Meet Massimiliano Rivetta

We were lucky to catch up with Massimiliano Rivetta recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Massimiliano with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Simply put, my family. Both my grandfather on my mother and fathers side were business owners, early mornings and late nights. My father moved to America at a young age and built a company from the bottom up. My uncle on my mothers side took over my grandfathers company when the time came. Throughout my life I’ve always been told that hard work pays off. And no one can take from you what you’ve built and earned on your own.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

If you asked me this question when i was young i probably would have answered with something along the lines of “i don’t want to be a business owner” but life has a way of bringing things into your lap. My father founded a high end stone fabrication company roughly 25 years ago. 10 years ago i found myself in between jobs and he needed and hand. Fast forward to today and my father has stepped and i along side my partner are holding the reigns. You hear a lot of stories about fathers sons that take over business, but i can promise you mine is different (we’re Italian, if you get it you get it). Over the years of working with the company i have had to work my way up the ladder from sweeping floors all the way to where i am now. It has been a long and difficult journey but the reward has been gratifying. My favorite aspect of both this part of my carrier and the other is communicating with people and helping them achieve there goals. I find a great sense of gratification in problem solving. Seeing a client happy is the best reward.

The new part of my carrier is my passion. Fly fishing and fly tying specially. I have been fishing my entire life, and at every stage of my life i have vivid memories of a fishing pole in my hands. About two years ago i started tying flies and feel deep into the rabbit hole. This year i got the opportunity yo meet John Hunt from Moccasin Fly Club. who not only has become a close friend but a mentor to me in this business. With his help, i have opened a small business named Predator Prey Flies. This has given me the opportunity to not only tie and sell flies to a handful of anglers who share a similar passion for fishing as i do but also become a host for fishing trips. This new chapter of my carrier has been amazing thus far. Being able to turn a passion into something bigger is a opportunity that i hope everyone gets to experiecnce.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Learning how to be level headed. My father business partner once told me that having the skill of being able to “Act on things rather than Reacting to things” will get you far. I didn’t understand it at first but through my own trials and tribulations i now fully understand it.

Your word is worth more than money. This ties in with honesty. If you say you will do something for a client, do it. Doesn’t matter how, once you give someone your word you must hold up to it. Because the one time you don’t might be the last time you’re called upon. I’ve learned that saying “no” to something will get a better result than saying “yes” and not being able to follow though

Fear. This is a hard one and im not sure it applies to everyone but it definitely applied to me. Fear is not always a bad thing. It can be a motivator, it can be what gets you up when you’re down and it can be the weight that tips the scale of moving forward or being held back. Be fearful of letting yourself down, because at the end of the day when all the smoke settles its you and yourself. The only person you can hold liable for you actions is yourself. Know your worth, know what you’re capable of. And don’t let yourself down.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I think you should go all in with what you are best at. I truly believe that in that process you will find was to turn your skill set over into your decencies. If you are a screw driver, you can not do the job of a hammer, it’s simple. So you should be the best screwdriver you can. This is especially important when running a business. Hire employees you can rely on and allow them to assist you where you can not assist yourself. And when hiring, try to get the most out of the tools you have at hand. If you hire a screwdriver don’t get mad because it’s not a hammer. Swap the nails our fore screws and let that screw driver do what it does best.