My Creative Cup of Tea

August 26, 2024

#InPartnershipwithMCCOT

I Santi di Diso

Lecce

ITALY

Life is an unpredictable journey. You never really know if and when you'll find your own path, happiness and blossoming. Personal or professional. It could take more time than expected and planned. This is why the most important thing is to be able to enjoy every step of the way that will bring you to reach your goal. And, why not, let yourself be carried away by the waves. Making the most of every single experience, personal or professional, that made you grow. Allowing yourself to live and feel fully along the way. Vicenza-born-and-raised manager Laura Carli made this life philosophy hers. And it really worked for her. After former successful and fulfilling careers as the co-founder of a market-leading company operating in the architecture and interior design field and, then, as a skilled marketing and communication manager and PR for a Verona-based agency, a few years ago, by chance or more precisely by fate, Laura found her own path in the skincare industry. A new unexpected exciting adventure she jumped into with commitment and joy, joined from the beginning by her beloved husband Marco. An old passion of hers that she rediscovered in 2014 after the purchase of a plot of land with olive trees and a house, located in the wild and magic Apulian countryside of Salento, 50 kilometers away from Lecce. A little paradise on earth that literally changed her life. A special place, that quickly became her new second home-sweet-home, where she feels safe, reconnected with Mother Earth and embraced a slow and eco-conscious living. A beautiful and natural area with one-of-a-kind landscapes where she loves to walk and pick flowers, herbal essences and wild herbs as her mother did as she was a child in the Venetian countryside where she grew up. Spending time in Apulia woke up Laura's old flame for cosmetics. As a teenager, she remembers laughing, having the bold habits of visiting the perfume shops and asking for samples to test. In the footsteps of her mother, in her freetime, she then started enjoying the preparation of natural home-made soaps and hand creams. Mediterranean and slow food for the skin for herself, her family and friends. Her son- she is the mother of three- Matteo Grandi who is the Michelin-Starred Slow chef of the eponymous restaurant and partner of the Vicenza-based Garibaldi Bistrot, has also inherited her grandma's passion. A confirmation that this hobby could be definitively something more, soon and surprisingly arrived from Toronto where a girlfriend of hers, who works as a journalist in Milan, brought a gifted cream. Comforted by the positive Canadian feedbacks and deeply inspired by the journey of a passionate female founder that she had the opportunity to help launching her perfume collection when she worked in Verona, in 2017, Laura, together with her life and business partner, established her niche and eco-responsible 'Made in Apulia' skincare brand called 'I Santi di Diso'. A distinctive name which refers to local saints Filippo and Giacomo who are being paid tribute to through a unique religious celebration that happens every year in the small village of Diso. A special and emotional memory to Laura as the first time she attended. Supported by a female team of passionate women like her, she has embarked on this new bold entrepreneurial journey. Opening a small workshop and store located in Via Arenosa 49 in the center of Diso, not far away from the Adriatic Sea. Laura has proudly turned herself into a committed and passionate ecopreneur on a mission. A role model driven by a desire of sorority who put human beings first especially women. A founder who is aiming, in her own way, to become an advocate for women's empowerment by building a virtuous female community and network where everybody respects, values, supports and trusts each other. A safe place where each woman can put herself first, take care, and age naturally in the best way possible. Using, for example, on a daily basis a sustainable (packaging included), premium quality, effective and science-driven- all the formulas are developed in partnership with a Venetian expert laboratory mixing the best of wild Apulia can offer and the best scientific innovation can bring- and affordable, simple and pleasant beauty routine. Because, to Laura, pampering her clients matters. She made it one of her priorities. Insisting on the fact that clean beauty does not have to be a privilege of just some lucky ones. 'I Santi di Diso' was indeed born as a skincare brand ambassador of a slow, essential and clean Mediterranean beauty with a purpose, marketed at a fair price. More than a simple range of natural and gentle-for-the-skin products, the brand is indeed encouraging to embrace a positive and sustainable way of life, explore the concept of Well-being in our everyday life and be more respectful of ourselves and of Mother Earth. It is exactly how Laura intends to make a difference. Her difference. Spreading joy and wellness. Because every woman deserves it. Well done!