March 4, 2025 • 53 mins
I don't know friends, I know you're not supposed to have favorites- but there was something REALLY special about this conversation. Stop what you're doing and tune in, TRUST me.
Mary Giuliani, a celebrated author and expert in NYC hospitality, shares her journey through the world of event planning and personal storytelling. From aspiring to be on SNL to hosting events for NYC ballet. To encouragement to those walking through infertility and conversation about gourmet mozzarella sticks, this is not a conversation you'll want to miss.
Mary shares her story authentically and will make anyone listening feel deeply seen, inspired and a sense of belonging even through the screen. With a glimpse into life in NYC, and with a few new books to add to your reading list this year, I am ecstatic to bring you this conversation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome back to Making Room.
I am so glad you're here.
If you are watching this video,I stepped straight on my ring
light right before we startedthis conversation, but we're
going for it.
We're going for it.
Today's conversation is goingto be a really fun one.
I love talking to people in thehospitality industry, in the
event space, especially thosewith experience that I don't
(00:21):
personally have, and our guesttoday, mary Giuliani, is an
author, an event planner, andshe has had some incredible
experience that I'm very excitedto learn more about and to
share with you guys.
You guys know that I loveaesthetic, I love beauty, I love
intentional design, I love food, I love all of it, and she just
encompasses all of that so well, and so I'm excited to bring
(00:43):
her platform to you.
Well, if you do not know whoMary is, here's a little bit
more about her Three-time authorof all of these titles are
perfection, but the CocktailParty Eat, drink, play, recover,
Tiny Hot Dogs, a Memoir inSmall Bites and I love this one.
I have to get myself a copy.
How to lose friends andinfluence no one.
(01:05):
That sounds like such apowerful, powerful message.
She is a party lifestyle expert.
Mary Giuliani, founded MaryGiuliani Catering and Events in
2020.
Oh my gosh, why is 2025 in myhead?
2005,?
Based on a love forentertaining, storytelling, food
and hospitality, for 20 years,mary and her team have created
(01:26):
events for the brightest namesin art, fashion and
entertainment sets.
In addition to founding MGCE,mary has appeared on Billions,
the Barefoot Contessa, the TodayShow, good Morning America and
was a featured lifestyle experton the Rachel Ray Show for over
10 years.
All such fun names that we allknow and love.
(01:48):
Well, we are going to dive intothis and talk about what's
coming for her in just a fewminutes, but before we do, you
guys have heard about Feast andFettle, if you've listened to
the show at all over the lastfew months, and, my goodness, as
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We've been spending the holidayseason cooking.
(02:09):
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(02:50):
first week and, trust me, theydo flavor super, super well.
And take the break.
You deserve it.
Hi, I'm Katie, a hospitalityeducator and the host of Making
Room by Gather podcast.
I am set to see our communitiesget back to the table through
(03:11):
hospitality, but it wasn'talways this way.
My husband and I moved toThailand and through it I
experienced some loneliness andwith it I was given a choice to
sit back and accept it or to dosomething about it.
And for me that meant twothings that I needed the healing
to learn how to accept aninvitation and the confidence to
(03:32):
know how to extend one.
Through this process, Ideveloped some of the richest
and deepest relationships of mylife.
Through Making Room by Gather,you will hear conversations from
myself and experts in the areasof food, design and
relationships.
You see there are countlessthings trying to keep us from
the table, but can I tell yousomething?
Take a seat because you areready, you are capable, you are
(03:56):
a good host.
Okay, this is going to be a funone.
Welcome.
Oh, you're muted, sorry.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
There you go.
I love all of that.
Oh my gosh, katie, I want tosit at your table with you.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I know there are some conversations well, all of them
really but then I'm like I wishwe could just be in person.
I wish we could You're in NewYork, right, yeah, where are you
?
I'm in person.
I wish we could You're in NewYork, right, yeah, where are you
?
I'm in Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
We're not far.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
We could have made that happen, I know Okay.
Yes, please Okay, I mean thatI'm at that point where I'm like
I need to be with people.
So, okay, yeah, we'll schedulethat.
We'll make that happen.
Get you out of that podcastbooth.
Well, I want to know more aboutyou leading up to this
(04:52):
incredible career we're going tobe talking about.
I often think about seventhgrade.
Katie had a science projectwhere we had to make a cell out
of food and I should have knownthat I loved it Like I.
I enjoyed it too much, and mylove of food was evident very,
and creativity was evident early.
So tell us about Mary and your.
Young Mary let's go all the wayback almost 50 years.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So I'm turning 50 this year and I'm proudly saying
it, and, um, my business turns20,.
My catering company turns 20with the same year I turned 50.
So I think, ooh, it's all, butI did.
I grew up in a Italian-Americanhome which was everything
revolved around food, cookingfor it, shopping for it,
preparing it, making it in thekitchen, laughing, listening to
(05:41):
music, crying and then sittingand sharing it.
So I feel really fortunate thatthe family table was a big, big
part of my upbringing.
But I fought and I had agrandmother who was in the
hospitality industry.
She was a pioneer for her time.
She also made a middle name.
I named her for both mygrandmothers, mary and Lucille.
Mary was my traditional Italiansauce making, cooking
(06:04):
grandmother and homemaker, andLucille, my middle name, was my
business maverick entrepreneurgrandmother who, ahead of her
time, went out to the town ofMontauk in Long Island, at the
east end tip of Long Island, andhad a hotel, several hotel
businesses, and so I like to sayI'm like a mixed cocktail of
(06:26):
both of these women.
So I definitely have that likefire and that entrepreneurial
spirit, but I also have thattraditional grounding, comforty
home kind of.
So I think so.
That's so.
But young Mary did not want togo into food and hospitality
because she saw how hard thatbusiness was.
And I went to college.
(06:47):
I went to Georgetown Universityand I studied English and
theater.
Claim to fame.
I graduated the same year asBrother Cooper.
Okay, english and theaterStories for another time, yeah.
But when I graduated I came toNew York City to pursue a
comedic writing and performingcareer.
I was, I wanted to go to SNLand you know, just trying to
(07:12):
pound the pavement in New York.
I took a job in a cateringcompany located in the Lower
East Side of Manhattan, justtemporary.
Just this was going to be atemporary stop on my way to
realizing my dreams.
And I was there for all about amonth until I like kind of came
together.
It's like sometimes you coulddream your dreams could come
(07:33):
true, but just not in the wayyou thought they would.
And I was sitting in thisoffice, I knew nothing about
fine dining catering.
But something clicked.
Something was like okay, wait,it's theatrical, so it checks
that box.
It's ever-changing, it'sexciting, it's bringing people
together, it's gathering them.
(07:54):
So I just traded one dream infor another very quickly and
just devoted all my energy intocatering and event planning and
you know, making theseexperiences of escapism not so
different than from the stage,but now on the table.
So I always like to say, likeworld stage, my stage is your
(08:15):
table.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
You are full.
I love all of your like mottosand one-liners they are, so it
makes sense that you have abackground in.
What was it like?
What kind of writing Comedicwriting, creative writing.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yes, it's really true love and passion.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Wow, wow, so good.
Okay, so I've lived inConnecticut most of my life.
My husband and I went to theHamptons for the first time,
like two years ago, and we wentto Montauk.
Are her hotels still there,like?
Are they still in the family?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
No, she sold them in the 80s.
I often joke I wouldn't beselling pigs in a blanket for a
living if she kept them.
But no, I'm glad she didn't,because we all have had to find
our own way, which has beenamazing.
But her, actually, her crowningachievement, her original
hotel's no longer there, butit's called the Wavecrest in
Montauk, new York, and it's thefirst oceanfront hotel.
(09:09):
When you enter Montauk I alwayssay it's like she's still like
waving to everyone coming intoMontauk because her home and the
hotel in its original form isstill there, but it's taken its
new ownership.
But I do, I have a smallcottage, no-transcript, and she
(10:02):
really built a beautiful successstory around that.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I feel like we probably have so many crossovers
.
Was she part of Jacques Pépin'sstory at all, because he spent
a lot of time in the Hamptons?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
No, she was more of the.
We've heard stories about AndyWarhol and Truman Capote
attending her parties, becausethe late seventies were a really
groovy time in Montaukspecifically, and so Andy Warhol
had a house at the furthest endof Montauk and the Rolling
(10:30):
Stones stayed with him andTruman Capote and all these
writers were there, and artistswere there William de Kooning
and so my grandmother gotinvolved in a little bit of that
.
I've been told that theyattended some of her parties.
She became quite the hostess.
I've been told that theyattended some of her parties.
She became quite the hostess.
Wow, it was almost like you'reprobably too young for the love
boat.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I've heard it.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yeah, it was a TV show the Love Boat, where
everyone got on this cruise, andCaptain Stubing, who was in
charge of the love boat, everySaturday would invite you know,
the esteemed guests of thecruise ship to his table.
So we used to joke.
My grandmother, on Saturdaynights, would invite guests from
the hotel up to her.
She had a party every Saturdaynight and she loved to mix.
(11:12):
That was where I sort of sawlike parties of all the same
people are really boring.
Parties with all people fromall walks of life with different
opinions, with different views,with different.
That's where she got her chargeand so I've continued that to
this day.
But it's the best.
Dinner parties are the onesthat are all mix of all
(11:34):
different types of people.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah, yeah, we speak the same language, my friend, I
love that.
That's not what hospitalityculture tells us right now.
Yeah, I don't think.
I think we're wanting to getback there, but I think it's
drifted from that.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right.
Everyone feels like they haveto define themselves so fully,
like I'm just this and I have tostay in this box and I can't be
.
And I don't think.
I think we're always evolving.
I mean, in this 20-year careerI, looking at my, I'm looking
back a lot and we've changed somany times and we continue to
change.
So I think in hospitality ithas to be.
(12:09):
But I agree with you, I feellike people just get stuck in
things.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Oh man, I would have loved to know her Lucille.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yeah, she would, and she would love all of this.
I wrote a story, um, in my book, tiny hot dogs called um well,
about her.
Her called Free HBO.
But there's another storycalled Lady Lobsters, and again,
this is a totally non-provenscientific fact.
But I was watching a televisionshow where I get most of my
(12:38):
true education.
Forget that Georgetown thing,it's all television.
And I heard someone say on ashow when male lobsters get
thrown into a pot, they pulleach other down to the bottom.
I'm sorry, sorry.
Male lobsters get thrown into apot, they build a ladder to
climb out of the pot together,but when female lobsters get put
(12:58):
into a pot, they pull eachother down so that they all
could die together.
Again, no idea if this is trueor false probably not no experts
in crustacean civilities toconfirm or deny but it made me
think about the relationships ofmy female friends in my pot, my
proverbial pot, and how webuild each other.
(13:18):
So Lucille was a woman whobuilt.
She loved to see women succeed.
She loved to see.
So when I, when I sit here withyou or I, attend like a women's
event of entrepreneurs, it wasjust like gosh.
If she had access to that sortof support back then.
What could she have beencapable of?
And so she would have loved you.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Lucille would have loved you.
I have a Lucille in my lifethat I loved.
She owned a restaurant onWorcester Street in New Haven.
Did you ever come to WorcesterStreet?
No, but let's go.
Is it still there?
Let's go, come.
Are you kidding me?
Come.
Yeah, my guests are like you'retalking about Worcester Street
again.
I talk about it a lot.
Is that where the pizza placeis?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Yeah, you've never been.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
No, I have been to the pizza place, so I have been
with to Worcester street.
Okay, which one?
Okay, so which one is yourloyalty?
I'll tell you which one I wentto.
Okay, so there's two, three,depending on who you talk to.
Sally's modern Peppies Peppiesis yours.
Okay, we get.
We've gotten a lot of Sally'srecently.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, guess what?
Speaker 1 (14:25):
I've only been to that one, so I'm going to come
and complete the other two withyou and then we could form the
opinion.
Okay, please, let's I mean okay, no one takes me up on it, so
we'll, we'll make our plan andwe'll document the whole thing.
There was a Tony and Lucille'son that road.
It wasn't pizza, but it wasreally good Italian food and I
grew up in that restaurant.
Um, and they have since closed,but I loved Lucille.
So anyone Lucille has my heart.
(14:50):
My family also came up, cameover on the boat from Italy and
started business.
Um and so, man, I just thinkI've learned how hard it was for
Italian Americans to start abusiness, and it was a hard time
for them.
I think in culture, and it wasa hard time for them.
I think in culture and I neverwanted to hear my grandpa's
stories.
And now I'm like man, I wish Ihad them.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I was fortunate because I grew up that was my
dad's mom, and father built thehotel too, but my grandmother
really was the force behind it,and then my mom's parents lived
in my home growing up, so that'swhere I learned to cook from.
My grandfather taught me how tostuff artichokes, mushrooms.
We were always stuffing thingswith Parmesan cheese and crumbs.
That was all we did, everyvegetable we stuffed.
(15:34):
But I feel really fortunatewith that.
You know, that's a beautiful,like generational, like.
I look back now, like they'relike sadly, like getting they're
, they're like it's sadly likegetting towards the end of their
life, as, as, as a little girl,I'm entering mine and I,
there's this beautiful, there'sa beautiful transition that
(15:54):
occurs between grandparents andgrandchildren that I think is
not talked about enough, becauseI I am so I lost the two main
ones that are most influentialin my life when I was 10, but
they are so much a part of me ineverything that I do so that
that that time is like reallyimportant, I think.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Wow.
That sounds like a that soundslike a book.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Let's go, I'll write another.
Another one I could be another,another one.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well, okay, has your website shifts, switched in like
the last month, has it?
Well, we cause, I feel likewhen you first, when I first
learned about you, I visited andthen I visited the other day,
and I feel like it's a whole newlevel now, like it is gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Well, we change our um, we change our photos like
season with our, so maybe thenew, the new photo shoot was
really good.
So cause we we shoot our foodin our events, uh, seasonally,
and then we load them up ontothe site.
So maybe, um, maybe that's whatyou saw.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
So that's great to hear, yeah it is so gorgeous and
I forgot to reference.
When I first went to yourInstagram, you have Mary, not
mayor, on your bio.
I, I like, laughed too hard.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Like it's just, it's my everyday struggle.
We all have our crosses, but Imean every.
I?
Um, when I introduced myself tosomeone and I say, hi, I'm Mary
Giuliani, and they get confused, they look at me and go did you
just say Mayor Giuliani?
And so I was just sick of it.
So I said it's Mary, not Mayor.
So there we go.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
I love humor, and so I was like, oh, this is going to
work out just fine, this isgoing to be a good conversation.
You have to laugh otherwise youcry.
I know I haven Katie Shrimp.
Katie Shrimp, you were thefirst shrimp I've ever met, yeah
(17:54):
, and so unfortunately there'ssome not so great connections
with the family history, butit's yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Well, and this is my, this is my maiden name was
Jarmaine, which no one knew itwas.
And so when I married myhusband and I finally got an
Italian last name, because we'reso Italian I was like, see, I'm
really Italian now.
But Katie Shrimp, that's aninteresting name.
I have a friend.
Her name is Sarah Hooker, andit was because her ancestors
(18:26):
came off the Mayflower and shehad a uncle, great, great, great
, great great, who was alwayshanging out with a lot of women,
and so they called him.
I think his name was Thomas,thomas hookers women, and that's
where the origin of that namecame from.
Sorry, poor girl, cut this.
This is more PJ, but it's fine.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
It's fine, that was mild, yeah, I mean.
Oh my gosh, last names, it'ssuch a yeah.
It's crazy.
And then when I got married,people were like, are you going
to keep it?
I'm like, am I going to keep it?
I'm like no.
And then there's always thelike oh, I thought you were
(19:08):
going to be short.
It's like, oh, you're sooriginal, oh man, so I love a, I
love a good last name joke.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Well, on your website , going back to that, I loved I
don't know you call it a slogan,a motto Um, you say that fancy
can be fun, simple can always bespecial and our clients
happiness remains our ultimatejoy.
And such a good choice of words, and I think it really
(19:41):
encompasses who you guys are,from what I know about you, and
so I would love to talk aboutthat a little bit more for
everyday host, because I thinkthat that's just like an
approach to hospitality thateverybody can adopt.
Yes, right.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Yeah.
So when I first came to NewYork and worked for a caterer it
was a really fancy, high-endwhite gloves, silver tray,
french hors d'oeuvres that Icouldn't pronounce catering
company.
And while I learned everythingthere and it was a wonderful
experience, I realized that noteveryone eats this way every day
(20:18):
and it's a very rare it'srarefied air for those who can
hire a caterer to begin with,and and so when I started my own
business, I realized that mypoint of view needed to be the
things that I loved, and foodfor me, is all about
storytelling, it's all aboutnostalgia, it's about evoking,
it's all about nostalgia, it'sabout evoking memories and
really comforting feelings.
So I went straight to the goodstuff Like I went straight to
(20:41):
the mini grilled cheesesandwiches and the pigs in a
blanket and all the fun yummycomfort things, because I
realized that that's really whatpeople want at these parties
anyway.
And the home and I didn't wantfor me, like opening your home
to someone and entertaining isthe ultimate expression of love
and sharing, like sharing yourheart with others.
(21:01):
And and I feel like I didn'twant the home entertainer even
with my first cookbook, thecocktail party everybody could
make every single thing that'sin there.
It's so simple, because all youneed I think in hospitality is
the number one desire is to openyour home to others.
If you have that and you wantto do that, I hate when people
get jammed up that they're like,oh, it's not going to be great,
(21:22):
my tablecloths have to match myhydrangeas and my, you know, I
don't know how to make a, youknow croquembouche, and it's
like no stick to what you like.
You got the number oneingredient you want to have
people over, you want to shareyour home, you want to share
your table with others.
So, simplify the experience,and something really, really
simple could be wildly specialif you, you know, you don't get
(21:43):
so crazed about it.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Man, that's that's my heartbeat too.
We share that, and that's whatculture is craving right now,
and I think hospitalityinsecurity is crippling us and
that's why we're so lonely.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Yeah, and I it's so funny.
So the expectation, what causeI had this catering company and
because these big clients Iwould entertain a lot at home at
on the weekends.
And first of all I was gettinginvited to no one's house
because they were saying like,oh, what do we quickly possibly
make for her, you know?
And then like, and that wasreally lonely because I was like
(22:19):
, hey, so then I started toreally dumb it down in a good
way.
When people came to my home andone time one of my best parties
was I did mounds of pigs in ablanket, um, and some of the I
do, you know, veggie, veggieblankets too.
It's like carrots, you marinatethem, you wrap them in regular
(22:42):
you know, you know.
And I did like a, basically apig in a blanket buffet, um,
lots of dips and that to go withit, and, um, and martinis and
and that was it did martinis andpigs in a blanket, and it was
everybody like talked about thatparty Cause it was like I
didn't.
They thought they were going tocome over to my house and I was
going to have like 10 coursesready, and no, I want to be with
them, I want to be with myguests when they're there, and
(23:04):
so again, just finding those um,you know those simple and
special ways to, to share yourfood and your point of view, and
a couple laughs.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Wow, wow.
I feel like there's so manydirections I want to take that,
but I guess my first one is howdoes that translate to your like
?
What does that look like inyour business?
Like, so, you're working withincredible clients, so how do
you, how do you, encompass thatfeeling in what you guys do?
Speaker 2 (23:30):
We just it's, that's, it's like.
We stick to it at all times.
So, no matter what client calls, we always say, okay, you know,
obviously it's simple, special,fancy, fancy can be fun.
And then we do an eat drinkplay.
So we apply eat, drink and playto whatever it is our clients
are looking to um, to celebrate,uh.
So how can we tell their foodand beverage story in the most
(23:52):
creative way through eat, drinkand play?
Well, eat is okay.
What are we going to eat?
That's the obvious.
So we look at things thatpeople have seen a million times
and say, all right, let's not,you know, overthink it, but like
, what do they really like aboutthat meal?
And we'll put our little spinon that Drink too.
We always, you know, we have tobe considerate of like who's
(24:12):
coming, what to serve.
Always, you know, we have to beconsiderate of like who's
coming, what to serve, always,you know, even just throwing an
edible flower into a cocktail.
We do one thing I love, we do,we've been doing this, we did
this last season and people wereloving it.
Instead of a floral arrangement, we would put a punch bowl in
the middle of the table as thefloral arrangement, with
floating edible flowers andfruits and beautiful.
And so people came in.
(24:32):
It looked beautiful on thetable as the floral arrangement
with floating edible flowers andfruits, and beautiful.
And so people came in.
It looked beautiful on thetable and then they were pouring
their drinks.
They were sitting at the tabletogether, no one was getting up.
So we really liked that andplay as it applies to, like home
.
Entertaining for us is what arewe doing when we're having these
parties or having people over.
(24:53):
That evokes something that isjoyful and fun, whether it be a
party game, whether it be justthe way we serve things.
We used our paper towel holdersfor our bagel buffet to hold
the bagels.
Just looking around your house,we have so many shelves with
dust on them of like plattersand things we never use, or it's
(25:16):
like pull that down, reuse itin a different way.
So that's our eat, drink, playmotto, and so we do that with
our you know our corporateclients.
You know how we're going totell their story through this
wild world, and we were justtalking about Fashion Week today
, a lot this morning.
It's Fashion Week coming up inNew York and we get, you know,
quite a lot of events aroundthat time and so, um, we, we
(25:39):
also love high, low.
That's like our, that's ourthing a lot.
So we just did, um, everyoneloves mozzarella sticks but like
, oh my gosh, mozzarella sticks,we're not going to TGI Fridays,
we're going to a fashion weekparty.
So we doing, we started to dothese little mini mozzarella
sticks and then we took balsamiccaviar so it looks like caviar.
(26:00):
It's not fish caviar, it'slittle balsamic balls that look
like caviar and you could lookup very easily on YouTube, like
how to make that.
Um, and we dot the mozzarellasticks with the balsamic caviar
and instead of tomato sauce wedo a tomato powder, and it's
just.
I wish I'll send you a picture.
(26:20):
So maybe with this it's themost delicious bite ever, but
yet it's so simple and fun andcomforting.
And so we test those.
We test those boundaries, likewe know you know it has to be
dainty, we know it has to befashiony, we know it has to be
cool, but we could still takethe things that everyone loves
and put our fun spin on it.
That's the stuff that makes uslike that's what we want.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
What a dream job, mary.
Oh my God.
Kind of Also very stressful.
I shouldn't have assumed thatis stressful.
Well, that's true, becauseyou're taking the I don't know
if the word encompasses, likethe heart behind it and turning
(27:04):
it into a business, but you havethese high-end clients with
probably high expectations,right, yes, and you're almost
educating the market on a newapproach, right, are you, would
you?
Speaker 2 (27:14):
say that, yeah, a little bit.
Yeah, I think a lot of othercaterers have caught on too, but
for sure, like it's taking arisk, it's taking a risk within
something that you normally drawcolor inside the lines.
We kind of like to step out ofit a little bit.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Oh, me too.
I like that Presses my husbandout.
But yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I'm thinking the same tenants, right, like you could
still like.
You know there's, there'setiquette, right, so there's no.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
You know there's certain things that must check
the boxes, but then you couldstill throw that play in on top
of it so good so I was lookingat one of the pictures I think
it was a recent event of yourson your website.
There had to be a hundredtables 50 maybe.
And Mary, I looked at that andI was like starting to count
(28:08):
chairs.
I'm like that is a big event soyou must have a huge staff.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, I have a wonderful when I say like it's
stressful and all these things Icould never do what I do.
This is not a solo show here atall.
This is I have two businesspartners.
I have a chef, executive chefwe have, you know, 12 in our
planning office, and then wehave hundreds of freelance
waiters, bartenders you know 12in our planning office, and then
we have hundreds of freelancewaiters, bartenders, you know,
servers and that specific partyis that's the one you're
(28:43):
referring to is the New YorkCity Ballet.
It's they do an annual lunchand there's so much magic in
that event.
I'm happy you brought thatevent up, because we're actually
in two weeks doing it again.
And that specific event whichhas been going on, it's their
annual luncheon for the New YorkCity Ballet.
It's one of their biggestfundraisers.
(29:05):
That was the very, very firstevent when I was a baby caterer,
when I came to New York Citywith so many other dreams.
That was the first event Iworked on with the catering
company I was working for and Iknew nothing and I had to call
my mother this is how old I amfrom a pay phone in the basement
of the New York City Ballet toask her what a samovar was, and
(29:28):
I called her.
I was like, hey, mom, what's asamovar she's like?
I think it's a very fancycoffee urn.
I was like, thanks, hung up,ran upstairs.
But this is the magic of NewYork, or just anything you.
I had no idea that 20 yearslater I'd be catering that event
(29:49):
with my own company.
I'm on the committee as well,and also the servers, the wait
staff that are, because we Ithink there's 65 people working
that event with our team and,like when I was the baby caterer
, all those folks were teachingme this is how you set the table
(30:11):
, this is where the fork goes,this is where, and so it's been
a real honor and privilege tofor 20 years.
You know, guess the fancyclients are great, the whole
good party stories I have butthat our doors have been open
for this rotation of people tocome to New York with their New
York dream, no matter what itmay be, and we give them
employment immediately.
(30:31):
They could still pursue theirarts, their dreams.
And we give them employmentimmediately.
They could still pursue theirarts, their dreams, and I'm
really grateful that we canstill be a place for that.
And that ballet event is reallythe best articulation of the
whole New York thing the wholemagic.
I think a lot of people comehere with big dreams and it's
like you have to have that.
(30:52):
You have to believe there'smagic.
You've got to work really hard.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
And sometimes it could fall into place.
Your humility, mary, as you'retalking about all of that,
you're so humble with yourbackground.
Yeah, it's the most refreshingthing to experience, as you're
sharing that.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Really really lucky.
I practice gratitude everysingle day.
I do, I wake up and I do awhole like thank you for this
day, Thank you for my bed, Thankyou for my, because without it
it's hard to go through this.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Wow, yeah, I was going to ask, with that picture
in mind, how do you maybe hirefor or teach your staff, your
model, you know what I mean,like hire people that are just
like intentional and justnaturally hospitable.
Or do you teach?
Speaker 2 (31:49):
this Like I think I think you either got it or you
don't in terms of your way of umyou either want it's a hard
business, right?
So it's like I think it's likeus and um, there's like aviators
, air traffic controller, likethere's a lot of, and I always
say, like we're not saving lives, like we are serving food, um.
(32:10):
So I think you either eithercatch the bug, um, and cause
hospitality is hard and youeither like you're like okay,
I'm in and you get it, and Ithink it's um, you know how you
can interact with, with people,um, your people skills have to
be really strong and I couldtell immediately um meeting
people, you know how they'll bewith others and um, no, I mean,
(32:33):
I think you know for me, as I,you know as as aging in my
business joyfully and with, withpleasure and with an honor, as
an honor, I think that the moreI could share of my stories.
To mentor, moving forward islike really the way to go.
So it's not that I and I Idon't know.
I never assumed to knoweverything.
(32:54):
I am, I love learning, I lovehearing about new things, I love
, and so that's another likevery welcomed moment in our
office is tell me what's goingon.
Like I go up, you know there'sa lot of young people in our
office and I'm like, what arethe kids saying?
Like you know, you know.
So, um, I think, if I think youcould stay really youthful by
(33:18):
um knowing, like just continuingto want to learn.
I don't know if that's reallygood, that's super good.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
That's super good, man, mary I could have you here
all day.
I just want to like hop on atrain right now and be like I'll
meet you for pizza.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I just want to like hop on a train right now and be
like I'll meet you for pizza.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
We could chat about that, oh man, so good, wow.
Well, here's what I would loveto do.
I think this could be a littlebit fun.
So you have three differentbooks, all of which I would.
I want to read all of which Ihighly recommend.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Okay, I will read them.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
I will read them.
I have this like weird fuzzlike floating around my head.
I have this like fuzzy blanketon my lap.
I think it's from that.
I would love for you to eithershare a tidbit from each book
that you want people to knowOkay, something in that
direction, like either a lessonthat you want people to learn,
or like a takeaway Okay,something from each book, maybe,
(34:16):
that you're proud of.
We're just going to go throughkind of like boom, boom, boom.
I want you to share a quickfact or something like that.
So the first one the CocktailParty Eat, drink, play, recover
yes.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I wrote that in my 20s, which is when I was young
and entertaining all the timeand wanted everyone to love me,
and I would say that book isreally special to me because it
really it's the heart of if youwant to open your home to others
, I'm going to be your bestfriend.
Love Mary on every page.
Um, I'm going to make you looklike a rock star, uh, when you,
(34:50):
when you do that.
So, um, that book is is special.
It was, I always say, like thatbooks like the order, part of
my life.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Wow, you are so good with words.
Okay, tiny hot dogs, mlm SmallBites.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
Tiny hot dogs is like the meatier part.
It's like the first course ofmy life.
So I get into stories in thereabout career dreams, you know
either, in process shattered.
I talk about my struggles tobecome a mother infertility.
I suffer from endometriosis.
I talk about glimpses intocelebrities' lives that you know
(35:28):
.
I realized in that part of mylife that we could all look at
everyone's grass.
It might appear greener, butunless we loved our lives first,
then everyone's grass wouldappear greener.
So there's a lot of messages inthat.
I get into like the meatierparts of life, that like what am
I going to be?
What should I do?
So that's and I wrote that inmy 30s, which was where exactly
(35:52):
I was when I was writing thatbook.
So it's a meatier first course.
Tiny hot dogs it's a.
It's a meteor first course um,tiny hot dogs.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Oh my goodness, this is so sweet.
I didn't know what to expectwith this conversation.
I knew it could have gone in alot of different directions.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I am just so, I'm just grateful.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
I'm just grateful, me too we all find Yep, yeah, okay
, and last but not least, how tolose a friend and influence no
one.
Your cover picture for thisbook, mary.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
So, whoever the creative director was, was it
you or was it Adrian broom and Iwho's done all of my
photography with me?
She's a dear friend andincredible photographer, adrian
broomcom.
I said I think I want to gounderneath the table.
She's like let's do it so andthat's where I was in my life.
It was the oh gosh that this isit.
(36:42):
It was.
I restarted it during COVID.
I was dealing with some healthissues I was dealing with you
know who am I issues I wasdealing with.
I cannot go on people pleasing.
I cannot go on putting everyoneyou know we choose this
business for a living right.
It's not go on putting everyoneyou know we choose this
business for a living right.
It's.
There's a lot behind it, youknow.
(37:06):
Let's put everyone before meand I realized that I had to
stop.
I had to stop.
Not everyone is going to loveyou.
Not everyone is going to, butif you are the most authentic
version of yourself, which iswhat that book really feels to
me, a lot of those stories arethe real me, um, then you know
it's.
It's a gift.
And I also realized,re-emerging after COVID, I felt
like we were all sent to ourrooms like, universally like,
(37:27):
and it was our job to come outbetter if we could Um, and, and
so that's what I committed to inthis book.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
Like how am I?
Speaker 2 (37:34):
going to, how am I going to enter the next phase of
my life and so, yeah, so that'sthe dinner part and I'm hoping,
you know, my fourth book, myfifth book, my sixth book if my
readers will have me will be thedessert part, because I'm
thinking 50 and on.
I am so excited for it.
I am like I feel I'm the most,like the truest version of
(37:58):
myself right now, with so muchstill to grow into, and I'm
ready.
I'm excited, like I am not.
You know, you know, someonetold me this too and I think
it's important to share.
You know they were.
As we age, some people get stuckin reliving the glory days and
I certainly could do that.
I could look at my 20s and belike every night we had a party
(38:22):
and you should see who was thereand it was wild and I was 20
pounds thinner and I was allthese other things back then.
And if you get stuck on thatit's hard to kind of move
forward.
But if you look back on it withfond appreciation and you can
move into your mentoring part ofyour life, where you're, I
think that that's where thejoyful magic almost in the way I
(38:43):
was talking about thegrandparents kind of passing on
not grandparent age yet.
But this beautiful exchange ofsaying like this is all the
stuff I did, and if I could doit, you can too.
I want to swim in that.
I want to swim in all thatstuff.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Wow, mary, yay Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yay, I love talking to you.
I'm firing my therapist.
We just talk once a week, Iknow.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
My wheels are spinning.
I'm like what's going to happenthrough this conversation?
I'm like what's going to happenthrough this conversation?
Something that's wow, that'sreally I.
I think what I appreciate isemotionally intelligent people
and I, you could just tell thatyou've processed and done the
work.
Yep, still more to do.
(39:35):
I mean always, always, though,right, always.
And I think, yeah, that's whatI appreciate and frankly, I
think it's rare in this industry, right, and so you, just you
offer a lot.
You offer a lot, thank you, mygoodness.
Well, I feel like we have totalk about this a little bit.
(39:59):
You are on the brink of arebrand.
That's what I've been told.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yes, maybe you could help me because we are so in 20
years.
I thought it was time to sortof dust off the you know, just
sort of you know, say we're here, we're committing to being here
for at least another 20, if notmore, and I really wanted to.
When I started it, it was justme in terms of you know, it was
(40:25):
me in my living room and, youknow, with my dog and my support
of my loving husband, and ithas grown into so much more and
it's it's about all of us, and Ireally do think that we're
playing with some names for anew all-encompassing of kind of
what we've done, and that isthat it's about more than just
(40:48):
one person.
And so should I tell you whatit is.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
If you're allowed to.
I think I am I don't know, Iknow, is that an Ori?
Speaker 2 (41:02):
question.
Does Ori know the answer?
No, it's not even an Oriquestion.
