Financial Adviser: 5 Business Lessons Everyone Can Learn from the Founders of Caramia
ILLUSTRATION: Igi Talao
Tessie Moran’s entrepreneurial journey began as a personal passion and evolved into a family-driven legacy. What started as a small home business grew into Red Ribbon, one of the most recognized bakeshop brands in the Philippines.
Alongside her husband, Danny, she built a thriving enterprise, overcoming the challenges of expansion, competition, and eventually, reinvention. Today, their children continue the journey, leading Caramia into the future while staying true to the values that built their family’s success.
Tessie’s love for baking was inspired by her mother, who sold homemade delicacies. This early experience instilled in her the principles of quality and presentation, which would later define her own business. In 1979, she took a bold step and launched Red Ribbon, which offered high-quality yet affordable cakes that quickly gained popularity.
As the business grew, Danny joined her in managing Red Ribbon’s expansion. While Tessie focused on product development, Danny worked on the business operations and strategy. Together, they built a brand that became synonymous with premium cakes, known for its signature flavors like Chocolate Mousse, Black Forest, and Ube Cake.
By the early 2000s, Red Ribbon had expanded nationwide and even entered the U.S. market. Their success, however, came with challenges. Scaling operations while maintaining consistency required innovation and a strong team.
In 2005, after 26 years of growing the business, the couple made the difficult decision to sell Red Ribbon to Jollibee Foods Corporation. The sale also opened a new chapter for the family, which led them to discover Amici, a small canteen in Don Bosco run by an Italian priest. Known for its pizza, pasta, and gelato, Amici became their next venture in 2007.
However, transitioning from a self-service canteen to a commercial restaurant proved to be more challenging than expected. By 2009, the couple decided to separate the gelato and cake business from Amici and created a new brand—Caramia.
Drawing from Tessie’s expertise at Red Ribbon, Caramia became a brand focused on artisanal gelato and premium cakes. Today, Caramia has over 60 locations across the country, including kiosks and full-service stores.
As Caramia expanded, the Moran children, Philip and Paolo, began playing active roles in the business. Philip, who built a career in banking after earning a master’s degree from Cornell University, returned to the Philippines in 2009 to help manage Caramia’s growth, while Paolo, who received formal culinary training in Italy, introduced new techniques and innovations that improved the quality of Caramia’s products.
With their children’s involvement, Tessie and Danny who continued to provide guidance gradually transitioned leadership to the next generation.
How did the Moran couple restart their entrepreneurial journey after selling Red Ribbon, and how did they overcome the challenges of launching Caramia?
Here are the five business lessons everyone can learn from the Moran family, founders of Caramia and Amici:
ALSO READ
1| Know how to turn a passion into a successful business
A business built on passion often results in authentic products because the entrepreneur has a deep, personal connection to what they are offering. This genuine interest ensures that every detail, from product development to customer experience, is thoughtfully crafted with care and dedication.
When an entrepreneur is truly invested in their business, they are not just motivated by profit but by a desire to create something meaningful and valuable. This naturally leads to a higher standard of quality and a stronger commitment to customer satisfaction.
Customers can recognize when a business is built with passion, which promotes trust and loyalty. This connection increases the likelihood of their return and encourages them to recommend the brand to others.
Tessie built her business from passion by drawing inspiration from her mother’s entrepreneurial mindset and strong work ethic. Her early exposure to business came from watching her mother sell native kakanin, which sparked her own interest in creating and selling food.
From childhood, she showed a deep love for baking. She spent hours in the kitchen and tested different recipes to perfect her craft. Her passion for baking turned into an entrepreneurial pursuit when she decided to start her own business.
Encouraged by her mother, who had successfully managed several small kiosks, Tessie took the bold step of selling her homemade cakes. She took charge of every aspect of the business while also being a mother. Even during her pregnancy, she stayed dedicated to completing orders and made sure customers received the best quality products.
As demand for her cakes increased, Tessie expanded her business by opening new stores in Pasig, Greenhills, and Makati Avenue. At first, she baked all the cakes in her apartment and arranged for their delivery to the stores. The success of these branches proved that her passion and hard work brought results and helped Red Ribbon become a trusted brand in the industry.
“I was very close to my mom,” Tessie says. “She's very entrepreneurial. She's really gutsy—yung tipong, she's just so street-smart. She was very influential to us in the sense that she encouraged me a lot to do what I wanted, which was baking at that time. Since I was in third grade, I was already baking.
