Alessandro Savelli: The remarkable journey from failure to flourishing

Reviews can make or break a company. What about going on one of
the biggest TV shows in the country and having a respected
business say, “I like it because it’s a good lesson on how not to
run and set up a business.”


That less-than-glowing review was by ex-career banker turned
entrepreneur and business turnaround specialist, Jenny Campbell
on the hit BBC show Dragons’ Den in 2018. One of the men in the
Den that day was Pasta Evangelists’ Co-Founder, Alessandro
Savelli. Fast forward to 2021 and the company was acquired by the
world’s largest pasta company, Barilla Group, for £40m.


We spoke to Alessandro about bouncing back from a business
failure, searching for Co-Founders to start a business with and
much more.


Here's what we discussed:





Could you give us an overview of your career? (1:57)

Do you think your smartphone business was a bit ahead of its
time? (3:39)

Towards the end of your smartphone jewellery venture, was
there a specific signal that you came across that went this is
time to wind this down, or did the market do that naturally?
(5:52)

Could you tell us a little bit about the genesis of Pasta
Evangelists and what your mindset was starting again after the
failure of your previous company? (7:07)

Your father was an entrepreneur. How much do you think having
a support network around you during the difficult times of
closing down your previous company helped? (8:54)

How did you find the process of finding Co-Founders to help
you to grow your business to where it is today? (10:08)

How did your partnerships, such as your one with Harrods,
come about? (14:56)

How did you avoid spreading your business too thin by having
too many commercial offerings? (16:35)

How did the pandemic affect your business? (19:40)

You ended up being acquired by Barilla Group. If you could go
back and give yourself advice before this acquisition to make it
easier, what would it be? (20:56)

Do you consider yourself a disruptor? (23:55)

I’m curious about the relationship that countries have with
failure. What’s the Italian attitude towards failure in a
business sense? (26:17)

Do you have any tips for business leaders and entrepreneurs
who may be going through the fundraising process? (28:17)

The Good News Postcard: What is your greatest strength and
how does it benefit you? (29:50)

What do you think makes a great business leader? (31:46)






Thanks to Grace from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good
News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by
visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of
young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life
“news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to
cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.


Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader
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leading business figures.


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