Meet Fabrizio Cali

We were lucky to catch up with Fabrizio Cali recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Fabrizio, so happy to have you on the platform with us today and excited to chat about your lessons and insights. Our ability to make good decisions can massively impact our lives, careers and relationships and so it would be very helpful to hear about how you built your decision-making skills.

There is surely an innate component but I learned that order brings logic. So I use simple tools that sometime are visual to organize the logic of the decision. Then I weight pro and cons of the possible results and then after the final decision, I also consider what is more close as option to how I am. Taking a decision is easy, but make that decision effective is harder. You can do only if that decision fits your profile otherwise it is very hard to follow the consequences of any decision. No decision has no impact on others and if other see you as not sure about that decision, that decision will be wrong anyway.
An other important element is not be afraid to be wrong. You take a decision and see the effects of that decision. If that decision is wrong, don’t be afraid to go back and change course of action.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I born and raised in Italy. Born in Palermo, Sicily but lived most of my life in Milan, Italy. I had two passions when I was younger: food and videogames. I actually started in the food industry in Italy when I was young but then I changed my path in online videogames where I built together with some friends the largest online video game publishers in Italy, Then 15 years ago an opportunity came to be relocated in US because our company has been acquired by a US company. I accepted immediately because I had this secret dream to try to live in US. When I reached 55 years old I decided it was time to change path and live my other passion: food. A passion I never stop to follow at home. So I created Gelato and Grocery Dolce Vita in Mesa, Arizona. The place offers a truly Italian experience, it differs a lot from what many americans think about Italian food because it is actually very close to how we eat in Italy. We offer Gelato, Deli, Grocery and a little restaurant. This year, 2025, we also made a big step further: in 2026 we will open our first second location in Tempe, Arizona after 15 years of the Mesa location!
We always say to our customers: when you step in, you are not entering in a store but in a small piece of Italian land inside the US. We don’t ask you the passport only because we are kind but this is Italy!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I believe the most important thing is to believe in what you are doing and have a clear idea of what you are offering. Don’t compromise ever! If what you are doing is wrong or the market doesn’t accept it, change your path or give up to that idea creating another one but don’t compromise your passions and your dreams making something hybrid that maybe that work a little better but you don’t believe in it.
Making authentic Italian food is a challenge compared to making “Italian” food that most american are used to. But my passion is to make people aware of what is the real Italian food. So although at the beginning was harder, I did not give up and at the same time I did not compromise or adapt my passion, and I am extremely happy of the final results.
If you work for money, do anything you want. But if you want to have success, work for passion, money is the consequence and not the goal. That is my advice for everyone that want to have success

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Definitely work ethic and generosity, My father that unfortunately passed away too early was a very generous man but at the same time had a terrific work ethic, I tried to follow his steps. My mother was the kindest person you could think about. I missed them both but I have a lot in me that actually belong to them

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dolcevitagroupaz.com

Image Credits

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