It's just that we are like, yes, well, it's going to be called
storied Catering in events,because definition of storied is
like a legendary good time,it's all these storied event, a
storied happening, and me as astoryteller and that's truly
what I want to continue to do itkind of brings it all together
(41:24):
and with the food storytellingand the beverage storytelling,
so I think we're going to beturning into storied catering
and events by MGC, so you'llhave to come.
We're having a big, big partyin June, so you'll have to come
to that.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (41:39):
Yeah, incredible, you are there.
You must be there.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Oh my gosh.
And whenever you meet Colbyhe's just incredible.
Yeah, he's the best, it's sofunny.
So when Colby and I first met,he oh my, I'm like getting
chills, mary, for all of this no, just this whole conversation.
So when Colby and I first met,he was like my healthiest
(42:05):
relationship and I was like, wow, I feel like everything about
my life is going to change here.
Like this is just like new forme, for us, and at that point I
wasn't passionate necessarilyabout hospitality or community,
but we met in a class calledCreated and Called for Community
, ccc.
Oh my gosh.
(42:25):
And we didn't know like all thepieces were like coming
together.
But we actually we had thatlike that epiphany a few years
ago.
We were like, oh my gosh,that's the class we met in and
from the start of ourrelationship, everything about
our life was cultivatingcommunity, every job that we
worked together, dating was likehospitality related.
So, our story is just kind ofgetting started, but we've
(42:49):
always.
Tell me how you met Colby.
You met him in school, yep.
So Colby, colby's my awesomehusband.
We met in college and I don'tknow if I've told this story on
the show before.
It's kind of funny.
So Colby's really reserved, Ialways say he's not shy, he's
quiet, and I had my eyes onsomeone else.
(43:09):
And my sisters came to campusfor a little siblings weekend
and my sister, mandy, who was 15at the time, she said that's my
husband and she pointed atColby.
Seen at the time, she said shesaid that's my husband and she
pointed at Colby.
And for the, I mean poor guy,for the first time I noticed his
(43:34):
existence and it was a schoolof 3000 people, so not huge, and
I was like who is this guy?
Like where has he been?
And she went on my Facebook andadded him and he was praying
for a sign to reach out and hewas like.
He was like this is it?
She added me, she added me onFacebook and it was my.
It was my sister, isn't itcrazy?
(43:56):
And so, anyways, then the youknow, the silly college
conversation started.
What's the homework?
Blah, blah, blah.
And then we started dating.
We've been together ever since,I think 15 years.
Um, but it's so funny.
My sister, who's now happilymarried and expecting um, she's
like can you not tell that story?
I'm like, oh no, I'm telling it.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
I picked my sister's husband for her.
Um, yes, we were at a bar and Isaid that's the guy.
Uh, I was like he's, he's gotlike a Clark Kent look.
And she was like really, andshe had been changed.
And so, 18 years later, threekids, my nieces and my nephews
the loves of my life.
So sisters are good.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
Sisters are good Are you are, you, are you you have
multiple siblings I have twoyounger sisters.
I'm the oldest, yeah, and it'sso funny, we're just entering
that season.
We're all married.
My last, my last sisters gotmarried, and so now kids and new
traditions and you know how itgoes, like people passing and
family growing, and so we'rekind of in this in-between
season, as a family of figuringout, you, you know, new
(45:00):
traditions and, yeah, that'sgood.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It gets good when all the kids and the whole thing
and all.
Yeah, we go through different.
Yeah, I struggle withinfertility.
I like to connect with thiscommunity as well.
So I struggle with infertilitybecause of endometriosis for 15
years.
So it took me 15 years to havemy miracle beautiful girl.
(45:24):
Her name is Gala, no surprise,and through that, though, my
sister was my rock and my niecesand nephews were born, and so
again, with the holidays andthings shifting and yeah, so I
wish you all every blessing.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Wow, well, I guess I was bringing all that up when
you were saying Bringing Colbyto the party.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Yeah, bring Colby to the party.
Bring your sister too, sistersBring your sisters.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
I'm bringing everybody.
I just want to celebrate youand that because, mary, I think
it's going to.
It's going to shift culture.
I feel like it's going tochange the landscape of the city
.
That's the feeling that I getfrom it, like the authenticity
that you lead with and justhearing how you incorporate it
in the details.
That's what people are cravingand, like when you were saying
(46:16):
earlier, people are so likedetails do matter, right and
they're important, but I thinkit's the intention that they're
done with Right.
That's definitely right and Ithink people are going to be
deeply moved and inspired by bythat.
I hope so.
Thank you, storied.
How do you spell that?
S-t-o-r-i-e-d Okay.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
And I think yeah, we looked up the definition, it's
like a legendary tale and I waslike, oh, this all makes sense.
We struggled for so long whatto rename it and this one just
felt really right, do you have alogo?
Yeah, I'm like, pick one.
Yes, we're actually in theprocess of choosing it, so I'll
send it to you when we figure itout.
Speaker 1 (47:01):
I'm a branding geek.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
It's really exciting Cause we haven't, like you know,
we've just been us for a whileand um, it's exciting, it's an
exciting time.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
I'm going through a rebrand too, and so the whole
logo thing I'm like yeah.
I'm switching to I'm switchingto personal brand and it just
makes sense Like for a whilebusiness looked so, so different
and I don't know.
I love there's something, yeah,there's something really
profound about branding Like,right, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (47:29):
And the good thing is , you could change it.
You could.
You know it's like, it's likeit's life.
You could change you couldevolve, you could grow.
Speaker 1 (47:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
Well, where can people find you for now?
Right now, I'm sitting in my,in my kitchen.
No, I'm most active onInstagram.
So just Mary underscoreGiuliani, and I love.
That's where I, that's where Ihave my most fun.
Um, or my website,marygiulianicom.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
I love it, love it.
Well, we end each of ourconversations with the same
three questions and I'd love tohear your answers as well.
Okay, um, it got like superdark in here.
Is it gloomy in New York rightnow?
Gloomy, super gloomy.
Yeah, it's kind of gross, butokay, let's have fun with these.
Something you've eaten recentlyand loved.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
Oh gosh.
Well, it's just because it's sofresh in my, because we just
had it this morning at ourtasting this mozzarella stick
with balsamic caviar and alittle bit of tomato powder.
It's delicious.
I love that.
I need that.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
And then you also got the like Parmesan and
breadcrumbs stuffed everythingin my head and I'm like what do
I have?
I have a good parm.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
I might go make some Parm with the breadstick.
Take the breadcrumbs and stuffany vegetable you have in your
fridge.
A little olive oil, salt pepper, throw it in the oven, let it
melt.
Speaker 1 (48:57):
Sausage, maybe a little sausage.
Oh, it's delicious, oh, okay.
Anyways that sounds good.
I know I didn't eat yet.
That was a poor decision.
Something you found to bebeautiful lately.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
Oh gosh, I live very close to Central Park and I was
in there the other day and Ijust just it's the dead of
winter, it's the ugliest timeever in New York city and I
found so much beauty in it, soI'm finding Central Park really
beautiful right now.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
I have never been to Central Park.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Okay, of all the things we discussed, you're kind
of taking a walk throughCentral Park.
I am in there twice a day, Iwalk, I talk like a crazy person
to myself, I get all my goodideas in there.
Wow, there's a lot of magic inthere, and I think, because it
never changes.
The change is obviouslyseasonally, with beautiful
flowers and things, buteverything is where I remember
(49:56):
it, and so I'd love to take youthrough central park, but and
you might have to have, um, adirty water hotdog with me.
Speaker 1 (50:06):
I will have one.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
I will have one for you.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
We're going to have to give ourselves like four
hours.
I know, oh my God, that's sofun.
Okay, last but not least, andthen we'll keep chatting and
then leave everyone else hanging.
A gathering you attended thatmade you feel a strong sense of
belonging and, if you couldpinpoint it, what it was that
made you feel that way?
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Yes, it was literally last week.
We threw a fundraiser at this.
Do you know the store Fish'sEddie?
All home entertainers shouldknow this store.
It's on 19th street andBroadway in Manhattan.
It's owned by Julie Gaines.
She is a incredible dynamo of ahuman being and it's all
(50:52):
tabletop.
It's really cool Cookietabletop, fun, incredible stuff.
Fish's Eddie out.
So every time something goeswrong in the world, julie is my
first phone call.
Julie, what should we do?
How do we do it?
So we put together a bingonight for Los Angeles for the
wildfires.
(51:12):
Last Thursday night we playedand Murray Hill, who's on
Bridget Everett's show SomebodySomewhere was the MC and did the
bingo part.
I served pigs in a blanket anddrinks and we played bingo in
this store owned by thisincredible human, surrounded by
all this gorgeous tabletop, andI really felt like, oh yeah,
(51:35):
this is it.
I am home, I am with my people,we are all doing good, we are
sharing love, we're sharing ourtalents, we're sharing our gifts
and there's such cute things inthe store.
I want to buy everything.
So it was that event, and it'sevents like that that it all
comes laser clear to me that Iam doing what I'm supposed to be
(51:58):
doing.
Speaker 1 (51:59):
Whoa, I interviewed um Stephanie Quayle.
She's a up and coming countryartist and she uses this phrase
this is where I make sense.
Oh, I love that, isn't thatawesome?
And so, as you were saying that, I'm like, yeah, that's where
you make sense.
Oh, my God, love that, yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
Me too.
I love that.
Yeah, me too.
I heard this week, Tina.
I was at a luncheon, Tina.
Fey was talking at and she saidshe tells her kids it's time to
touch grass, to ground.
Go outside and touch grass,yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
But I love that?
Speaker 2 (52:36):
Wait, what did you say?
I'm where I am.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
This is where I make sense.
This is where I make sense,where I make sense.
That's beautiful it isstephanie quayle.
Um, I'm gonna listen to herright now.
Yeah, she has a very uhgripping book um what's it
called?
She wore oh my gosh, she madesuch a statement.
She wore the book cover as herdress to the CMAs.
Good for her, I know.
Look it up.
(53:02):
If you look it up, it'sescaping.
I'm pulling her up right now.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Cool, I love this.
Okay, oh, she's beautiful sheis beautiful.
She's from Bozeman.
I love Bozeman.
Oh, I'm going gonna listen toher music stephanie quayle.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
Don't hate me, stephanie, I um book, book, book
.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
Sorry listeners, we're just oh, what can we say?
How my toxic relationship canum, oh why do we stay oh, why
does?
Speaker 1 (53:39):
why do we stay?
Yeah, so it was about, yeah, avery, very hard relationship
part of her story, but it's aredemption story, so it's, and
then, if you know anyone goingthrough narcissistic
relationships or things likethat, it's a very great gift, um
, and a resource as well.
But, yeah, her music is killer.
(54:00):
But yeah, this is where, like,yeah, she was saying that when
she was first on this on a stage, she had like a gig and she she
said, I felt like this is whereI made sense.
Yeah, oh, so fun, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Well.
Speaker 1 (54:17):
Mary, thank you for this.
Speaker 2 (54:20):
This is we've only just begun.
This is the start of a newthing for us.
I really I really enjoyed you.
You have a beautiful energy andI really enjoy speaking with
you.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (54:30):
Well, you too, what a sweet surprise.
Thank you, or in the door, fororganizing this happy Friday.
This is my last interview, so Iget to of the day, so I get to
kind of breathe easy.
It's me too I'm done for theweekend good, well, everyone, we
get to leave you hanging, andthanks for hanging out with me
again this week and I will seeyou next week.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Making Room.
I am so glad you're here.
