When we first started planning their global roll-out, I spotted Italy on the roll-out schedule and said- “I’ll take Italy…. the rest I want to stay in the US.” Basically because I am so sick of traveling and being part of the aircargo cattle.
Another reason is because I was born in this little town called Livorno, which is along the coast in the Tuscany region of Italy. It’s really no big shakes of a town and for many, it’s just on the way to somewhere else like Pisa or Florence. 
Telling people you are born in Livorno is like saying you are born in San Luis Obispo- no biggie. I left when I was 12 years old so I still speak like a little kid. That’s right, I get more animated, giggly and happy when I speak in Italian.
So many years later, I am now a professional trainer, consultant, global thought leader extraordinaire on inside sales in Italy. I am no longer a young 12-year old kid, I am certainly not a Seniorita, I am a Seniora.
I have an aggressive week of training with two 2.5 day sessions back to back so I decide to announce to my Italian “ragazzi” or training participants that I can speak some Italian. So now the session turns bi-lingual and I spend the next 5 days chasing after every word.
This is how it went for five days: I would explain the concept in English and they would ask questions in Italian that I would answer in English. In the interactive parts of the training, they would role-play in Italian and I would debrief in English, then I would facilitate feedback in English and they would argue about it in Italian. Then they argued more, and more and more. This verbal bantering went on and on.
And I realized that Italians like to analyze, question and confront issues head on. They are never at a loss for words and they welcome differences of opinions. Their discussions are colorful, vibrant, and very persuasive. They also never end nor move on- there is always one more point to make.
Yes, it can wear you down to the point of confusing everyone’s name in there- it was challenging sorting through names when you have an Alberta and Alberto, a Giavanni and Giovanna, a Fabio and Fiorenzo, an Angela and Angelo in your group.
By the end of my training week, I my young 12-year old came back to remind me I was home again. I understood so much more about the choices of people, design, food, color and culture I choose to have in my life- it all stems from my roots.
Grazie Italia!
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