Networking Disconnected
The right location of a business is more than just a geographical decision—it can determine success or failure. I learned this firsthand during my professional journey through Italy and Austria.
Pisa makes the towers lean, but “Wien ist anders” (Vienna is different)
I moved from Pisa, the charming city with the famous Leaning Tower and one of the oldest universities in Europe, to Vienna, hoping to find the perfect stage for my sophisticated design pieces. With its vibrant art scene, music, and cultural diversity—not to mention its higher purchasing power compared to Italy—Vienna seemed like the ideal place.
For three years, I attended countless networking events—especially those aimed at supporting women in business—and worked with a public relations specialist to secure exhibition opportunities for my designs. The response from furniture retailers? A mix of skepticism and ‘What am I even looking at?’—“Why do these tables have such strange legs? They look like spiders!” I decided against explaining the story behind them. (Let’s just say that I transformed the discomfort of coexisting with pesky green bugs into acceptance through a creative process.)
Tangled in the Network
At the networking events, I often felt out of place. Many attendees were seeking a new professional perspective after dedicating years to family, finding refuge in alternative jobs. The coaching and workshop sector was booming: self-discovery coaching, yoga coaching, female empowerment coaching, and "we-don't-need-men" coaching. One memorable participant promoted her offline networking program during an offline networking meeting—because offline works better than online—despite the fact that you still had to sign up online. But my absolute favorite was the workshop to become an interior designer with a paintbrush and hot glue gun. Apparently, a crash course and a couple of tutorials can replace years of study.
The engineering title on my business card often elicited surprise. Being compared to hobby crafters after 30 years of professional experience was—let’s just say—disheartening.
All Roads Lead to Rome
When my husband’s job led us to the outskirts of Rome, I suddenly found myself in an entirely different setting. I didn’t change my strategy—but this time, it worked. The Italian mindset played a crucial role: socializing is an art, networking happens naturally, and new contacts aren’t made only at official events but also in the supermarket checkout line, where a friendly chat helps pass the time.
While exploring my new surroundings, I stumbled upon a newly opened art and design gallery. The gallerist was thrilled by my work and immediately organized three exhibitions in three different cities. Suddenly, my "spider legs" were the highlight: "Those legs are what make the table! It looks like they’re moving." And that once-despised green stink bug? Now the star of posters and exhibition catalogs.
Focus on...
This experience taught me that not every city is suited for every business. Pisa, with its focus on science and medicine, left little room for design.
And Vienna? There, art and design seem to exist in their own little worlds: if you don’t fit neatly into one category or the other, you have a tough time. In Austria, even artistic education is primarily focused on technique and practice, and the architecture and design industry remains heavily male-dominated—perhaps this contributes to the clear divide between the technical and the artistic. Looking back on my school years, technical schools were still very much a man’s domain. So, it’s no wonder many people are surprised to see a woman in her fifties with an engineering degree.
Rome—or, to be precise, the right context—provided me with more opportunities in just a few months than I had been chasing in vain for years in Vienna. With art history permeating every corner of the city, Italy's artistic education is characterized by its conceptual, philosophical, and aesthetic approach, creating an ideal environment for my sophisticated design.
Conclusion
Being innovative, open to new possibilities, understanding the local culture, and strategically networking are essential elements for a new business. However, sometimes success or failure doesn't hinge on the idea or adaptation but rather on simply being in the wrong place to take root. While it’s still uncertain whether Rome is the perfect city for my design, it currently serves as an excellent starting point.