“I had my first-hand mixer when I was in grade school, and all the way through high school, I really loved baking. Then, when I got married, I thought of going to put up my own business, just like my mom.
“My mom was selling mga native kakanin at that time, and she was very entrepreneurial. She had different stores, small kiosks, and madami—maybe around 10 to 12 outlets. She kind of influenced me to do my own thing, and at that time, she saw that I loved baking, and she encouraged me. She would help sell my products. I also had these small desserts from Pampanga and Panaditas, which I learned from an old lady until one day, we found this place along Timog, which became our first store for Red Ribbon. She said, 'Let’s look at that place, maybe you can open up, even just a small kiosk inside that supermarket.'
“To make a long story short, the owner encouraged us, and my mom, with her gutsy nature, decided to get a small space—just a 32-square-meter area. I mean, it was a retail building, and my mom got the smallest or maybe the second smallest space. I was just like, ‘Are you sure?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, yeah.’
“She gave the deposit right then and there that night—without planning, without starting any preparations, nothing. So I decided, ‘I’m just gonna sell my cakes, whatever.’ I was just so confident that she was there to help me and that we were going to make it. That’s when it all started.
“I was pregnant with Philip. I was due to deliver him in June. The blessing of the store was in March, and I had an order, and I was preparing my order for a big mango cake while I was already in labor. We were so hands-on, and it was a lot of hard work when we were starting. We would also sell orders like palabok, dinuguan, and baked macaroni, and I think those were the ones selling more at that time kasi yun ang pinupuntahan.
“The first year was a very busy year because I already had a baby and I was baking. I only had helpers who would assist me who eventually learned na lang. It was a lot of work, but I was young, you know. I mean, I could do things like that. The first year was a struggle, but because of the demand and good feedback, it was encouraging, and since it was a passion to start with, it was fine to keep growing. I guess the support of my mom and my sister was very helpful because it was not easy running the operations with helpers alone.
“And then, aside from researching products, I was also researching packaging. I was always researching what kind of packaging would be good. For example, with Crema de Fruta, I had to put it in a container. I also had to go to Divisoria with my sister for cake pans. I had to choose which cake pan to buy. Tapos yung box, dine-design namin. Kung ano-anong design nilagay namin dun. Tapos, I had to talk to the suppliers of the box. We would buy the pans, the packaging, the boxes, lahat yan, Quiapo and Divisoria were our destinations.
“I remember buying my first Hobart mixer. It’s probably the same feeling you get when you buy a nice car. I was so excited, I couldn't sleep. I had my first mixer—I even carried it with me. It was like having my first BMW. The suppliers of ingredients also gave us a lot of information. They were helpful. They would explain how to use the ingredients and suggest ideas.
“The next store we had was in Pasig, around 1981. Yung mga cakes, and then we just sold them there in Pasig. After a year, nag-click naman sa Pasig area. Kasi it was basically the same concept—something that wasn’t available in Pasig, only in Makati. But somehow, it got a little bit popular in Quezon City, so we opened in Pasig.”
“After two years, I think in 1983, we opened in Greenhills, then Makati Avenue,” Danny says. “By the third store, Tessie was making all the cakes in our apartment, so we had to deliver everything from the apartment to the store—naka-jeep lang.”
2| Know how to innovate and create a market niche
Innovation does not always mean creating something entirely new. Many successful businesses establish a competitive edge by making strategic improvements—small but meaningful tweaks—to their products or services. These refinements enhance quality or customer experience that set the brand apart from competitors.
By carefully adjusting ingredients, packaging, or presentation, businesses can create a distinct identity while responding to consumer preferences. Businesses that focus on continuous improvement rather than drastic changes stay ahead in competitive markets.
Small innovations keep offerings fresh and relevant without alienating existing customers. This approach also allows businesses to experiment, identify what works best, and refine their strategy with minimal risk.
Tessie created a unique market niche by introducing innovations to her products. Rather than developing entirely new offerings, she improved existing ones by modifying ingredients and techniques to meet her standards.
One of her most significant innovations was the introduction of whipped cream cakes. At the time, major bakeshops only offered butter icing or egg white-based cakes, while high-end whipped cream cakes were only available in five-star hotels in Makati.
By offering hotel-quality cakes at a more affordable price, Red Ribbon positioned itself as a premium yet affordable brand. This unique selling point attracted customers looking for high-quality desserts without the expensive price tag.
