Tell us a little about yourself. What are your passions and interests? 

Travel, Italy, outdoor walks or hikes, hosting parties, cocktails, and a good laugh. But most of all, I adore my kids, and I’m incredibly grateful for my husband and family. My absolute favorite thing is playing with my kids and hearing them laugh. It’s everything. 

Who is the most influential person you know?  

My grandmother. Assunta Tomassi Lispi immigrated to the United States from Italy at age five. She taught herself to read, write and speak English so that she would not be picked on at school. She graduated high school, landed a job at Capitol Records, and walked to work every day. She was told she would be an “old maid” because she was still unmarried at 25, but this didn’t faze her in the least—marriage wasn’t the priority. The night she met my grandfather, he told her he would marry her. She thought he was crazy. Seven children later, she found herself also raising her brother’s three children and caring for her ailing mother. She was the confidante of many and the keeper of all secrets. She was the glue that held everyone together when life seemed impossibly hard. She was the force that drove our collective happiness. 

My grandmother influenced me in the best ways a person can. She would tell me, “Be calm, confident, courageous, and capable.” She instilled in me the meaning of family, hard work, the value of a dollar, and the beauty of simple existence. She encouraged me to never stop learning because “No one can take your education away from you.” But most of all, she taught me that life is full of conditions—it’s what makes the days long and hard—but that the true measure of a person’s life is to treat people with unconditional kindness and generosity. When I think about influence, it’s her type of influence I prefer to leave on this world. 

My favorite quote: 

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou