Latest / Project Candor: Ordinary People. Unexpected Stories / When the Stakes Are Real with Silvia Rizzo | Ship's Log #55

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When the Stakes Are Real with Silvia Rizzo | Ship's Log #55 · Project Candor: Ordinary People. Unexpected Stories

• 0:00
  Silvia: Yeah, for me was, uh, of course, a good results.
• 0:04
  Silvia: Winning is always good.
• 0:06
  Silvia: But for me to achieve something that I was working on since a lot of time was, uh, just giving me the confirmation that what I'm doing is correct for my work, for my horse, for the welfare of my horse, and this is something that I apply also to my normal business.
• 0:28
  Silvia: I always try to be the best version, not only of myself, but al- I always try to do something not only good, but memorable
• 0:58
  Jeanne: Welcome to Project Candor.
• 0:59
  Jeanne: I'm your host, Jeanne Andersen, your admiral of the unexpected.
• 1:03
  Jeanne: This is the show where ordinary people share unexpected stories, the real turning points, the hard lessons, and the moments that changed everything.
• 1:13
  Jeanne: We have a great guest for you today.
• 1:16
  Jeanne: Silvia Rizzo was born in Italy and has built a life that refuses to stay in one lane.
• 1:22
  Jeanne: She's a dressa- dressage rider, model, actress, entrepreneur, and now the founder of Hof Marabunta, and she can please correct me on that when she comes on, her private performance yard in Germany.
• 1:38
  Jeanne: She's amazing.
• 1:40
  Jeanne: You've trained with Olympians, competed at Grand Prix level, collaborated with Ducati, Mercedes-Benz, and a long list of major corporate sponsors from riding apparel to jewelry, and created a platform where elite sport, fashion, motorsports, and leadership all live together.
• 1:58
  Jeanne: Silvia, thank you for coming on Project Candor.
• 2:02
  Silvia: Thank you so much for your kind invitation.
• 2:04
  Silvia: It's such an honor for me to be here.
• 2:08
  Jeanne: Oh, and you're coming all the way from Germany- Yeah.
• 2:11
  Jeanne: … what I understand.
• 2:12
  Silvia: Yes, right.
• 2:14
  Silvia: From Italy, then to Germany, and then to the Netherlands as well.
• 2:17
  Silvia: I'm traveling all around.
• 2:20
  Jeanne: Oh, okay.
• 2:21
  Jeanne: Okay, so now's the time on the show when we ask questions, and later we'll get into two truths and a lie, and Silvia's got some great stories for us.
• 2:31
  Jeanne: But let's start with the questions.
• 2:32
  Jeanne: You ready to go, Silvia?
• 2:34
  Silvia: I'm ready to go.
• 2:36
  Jeanne: Yay.
• 2:38
  Jeanne: Uh, you were born in Italy and built a life in Germany around two very different kinds of horsepower, dressage and motorcycles, alongside fashion, media, and everything else in between.
• 2:51
  Jeanne: Before the philosophy, I want to go back to the beginning.
• 2:54
  Jeanne: What was the first thing that pulled you in, and did you have any idea then where it was actually going to take you?
• 3:01
  Silvia: Well, to be honest, I always liked a lot of sports, and I've tried all the kind of sports in my life, to be honest.
• 3:11
  Silvia: And then I just picked up what I liked the most.
• 3:15
  Silvia: And, uh, you know, I'm always moved by adrenaline.
• 3:19
  Silvia: I always like to put myself under challenge, and, uh, I grew up with this mentality, so it's something that it's feeling, it was feeling from the beginning something natural for me.
• 3:30
  Silvia: So I was just, uh, you know, set a goal, and then just, uh, any time I was reaching a goal, I was just ready to level up, level up, and level up.
• 3:40
  Silvia: And then I just arrived to where I am.
• 3:44
  Jeanne: That's fantastic.
• 3:46
  Jeanne: Before your Grand Prix special win this June, you made a decision that most people in your sport wouldn't have noticed, but it represented years of belief and a certain way of doing things.
• 3:57
  Jeanne: What does it feel like when a quiet commitment finally shows up as a result?
• 4:02
  Silvia: Yeah, for me was, uh, of course, a good result.
• 4:06
  Silvia: Winning is always good.
• 4:08
  Silvia: But for me to achieve something that I was working on since- a lot of time was, uh, just giving me the confirmation that what I'm doing is correct for my work, for my horse, for the welfare of my horse, and this is something that I apply also to my normal business.
• 4:33
  Silvia: I always try to be the best version, not only of myself, but al- I always try to do something not only good, but memorable.
• 4:45
  Jeanne: Well, if, if viewers go to your website and start looking at some of your pictures, you'll, they'll see you do everything in, with class.
• 4:53
  Jeanne: At first I thought that you were part of some royalty or, uh, you know, maybe the king of, king of Italy.
• 5:02
  Jeanne: Do they have kings there?
• 5:06
  Silvia: No, no, no.
• 5:08
  Silvia: I'm just a really normal person.
• 5:10
  Silvia: I just like, as I said, to do good.
• 5:15
  Silvia: Everything I'm doing, I like to perform in a very good way, and this is something I've learned from my father, and, uh, yeah, it's my mantra.
• 5:28
  Jeanne: Well, that's a great mantra.
• 5:30
  Jeanne: Can you just help us, though, for those, um, listening, describe the horses that you work with.
• 5:39
  Silvia: Well, at the moment I'm working with five horses.
• 5:42
  Silvia: They are one completely different to each other.
• 5:46
  Silvia: Uh, there's, uh, well, Ducati, my Grand Prix horse, who is really full of energy, and this is something you really need when you compete at a certain level.
• 5:59
  Silvia: You need, uh, a real fighter, and he gives him- himself any time he's in the ring, any time he's in training.
• 6:10
  Silvia: And so you have to combine a little bit, uh, um, his energy with, uh, the precision that you need to have during a competition, during a test.
