In this interview, Lucilla Talamazzi shares lessons from her career in both multinationals and startups, from Pronovias to Back2Life. She highlights the role of corporate culture as an anchor during times of transformation, the importance of dedicating time to the team to build trust, and how adaptability becomes essential to evolve without losing your essence.
Corporate language
Ok, OK, OK.How did living in so many places help you learn the every company's language?
It's something I've come to realize over time because ever since I was little, because of my father's job we traveled abroad, so it means:When you arrive in a new place, you have to learn the language and make friends.
The first move was from Italy to England,well to Wales, when I was 11 years old.
Perhaps it was the most impactful move because, I'd never before left a controlled environment of home, family, and friends.
And from there you have to learn the code for communicating with other children,the teachers, in a completely unknown language.
It was very stimulating and a period that I remember vividly.
It taught me to approach future change in a much more mature way.apart from the fact that I was a little older, I was 14 when I landed in the Basque Country from Wales.
There, I had to learn Spanish and, of course, learn the cultural and social code.of the place. It is a very similar context, or a very similar change to what you experience when you change companies, when you have to join a place where you have to make yourself known, earn respect, learn the corporate language because regardless of whether you can speak a language,every company has its own code, not only in terms of jargon,specific words, but rather in how they approach people.
So, understanding this snapshot, putting it into perspective,knowing that everyone in the company is essential for our evolution, and that for us to have the greatest impact the role that each person holds in the company is essential.
So, the conclusion I have come to many times is that my personal background what I experienced as a child, has helped me adapt to different business scenarios.
And I think, maybe it's a bit fatalistic, but I think that's kind of the key to my professional development.
Every company has its own code, which is obviously also strongly influenced by the sector, the fashion sector rather than the service sector,the food supply or pharmaceutical sector, they are all completely different.
Perhaps the reference was also to language, wasn't it?
In other words, the language of different places is like the language of different sectors.
That's correct, indeed.What you say and how you communicate it.
I also verified this in the last phase, during the startup where I work as an advisor for Back2Life, which is dedicated to food supplements, to live life to the fullest.
It is a lifestyle brand concept.It makes sense that communication is very much in line with the brand, but also because the sector is different anyway.
So I get to talk to pharmacies, suppliers, distributors.
It has nothing to do with the fashion world, so you have to align with all of this. Make sure that I earn people's respect, even if I am relatively new to this field.
So, the sooner you understand and speak their language, the sooner you will achieve your goal,your purpose and have a greater impact.
