From The Office to Italy: How Francesca Montillo Created Her Dream Career | Ep #185

Have you ever dreamed of leaving your corporate job to follow your creative passion? In this episode of Second Act Success, Shannon Russell sits down with Francesca Montillo, founder of Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures. Francesca shares her incredible journey from a stable career in healthcare management to building a thriving business centered around Italian food, wine, and travel.

Born in Italy and raised in Boston, Francesca always had a love for Italian culture and cuisine. But it wasn’t until she was on the verge of turning 40 that she decided to take the leap and reinvent her career. She started small, running food and wine tours to Italy while working her full-time job, and eventually transitioned to running her business full-time. Along the way, she also became a published cookbook author and embraced the challenges of entrepreneurship.

Join us as Francesca shares her insights on making a career pivot, testing a business idea before going all in, and how she turned her lifelong passion into a fulfilling second act. If you’ve ever considered following your dreams and starting something new, this episode is for you!

Key Takeaways:

✅ Test Before You Leap – Francesca started her business as a side hustle while working full-time to ensure it was viable before making the transition.
✅ Follow Your Passion, But Be Smart About It – Taking calculated risks and planning ahead helped Francesca successfully pivot careers.
✅ Organic Growth is Powerful – She built her business through word-of-mouth, blogging, and social media rather than paid ads.
✅ Never Burn Bridges – Maintaining good relationships in her corporate career allowed her to extend her job when COVID disrupted her plans.
✅ Adapt and Innovate – When travel shut down, Francesca pivoted to Zoom cooking classes and writing cookbooks, keeping her business relevant.
✅ The Best Time to Start is Now – Don’t wait! If you have a dream, take small steps toward making it a reality.

🔗 Connect with Francesca Montillo:
📍 Website: https://www.thelazyitalian.com/
📍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lazyitalian
📍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lazyitalianc

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