• 6:21
  Silvia: Then I have, uh, one stallion, uh, which is, uh, the son of my first Grand Prix horse, and, uh, he's really shy, and, uh, he keeps everything inside.
• 6:36
  Silvia: But when he's in the ring, he likes to express himself.
• 6:42
  Silvia: So you have to deal, uh, with, uh, his constant being in… keep everything inside.
• 6:49
  Silvia: And then when he's in the ring, uh, you have just to be precise and just dose, uh, your aids, uh, just to let him express by himself.
• 7:00
  Silvia: Then I have, um, another stallion.
• 7:05
  Silvia: Uh, he's younger and, uh, uh, he's, uh, he's living in his own world.
• 7:13
  Silvia: He's, uh, really powerful, uh, but he's just, uh, mm, focused on himself.
• 7:20
  Silvia: So sometimes, you know, you… I still have to teach him that, uh, okay, he's not in his own world, uh, but sometimes he has to be present also, uh, with the other horses and stuff like that.
• 7:34
  Silvia: Uh, he's a great mover, and his breeding is fantastic.
• 7:40
  Silvia: Then I have another gelding, uh, seven years old.
• 7:43
  Silvia: He's- Really a crop.
• 7:46
  Silvia: He's, uh, I think he's my next, uh, Grand Prix horse.
• 7:51
  Silvia: Uh, he's, uh, still green, uh
• 7:54
  - Jeanne: Oof… Silvia: but he's, uh, willing But like Ducati, he's such a huge fighter, and he never disappoint you when you are working with him.
• 8:08
  - Jeanne: He's never spooky.
• 8:10
  - Jeanne: He's never, mm, uh, afraid of anything, and, uh, he has a lot of energy.
• 8:16
  - Jeanne: And then I have, uh, my biggest, uh, um, challenge in mare.
• 8:25
  - Jeanne: Um, she's actually the sister of the other gelding I just said before, and, uh, she has a really special character, and, uh, I took her that, uh, uh… Yeah, she, she was, uh, not in a good surround, so she lost a little bit, uh, um, trust, uh, w- with human.
• 8:47
  - Jeanne: And, uh, I have her since one year now, and I build with her the best connection ever.
• 8:53
  - Jeanne: And she really, uh, trust me, and, uh, we do things where I can let her be, and then I can let her s- be herself and feel her body.
• 9:06
  - Jeanne: And, uh, she really, uh… They all recognize me, but, uh, she really trust, uh, whatever I do with her, and that's something that if I look back one year ago that she was completely afraid of anything and she want just to escape and everything.
• 9:26
  - Jeanne: Now she can just follow me without any halter, anything, and she just… If I put her on a path, she just trust that this is good.
• 9:37
  - Jeanne: And anytime I go on her, I can feel when, when she's scared of something, and I go on her, she just like let her breathe, and then she just go.
• 9:50
  - Jeanne: And that's something I, I… Ah, I'm so happy that I can see h- her progress in this way.
• 9:58
  Jeanne: This is amazing to hear you talk about the horses that you have because what you described is so intricate in a personality.
• 10:06
  Jeanne: It sounds like in a way you're raising high school kids.
• 10:11
  Jeanne: And I know I just never thought about all those personality flavors coming from a horse.
• 10:17
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 10:17
  Silvia: That's something, you know, uh, I've learned a lot from them, and, uh, they have really a big personality.
• 10:27
  Silvia: You … Okay, think about that they are, you know, alive animals, uh, 700 kilos more or less, and, uh, you have to deal with them.
• 10:36
  Silvia: And, uh, so the connection is something really important.
• 10:40
  Silvia: If you don't have a connection, if you don't have a trust, uh, you don't go anywhere.
• 10:45
  Silvia: And this is something- Hmm … you know, I can turn also in my business.
• 10:50
  Silvia: And another important thing, they don't talk.
• 10:54
  Silvia: They don't look- … after your, um, degree or, uh, the role that you have in another business, you know?
• 11:06
  Silvia: They, they, they just, uh, see you as a person, and so the connection and the way in which you communicate with them is something that you have to do without words.
• 11:20
  Silvia: And as soon as you can, uh, fix, uh, and, uh, the training that I do every day is something that I can just find, uh, in the competition arena.
• 11:32
  Silvia: So, you know, when, when you are in the competition is, is not the moment that you have to teach something to your horse.
• 11:40
  Silvia: You have done everything at home.
• 11:41
  Silvia: There, you just have to show what you have done.
• 11:45
  Silvia: So it's important, the daily training, and like in business, it's important whatever you do every day, and then, uh, yeah, it's just put in practice what you have learned.
• 11:58
  Jeanne: Yeah, that's very insightful.
• 12:00
  Jeanne: That, thank you for sharing all that, um, with the audience and with me.
• 12:04
  Jeanne: Um, y- your first horse that just ran, ran or won the Grand Prix is named Ducati, which is also a passion of yours, motorcycles.
• 12:13
  Silvia: Yes.
• 12:14
  Jeanne: And one of your sponsors.
• 12:16
  Silvia: Yes.
• 12:16
  Jeanne: Tell us about that.
• 12:17
  Silvia: Well, I'm, I'm, I'm really happy that I can collaborate with them, and, uh, yeah, motorcycles is something… You know, as I said, I like adrenaline.
• 12:26
  Silvia: I like, uh, any kind of things that gives me adrenaline.
• 12:32
  Silvia: And, uh, I, I'm just back from four days in which, uh, uh, we recorded some, uh, uh, videos, uh, of me driving the motorcycle, and we put together the two Ducatis, my Ducati and the bike together.
• 12:51
  Silvia: He likes actually the bike.
• 12:53
  Silvia: And, uh, it was really something, uh, meaningful for me.
• 12:58
  Silvia: And, uh, yeah, a new experience.
• 13:01
  Silvia: Uh, I traveled through all, uh, Holland, uh, in places that I've never seen.
• 13:08
  Silvia: And what can I tell you?