If you are watching this video,I stepped straight on my ring
light right before we startedthis conversation, but we're
going for it.
We're going for it.
Today's conversation is goingto be a really fun one.
I love talking to people in thehospitality industry, in the
event space, especially thosewith experience that I don't
(00:21):
personally have, and our guesttoday, mary Giuliani, is an
author, an event planner, andshe has had some incredible
experience that I'm very excitedto learn more about and to
share with you guys.
You guys know that I loveaesthetic, I love beauty, I love
intentional design, I love food, I love all of it, and she just
encompasses all of that so well, and so I'm excited to bring
(00:43):
her platform to you.
Well, if you do not know whoMary is, here's a little bit
more about her Three-time authorof all of these titles are
perfection, but the CocktailParty Eat, drink, play, recover,
Tiny Hot Dogs, a Memoir inSmall Bites and I love this one.
I have to get myself a copy.
How to lose friends andinfluence no one.
(01:05):
That sounds like such apowerful, powerful message.
She is a party lifestyle expert.
Mary Giuliani, founded MaryGiuliani Catering and Events in
2020.
Oh my gosh, why is 2025 in myhead?
2005,?
Based on a love forentertaining, storytelling, food
and hospitality, for 20 years,mary and her team have created
(01:26):
events for the brightest namesin art, fashion and
entertainment sets.
In addition to founding MGCE,mary has appeared on Billions,
the Barefoot Contessa, the TodayShow, good Morning America and
was a featured lifestyle experton the Rachel Ray Show for over
10 years.
All such fun names that we allknow and love.
(01:48):
Well, we are going to dive intothis and talk about what's
coming for her in just a fewminutes, but before we do, you
guys have heard about Feast andFettle, if you've listened to
the show at all over the lastfew months, and, my goodness, as
we're entering this weirdseason of like in between winter
spring, we don't want to spendtime over the stove.
We've been spending the holidayseason cooking.
(02:09):
We want to get ready for thespring and all that's ahead.
Right, lives are busy and Feastand Fettle wants to come
alongside you and make your lifeeasier and more delicious.
It is private, chef-like meals,delivered straight to your door
.
You're not cooking anything,you're not opening packages, no
weird textures, whether you needhelp with the kids' lunches or
(02:29):
just want a healthy snack foryou?
That's where I'm at currently.
I'm a little hungry.
They want to have your pantryand your fridge stocked with
things that you can feel goodabout.
So head on over to Feast andFettle F-E-T-T-L-E dot com and
use Head on over to Feast andFettle F-E-T-T-L-Ecom and use
code gather with the numbers 25,gather 25 for $25 off your
(02:50):
first week and, trust me, theydo flavor super, super well.
And take the break.
You deserve it.
Hi, I'm Katie, a hospitalityeducator and the host of Making
Room by Gather podcast.
I am set to see our communitiesget back to the table through
(03:11):
hospitality, but it wasn'talways this way.
My husband and I moved toThailand and through it I
experienced some loneliness andwith it I was given a choice to
sit back and accept it or to dosomething about it.
And for me that meant twothings that I needed the healing
to learn how to accept aninvitation and the confidence to
(03:32):
know how to extend one.
Through this process, Ideveloped some of the richest
and deepest relationships of mylife.
Through Making Room by Gather,you will hear conversations from
myself and experts in the areasof food, design and
relationships.
You see there are countlessthings trying to keep us from
the table, but can I tell yousomething?
Take a seat because you areready, you are capable, you are
(03:56):
a good host.
Okay, this is going to be a funone.
Welcome.
Oh, you're muted, sorry.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
There you go.
I love all of that.
Oh my gosh, katie, I want tosit at your table with you.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I know there are some conversations well, all of them
really but then I'm like I wishwe could just be in person.
I wish we could You're in NewYork, right, yeah, where are you
?
I'm in person.
I wish we could You're in NewYork, right, yeah, where are you
?
I'm in Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
We're not far.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
We could have made that happen, I know Okay.
Yes, please Okay, I mean thatI'm at that point where I'm like
I need to be with people.
So, okay, yeah, we'll schedulethat.
We'll make that happen.
Get you out of that podcastbooth.
Well, I want to know more aboutyou leading up to this
(04:52):
incredible career we're going tobe talking about.
I often think about seventhgrade.
Katie had a science projectwhere we had to make a cell out
of food and I should have knownthat I loved it Like I.
I enjoyed it too much, and mylove of food was evident very,
and creativity was evident early.
So tell us about Mary and your.
Young Mary let's go all the wayback almost 50 years.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So I'm turning 50 this year and I'm proudly saying
it, and, um, my business turns20,.
My catering company turns 20with the same year I turned 50.
So I think, ooh, it's all, butI did.
I grew up in a Italian-Americanhome which was everything
revolved around food, cookingfor it, shopping for it,
preparing it, making it in thekitchen, laughing, listening to
(05:41):
music, crying and then sittingand sharing it.
So I feel really fortunate thatthe family table was a big, big
part of my upbringing.
But I fought and I had agrandmother who was in the
hospitality industry.
She was a pioneer for her time.
She also made a middle name.
I named her for both mygrandmothers, mary and Lucille.
Mary was my traditional Italiansauce making, cooking
(06:04):
grandmother and homemaker, andLucille, my middle name, was my
business maverick entrepreneurgrandmother who, ahead of her
time, went out to the town ofMontauk in Long Island, at the
east end tip of Long Island, andhad a hotel, several hotel
businesses, and so I like to sayI'm like a mixed cocktail of
(06:26):
both of these women.
So I definitely have that likefire and that entrepreneurial
spirit, but I also have thattraditional grounding, comforty
home kind of.
So I think so.
That's so.
But young Mary did not want togo into food and hospitality
because she saw how hard thatbusiness was.
And I went to college.
(06:47):
I went to Georgetown Universityand I studied English and
theater.
Claim to fame.
I graduated the same year asBrother Cooper.
Okay, english and theaterStories for another time, yeah.
But when I graduated I came toNew York City to pursue a
comedic writing and performingcareer.
I was, I wanted to go to SNLand you know, just trying to
(07:12):
pound the pavement in New York.
I took a job in a cateringcompany located in the Lower
East Side of Manhattan, justtemporary.
Just this was going to be atemporary stop on my way to
realizing my dreams.
And I was there for all about amonth until I like kind of came
together.
It's like sometimes you coulddream your dreams could come
(07:33):
true, but just not in the wayyou thought they would.
And I was sitting in thisoffice, I knew nothing about
fine dining catering.
But something clicked.
Something was like okay, wait,it's theatrical, so it checks
that box.
It's ever-changing, it'sexciting, it's bringing people
together, it's gathering them.
(07:54):
So I just traded one dream infor another very quickly and
just devoted all my energy intocatering and event planning and
you know, making theseexperiences of escapism not so
different than from the stage,but now on the table.
So I always like to say, likeworld stage, my stage is your
(08:15):
table.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
You are full.
I love all of your like mottosand one-liners they are, so it
makes sense that you have abackground in.
What was it like?
What kind of writing Comedicwriting, creative writing.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yes, it's really true love and passion.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Wow, wow, so good.
Okay, so I've lived inConnecticut most of my life.
My husband and I went to theHamptons for the first time,
like two years ago, and we wentto Montauk.
Are her hotels still there,like?
Are they still in the family?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
No, she sold them in the 80s.
I often joke I wouldn't beselling pigs in a blanket for a
living if she kept them.
But no, I'm glad she didn't,because we all have had to find
our own way, which has beenamazing.
But her, actually, her crowningachievement, her original
hotel's no longer there, butit's called the Wavecrest in
Montauk, new York, and it's thefirst oceanfront hotel.
(09:09):
When you enter Montauk I alwayssay it's like she's still like
waving to everyone coming intoMontauk because her home and the
hotel in its original form isstill there, but it's taken its
new ownership.
But I do, I have a smallcottage, no-transcript, and she
(10:02):
really built a beautiful successstory around that.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I feel like we probably have so many crossovers
.
Was she part of Jacques Pépin'sstory at all, because he spent
a lot of time in the Hamptons?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
No, she was more of the.
We've heard stories about AndyWarhol and Truman Capote
attending her parties, becausethe late seventies were a really
groovy time in Montaukspecifically, and so Andy Warhol
had a house at the furthest endof Montauk and the Rolling
(10:30):
Stones stayed with him andTruman Capote and all these
writers were there, and artistswere there William de Kooning
and so my grandmother gotinvolved in a little bit of that
.
I've been told that theyattended some of her parties.
She became quite the hostess.
I've been told that theyattended some of her parties.
She became quite the hostess.
Wow, it was almost like you'reprobably too young for the love
boat.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I've heard it.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yeah, it was a TV show the Love Boat, where
everyone got on this cruise, andCaptain Stubing, who was in
charge of the love boat, everySaturday would invite you know,
the esteemed guests of thecruise ship to his table.
So we used to joke.
My grandmother, on Saturdaynights, would invite guests from
the hotel up to her.
She had a party every Saturdaynight and she loved to mix.
(11:12):
That was where I sort of sawlike parties of all the same
people are really boring.
Parties with all people fromall walks of life with different
opinions, with different views,with different.
That's where she got her chargeand so I've continued that to
this day.
But it's the best.
Dinner parties are the onesthat are all mix of all
(11:34):
different types of people.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah, yeah, we speak the same language, my friend, I
love that.
That's not what hospitalityculture tells us right now.
Yeah, I don't think.
I think we're wanting to getback there, but I think it's
drifted from that.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right.
Everyone feels like they haveto define themselves so fully,
like I'm just this and I have tostay in this box and I can't be
.
And I don't think.
I think we're always evolving.
I mean, in this 20-year careerI, looking at my, I'm looking
back a lot and we've changed somany times and we continue to
change.
So I think in hospitality ithas to be.
(12:09):
But I agree with you, I feellike people just get stuck in
things.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Oh man, I would have loved to know her Lucille.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yeah, she would, and she would love all of this.
I wrote a story, um, in my book, tiny hot dogs called um well,
about her.
Her called Free HBO.
But there's another storycalled Lady Lobsters, and again,
this is a totally non-provenscientific fact.
But I was watching a televisionshow where I get most of my
(12:38):
true education.
Forget that Georgetown thing,it's all television.
And I heard someone say on ashow when male lobsters get
thrown into a pot, they pulleach other down to the bottom.
I'm sorry, sorry.
Male lobsters get thrown into apot, they build a ladder to
climb out of the pot together,but when female lobsters get put
(12:58):
into a pot, they pull eachother down so that they all
could die together.
Again, no idea if this is trueor false probably not no experts
in crustacean civilities toconfirm or deny but it made me
think about the relationships ofmy female friends in my pot, my
proverbial pot, and how webuild each other.
(13:18):
So Lucille was a woman whobuilt.
She loved to see women succeed.
She loved to see.
So when I, when I sit here withyou or I, attend like a women's
event of entrepreneurs, it wasjust like gosh.
If she had access to that sortof support back then.
What could she have beencapable of?
And so she would have loved you.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Lucille would have loved you.
I have a Lucille in my lifethat I loved.
She owned a restaurant onWorcester Street in New Haven.
Did you ever come to WorcesterStreet?
No, but let's go.
Is it still there?
Let's go, come.
Are you kidding me?
Come.
Yeah, my guests are like you'retalking about Worcester Street
again.
I talk about it a lot.
