Find Balance & Perspective in Tuscany

It’s pretty easy to understand the appeal of spending time in Tuscany, enjoying Italian food, visiting local vineyards, lounging by the pool and watching the sun set over the rolling green hills. However Mi Podere is an experience that includes all that and much more. Meet founders Claudia and Vicky…

Ladies, lovely to meet you! So let’s start from the very beginning, how did you two meet?

Vicky: I don’t remember when we first met! Claudia is the sort of friend that just seems to have always been there although it can’t be more than 3 years that we’ve known each other. Both of us have worked Community roles (I ran 3beards and Claudia worked with Huckletree) in London for the tech startup scene and we share an enjoyment in helping people through events and connections. We’re very alike in many ways and we get on really well both in the work and personal aspects of our lives.

Claudia: I do remember meeting Vicky — it was my first Silicon Drinkabout ever, she was the powerhouse behind that amazing community that helped me so much with adjusting to the difficult place London can be, especially for a newbie. She doesn’t know this, but she was a great inspiration for me and my career path.

How did Mi Podere first come about?

Claudia: To be honest, the idea of creating this kind of community experience has always been a fantasy, so when Andrea (Podere San Giorgio owner, ndr) took me to Podere for the first time, years ago, I immediately saw the potential to build something. Last year, when Andrea was crashing at my place in London, we talked and talked about the future of Podere and I suggested creating full experiences that would bring people together, rather than just renting out the apartments. He immediately picked up on that, and this August we decided to get things started. While dreaming of it, Vicky’s name just popped in shiny, bubbly letters on my mind. She’s the Michelle to our Beyonce’ and Kelly.

Vicky: I had made the decision that I needed to be more involved with amazing spaces because they are something I am always inspired by. I love dreaming up experiences so when Claudia mentioned Podere San Giorgio I made it as clear as I could to her I wanted to be involved.

What attracted you / what’s important about the project?

Vicky: For me, this is really what I want to do; be inspired by new places and create really meaningful experiences for others. This particular project is really relevant to me as I moved to Italy earlier this year having burnt out as a result of the pace of London living. Don’t get me wrong, I loved living there and there are plenty of things I miss, but it’s hard to have any degree of self-reflection when you’re going at a million miles an hour. Through Mi Podere we want to highlight the importance of creating balance in our day to day lives; eating well, enjoying our surroundings, having time to read or nap or simply consider life, and of course getting some work done, but not letting it interfere with every aspect of life. We want to help our guests be 100% present whether replying to a client or listening to a friend.

Claudia: I think Vicky and I are coming from a very similar path, we both lived London to the fullest, we flew too close to the sun and burned. We learned a lot from this experience and we really wanted to create something that would help others. This is true not only for stressed big-city professionals, but also for remote workers and digital nomads, who in the midst of constant moving and relocating can easily get lost.

Who should apply?

Claudia: Our ultimate goal is having a group of people who would have a great time just sitting in a room and chatting. As cliche it may sound, we want to gather people who are passionate and are not afraid to share. We want to create a safe-zone, where introvert can also feel comfortable opening up.

Vicky: There are lots of experiences out there these days, especially for digital nomads and entrepreneurs. Many of them celebrate the work hard, play hard approach to life with yoga, surfing, mountain climbing, brainstorm sessions and nights out. Mi Podere is the antithesis of this :) We certainly have activities like cookery classes and trips to the local vineyard, but there will be plenty of down for focused work or self-reflection. We aren’t running formal talks but we will encourage all our guests to share what they are working on, and by focusing on nurturing a close community we hope guests will organically start to help each other in long-term, meaningful ways. We want open minded, inquisitive and interesting “sharers” to apply, so that together we can explore the importance of authentic relationships and a balanced lifestyle.

Thanks ladies — great chatting with you!

You can find out more about Mi Podere and sign up via the website. For updates and offers follow MiPodere on twitter.

More about MiPodere from Claudia.