PROFESSION: Running the Hotel Castello di Sinio with partner Jay Russell
AGE: "Old enough to know better and young enough to not care"
HOMETOWN: San Francisco
NEW HOME: Sinio, Piedmont (www.hotelcastellodisinio.com)
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MOVE TO ITALY?
We were dot-com folks, so in 2002, during the downturn in Silicon Valley, we figured we'd both be downsized. We viewed it as an opportunity, not a misfortune. I wanted to learn Italian so I proposed that we spend a year in Italy.
WHAT MADE YOU STAY IN ITALY?
There was little to go back to. Our friends back home cheered us on--they wanted to believe that dreams could come true.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE PIEDMONT?
It is undiscovered and gorgeous.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST JOB YOU HAD THERE?
At a golf course. Jay and I planted flowers. The townspeople gave me the nickname "Signora Primavera!"
WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA TO OPEN A HOTEL?
Some friends in Piedmont heard about an old castle, but it needed lots of work. When they told Jay about it, he said, "Positively no." He expected me to have the same negative reaction, but I fell in love with it.
SO IT WAS A FIXER-UPPER?
That's putting it mildly! It had no doors or windows, trash was everywhere and two goats lived in the courtyard. It was so dilapidated that when we told a local man that we were renovating the castle, he said, "There's no castle in Sinio."
WHO ARE YOUR USUAL GUESTS?
Quite a few Americans. Canadians, Australians, English. We're proud to have a lot of Italians. It's all from word-of-mouth, since we don't advertise.
WHAT'S THE HARDEST PART OF RUNNING A HOTEL?
We thought we'd hire people and give them incentives. But our Italian friends said, "Are you nuts? They'll take advantage!" What we think of as incentives, such as a salary and bonuses, are not viewed that way here. You need to hire friends who want to help you.
WHAT'S THE MOST SURPRISING THING?
The castle has ghosts! They messed with us at first. During the renovation, closed windows kept opening. Lights went on and off; the elevator went up and down. But they're benevolent ghosts. They got quieter when we planted the garden and flowers. They were happy with that.
DO YOU EVER MISS THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF SAN FRANCISCO?
There's a lot of hustle and bustle in a hotel! I used to think I worked hard being in senior management in high tech. But at least I had a day off. Here we have no free time. People come back from dinner, and we launch into all-night conversations.
HOW DOES LIVING IN A PIEDMONT CASTLE COMPARE TO LIVING IN A SAN FRANCISCO LOFT?
The castle is a lot bigger.
