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What do you do for a living?

Hospitality. What I try to do is really create a place and a brand that will bring more soul to people. I feel that people have a misconception of happiness and how they can achieve it. I try to tell them that sometimes happiness is right next to you.

What do you do to feel alive?

Living every day like it was the last. I try to live every day to the max and fulfill every moment – I don’t want to have any dull moments. I hate routine. Routine kills every type of emotion.

A lesson you learned from your mother:

I wish it could be just one…I continue to learn while we are speaking! My mom has three bachelor’s degrees. She reads a book every day. She’s also very humble. She taught me in any given moment to be happy with what I did and to have respect for what I do – to live in integrity – to be a model for others. In every situation try to find the positive side even when it’s negative.

A lesson you learned from your father:

Kindness. My father is one of the kindest people. He taught me: Sometimes with kindness you achieve a bigger goal than you could imagine and always think before you say.

What’s the most beautiful thing you saw today?

It’s not a thing, but a situation. I went to meet with a group of young artists today it was beautiful being around their dreams, their passions. There were 15 artists. I explained to them that I want to share their dreams through my work.

What’s one thing you wouldn’t want anyone to take away from you?

My passion for life and my optimism.

What’s a thought you would like to never have again?

I meditate, and through meditation I realize sometimes how small we become in situations we cannot control or understand. In the end the only thing you can count on is true happiness within yourself and you have the power to transfer that love to other people. Sometimes, though, that doesn’t always happen.

If you could become an inanimate object what would it be?

A dining table. It’s the place where normally people enjoy great laughs, great food, great moments and great wine, of course.

When do you feel most loved?

I feel most loved when people accept me for who I am and they put up with and can deal with my bad sides.

If your life were to end tomorrow what would be left undone?

There are too many to list. I think that for sure one life is not enough to accomplish everything. My philosophy is that you stop learning when you die.

What global issue would you take on if you didn’t have to worry about how?

To change the mentality of people – for sure – that would solve all the problems in the world.

What’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?

I think the scariest thing that happened to me was realizing my own fragility. Human nature doesn’t realize our fragility.  I had an accident recently. We don’t realize how quickly things can end – that you are absolutely powerless – that anything can happen in two seconds from now.