Is that where the pizza placeis?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Yeah, you've never been.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
No, I have been to the pizza place, so I have been
with to Worcester street.
Okay, which one?
Okay, so which one is yourloyalty?
I'll tell you which one I wentto.
Okay, so there's two, three,depending on who you talk to.
Sally's modern Peppies Peppiesis yours.
Okay, we get.
We've gotten a lot of Sally'srecently.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, guess what?
Speaker 1 (14:25):
I've only been to that one, so I'm going to come
and complete the other two withyou and then we could form the
opinion.
Okay, please, let's I mean okay, no one takes me up on it, so
we'll, we'll make our plan andwe'll document the whole thing.
There was a Tony and Lucille'son that road.
It wasn't pizza, but it wasreally good Italian food and I
grew up in that restaurant.
Um, and they have since closed,but I loved Lucille.
So anyone Lucille has my heart.
(14:50):
My family also came up, cameover on the boat from Italy and
started business.
Um and so, man, I just thinkI've learned how hard it was for
Italian Americans to start abusiness, and it was a hard time
for them.
I think in culture, and it wasa hard time for them.
I think in culture and I neverwanted to hear my grandpa's
stories.
And now I'm like man, I wish Ihad them.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I was fortunate because I grew up that was my
dad's mom, and father built thehotel too, but my grandmother
really was the force behind it,and then my mom's parents lived
in my home growing up, so that'swhere I learned to cook from.
My grandfather taught me how tostuff artichokes, mushrooms.
We were always stuffing thingswith Parmesan cheese and crumbs.
That was all we did, everyvegetable we stuffed.
(15:34):
But I feel really fortunatewith that.
You know, that's a beautiful,like generational, like.
I look back now, like they'relike sadly, like getting they're
, they're like it's sadly likegetting towards the end of their
life, as, as, as a little girl,I'm entering mine and I,
there's this beautiful, there'sa beautiful transition that
(15:54):
occurs between grandparents andgrandchildren that I think is
not talked about enough, becauseI I am so I lost the two main
ones that are most influentialin my life when I was 10, but
they are so much a part of me ineverything that I do so that
that that time is like reallyimportant, I think.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Wow.
That sounds like a that soundslike a book.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Let's go, I'll write another.
Another one I could be another,another one.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well, okay, has your website shifts, switched in like
the last month, has it?
Well, we cause, I feel likewhen you first, when I first
learned about you, I visited andthen I visited the other day,
and I feel like it's a whole newlevel now, like it is gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Well, we change our um, we change our photos like
season with our, so maybe thenew, the new photo shoot was
really good.
So cause we we shoot our foodin our events, uh, seasonally,
and then we load them up ontothe site.
So maybe, um, maybe that's whatyou saw.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
So that's great to hear, yeah it is so gorgeous and
I forgot to reference.
When I first went to yourInstagram, you have Mary, not
mayor, on your bio.
I, I like, laughed too hard.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Like it's just, it's my everyday struggle.
We all have our crosses, but Imean every.
I?
Um, when I introduced myself tosomeone and I say, hi, I'm Mary
Giuliani, and they get confused, they look at me and go did you
just say Mayor Giuliani?
And so I was just sick of it.
So I said it's Mary, not Mayor.
So there we go.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
I love humor, and so I was like, oh, this is going to
work out just fine, this isgoing to be a good conversation.
You have to laugh otherwise youcry.
I know I haven Katie Shrimp.
Katie Shrimp, you were thefirst shrimp I've ever met, yeah
(17:54):
, and so unfortunately there'ssome not so great connections
with the family history, butit's yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Well, and this is my, this is my maiden name was
Jarmaine, which no one knew itwas.
And so when I married myhusband and I finally got an
Italian last name, because we'reso Italian I was like, see, I'm
really Italian now.
But Katie Shrimp, that's aninteresting name.
I have a friend.
Her name is Sarah Hooker, andit was because her ancestors
(18:26):
came off the Mayflower and shehad a uncle, great, great, great
, great great, who was alwayshanging out with a lot of women,
and so they called him.
I think his name was Thomas,thomas hookers women, and that's
where the origin of that namecame from.
Sorry, poor girl, cut this.
This is more PJ, but it's fine.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
It's fine, that was mild, yeah, I mean.
Oh my gosh, last names, it'ssuch a yeah.
It's crazy.
And then when I got married,people were like, are you going
to keep it?
I'm like, am I going to keep it?
I'm like no.
And then there's always thelike oh, I thought you were
(19:08):
going to be short.
It's like, oh, you're sooriginal, oh man, so I love a, I
love a good last name joke.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Well, on your website , going back to that, I loved I
don't know you call it a slogan,a motto Um, you say that fancy
can be fun, simple can always bespecial and our clients
happiness remains our ultimatejoy.
And such a good choice of words, and I think it really
(19:41):
encompasses who you guys are,from what I know about you, and
so I would love to talk aboutthat a little bit more for
everyday host, because I thinkthat that's just like an
approach to hospitality thateverybody can adopt.
Yes, right.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Yeah.
So when I first came to NewYork and worked for a caterer it
was a really fancy, high-endwhite gloves, silver tray,
french hors d'oeuvres that Icouldn't pronounce catering
company.
And while I learned everythingthere and it was a wonderful
experience, I realized that noteveryone eats this way every day
(20:18):
and it's a very rare it'srarefied air for those who can
hire a caterer to begin with,and and so when I started my own
business, I realized that mypoint of view needed to be the
things that I loved, and foodfor me, is all about
storytelling, it's all aboutnostalgia, it's about evoking,
it's all about nostalgia, it'sabout evoking memories and
really comforting feelings.
So I went straight to the goodstuff Like I went straight to
(20:41):
the mini grilled cheesesandwiches and the pigs in a
blanket and all the fun yummycomfort things, because I
realized that that's really whatpeople want at these parties
anyway.
And the home and I didn't wantfor me, like opening your home
to someone and entertaining isthe ultimate expression of love
and sharing, like sharing yourheart with others.
(21:01):
And and I feel like I didn'twant the home entertainer even
with my first cookbook, thecocktail party everybody could
make every single thing that'sin there.
It's so simple, because all youneed I think in hospitality is
the number one desire is to openyour home to others.
If you have that and you wantto do that, I hate when people
get jammed up that they're like,oh, it's not going to be great,
(21:22):
my tablecloths have to match myhydrangeas and my, you know, I
don't know how to make a, youknow croquembouche, and it's
like no stick to what you like.
You got the number oneingredient you want to have
people over, you want to shareyour home, you want to share
your table with others.
So, simplify the experience,and something really, really
simple could be wildly specialif you, you know, you don't get
(21:43):
so crazed about it.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Man, that's that's my heartbeat too.
We share that, and that's whatculture is craving right now,
and I think hospitalityinsecurity is crippling us and
that's why we're so lonely.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Yeah, and I it's so funny.
So the expectation, what causeI had this catering company and
because these big clients Iwould entertain a lot at home at
on the weekends.
And first of all I was gettinginvited to no one's house
because they were saying like,oh, what do we quickly possibly
make for her, you know?
And then like, and that wasreally lonely because I was like
(22:19):
, hey, so then I started toreally dumb it down in a good
way.
When people came to my home andone time one of my best parties
was I did mounds of pigs in ablanket, um, and some of the I
do, you know, veggie, veggieblankets too.
It's like carrots, you marinatethem, you wrap them in regular
(22:42):
you know, you know.
And I did like a, basically apig in a blanket buffet, um,
lots of dips and that to go withit, and, um, and martinis and
and that was it did martinis andpigs in a blanket, and it was
everybody like talked about thatparty Cause it was like I
didn't.
They thought they were going tocome over to my house and I was
going to have like 10 coursesready, and no, I want to be with
them, I want to be with myguests when they're there, and
(23:04):
so again, just finding those um,you know those simple and
special ways to, to share yourfood and your point of view, and
a couple laughs.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Wow, wow.
I feel like there's so manydirections I want to take that,
but I guess my first one is howdoes that translate to your like
?
What does that look like inyour business?
Like, so, you're working withincredible clients, so how do
you, how do you, encompass thatfeeling in what you guys do?
Speaker 2 (23:30):
We just it's, that's, it's like.
We stick to it at all times.
So, no matter what client calls, we always say, okay, you know,
obviously it's simple, special,fancy, fancy can be fun.
And then we do an eat drinkplay.
So we apply eat, drink and playto whatever it is our clients
are looking to um, to celebrate,uh.
So how can we tell their foodand beverage story in the most
(23:52):
creative way through eat, drinkand play?
Well, eat is okay.
What are we going to eat?
That's the obvious.
So we look at things thatpeople have seen a million times
and say, all right, let's not,you know, overthink it, but like
, what do they really like aboutthat meal?
And we'll put our little spinon that Drink too.
We always, you know, we have tobe considerate of like who's
(24:12):
coming, what to serve.
Always, you know, we have to beconsiderate of like who's
coming, what to serve, always,you know, even just throwing an
edible flower into a cocktail.
We do one thing I love, we do,we've been doing this, we did
this last season and people wereloving it.
Instead of a floral arrangement, we would put a punch bowl in
the middle of the table as thefloral arrangement, with
floating edible flowers andfruits and beautiful.
And so people came in.
(24:32):
It looked beautiful on thetable as the floral arrangement
with floating edible flowers andfruits, and beautiful.
And so people came in.
It looked beautiful on thetable and then they were pouring
their drinks.
They were sitting at the tabletogether, no one was getting up.
So we really liked that andplay as it applies to, like home
.
Entertaining for us is what arewe doing when we're having these
parties or having people over.
(24:53):
That evokes something that isjoyful and fun, whether it be a
party game, whether it be justthe way we serve things.
We used our paper towel holdersfor our bagel buffet to hold
the bagels.
Just looking around your house,we have so many shelves with
dust on them of like plattersand things we never use, or it's
(25:16):
like pull that down, reuse itin a different way.
So that's our eat, drink, playmotto, and so we do that with
our you know our corporateclients.
You know how we're going totell their story through this
wild world, and we were justtalking about Fashion Week today
, a lot this morning.
It's Fashion Week coming up inNew York and we get, you know,
quite a lot of events aroundthat time and so, um, we, we
(25:39):
also love high, low.
That's like our, that's ourthing a lot.
So we just did, um, everyoneloves mozzarella sticks but like
, oh my gosh, mozzarella sticks,we're not going to TGI Fridays,
we're going to a fashion weekparty.
So we doing, we started to dothese little mini mozzarella
sticks and then we took balsamiccaviar so it looks like caviar.
(26:00):
It's not fish caviar, it'slittle balsamic balls that look
like caviar and you could lookup very easily on YouTube, like
how to make that.
Um, and we dot the mozzarellasticks with the balsamic caviar
and instead of tomato sauce wedo a tomato powder, and it's
just.
I wish I'll send you a picture.
(26:20):
So maybe with this it's themost delicious bite ever, but
yet it's so simple and fun andcomforting.
And so we test those.
We test those boundaries, likewe know you know it has to be
dainty, we know it has to befashiony, we know it has to be
cool, but we could still takethe things that everyone loves
and put our fun spin on it.
That's the stuff that makes uslike that's what we want.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
What a dream job, mary.
Oh my God.
Kind of Also very stressful.
I shouldn't have assumed thatis stressful.