Tessie introduced the Black Forest cake, which was previously only found in luxury hotels. Since key ingredients like black cherries and Kirschwasser (a traditional cherry brandy used in authentic Black Forest cakes) were difficult to source and too expensive, she reformulated the recipe by replacing them with more accessible alternatives, such as red cherries and a modified alcohol component. This allowed her to maintain the essence of the cake while making it more suitable for the local market.
Beyond product innovation, Tessie ensured that Red Ribbon stood out by prioritizing quality and presentation. She paid attention to packaging and branding. This attention to detail helped establish Red Ribbon as a trusted and recognizable brand.
“When I started doing business na, kasi I really wanted to sell cakes, I just learned from different housewives lang kasi noon,” Tessie says. “There was no real school for baking; wala naman yung mga Enderun or anything like that, and you had to go abroad, but we couldn’t afford that. My mom couldn’t send me abroad to study—that was for the rich.
“So I just learned, and then I was very good at tweaking—that’s like my forte. I would base it on something, so I’m not saying that I created the recipes from scratch, but I would really get them and adjust them. I would always try to learn recipes. That was my strength—parang it's my strength to look for recipes and then tweak them to how I want them to taste.”
“When we opened a branch in Quezon City, wala pang mga whipped cream at that time because the big bake shops then had only butter icing or egg white,” Danny says. “Walang mga whipped cream, so we were promoting the whipped, refrigerated kinds of cakes. At that time, I think, although it was not a strategy, that’s what Tessie liked to experiment on. The products that she was experimenting on were high-quality whipped cream cakes, and the only place you could find those kinds of cakes was either in a 5-star hotel or the expensive places in Makati.
“So all of a sudden, there was this small bakeshop in Quezon City serving that same—you could say—standard of quality for a much cheaper price. That’s why people actually started buying it because it was quite unique.”
“The concept of Black Forest kasi at that time was known to be all over Makati,” Danny adds. “It was popular sa mga hotels. Very sosyal places. It was a hotel product. Like at that time, merong mga Sachertorte, Black Forest—they were only available in hotels like Peninsula, Mandarin, Hyatt. You could find it there. It was very difficult to find those ingredients, even yung mga black cherries. Wala namang nagtitinda ng Black Forest sa Quezon City noon, so this whole concept of using red cherries and changing the wine—I did that already on my own because I tweaked it, and I reformulated it.”
“Kasi ang chefs talaga dati mas madali silang i-approach,” Tessie says. “I remember particularly when we were working on a certain bread, so what I used to do was I would always approach chefs in hotels just to get ideas. But there was this particular chef—I remember I called him through the operator, ‘Can I be connected to this guy?’ Then he talked to me. And then, eventually, I was able to invite him to come to the commissary, to the factory, and he taught us how to make the bread. So that was the kind of approach I was also doing. I was very resourceful. I liked asking people, "How do you do this?" I never had a recipe that I used exactly. Never. It was always tweaked. Ang daming evolution nung recipe na yun.
“When we were starting, we already had the chocolate torte, and then I had Sachertorte, which was so difficult to make. Tapos people from Quezon City, they would ask, ‘Ano ito? Balat ng lechon?’ You know what Sachertorte looks like? It's caramelized sugar on top, so you can imagine it's glazed, it's shiny. It was not an easy product to prepare, but I did it.
“Someone also asked if there was alcohol in the Black Forest before. Dati kasi hindi type ng customer kasi may alak, may alcohol-based ingredient, but we said, ‘No, let's just continue with it because that's really what it tastes like. They just have to taste it.’ After a while, na-appreciate na rin nila.” Tessie says
“There was a time, it was easier for us because there was no competition,” Danny says. “Goldilocks was not a competition, Joni’s was not. Talagang solo namin yung market. Wala silang inline with their product eh. It's not the same, so we just started at the right time. I think what we did was position it slightly higher than Goldilocks, but cheaper than the hotels. We had a niche because it was really a classic product for Quezon City. Nowhere else would you find this kind of whipped cream cakes in Quezon City.”
“Actually, long time ago in the US, when they would have fairs, whenever a cake was awarded, it was always given a blue ribbon,” Tessie says. “In the history of the US, sa mga cowboy days, that was a very strong tradition. So that was very strong in my mind—it had to be a blue ribbon. Unfortunately, at that time, itong Swift Chicken by RFM was very popular, and it was called Blue Ribbon Chicken. We didn’t want to be associated with that at the time.