• 13:10
  Silvia: That, uh, you know, mm, you just live the moment, uh, and, uh, things didn't go as planned at the beginning because the we- Dutch weather is not like, you know, we are not like in Spain or in Italy, so we had to deal with wind, uh, with rain and something like that.
• 13:28
  Silvia: So it took longer than expected, but everything was worth it.
• 13:32
  Silvia: So yeah, it was really nice, and, you know, when I, when I'm on the bike, I can just, uh, live the moment, which is- something that I really like and I do every day.
• 13:47
  Silvia: And, uh, I can… I, I like to be focused, and I like to be focused not in a forced way.
• 13:55
  Silvia: And this is happen every time that I'm on a bike, that every time I'm on a horse, every time I'm, uh, uh, developing a project or something.
• 14:07
  Silvia: And I, I really like, uh, the way in which my mind, uh, is completely switching, and, uh, it's naturally going, uh, in the direction of, uh, focusing on something I really like.
• 14:22
  Jeanne: Oh, nice.
• 14:23
  Jeanne: So you work with a lot of leaders, so I, uh, I'm hearing you say you're living for the moment.
• 14:29
  Jeanne: Do you teach other people that maybe you don't do motorcycles or horses, but you need to find that live for the moment or live the life kind of feeling in your own life?
• 14:40
  Silvia: Yes.
• 14:41
  Silvia: Also, because, you know, um, think about, uh, in life, we can have, uh, uh, a lot of opportunities And we all have to take in consideration few things.
• 14:56
  Silvia: Anytime we have an opportunity, first of all, we cannot take a long, a lot of time, because, you know, it's like the trains.
• 15:04
  Silvia: They, they pass, but they, they don't wait for you longer.
• 15:09
  Silvia: So- Oh … anytime there is an opportunity, we don't have to waste time to accept or deny.
• 15:16
  Silvia: Um, of course, we have to think about, but first of all, just go with the flow.
• 15:22
  Silvia: Just go with the instinct that you have.
• 15:24
  Silvia: If something is worth my time, it's something that I'm interested in, and, uh, the biggest thing for me is not taking the first step, because taking the first step is something we all can do, uh, maybe we are more moved by curiosity, uh, by the, uh, the excitement and everything.
• 15:45
  Silvia: But the biggest step for me is the second one.
• 15:49
  Silvia: In the moment in which we realize, uh, that, you know, maybe doubts are coming out, maybe, you know, the road is a little bit harder than we expected.
• 16:01
  Silvia: And so there is the moment in which we can reveal ourselves.
• 16:08
  Silvia: And, uh, yeah, I do believe that, uh, um, we all have to take… You know, when we take a decision, we all have to take in consideration a lot of things, but there are moments in which we need to take decision in seconds, and decision, and then we have to take decision maybe with a longer time.
• 16:30
  Silvia: But anytime we have to take decisions in, in seconds, uh, if we have, uh, a solid, uh, structure, a solid values, uh, solid fundamentals, then we can just, uh, you know, continue and, uh, follow our, uh, instinct.
• 16:51
  Jeanne: Nice.
• 16:51
  Silvia: And even if I will make a mistake, whatever.
• 16:55
  Silvia: We can learn from mistake, but the important thing is how we react to the mistakes.
• 17:01
  Jeanne: Right.
• 17:02
  Jeanne: So at some point, you considered walking away from the sport entirely.
• 17:06
  Jeanne: So what was happening inside you at that moment, and what did you do to-
• 17:11
  Silvia: In that moment-
• 17:11
  … Jeanne: decide?
• 17:12
  Silvia: Well, in that moment, uh, it was, uh, something that I had to decided, because business was requiring more than, uh, sport, and that means that, uh, I didn't have time, uh, to focus enough, uh, on sport.
• 17:31
  Silvia: And as I said, uh, if I do something, I want to do good, not halfway.
• 17:37
  Silvia: If-
• 17:37
  Jeanne: Right… Silvia: when I do something, So it was a moment in which I had to take a decision, and that was the decision I've taken Nice.
• 17:49
  Jeanne: Well, I'm glad you stayed,'cause this is very interesting.
• 17:54
  Jeanne: Um, you said that pressure reveals leaders rather than creates them.
• 17:59
  Jeanne: When did you first really see that not as an idea, but something you've lived?
• 18:05
  Silvia: I can see it every day.
• 18:07
  Silvia: You know, I live under pressure, which is totally fine.
• 18:11
  Silvia: I do believe that we don't have to see pressure as an enemy, absolutely.
• 18:17
  Silvia: We don't have to see pressure as something that, uh, is creating issues.
• 18:24
  Silvia: But pressure is revealing really who we are.
• 18:28
  Silvia: Because as I said before, if we have a structure, uh, and when I speak about structure, it's not something like, you know, a routine or something that we are used to do.
• 18:38
  Silvia: When I s- talk about structure, I talk about something really deep inside.
• 18:43
  Silvia: So it's done by experience we have done in our life, um, by the mistakes we have done, I have done during my life.
• 18:53
  Silvia: And I put all together, together with my values, and then I, I was able to f- I, I am able to u- to go back, yeah, to my structure anytime I have to take a decision, anytime I, I leave a moment under pressure.
• 19:08
  Silvia: Because if you think, if I speak about the sport, w- you, you can't have the control of anything.
• 19:15
  Jeanne: Mm.
• 19:15
  Silvia: But not only in sport, also in business.
• 19:18
  Silvia: Also, when you take a decision, you can't have all the infos, you can't have all the datas.
• 19:23
  Silvia: So it's something that you have to accept.
• 19:27
  Silvia: So yeah, you can take a decision, you can take a, a way instead of another, but you have always to, to know that you can't predict the future.
• 19:40
  Silvia: So yeah, as soon as you accept the fact that, uh, you know, you can't have all the informations, then you can live under pressure.
• 19:52
  Silvia: Pressure is something that just reveal how strong, uh, your structure is, how stable you are.
• 19:59
  Silvia: Because I do believe that, you know, as, as much you are stable, then the more you can show your, yourself, your real self.
• 20:12
  Jeanne: Yeah, this is interesting and intriguing.
• 20:14
  Jeanne: So I, I know a lot of times I've felt like I'm under stress.
• 20:20
  Jeanne: So do you distinguish that stress is different from pressure?
• 20:24
  Jeanne: 'Cause I, I'm hearing a little bit of that in what you're saying.
• 20:27
  Silvia: Yes.
• 20:28
  Silvia: Well, stress, uh, is also, you know, the accumulation of things all together, and then it's giving us, uh, all, um, you know, that anxiety that then can turn into pressure.
• 20:44
  Silvia: But, uh, you know, the stress, uh, I, I would say that I would use the stress and the pressure in the same way.
• 20:53
  Silvia: I just think that, uh, uh, stress is more emotional than-
• 20:57
  Jeanne: Mm… Silvia: pressure.
• 20:59
  Jeanne: So, um, you know, I- We are all human.
• 21:05
  Jeanne: Uh, we are, we can all make mistakes, we can go all under stress.
• 21:10
  Jeanne: But, uh, if we let the stress or the pressure take over, then it's like, uh, uh, responding in a, in an emotional way anytime we make a mistake or, uh, we make a, a decision.
• 21:26
  Jeanne: But if we can stay focused and we don't let the emotion going over everything.
• 21:34
  Jeanne: So, you know, structure is something that, uh, keeps me under control anytime, uh- The emotion reaction would come in.
• 21:46
  Jeanne: Because any emotion rema- reaction, I do believe that is not helpful to anything Yeah, I really like the way you put that.
• 21:55
  Jeanne: So here you are speaking to me in English, born in Italy, living in Germany, so your language skills are great.
• 22:02
  Jeanne: And, uh, you're teaching me something here, because I now in my mind am feeling a difference of stress being emotional and pressure being more of maybe there's a lot of things that you have to achieve, you know, that- that's in your framework to achieve.
• 22:21
  Jeanne: But when you add that stress level of emotion in it, it trying to break your, your framework.
• 22:29
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 22:29
  Jeanne: That's what I'm hearing, and I love that concept.
• 22:32
  Jeanne: That's amazing.
• 22:33
  Jeanne: Hmm.
• 22:35
  Silvia: Okay.
• 22:35
  Jeanne: So, so that's what you're teaching people.
• 22:37
  Jeanne: I like that.
• 22:40
  Jeanne: So you're, like, under a lot of, um, pressure because you're not just competing, you're selecting horses, you're developing riders, you're building partnerships that you're growing over time, and you're also, when you're working with riders, I mean, you have to deal with another level of, um, of, you know, personalities.
• 23:02
  Jeanne: So what are the things that you tell your riders who are struggling with all of this?
• 23:07
  Jeanne: The stuff that you've been able to achieve, what do you tell them in how to get there?
• 23:11
  Silvia: Well, also here is something, you know, I do believe that a, a good leader is, uh, a person that, uh, can adapt to any circumstances and can adapt to any kind of people is facing.
• 23:24
  Silvia: So also there, any time I'm talking with someone, I, I like to, uh, put myself under challenge and, uh, understand, uh, the kind of person I have in front of me.
• 23:36
  Silvia: So I, if I'm have to train a student, uh, it's, uh, it's important to understand quite quickly if, uh, it's, uh, a scared rider or if, uh, it's a willing to work rider or if it's just, uh, um, I don't know, just, uh, an amateur that likes to have fun.
• 24:01
  Jeanne: Mm-hmm.
• 24:01
  Silvia: So I have to adapt myself to the person that I have in front of me, and I have to be able to understand, uh, which is the goal that, uh, the person in front of me wants to achieve.
• 24:14
  Silvia: And this is exactly the same, uh, that I apply in business.
• 24:18
  Silvia: And one thing that is important is that I, I like to build everything step by step.
• 24:25
  Silvia: Only when I reach a goal, then I step up.
• 24:28
  Silvia: But otherwise, I just stay there until I reach the first step in a very good way, and then I level up.
• 24:36
  Silvia: And this is something I, I like to do with my, um, partners, with my supporters, with my sponsors, uh, with my, uh, students, and with my team as well.
• 24:51
  Silvia: So it's like I, I know that can… I- it sounds strange, but, uh, I, I… It's like, uh, uh, I don't see an end.
• 25:02
  Silvia: I always see something else that I can add to my, uh, next goal.
• 25:11
  Jeanne: Right.
• 25:13
  Jeanne: Well, I, I read your website and some of the things you ha- have written about y- what you do, and you do talk about trusting the process even when you can't see the outcome yet.
• 25:24
  Jeanne: So what does it actually take to stay the course when the only proof you have is your own conviction?
• 25:31
  Silvia: As I said, it's my structure.
• 25:33
  Silvia: Because as I said, it's, uh, you know, we don't have the, uh … We can't read the future, and sometimes some outcomes are taking longer than expected.
• 25:48
  Silvia: But this is not something that you know, and another thing that, uh, I'm thinking about now, uh, when we talk about taking the risk or taking decisions, you know, sometimes taking a risk is giving up too early, uh, because we don't have the immediately outcome.
• 26:09
  Silvia: We don't see any, uh, development immediately.
• 26:14
  Silvia: And this is something I've learned from horses because it's taking time.
• 26:20
  Jeanne: Mm-hmm.
• 26:20
  Silvia: Build up, uh, horses and, uh, win competitions and, uh, go to competition is, um, it's taking time.
• 26:31
  Silvia: And, uh, I always like to have a, a result.
• 26:36
  Silvia: It's, that's okay.
• 26:38
  Silvia: It's normal.
• 26:38
  Silvia: I think we all want to have results.
• 26:41
  Silvia: But, uh, I've learned that, uh, good results, memorable results, is taking time.
• 26:49
  Silvia: So it's only because I can rely on the way I'm training and on the structure that I said before.
• 26:57
  Silvia: And I just say, "Okay, maybe I have to adapt my, you know, my path, uh, my way of working just to obtain something better." But, uh, I don't give up.
