrepreneur” is someone who takes their life passions and puts them to work. An “entrepreneur” is a leader, an innovator, a doer, who never settles for less than the best, and puts their all into their work.

Who are your heroes?
My grandmother and my parents.

What is your motto?
Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

What problem would you like solved?
How to completely phase out fossil fuels and power the world using renewable, clean energy.

Item you wish you had invented?
The espresso machine.

Biggest regret?
No regrets! All mistakes are learning experiences.

Which productivity tools (app/software/office supplies) do you use most often?
I don’t know where I would be without my iPad.

Best discovery?
That if you want something badly enough, and are willing to work hard, you CAN achieve it.

Best pat on the back you’ve ever received?
When my mom told me how proud she was of me and my accomplishments. There is no better feeling than making your parents proud!

Advice you wish you’d had (or had followed)?
Don’t let the negativity of other people drag you down and keep you from being yourself or pursuing your dreams.

Your pitch in 140 characters?
“ShopBottega is bringing small artisans and slow food back, going against the (GMO) grain of industrial and mass-produced foods and goods.”

Are you on Twitter?
Yes, @Shop_Bottega.

What’s your hashtag?
#beeitalian.

Your nails on a chalkboard moment?
Any form of negativity.

The J.O.B. you’d actually like?
The one I have is my dream job!

Inc. or Rolling Stone or…..? Which magazine cover?
Both!

What are you reading?
Thrive, by Arianna Huffington.

What is your must read?
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau.

If I wanted to do what you’re doing…what’s your advice?
Just dive in, and don’t waste time staring at the water.

What conference would you like to keynote?
Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit and/or the Slow Food Organization’s Terra Madre Event.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate and cheese – and sometimes together!

Short cut, long route, road less travelled? What’s your roadmap?
I almost always take the long route or the road less traveled. I prefer the “slow and steady wins the race” approach. Short cuts are boring!

The memories of a chef are tastes and smells, what would you say are the memories of an entrepreneur?
Blood, sweat, tears… but pure joy when you’ve accomplished what you set out to accomplish.

Who or what inspires you?
I am always inspired when I see young people taking their ideas and running with them with the goal of making a positive impact on the world.

What’s the most important startup/entrepreneurship lesson you’ve learned?
Persistence is key, as well as ignoring the voices in your head telling you that it’s impossible. Anything is possible.

Favorite gadget?
My portable luggage scale! Can’t travel without it.

One place in time you’d like to visit?
The Roman Empire. It would be fascinating to see where the foundation for a lot of the modern day was started.

Part of the trick to staying focused is?
Compartmentalizing your day into segments dedicated to getting certain things done. It’s amazing how much you can get accomplished if you just plan ahead and stick to the schedule.

Where can readers of “In Conversation With” connect with you online?
info@shopbottega.com

One last thing: what’s the question I should be asking you?
Have you tried the Detoxifying Leek and Potato Soup recipe on the Shop Bottega blog? You may not always hear “detoxifying” and “leek and potato soup” in the same sentence, and that’s because leek and potato soup is usually made with butter and cream.

This soup, however, is different: it’s lighter because our Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil replaces the butter and cream. And as foodies who are keeping to our New Year’s diet resolutions, we at Shop Bottega are trying to eat as light as possible without sacrificing taste or satiety.