Danny made a list—little house or something—ang dami. May Red Ribbon, may Blue Ribbon. Chineck nya yung Red Ribbon. Up to now, I still have that piece of paper where he wrote the list, so that's how we decided to just call it Red Ribbon. So, when we started with Red Ribbon, we also decided to wrap the cake with a red ribbon. Kasi pag white box masyadong simple yung box na.”
3| Know how to transition from one successful business to another
A new business always involves risks, but experience helps reduce them. Entrepreneurs who have successfully run a business develop a deep understanding of financial management, branding, and customer engagement. This knowledge allows them to anticipate challenges, minimize costly mistakes, and implement strategies that drive sustainable growth.
A successful business journey also provides valuable lessons about market dynamics, customer preferences, and operational efficiencies. Entrepreneurs who have built a thriving business gain firsthand insights into what works and what doesn’t.
They learn how to identify demand, position their brand effectively, and refine business processes for maximum efficiency. By applying these lessons, they can avoid common pitfalls, make informed decisions, and create a well-structured foundation for their new venture.
After selling Red Ribbon to Jollibee in 2005, Tessie and Danny did not simply rest on their past success but actively sought new opportunities. Recognizing that they still had the passion and drive to build another business, they explored potential ventures and identified a market gap in Italian-style desserts and dining.
When Danny discovered Amici, he saw its potential despite the challenges. Unlike Red Ribbon, which had already established a loyal following, Amici required significant adjustments. The business faced unexpected difficulties, such as pricing issues and operational inefficiencies, but rather than giving up, the couple found ways to adapt.
They restructured the business model and later decided to split Amici’s operations to focus on different market segments. This restructuring led to the birth of Caramia, a separate brand dedicated to gelato and cakes, which allowed them to refine their offerings and create a distinct identity.
“By the mid-90s, we decided to franchise Red Ribbon na,” Tessie says. “My brother, Ricky, came in. Although his main role at that time was to help us standardize all of these procedures and document everything, it was his idea to franchise, so we gave him that assignment. ‘Okay, you come up with the franchise model.’ So siya yung gumawa ng franchise model. That was around 1996-97. By then, we had more than 50 outlets and 10 years later, we had over 140 outlets, with 25 percent franchised.
“After 25 years of operating, our kids were already growing up. Everyone got involved and each one had their own concepts on how to grow the business, so we felt the business was at its prime. Ang daming issues on how to grow the business, so after reviewing and discussing it, we decided that maybe it was better just to sell the whole thing, and once we made that decision, there were already interested buyers right away.
“We gave it to the one that we felt would continue running the business, and our feeling was that Jollibee had the capability, the management, and the know-how to run the business.”
“So after we sold it in 2005, I felt we were still young and wanted to explore other opportunities,” Danny says. “We wanted to look at other prospects. So that was when we decided, ‘Okay, what sort of business do we want to get into?’ And I guess what we sort of agreed on was, oh, maybe something like ice cream since it's close to cakes, also desserts, etc. We would start off with something that was not in competition and ice cream seemed like a good option, so we tried it.
“When I started to look around, somebody told me, ‘There's a place that’s selling gelato. It’s like Italian ice cream. You might be interested.’ I went there. It was part of a canteen in Don Bosco, and they had gelato. So I tried it. ‘Okay, this is good, ‘no? I think we can start with something like this.’ The next step was to talk to the owner to see if they were willing to sell us the gelato.
“The gelato there was started by an Italian priest. It was called Amici de Don Bosco. This Italian priest wanted to make the canteen more interesting, so he introduced gelato, but he also had there in Amici, pizza and pasta.
“When I talked to the owner, they said, ‘No, no, no. Don't just get the Gelato, you get everything. Look, this is not our mission to run a food business. We are supposed to be teaching. So actually, timing pala—when I went there, they were just looking for a way to get rid of it.
“So we kept the name Amici and then had to convert it into a restaurant chain, but that was very difficult. What we thought was a simple process actually turned out to be very challenging. This was in 2007. In the beginning, it looked very good. When it was in Don Bosco, ang dami nilang customers and everything.
“But then we found out that, of course, when we bought it, their prices were very cheap because it was a school. They didn't have any labor costs or overhead since the school subsidized everything. That’s why their sales were so good, but when we started to run the numbers, lugi. We couldn't afford that, so we had to adjust the pricing and everything.
“By 2009, when we were about to open our fourth branch of Amici, that was when yung non-compete from Red Ribbon expired, so sabi ko that was really what I wanted from the beginning, yung to come up with cakes again, but, this time, since we have already gelato, we will make cakes and gelato. So, we created a new brand called Caramia.