• 27:11
  Silvia: And this is something that, uh, yeah, sometimes the risk, uh, that, uh, I can see in some people is that they are giving up too early, and so they are losing the possibility to see something great.
• 27:27
  Jeanne: Yeah.
• 27:27
  Jeanne: That thing is just right around the corner that you're gonna achieve, right?
• 27:30
  Jeanne: And then, but you just got tired, and you ran out of breath, and you stop.
• 27:36
  Jeanne: Uh, tell us about what you do.
• 27:39
  Jeanne: You train a lot of leaders in the corporate world, and you … I mean, I know you have all of the stuff you're doing with your riders and your horses, but tell us about your, your program 'cause you do have a program to train, uh, leaders.
• 27:52
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 27:52
  Silvia: Well, uh, you know, I just have, uh, um, like few points, clear points, uh, which are, uh, you know, what I, I think about leadership, uh, how you react, uh, after mistakes, uh, um, how do you deal, uh, under pressure, how you take, uh, decisions under pressure, and, uh, how you don't lose the credibility and stability when something is not going like a plan.
• 28:28
  Silvia: So these are my, you know, my points, uh, and, uh, I normally develop them.
• 28:34
  Silvia: And, uh, as we saw… As you know, I'm doing podcast, podcast, and I'm doing, uh… Sometimes I'm, I got invited in, uh, live conversations, uh, and, uh, I do live coaching as well.
• 28:49
  Silvia: And, um, yeah, that's, uh, the kind of things that I'm teaching.
• 28:54
  Jeanne: Oh, that's great.
• 28:56
  Jeanne: So tell us a little bit more about your, your yard, is I think what the term is.
• 29:03
  Jeanne: Um-.
• 29:04
  Jeanne: Silvia: My stable… Jeanne: and what do you do Is… What time are you getting up?
• 29:09
  Jeanne: I mean, this is a big undertaking that you do.
• 29:12
  Jeanne: So what time do you get up in the morning?
• 29:15
  Jeanne: What are the things you do, and then what do you do to relax, besides the motorcycle?
• 29:24
  Silvia: Well, I get up every day, and I'm in the stable at 6:00 in the morning.
• 29:28
  Silvia: And, uh, yeah, I like to take care of my horses, uh, and, uh, yeah, they can have, uh, their morning walk in the walker.
• 29:38
  Silvia: And then, uh, I just, uh, they have breakfast, uh, and, uh, I… Depends.
• 29:44
  Silvia: I can work on the laptop while they're having breakfast, uh, and then I
• 29:50
  start to ride them around 8: 00.
• 29:53
  And normally I finish around 1: 00.
• 29:57
  And normally I finish around 1: I, I like to have them ridden by lunchtime.
• 30:01
  And normally I finish around 1: Then they have lunch, and then in the afternoon they have again, uh, another session of, uh, walk or, uh, they go in the field, uh, and I can do, you know, the stuff around the horses.
• 30:13
  And normally I finish around 1: And then when I'm done with the horses, uh, then that is the second part.
• 30:18
  And normally I finish around 1: During my lunch break, normally I work on the laptop, uh, for my company.
• 30:23
  And normally I finish around 1: And then, uh, when I finish with the horses, then I organize myself to, if I have to do photo shooting, if I have to do podcast, if I have to do conversation, if I have to do life coaching or whatever.
• 30:37
  And normally I finish around 1: So I, I use the second part of the day for doing the rest, uh, of the work apart the horses.
• 30:45
  Jeanne: Oh, wow, that's a huge day.
• 30:47
  Jeanne: So for b- for people listening, I would es- expect that you have a staff, or no?
• 30:54
  Silvia: Yes.
• 30:55
  Jeanne: Okay.
• 30:57
  Jeanne: 'Cause that's a lot-
• 30:57
  Silvia: Yes… Jeanne: of work for one person.
• 30:58
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 31:00
  Silvia: I have a staff that is work, is helping me in the morning for mapping out, and then all the rest I do by myself.
• 31:08
  Silvia: And then I have, uh, people that are working with me for the company.
• 31:14
  Jeanne: Okay.
• 31:15
  Silvia: I'm not in the office every day, of course, but I can have, uh, like, a live call and video calls, something like that.
• 31:24
  Silvia: And any time it's necessary, then I go to the office and we can discuss, uh, the project or what we have to do personally.
• 31:33
  Jeanne: Nice.
• 31:34
  Jeanne: So, uh, we're in your second half of your day, 'cause you're on a podcast.
• 31:38
  Jeanne: I'm guessing.
• 31:40
  Jeanne: But, uh, you don't waste time.
• 31:43
  Jeanne: Um, you're not a person that probably sits around and watches TV or gets, uh, you know, involved in, you know, clubs or parties or anything like that.
• 31:53
  Jeanne: I mean, you're a very focused person, is that correct?
• 31:56
  Silvia: Yes.
• 31:57
  Silvia: Yes, it's like that.
• 31:58
  Silvia: I mean, uh, okay, I have to attend dinner, I have to attend parties when it's necessary.
• 32:04
  Silvia: But, uh, if I have, uh, free time, uh, as you said, I go on the motorbike or I go to the gym.
• 32:13
  Jeanne: Oh, okay.
• 32:13
  Silvia: Um, I like to take care of myself, uh, and, uh, because I'm a sporty person.
• 32:21
  Silvia: Uh, but I, I'm not a, the kind of person that is lying on the couch.
• 32:27
  Silvia: I c- I can't.
• 32:28
  Silvia: Hmm.
• 32:29
  Silvia: I can't.
• 32:29
  Jeanne: Right.
• 32:29
  Jeanne: Yeah.
• 32:30
  Jeanne: Well, no, we… I can see that because-
• 32:32
  Silvia: Hmm
• 32:32
  Jeanne: of those dresses that you have on your site.
• 32:37
  Jeanne: You have to be top fit.
• 32:39
  Jeanne: And you also said on there it's about movement too.