Well, that's true, becauseyou're taking the I don't know
if the word encompasses, likethe heart behind it and turning
(27:04):
it into a business, but you havethese high-end clients with
probably high expectations,right, yes, and you're almost
educating the market on a newapproach, right, are you, would
you?
Speaker 2 (27:14):
say that, yeah, a little bit.
Yeah, I think a lot of othercaterers have caught on too, but
for sure, like it's taking arisk, it's taking a risk within
something that you normally drawcolor inside the lines.
We kind of like to step out ofit a little bit.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Oh, me too.
I like that Presses my husbandout.
But yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I'm thinking the same tenants, right, like you could
still like.
You know there's, there'setiquette, right, so there's no.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
You know there's certain things that must check
the boxes, but then you couldstill throw that play in on top
of it so good so I was lookingat one of the pictures I think
it was a recent event of yourson your website.
There had to be a hundredtables 50 maybe.
And Mary, I looked at that andI was like starting to count
(28:08):
chairs.
I'm like that is a big event soyou must have a huge staff.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, I have a wonderful when I say like it's
stressful and all these things Icould never do what I do.
This is not a solo show here atall.
This is I have two businesspartners.
I have a chef, executive chefwe have, you know, 12 in our
planning office, and then wehave hundreds of freelance
waiters, bartenders you know 12in our planning office, and then
we have hundreds of freelancewaiters, bartenders, you know,
servers and that specific partyis that's the one you're
(28:43):
referring to is the New YorkCity Ballet.
It's they do an annual lunchand there's so much magic in
that event.
I'm happy you brought thatevent up, because we're actually
in two weeks doing it again.
And that specific event whichhas been going on, it's their
annual luncheon for the New YorkCity Ballet.
It's one of their biggestfundraisers.
(29:05):
That was the very, very firstevent when I was a baby caterer,
when I came to New York Citywith so many other dreams.
That was the first event Iworked on with the catering
company I was working for and Iknew nothing and I had to call
my mother this is how old I amfrom a pay phone in the basement
of the New York City Ballet toask her what a samovar was, and
(29:28):
I called her.
I was like, hey, mom, what's asamovar she's like?
I think it's a very fancycoffee urn.
I was like, thanks, hung up,ran upstairs.
But this is the magic of NewYork, or just anything you.
I had no idea that 20 yearslater I'd be catering that event
(29:49):
with my own company.
I'm on the committee as well,and also the servers, the wait
staff that are, because we Ithink there's 65 people working
that event with our team and,like when I was the baby caterer
, all those folks were teachingme this is how you set the table
(30:11):
, this is where the fork goes,this is where, and so it's been
a real honor and privilege tofor 20 years.
You know, guess the fancyclients are great, the whole
good party stories I have butthat our doors have been open
for this rotation of people tocome to New York with their New
York dream, no matter what itmay be, and we give them
employment immediately.
(30:31):
They could still pursue theirarts, their dreams.
And we give them employmentimmediately.
They could still pursue theirarts, their dreams, and I'm
really grateful that we canstill be a place for that.
And that ballet event is reallythe best articulation of the
whole New York thing the wholemagic.
I think a lot of people comehere with big dreams and it's
like you have to have that.
(30:52):
You have to believe there'smagic.
You've got to work really hard.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
And sometimes it could fall into place.
Your humility, mary, as you'retalking about all of that,
you're so humble with yourbackground.
Yeah, it's the most refreshingthing to experience, as you're
sharing that.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Really really lucky.
I practice gratitude everysingle day.
I do, I wake up and I do awhole like thank you for this
day, Thank you for my bed, Thankyou for my, because without it
it's hard to go through this.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Wow, yeah, I was going to ask, with that picture
in mind, how do you maybe hirefor or teach your staff, your
model, you know what I mean,like hire people that are just
like intentional and justnaturally hospitable.
Or do you teach?
Speaker 2 (31:49):
this Like I think I think you either got it or you
don't in terms of your way of umyou either want it's a hard
business, right?
So it's like I think it's likeus and um, there's like aviators
, air traffic controller, likethere's a lot of, and I always
say, like we're not saving lives, like we are serving food, um.
(32:10):
So I think you either eithercatch the bug, um, and cause
hospitality is hard and youeither like you're like okay,
I'm in and you get it, and Ithink it's um, you know how you
can interact with, with people,um, your people skills have to
be really strong and I couldtell immediately um meeting
people, you know how they'll bewith others and um, no, I mean,
(32:33):
I think you know for me, as I,you know as as aging in my
business joyfully and with, withpleasure and with an honor, as
an honor, I think that the moreI could share of my stories.
To mentor, moving forward islike really the way to go.
So it's not that I and I Idon't know.
I never assumed to knoweverything.
(32:54):
I am, I love learning, I lovehearing about new things, I love
, and so that's another likevery welcomed moment in our
office is tell me what's goingon.
Like I go up, you know there'sa lot of young people in our
office and I'm like, what arethe kids saying?
Like you know, you know.
So, um, I think, if I think youcould stay really youthful by
(33:18):
um knowing, like just continuingto want to learn.
I don't know if that's reallygood, that's super good.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
That's super good, man, mary I could have you here
all day.
I just want to like hop on atrain right now and be like I'll
meet you for pizza.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I just want to like hop on a train right now and be
like I'll meet you for pizza.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
We could chat about that, oh man, so good, wow.
Well, here's what I would loveto do.
I think this could be a littlebit fun.
So you have three differentbooks, all of which I would.
I want to read all of which Ihighly recommend.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Okay, I will read them.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
I will read them.
I have this like weird fuzzlike floating around my head.
I have this like fuzzy blanketon my lap.
I think it's from that.
I would love for you to eithershare a tidbit from each book
that you want people to knowOkay, something in that
direction, like either a lessonthat you want people to learn,
or like a takeaway Okay,something from each book, maybe,
(34:16):
that you're proud of.
We're just going to go throughkind of like boom, boom, boom.
I want you to share a quickfact or something like that.
So the first one the CocktailParty Eat, drink, play, recover
yes.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I wrote that in my 20s, which is when I was young
and entertaining all the timeand wanted everyone to love me,
and I would say that book isreally special to me because it
really it's the heart of if youwant to open your home to others
, I'm going to be your bestfriend.
Love Mary on every page.
Um, I'm going to make you looklike a rock star, uh, when you,
(34:50):
when you do that.
So, um, that book is is special.
It was, I always say, like thatbooks like the order, part of
my life.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Wow, you are so good with words.
Okay, tiny hot dogs, mlm SmallBites.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
Tiny hot dogs is like the meatier part.
It's like the first course ofmy life.
So I get into stories in thereabout career dreams, you know
either, in process shattered.
I talk about my struggles tobecome a mother infertility.
I suffer from endometriosis.
I talk about glimpses intocelebrities' lives that you know
(35:28):
.
I realized in that part of mylife that we could all look at
everyone's grass.
It might appear greener, butunless we loved our lives first,
then everyone's grass wouldappear greener.
So there's a lot of messages inthat.
I get into like the meatierparts of life, that like what am
I going to be?
What should I do?
So that's and I wrote that inmy 30s, which was where exactly
(35:52):
I was when I was writing thatbook.
So it's a meatier first course.
Tiny hot dogs it's a.
It's a meteor first course um,tiny hot dogs.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Oh my goodness, this is so sweet.
I didn't know what to expectwith this conversation.
I knew it could have gone in alot of different directions.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I am just so, I'm just grateful.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
I'm just grateful, me too we all find Yep, yeah, okay
, and last but not least, how tolose a friend and influence no
one.
Your cover picture for thisbook, mary.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
So, whoever the creative director was, was it
you or was it Adrian broom and Iwho's done all of my
photography with me?
She's a dear friend andincredible photographer, adrian
broomcom.
I said I think I want to gounderneath the table.
She's like let's do it so andthat's where I was in my life.
It was the oh gosh that this isit.
(36:42):
It was.
I restarted it during COVID.
I was dealing with some healthissues I was dealing with you
know who am I issues I wasdealing with.
I cannot go on people pleasing.
I cannot go on putting everyoneyou know we choose this
business for a living right.
It's not go on putting everyoneyou know we choose this
business for a living right.
It's.
There's a lot behind it, youknow.
(37:06):
Let's put everyone before meand I realized that I had to
stop.
I had to stop.
Not everyone is going to loveyou.
Not everyone is going to, butif you are the most authentic
version of yourself, which iswhat that book really feels to
me, a lot of those stories arethe real me, um, then you know
it's.
It's a gift.
And I also realized,re-emerging after COVID, I felt
like we were all sent to ourrooms like, universally like,
(37:27):
and it was our job to come outbetter if we could Um, and, and
so that's what I committed to inthis book.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
Like how am I?
Speaker 2 (37:34):
going to, how am I going to enter the next phase of
my life and so, yeah, so that'sthe dinner part and I'm hoping,
you know, my fourth book, myfifth book, my sixth book if my
readers will have me will be thedessert part, because I'm
thinking 50 and on.
I am so excited for it.
I am like I feel I'm the most,like the truest version of
(37:58):
myself right now, with so muchstill to grow into, and I'm
ready.
I'm excited, like I am not.
You know, you know, someonetold me this too and I think
it's important to share.
You know they were.
As we age, some people get stuckin reliving the glory days and
I certainly could do that.
I could look at my 20s and belike every night we had a party
(38:22):
and you should see who was thereand it was wild and I was 20
pounds thinner and I was allthese other things back then.
And if you get stuck on thatit's hard to kind of move
forward.
But if you look back on it withfond appreciation and you can
move into your mentoring part ofyour life, where you're, I
think that that's where thejoyful magic almost in the way I
(38:43):
was talking about thegrandparents kind of passing on
not grandparent age yet.
But this beautiful exchange ofsaying like this is all the
stuff I did, and if I could doit, you can too.
I want to swim in that.
I want to swim in all thatstuff.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Wow, mary, yay Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yay, I love talking to you.
I'm firing my therapist.
We just talk once a week, Iknow.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
My wheels are spinning.
I'm like what's going to happenthrough this conversation?
I'm like what's going to happenthrough this conversation?
Something that's wow, that'sreally I.
I think what I appreciate isemotionally intelligent people
and I, you could just tell thatyou've processed and done the
work.
Yep, still more to do.
(39:35):
I mean always, always, though,right, always.
And I think, yeah, that's whatI appreciate and frankly, I
think it's rare in this industry, right, and so you, just you
offer a lot.
You offer a lot, thank you, mygoodness.
Well, I feel like we have totalk about this a little bit.
(39:59):
You are on the brink of arebrand.
That's what I've been told.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yes, maybe you could help me because we are so in 20
years.
I thought it was time to sortof dust off the you know, just
sort of you know, say we're here, we're committing to being here
for at least another 20, if notmore, and I really wanted to.
When I started it, it was justme in terms of you know, it was
(40:25):
me in my living room and, youknow, with my dog and my support
of my loving husband, and ithas grown into so much more and
it's it's about all of us, and Ireally do think that we're
playing with some names for anew all-encompassing of kind of
what we've done, and that isthat it's about more than just
(40:48):
one person.
And so should I tell you whatit is.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
If you're allowed to.
I think I am I don't know, Iknow, is that an Ori?
Speaker 2 (41:02):
question.
Does Ori know the answer?
No, it's not even an Oriquestion.