“At that time, my son Philip just returned from the US, so I told him ‘Can you just handle first yung Caramia while we try to fix yung Amici?’ I told Tessie, ‘Let's try to fix these cakes because we need to improve it, too.’ My other son, Paolo was working in the US as a chef.
“I asked Paolo, ‘Can you work on this?’ So we got an Italian consultant from Italy to come to the Philippines and teach us how to make authentic Italian products. Because even though Don Bosco had given us all the recipes, we needed someone to really teach us the process—how to make pasta, how to make pizza.
“First, I asked Paolo to work with this chef and try to learn everything. He learned from the chef, but eventually, he wanted more formal education. He thought, ‘Okay, maybe there's a more structured way of learning Italian products.’
“So we talked to the chef, and the chef said, ‘No, the best way is for you to go to Italy and work there with different chefs.’ So for one year, he worked in Italy. It was when Paolo went to Italy to learn how to make authentic Italian products that we really started to improve.”
“I think it's also the combination of Paolo and Philip, in a way similar to our combination. Paolo is more on the technical side—he developed many aspects—while Philip is more on the management side.
“n a way, they are very similar to that structure. The difference now is that we've put it all together, with Tessie still helping with the cakes, but for gelato, Paolo has now become the expert.”
4| Know how to adapt and convert challenges into opportunities
A crisis often forces weaker businesses to shut down or scale back operations, which significantly reduces competition in certain industries. Those that remain operational gain a stronger market position, with fewer competitors vying for the same customers.
This shift allows resilient businesses to capture a larger market share and strengthen brand recognition. By staying active during uncertain times, companies can establish themselves as industry leaders and emerge stronger when the crisis subsides.
In challenging periods, businesses that rely on traditional models often struggle, while those that embrace change gain a competitive edge. Agility—the ability to adjust operations, products, or services quickly—becomes an important factor for survival.
Companies that recognize shifting market demands and innovate accordingly can transform difficulties into opportunities. By modifying their offerings or adopting new business strategies, they can position themselves for long-term success.
Even before the pandemic, Caramia had already been offering delivery services. However, when restrictions were put in place and people could no longer visit stores freely, the demand for home delivery surged. Caramia was in the perfect position to capitalize on this, as it was one of the few brands still operating. The business saw an unexpected boom in delivery orders, which led to increased revenue and a stronger market presence.
Recognizing the momentum gained during the pandemic, Caramia used this period to expand. While other businesses were struggling to stay afloat, they opened more stores, filling the gap left by competitors that had closed. Instead of waiting for stability to return, they pushed forward and took calculated risks by positioning themselves as a dominant brand in the market.
Caramia was initially designed as a co-branded extension of Amici, but during the crisis, it developed a stronger, more independent identity. Danny emphasized that branding played a key role in Caramia’s growth, as they solidified their image as a go-to bakeshop for premium gelato and cakes.
Rather than viewing the pandemic as purely a setback, Danny and his team saw it as an opportunity for reinvention. They adapted quickly, addressed unmet needs in the market, and made bold moves when others hesitated.
“When we started franchising for Caramia, it was growing steadily, but it wasn't really taking off significantly,” Danny says. “Somehow, maybe this is some kind of divine providence—but it was actually the crisis situation of the pandemic that, I think, changed the image and brand positioning of Caramia.
“When that happened, lahat nag-close because of the pandemic but we felt that, no, I think we can continue to open. Because, food is an essential requirement, so we were given special permission to open. Because there were no other bakeshops to go to—since everybody was closed—if you wanted to buy a cake, you could only buy it from Caramia.
“So, even before the pandemic started, we were already doing delivery. Then biglang nag-boom yung delivery. Naging popular yung Caramia na pangalan because it was the only one around. So actually, that, along with many other locations closing due to the pandemic, opened an opportunity for us. So, we also opened more stores.”
“Parang the people recognized some of our products, like yung Midnight Dreams,” Philip says.. “It was like the revamped old Chocolate Torte, but you tweak it some more eh. My mom would get from what they would create before, but tweak it. The mango cake was tweaked and the s’mores.”
“Caramia was basically supposed to be co-branded with Amici,” Danny says. “Amici in Italian means ‘friend.’ Yeah. So when we were thinking of a name for the gelato with cake that would somehow be related to Amici, a friend of mine suggested Caramia, which means ‘my dear’ in Italian.