• 32:42
  Jeanne: So think about it, movement on a bike, movement with the horses, and movement in the gym.
• 32:47
  Jeanne: You're just a very moving or, you know, flowing kind of person, not wasting time-
• 32:54
  Silvia: Yeah… Jeanne: at all.
• 32:56
  Silvia: I, I can't stand still.
• 32:57
  Silvia: Uh, I, I don't know.
• 32:59
  Silvia: I c- I really can't.
• 33:01
  Silvia: I, I just believe it's a wasting of time and, uh, as I said, life is only one.
• 33:09
  Silvia: So I just want to live it.
• 33:12
  Jeanne: Oh, that's fantastic.
• 33:13
  Jeanne: So you, uh, you are so exciting, and, uh, you have… Just tell us a few more of your, uh, sponsors,'cause I, I couldn't get them all.
• 33:21
  Jeanne: You have sponsors that are for horse clothing, I know horse feed.
• 33:27
  Jeanne: But then I wanna know about the jewelry.
• 33:30
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 33:32
  Silvia: Well, well, for the jewelry, I don't have a sponsor.
• 33:34
  Silvia: I was just modeling for-
• 33:37
  Jeanne: Okay… Silvia: a, a brand, um, a new designer, a new, uh, collection of branding.
• 33:48
  Jeanne: And I, I'm not allowed now to share everything because, uh, the product is not, uh, online yet.
• 33:55
  Jeanne: Okay, okay.
• 33:56
  Silvia: Only a few stages, yeah?
• 33:58
  Silvia: So it's, uh, an Italian company, and it's run by this young, uh, guy, really talented.
• 34:08
  Silvia: And, uh, he designed shoes, really special shoes.
• 34:14
  Silvia: And then, uh, he decided also to create a collection of jewelry, but really high-quality jewelry.
• 34:24
  Silvia: And, uh, I lived, uh, three days, uh-
• 34:27
  Jeanne: Oh… Silvia: in a, like… it was Oh.
• 34:31
  Silvia: And it was a fantastic experience.
• 34:34
  Silvia: Uh, and uh, I was together with other four girls, and, uh, yeah, we lived, uh… It was simply amazing.
• 34:43
  Silvia: Everything was really well organized, uh, and, uh, we were making, uh, a photo shooting and, uh, video shooting also.
• 34:52
  Silvia: And then in the evening there were, uh, like private events, uh, where, uh, we had to wear all the jewelries, uh, and, uh, show to the people, to the buyers, uh, alive on our, on, on ourself, uh, the, the jewelries.
• 35:10
  Silvia: And it was, uh, really fantastic.
• 35:12
  Jeanne: Oh, wow.
• 35:12
  Jeanne: That's like being in a fairy tale princess' world.
• 35:15
  Silvia: Yes, yes.
• 35:15
  Jeanne: Not Disneyland.
• 35:16
  Silvia: I want, no.
• 35:17
  Silvia: And also the clothes, uh, that I was wearing, they were fantastic really.
• 35:22
  Jeanne: Oh, wow.
• 35:23
  Jeanne: Yeah, so t- tell people, um, uh, that are listening, like me, uh, just how much fun, uh, it is to attend one of those big, uh, parties with all that fancy jewelry and dresses.
• 35:37
  Jeanne: 'Cause I'm never gonna do that.
• 35:41
  Silvia: It was, for me was, uh, something new because I never, uh, act like a, you know … It was like an exhibition of, uh, these jewelries, but alive.
• 35:54
  Silvia: So you didn't go as a buyer, no?
• 35:58
  Silvia: You normally go in a fair and you see, um, the products, uh, on a exposition.
• 36:06
  Silvia: Oh, okay.
• 36:07
  Silvia: But that was, yeah, that was a private event, very, really luxury event, and, uh, the jewelry were It w- they, they were on us, on, uh, on the models.
• 36:21
  Jeanne: Oh.
• 36:21
  Silvia: So we were walking through the people, and they were just looking necklaces or earrings and … Wow, it was fantastic, really.
• 36:32
  Jeanne: Oh, wow.
• 36:33
  Jeanne: And the people that were in this private showing probably were super wealthy and-
• 36:38
  Silvia: Yeah, I think so … and It was full of security everywhere.
• 36:43
  Jeanne: Oh, my.
• 36:44
  Jeanne: This is, that's- Yeah … that's like something you would see on a movie.
• 36:48
  Jeanne: Yeah.
• 36:48
  Jeanne: I mean
• 36:49
  Silvia: Yes.
• 36:51
  Jeanne: And then you would expect somebody to come in and try to sneak in and, and grab the biggest diamond in the whole place.
• 36:57
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 36:58
  Jeanne: Some, some, uh, detective show or something.
• 37:02
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 37:03
  Jeanne: So, that is so fantastic.
• 37:06
  Jeanne: Just even imagining how it is to live your life is just amazing.
• 37:10
  Jeanne: So, um, I, I just hate to move on, but we need to move on to our two truths and a lie, and you have some great headlines here, so let's do it.
• 37:20
  Jeanne: This episode is sponsored by Rebel 180, the home of brave pivots and fresh starts.
• 37:25
  Jeanne: Rebel 180 is all about helping you rediscover what's possible when you stop settling and start listening to that little tug inside that says, "Life can be different." Whether you're navigating a career shift, dreaming about a new direction, or standing at the crossroads wondering if it's time for your own 180 degree turn, Rebel 180 is a reminder you don't need permission to change your story.
• 37:50
  Jeanne: And now, as we open the door to our second sponsor, we're stepping into the world of tech.
• 37:55
  Jeanne: Simple SocketPrint, the lightweight, blazing-fast label print solution designed for those who need reliability without the bloat.
• 38:03
  Jeanne: With version 1.5, you get instant printing in milliseconds, fully maintained print sequence, and automatic Base64 decoding, all without needing print driver installs.
• 38:14
  Jeanne: If you're running SQL Server 2016 or newer, Simple SocketPrint 1.5 drops right in and gets to work.