It's just that we are like, yes, well, it's going to be called
storied Catering in events,because definition of storied is
like a legendary good time,it's all these storied event, a
storied happening, and me as astoryteller and that's truly
what I want to continue to do itkind of brings it all together
(41:24):
and with the food storytellingand the beverage storytelling,
so I think we're going to beturning into storied catering
and events by MGC, so you'llhave to come.
We're having a big, big partyin June, so you'll have to come
to that.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (41:39):
Yeah, incredible, you are there.
You must be there.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Oh my gosh.
And whenever you meet Colbyhe's just incredible.
Yeah, he's the best, it's sofunny.
So when Colby and I first met,he oh my, I'm like getting
chills, mary, for all of this no, just this whole conversation.
So when Colby and I first met,he was like my healthiest
(42:05):
relationship and I was like, wow, I feel like everything about
my life is going to change here.
Like this is just like new forme, for us, and at that point I
wasn't passionate necessarilyabout hospitality or community,
but we met in a class calledCreated and Called for Community
, ccc.
Oh my gosh.
(42:25):
And we didn't know like all thepieces were like coming
together.
But we actually we had thatlike that epiphany a few years
ago.
We were like, oh my gosh,that's the class we met in and
from the start of ourrelationship, everything about
our life was cultivatingcommunity, every job that we
worked together, dating was likehospitality related.
So, our story is just kind ofgetting started, but we've
(42:49):
always.
Tell me how you met Colby.
You met him in school, yep.
So Colby, colby's my awesomehusband.
We met in college and I don'tknow if I've told this story on
the show before.
It's kind of funny.
So Colby's really reserved, Ialways say he's not shy, he's
quiet, and I had my eyes onsomeone else.
(43:09):
And my sisters came to campusfor a little siblings weekend
and my sister, mandy, who was 15at the time, she said that's my
husband and she pointed atColby.
Seen at the time, she said shesaid that's my husband and she
pointed at Colby.
And for the, I mean poor guy,for the first time I noticed his
(43:34):
existence and it was a schoolof 3000 people, so not huge, and
I was like who is this guy?
Like where has he been?
And she went on my Facebook andadded him and he was praying
for a sign to reach out and hewas like.
He was like this is it?
She added me, she added me onFacebook and it was my.
It was my sister, isn't itcrazy?
(43:56):
And so, anyways, then the youknow, the silly college
conversation started.
What's the homework?
Blah, blah, blah.
And then we started dating.
We've been together ever since,I think 15 years.
Um, but it's so funny.
My sister, who's now happilymarried and expecting um, she's
like can you not tell that story?
I'm like, oh no, I'm telling it.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
I picked my sister's husband for her.
Um, yes, we were at a bar and Isaid that's the guy.
Uh, I was like he's, he's gotlike a Clark Kent look.
And she was like really, andshe had been changed.
And so, 18 years later, threekids, my nieces and my nephews
the loves of my life.
So sisters are good.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
Sisters are good Are you are, you, are you you have
multiple siblings I have twoyounger sisters.
I'm the oldest, yeah, and it'sso funny, we're just entering
that season.
We're all married.
My last, my last sisters gotmarried, and so now kids and new
traditions and you know how itgoes, like people passing and
family growing, and so we'rekind of in this in-between
season, as a family of figuringout, you, you know, new
(45:00):
traditions and, yeah, that'sgood.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It gets good when all the kids and the whole thing
and all.
Yeah, we go through different.
Yeah, I struggle withinfertility.
I like to connect with thiscommunity as well.
So I struggle with infertilitybecause of endometriosis for 15
years.
So it took me 15 years to havemy miracle beautiful girl.
(45:24):
Her name is Gala, no surprise,and through that, though, my
sister was my rock and my niecesand nephews were born, and so
again, with the holidays andthings shifting and yeah, so I
wish you all every blessing.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Wow, well, I guess I was bringing all that up when
you were saying Bringing Colbyto the party.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Yeah, bring Colby to the party.
Bring your sister too, sistersBring your sisters.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
I'm bringing everybody.
I just want to celebrate youand that because, mary, I think
it's going to.
It's going to shift culture.
I feel like it's going tochange the landscape of the city
.
That's the feeling that I getfrom it, like the authenticity
that you lead with and justhearing how you incorporate it
in the details.
That's what people are cravingand, like when you were saying
(46:16):
earlier, people are so likedetails do matter, right and
they're important, but I thinkit's the intention that they're
done with Right.
That's definitely right and Ithink people are going to be
deeply moved and inspired by bythat.
I hope so.
Thank you, storied.
How do you spell that?
S-t-o-r-i-e-d Okay.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
And I think yeah, we looked up the definition, it's
like a legendary tale and I waslike, oh, this all makes sense.
We struggled for so long whatto rename it and this one just
felt really right, do you have alogo?
Yeah, I'm like, pick one.
Yes, we're actually in theprocess of choosing it, so I'll
send it to you when we figure itout.
Speaker 1 (47:01):
I'm a branding geek.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
It's really exciting Cause we haven't, like you know,
we've just been us for a whileand um, it's exciting, it's an
exciting time.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
I'm going through a rebrand too, and so the whole
logo thing I'm like yeah.
I'm switching to I'm switchingto personal brand and it just
makes sense Like for a whilebusiness looked so, so different
and I don't know.
I love there's something, yeah,there's something really
profound about branding Like,right, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (47:29):
And the good thing is , you could change it.
You could.
You know it's like, it's likeit's life.
You could change you couldevolve, you could grow.
Speaker 1 (47:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
Well, where can people find you for now?
Right now, I'm sitting in my,in my kitchen.
No, I'm most active onInstagram.
So just Mary underscoreGiuliani, and I love.
That's where I, that's where Ihave my most fun.
Um, or my website,marygiulianicom.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
I love it, love it.
Well, we end each of ourconversations with the same
three questions and I'd love tohear your answers as well.
Okay, um, it got like superdark in here.
Is it gloomy in New York rightnow?
Gloomy, super gloomy.
Yeah, it's kind of gross, butokay, let's have fun with these.
Something you've eaten recentlyand loved.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
Oh gosh.
Well, it's just because it's sofresh in my, because we just
had it this morning at ourtasting this mozzarella stick
with balsamic caviar and alittle bit of tomato powder.
It's delicious.
I love that.
I need that.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
And then you also got the like Parmesan and
breadcrumbs stuffed everythingin my head and I'm like what do
I have?
I have a good parm.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
I might go make some Parm with the breadstick.
Take the breadcrumbs and stuffany vegetable you have in your
fridge.
A little olive oil, salt pepper, throw it in the oven, let it
melt.
Speaker 1 (48:57):
Sausage, maybe a little sausage.
Oh, it's delicious, oh, okay.
Anyways that sounds good.
I know I didn't eat yet.
That was a poor decision.
Something you found to bebeautiful lately.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
Oh gosh, I live very close to Central Park and I was
in there the other day and Ijust just it's the dead of
winter, it's the ugliest timeever in New York city and I
found so much beauty in it, soI'm finding Central Park really
beautiful right now.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
I have never been to Central Park.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Okay, of all the things we discussed, you're kind
of taking a walk throughCentral Park.
I am in there twice a day, Iwalk, I talk like a crazy person
to myself, I get all my goodideas in there.
Wow, there's a lot of magic inthere, and I think, because it
never changes.
The change is obviouslyseasonally, with beautiful
flowers and things, buteverything is where I remember
(49:56):
it, and so I'd love to take youthrough central park, but and
you might have to have, um, adirty water hotdog with me.
Speaker 1 (50:06):
I will have one.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
I will have one for you.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
We're going to have to give ourselves like four
hours.
I know, oh my God, that's sofun.
Okay, last but not least, andthen we'll keep chatting and
then leave everyone else hanging.
A gathering you attended thatmade you feel a strong sense of
belonging and, if you couldpinpoint it, what it was that
made you feel that way?
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Yes, it was literally last week.
We threw a fundraiser at this.
Do you know the store Fish'sEddie?
All home entertainers shouldknow this store.
It's on 19th street andBroadway in Manhattan.
It's owned by Julie Gaines.
She is a incredible dynamo of ahuman being and it's all
(50:52):
tabletop.
It's really cool Cookietabletop, fun, incredible stuff.
Fish's Eddie out.
So every time something goeswrong in the world, julie is my
first phone call.
Julie, what should we do?
How do we do it?
So we put together a bingonight for Los Angeles for the
wildfires.
(51:12):
Last Thursday night we playedand Murray Hill, who's on
Bridget Everett's show SomebodySomewhere was the MC and did the
bingo part.
I served pigs in a blanket anddrinks and we played bingo in
this store owned by thisincredible human, surrounded by
all this gorgeous tabletop, andI really felt like, oh yeah,
(51:35):
this is it.
I am home, I am with my people,we are all doing good, we are
sharing love, we're sharing ourtalents, we're sharing our gifts
and there's such cute things inthe store.
I want to buy everything.
So it was that event, and it'sevents like that that it all
comes laser clear to me that Iam doing what I'm supposed to be
(51:58):
doing.
Speaker 1 (51:59):
Whoa, I interviewed um Stephanie Quayle.
She's a up and coming countryartist and she uses this phrase
this is where I make sense.
Oh, I love that, isn't thatawesome?
And so, as you were saying that, I'm like, yeah, that's where
you make sense.
Oh, my God, love that, yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
Me too.
I love that.
Yeah, me too.
I heard this week, Tina.
I was at a luncheon, Tina.
Fey was talking at and she saidshe tells her kids it's time to
touch grass, to ground.
Go outside and touch grass,yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
But I love that?
Speaker 2 (52:36):
Wait, what did you say?
I'm where I am.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
This is where I make sense.
This is where I make sense,where I make sense.
That's beautiful it isstephanie quayle.
Um, I'm gonna listen to herright now.
Yeah, she has a very uhgripping book um what's it
called?
She wore oh my gosh, she madesuch a statement.
She wore the book cover as herdress to the CMAs.
Good for her, I know.
Look it up.
(53:02):
If you look it up, it'sescaping.
I'm pulling her up right now.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Cool, I love this.
Okay, oh, she's beautiful sheis beautiful.
She's from Bozeman.
I love Bozeman.
Oh, I'm going gonna listen toher music stephanie quayle.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
Don't hate me, stephanie, I um book, book, book
.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
Sorry listeners, we're just oh, what can we say?
How my toxic relationship canum, oh why do we stay oh, why
does?
Speaker 1 (53:39):
why do we stay?
Yeah, so it was about, yeah, avery, very hard relationship
part of her story, but it's aredemption story, so it's, and
then, if you know anyone goingthrough narcissistic
relationships or things likethat, it's a very great gift, um
, and a resource as well.
But, yeah, her music is killer.
(54:00):
But yeah, this is where, like,yeah, she was saying that when
she was first on this on a stage, she had like a gig and she she
said, I felt like this is whereI made sense.
Yeah, oh, so fun, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Well.
Speaker 1 (54:17):
Mary, thank you for this.
Speaker 2 (54:20):
This is we've only just begun.
This is the start of a newthing for us.
I really I really enjoyed you.
You have a beautiful energy andI really enjoy speaking with
you.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (54:30):
Well, you too, what a sweet surprise.
Thank you, or in the door, fororganizing this happy Friday.
This is my last interview, so Iget to of the day, so I get to
kind of breathe easy.
It's me too I'm done for theweekend good, well, everyone, we
get to leave you hanging, andthanks for hanging out with me
again this week and I will seeyou next week.
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