“It’s like the feminine version of Amici, which means ‘my friend,’ while this means ‘my dear.’ The name sounded good to me. I mean, there was also a particular coffee place with a name similar to it. I can't even remember the exact name, but when he mentioned Caramia, it sounded feminine. I knew that Amici had a more masculine feel, so we needed a feminine name for the cakes and gelato. Caramia just sounded right. So that’s what we called it.”
“I think that now, it's really a matter of creating an identity—that this brand is truly how it is recognized,” Tessie adds. “Yung strength, I hope we can maintain it. I still think the main driver of the business is still the cakes.”
5| Know how to build a business with humility and courage
Starting a business requires both humility and courage. Humility allows entrepreneurs to acknowledge what they do not yet know, seek guidance from others, and continuously learn from experiences.
Courage, on the other hand, enables them to take risks, overcome setbacks, and push forward despite uncertainty. When these values are combined with a business that genuinely reflects one’s identity, they create a strong foundation for long-term success.
Tessie credits her mother for instilling in her the values of humility, hard work, and faith. Her mother was fearless in selling products anywhere and everywhere, who showed no concern for how people might perceive her.
This taught Tessie the importance of persistence and genuine passion in business. She learned that success was not just about having great products but about having the humility to approach people, market those products, and continuously improve.
Danny emphasized that a business must reflect the identity of its owner. He believed that people buy into the entrepreneur’s vision, not just the products or services. This philosophy guided them in building Caramia as a distinct brand rather than simply replicating Red Ribbon.
They understood that every new venture required effort and reinvention. Despite their past success, they did not assume that building another business would be easy. They approached the process with humility and recognized that they needed to adapt, learn, and refine their strategy.
Courage played an important role in their journey. Selling Red Ribbon after 25 years was a bold decision, but they faced it with confidence in their ability to build something new. When they encountered challenges in Amici and Caramia, they did not give up.
Instead, they adapted to the situation, identified what worked, and refined their products and business model. Danny acknowledged that many entrepreneurs struggle after selling a successful brand because they become overconfident. However, they remained grounded, understanding that rebuilding required perseverance and a willingness to struggle through difficulties.
“My mother had a lot of confidence,” Tessie says. “She was very innovative, very resourceful, humble—very humble. And she was always praying. I learned a lot from her—to always pray whenever you have big problems, to have faith.
“She was very courageous in terms of business. Humble sya because she would really go anywhere, everywhere, to sell her products and I saw her passion for selling—she was always selling. Always. Kung ano-ano na nga tinuro nyang ibenta ko nung una. She was very entrepreneurial, so that was something I learned from her.
“I also learned from her about humility because it did not matter to her how people would look at her. She was not afraid to approach anyone and to try to sell the product and talk about the product. Parang there was no pretense on her part. She just wasn’t like that. And, you know, I think that sense of humility was a big factor for me—malaking factor yun.
“I don't want to forget my father ha. Andyan naman sya, he was always supportive. My mom may have been that way, but my father put structure to everything she did.”
“For me, and this is what I always share with them—before you can really establish a business, you have to understand that the business is a reflection of your identity,” Danny says. “You have to really identify with it. You have to absorb it. You have to, like Tessie, make it a reflection of yourself.
“I always tell them—no, no, you have to be the expert here. This is a reflection of you. In the end, people are going to buy into that identity that you created, and it has to be you. It cannot be somebody else. For example, Caramia is not Red Ribbon. It has to have its own identity. You have to create that identity, and that identity has to be you.
“And then when you sell that and people connect with it, they are connecting with you eh. So, for me, that's very important. When you create a brand, you have to identify with that brand, and that brand has to reflect your image eh. So, that's actually what you are selling. It may be a combination of the product, the service, the cleanliness, but that's you—and people see you there, and they're buying who you are eh.
“I also learned that it’s not easy to do a double comeback. It took us so many years to really create Amici and Caramia, which we thought would be easy. Because people think that just because you're successful, you can say, ‘Oh, I can do this again.’
“But actually, I know so many people who, after selling their first business, tried to open a second one—and they never made it. They always fail because, I think, they become too proud. They think it’s easy, that they can just rebuild it. But in reality, it’s not. You really have to struggle to figure out what this particular product is, how to identify it, and how people will identify you with that brand and product—so that they will be willing to buy it.
“So, that took a long time, and I think that’s what we really learned. Just because you were successful in a particular brand doesn’t mean it will be easy to do it again. You can do it again—but it will never be easy.”