• 38:22
  Jeanne: Keep your workflow simple, keep your label printing fast with Simple SocketPrint.
• 38:27
  Jeanne: Thank you to our sponsors.
• 38:31
  Jeanne: So now we're gonna play our two truths and a lie, and Silvia's given us some great headlines here.
• 38:37
  Jeanne: So I'm gonna read them out, and then w- she's gonna walk us through each of the stories, and at the end she'll reveal which one is the lie.
• 38:46
  Jeanne: Uh, somewhere along in there I'm gonna guess which one I think is the lie, but I don't know right now.
• 38:50
  Jeanne: She hasn't revealed that to me.
• 38:52
  Jeanne: So the first one is, Silvia once walked away from a life-changing offer because she believed more in potential than in certainty That sounds like a little bit like you after we've been talking to you.
• 39:07
  Jeanne: The other one is Silvia was invited into a private circle in Q- Qatar after bringing Italian vision into a world where it wasn't supposed to belong, and that's quite a massively rich and expensive city in itself, Qatar.
• 39:22
  Jeanne: Um, Silvia once decided… Or is it a city?
• 39:26
  Jeanne: No, maybe I shouldn't say city.
• 39:28
  Jeanne: Uh, country.
• 39:29
  Jeanne: Silvia once decided to leave her sport to have a business career, and that may be true.
• 39:35
  Jeanne: So let me see.
• 39:38
  Jeanne: I don't know.
• 39:39
  Jeanne: I'm gonna guess number two, 'cause I don't, maybe I don't understand it, but you're gonna tell us in the end.
• 39:44
  Jeanne: So take us through each story, Silvia.
• 39:47
  Silvia: Okay, so the first one.
• 39:49
  Silvia: Um, when I moved to Germany, uh, once I attend to a, a big auction, horse auction, and, uh, uh, I decided to bought a horse, a young horse, four years old.
• 40:03
  Silvia: And, uh, I, I really saw a lot of potential in this horse, uh, and, uh, the year after, he won, uh, a lot of competition.
• 40:15
  Silvia: And, uh, he was also bronze medalist at the world championship of the young horses, and, uh, he was the Bundes champion, uh, for the German, um, country.
• 40:28
  Jeanne: Okay.
• 40:29
  Silvia: So, uh, I've got a… At the end of the season, I've got, uh, a really huge offer, you know, the, the offer that, uh, can change your life straight away, and, uh, that moment, uh, you know, I was, uh, in a office with, uh, four people.
• 40:49
  Silvia: I was the only woman there, and I just decided to believe in my feelings and my, um, perspective.
• 41:02
  Silvia: I, I was believing a lot in this horse, and so I decided to walk away from that or- from that offer, and, uh, I kept the horse for one year more.
• 41:14
  Silvia: He won even more than the year before, and, uh, I got a major offer-
• 41:21
  Jeanne: Ooh
• 41:22
  Silvia: the year before.
• 41:23
  Jeanne: That's amazing.
• 41:24
  Silvia: The year… Than the year before, yeah.
• 41:26
  Silvia: So that's one story.
• 41:27
  Silvia: Okay.
• 41:28
  Silvia: The second story, it happened in Qatar, and, uh, after a competition with my horse, uh, after the prize -giving, I've got invited by the sheikh of, uh, Qatar-
• 41:44
  Jeanne: Ooh… Silvia: in, uh, a private circle, and And, uh, he wanted to see me and to congratulate for my style.
• 41:57
  Jeanne: And there is where I brought Italian fashion in a sport which normally didn't belong, because dressage is really classical and, uh, like, old-fashioned.
• 42:14
  Jeanne: But, uh, as I can't really be and follow all the rules, uh, and I just like to stand out.
• 42:24
  Jeanne: And there I was wearing a mirror helmet that I created, uh, with my sponsor, Kep Italia, for that competition.
• 42:34
  Jeanne: And, uh, yeah, I had the proof that, uh, yeah, trying something different, even if it's not in the world that belongs, but, uh, being able to bridge also different worlds that normally, and they're just, uh, really separated, and really they don't belong to each other, it was something good, and it's always working.
• 43:05
  Jeanne: Oh, no.
• 43:06
  Silvia: And then the third one-
• 43:07
  Jeanne: Well, wait a minute.
• 43:08
  Jeanne: Uh- I gotta ask a question about that.
• 43:09
  Jeanne: What did you design?
• 43:10
  Jeanne: Was it something you were wearing, say?
• 43:12
  Jeanne: 'Cause I missed the word.
• 43:14
  Silvia: Yeah.
• 43:15
  Silvia: Yes, I was designing a helmet, a special helmet.
• 43:19
  Jeanne: Okay.
• 43:20
  Silvia: Uh, it's called mirror helmet.
• 43:22
  Silvia: It was just a limited edition, and it was mirroring everything.
• 43:29
  Silvia: And, um-
• 43:31
  Jeanne: Hmm.
• 43:31
  Jeanne: Is that on your site?
• 43:33
  Silvia: Uh, I don't know.
• 43:37
  Silvia: I don't remember.
• 43:38
  Jeanne: Okay.
• 43:39
  Jeanne: All right.
• 43:40
  Silvia: And then the third story is there was a moment in which I had to decide, uh, if I could continue, uh, sporting, uh, with my horses or just focusing on- my business career.
• 43:59
  Silvia: And there are moments that you can't do both, and as I am a person that, uh, you know, really like to do things in a proper way, I had to decide, and for a while I had to step aside from sport.
• 44:15
  Jeanne: Okay.
• 44:17
  Jeanne: So, uh, let me think.
• 44:19
  Jeanne: The life-changing offer was because, the first one was because you were believing in your horse more than money.
• 44:29
  Jeanne: That's-
• 44:29
  Silvia: Yes… Jeanne: really amazing.
• 44:32
  Silvia: Um, and it was risky.
• 44:35
  Silvia: Really risky.
• 44:36
  Jeanne: But-
• 44:36
  Silvia: Also because, you know, anything can happen.
• 44:38
  Silvia: Right.
• 44:39
  Silvia: You know, a horse can… You know, it's an athlete, so like an athlete can be injured.
• 44:46
  Silvia: Anything can happen in life.
• 44:49
  Jeanne: Right.
• 44:50
  Jeanne: But it wouldn't have been as fun, I guess.
• 44:53
  Jeanne: 'Cause you have a wonderful horse.
• 44:55
  Jeanne: And then the second one, you travel in circles.
• 44:59
  Jeanne: I can't even imagine.
• 45:02
  Jeanne: Yeah, that's the one I guess was a lie, so tell us which one's a lie.
• 45:06
  Silvia: The third one, I could never step away from sport.
• 45:11
  Jeanne: Oh, wow.
• 45:14
  Jeanne: Oh, yeah.
• 45:15
  Jeanne: Well, after talking to you all this time, it does feel like that's definitely a lie.
• 45:23
  Jeanne: Yeah.
• 45:24
  Jeanne: Yeah.
• 45:24
  Jeanne: Well, I… You're so fantastic, and I know people are gonna wanna get in touch with you.
• 45:28
  Jeanne: I know you're all the way over in Germany and from Italy, but still, people are amazed at, um, you know, what you're telling us today, so they're gonna wanna contact you.
• 45:38
  Jeanne: And you also gave us another great quote here, and it actually leads up to everything you've been saying.
• 45:44
  Jeanne: I just, I think this is great.
• 45:46
  Jeanne: So you wanna talk about this quote,"Pressure doesn't build chara- character"?
• 45:51
  Silvia: Ah, yes.
• 45:52
  Silvia: We talked about this before.
• 45:53
  Jeanne: Mm-hmm.
• 45:54
  Jeanne: Mm-hmm… Silvia: that the pressure is just It's just revealing who we are.
• 46:02
  Jeanne: Because in the moment of pressure, we can't really change anything.
• 46:06
  Jeanne: And if you think pressure can just only, uh, create … If you, if you believe that pressure is an enemy, can create only, uh, more doubts, uh, uh, more emotional reactions.
• 46:21
  Jeanne: And as I explained before, I do believe that emotion has not to step into decisions, uh, in the moments in which, uh, we feel overwhelmed.
• 46:32
  Jeanne: But in those moments, we have to rely on our structure, which is quite important, as I explained, because it's what is giving us the direction to move forward in any kind, uh, of decision, any time of mistake.
• 46:50
  Jeanne: Because what is important is also if we make a mistake, we don't have to react emotionally.
• 46:57
  Jeanne: That's important.
• 46:58
  Jeanne: Because the first mistake is absolutely human.
• 47:03
  Jeanne: We are all human, so we can make mistakes.
• 47:07
  Jeanne: We can learn from that, but we don't have to react emotionally, because reacting emotionally means that, uh, we are ke- protecting our ego.
• 47:18
  Jeanne: We are giving a lot of e- you know, explanations which is, which are not, uh, mm, important, because we, we have just to accept that we have done the mistake and just, uh, move forward according to our, uh, structure, our way of being.
• 47:38
  Jeanne: Just accept it.
• 47:40
  Jeanne: Fine, we have learned something from that, and then we can just move forward.
• 47:45
  Jeanne: And there, there is never the possibility to lose, uh, the stability and the trust and the credibility- Mm… Silvia: as well.
• 47:54
  Jeanne: Because as I said, if you let the emotion coming in, then you are going to fall for sure in the second mistake, and there is where you are going to lose credibility Oh, this is teaching me so much, Silvia, because I do allow that stress and emotion to come into just about every high-pressure situation, and now I can see them separately all of a sudden.
• 48:18
  Jeanne: The way you're describing it, it makes a lot of sen- of sense to me.
• 48:22
  Jeanne: So thank you.
• 48:23
  Silvia: Absolutely.
• 48:24
  Silvia: I'm happy.
• 48:25
  Jeanne: So you can ta- contact Silvia directly at all these different links.
• 48:28
  Jeanne: She's on Facebook and Instagram.
• 48:30
  Jeanne: She has a website that's gorgeous.
• 48:32
  Jeanne: Um, and she's on LinkedIn and YouTube.
• 48:35
  Jeanne: You have a YouTube, um, presence as well.
• 48:38
  Jeanne: So your call to action is that this link, um, it, it, it's focused on her blog about leadership performance and decision-making in high-pressure environments, and it goes along with what she's been saying, so do check that out.
• 48:53
  Jeanne: That's just, just a wonderful addition to what you've already been saying.
• 48:58
  Jeanne: And like I said, you're already teaching me quite a bit.
• 49:02
  Silvia: I'm happy that I can be helpful.
• 49:05
  Jeanne: You are, definitely.
• 49:06
  Jeanne: So I really thank you for being on the show today.
• 49:09
  Jeanne: Um, for those of you listening, I hope you tune in next time for another great guest.
• 49:13
  Jeanne: But I don't know how we'll get greater than Silvia.
• 49:16
  Jeanne: She's been fantastic.
• 49:17
  Jeanne: Um, and, uh, talk to, I'll talk to you soon.
• 49:20
  Jeanne: This is Jeanne Andersen, your admiral of the unexpected.
• 49:23
  Jeanne: I wish you smooth sailing.
• 49:25
  Jeanne: Thank you so much.
• 49:27
  Silvia: Bye.
• 49:28
  Silvia: Thank you so much.
• 49:29
  Jeanne: Bye.
• 49:31
  Jeanne: Thanks for joining me on Project Candor where the doors are open, the stories are unexpected, and the treasure is always real.
• 49:38
  Jeanne: If today's episode made you laugh or think, follow the show and share it with your crew.
• 49:43
  Jeanne: Otherwise, I might just make you swab the deck.
• 49:47
  Jeanne: I'm Jeanne Andersen, your admiral of the unexpected.
• 49:51
  Jeanne: See you on the next voyage.