Episode 21: Embarrassing and Personal Things I Am Afraid to Admit: Matteo, My Partner, Asks Me Anything
What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to know about me? This episode might be your chance to find out the answer.
This episode is different from anything I’ve done on the podcast before. We’re getting up close and personal as my partner, Matteo, and I interview each other for this Valentine's Day special.
I'm answering questions about life, business, dreams, and more, and I’m so excited for you to get to know my partner, Matteo.
If you’ve ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes, hear my embarrassing stories, or just get to know me a little better, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
What my mornings look like
One thing I would change about my business
How I act when I’m having a bad day
What I don’t like about being my own boss
A funny story about working from home together
How my attitudes about my business have changed
My favorite client story
Something I do that annoys my partner
Things my partner is better at than me
Things that shocked my Italian partner when he came to America
The show that we binge-watch the most
My dream podcast guest
If you’d like to have Matteo back on the podcast for future episodes, let me know in your comments and reviews, and share any questions you have for us!
I would wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day, but we believe in celebrating love every day of the year, so love yourself, love everyone else, and remember that you are enough.
If you are looking for ways to get featured even before you’ve made any money, I invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR. You can register for FREE to watch it here: http://gloriachoupr.com/masterclass!
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Transcript
Speaker1: [00:00:00] Now, this episode is going to be different than any other episode because we get really personal, funny and sharing the tidbits of our lives. As me and my partner, Matteo, we interview each other on this podcast. So if you ever wanted to know all the funny stories, the behind the scene things and just to get to know me a little bit more, then this episode is for you. Hey, friends, I'm Gloria Chou, small business PR expert, award winning pitch writer and your unofficial hype woman. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people get the recognition they deserve. And that starts with feeling more confident to go bigger with your message, because let's be honest, we simply cannot make the impact. We're here to make, by hiding behind the scenes. So on this podcast, I will share with you the untraditional yet proven strategies for PR marketing and creating more opportunity in your business. If you are ready to take control of your narrative and be your most unapologetic and confident self, you're in the right place. This is the Small Business PR podcast. Hey, everyone, this is a really special episode because I wanted to do a special Valentine's Day episode with my one and only, my partner, Mateo, so I have him on the podcast with me asking me all sorts of questions. So if you're in for PR marketing tips, this episode is going to be very different. We're going to get personal. We're going to share some really funny stories, insider things. So buckle your seatbelts. Get ready. Welcome, Mateo.
Speaker2: [00:01:29] Hi. Hi, everyone.
Speaker1: [00:01:31] Why don't you give everyone a little intro about yourself?
Speaker2: [00:01:33] Sure. Well, my name is Mateo. As Gloria said, I've known this crazy person for what is it? Three and a half years now, a year after I moved to New York. I'm originally Italian, so before then I spend most of my life in Italy, and then I started, you know, traveling for work and for study. I got my MBA in Barcelona and then I was between Germany, UK and then I moved to the U.S. for Penguin Random House, which is the biggest trade publisher on the planet. And I do. I'm a VP of marketing there.
Speaker1: [00:02:05] Awesome. All right. So we're just going to dive into it. My God, I'm going to be so embarrassed after this episode. But OK, so my first question to you is, what is something we're that I do during my routine that most people would be shocked to know?
Speaker2: [00:02:18] Well, maybe, maybe you found a pattern in the time that lawyer schedules or meetings, which is usually, you know, 11 noon the earliest. And so she's definitely not a morning person. I got to say she's a night owl, so she she works till very late, but in the morning is impossible to get her off bed. And so for me, it's always like getting up earlier, walking the dog, putting a coffee, and then, you know, she shows up at 11:00 after then.
Speaker1: [00:02:49] Well, that's good. So like, you're welcome for giving you the morning free, right?
Speaker2: [00:02:53] Yeah, sure. Except then I have to leave the room every time she has a call.
Speaker1: [00:02:57] Ok, all right. So OK, you go next. You ask me another.
Speaker2: [00:03:00] Ok, so if you can change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Speaker1: [00:03:05] Oh, just one thing, OK? Obviously, there's so many things I want to change and improve on. I guess if there's one immediate thing I would love to change is just knowing like what the right team configuration is. I think it's so difficult, like as an entrepreneur, to build a team and knowing like who to hire next. And this has been the single most challenging thing for me because, you know, I made a lot of mistakes time, money, resources, and I still am figuring it out. And it's been a very humbling experience, knowing my weaknesses as a leader and just how much I still have to go in terms of stepping into that, that role of the leader that I know I'm capable of and I can see what I'm just not quite there yet. So that's one thing I would change is just like knowing how to be that leader and build that team that I know can allow me to do everything. I want my business. It's a good one. Ok, so my question for you is we share an office. Unfortunately, you're like, right there. I mean, it's New York. How do you know when I'm like not having a good day or it's just like time to leave me alone? Like, Is it something I do? Is it do I fidget? Or how can you tell?
Speaker2: [00:04:17] Well, you're definitely very focused. Gloria is like when she starts, it's impossible to distract her to the point that it's an inside thing. We have like, like, pull her away from her desk just to distract her. But because she's so focused, especially when she has a bad day, you can really, you cannot really like get her attention. So she's like, snappy and, you know, she talks back and it's just like, you know, she's not in the mood for any type of conversation outside of work. So I'm like, OK, I'm going to leave her alone and do my own thing. Whether it's cooking, walk into dog. And I'm like, OK, she she doesn't want to talk. She's she's having a day,
Speaker1: [00:04:53] Which is which is so like, not my thing because I'm such an extrovert. I talk all the time. So when I'm silent, you know, something's going on. Mm hmm. All right. Ok.
Speaker2: [00:05:02] You go ask, what's one part of being your own boss that makes you wish you worked for someone else? What don't you like about being your own boss?
Speaker1: [00:05:10] I have to pay for all my office supplies.
Speaker2: [00:05:14] And sometimes she asks me to supply something
Speaker1: [00:05:18] That's a surface level, you know, being a boss, being your own boss is nice and all. But man, like the problems don't go away just because your day ends, right? It's with you. It's it's on your mind 24/7. It's one thing I wish I could do is just turn my brain off. I'm always thinking about how I can improve my business, how I can serve my audience, what content I want to do. Who do I want to meet? And it's just it's really difficult. And this is a different way of living from when I was working in government.
Speaker2: [00:05:44] So fair enough.
Speaker1: [00:05:47] Ok, so I have it all. Yes. Ok, so my question to you is, what's the most surprising thing about you witnessing me building my business? Because, you know, obviously, like when we met, it was kind of just beginning like, you know, my community and everything I was doing consulting. But what's really surprised you about kind of building the business during the pandemic?
Speaker2: [00:06:08] Well, it's a story that I tell everyone, you know, who maybe meet you for the first time and ask me what you do. And I've been really. I've been remarkably surprised positively in a positive way by how you build your business over the pandemic, how you pivot it because all the times we started living in and, you know, very resilient a very, you know, I mean, you've always had that in you, but it was definitely it definitely came out during the pandemic because you you had to adapt through the times and you were like, you know, we were living in the same place sharing the desk and just like seeing you building and growing and getting more clients and always, that's maybe the most surprising thing. Like you always trying to figure out what was the next thing, how to improve yourself, always like, you know, trying to evolve and not being stuck. This is my offering. This is my product. I'm going to get clients that say, you're always like trying to get to the next thing. And I think that's not only surprising, but as I said, also remarkable. So I'm very impressed. Thank you, honey.
Speaker1: [00:07:10] It's exhausting.
Speaker2: [00:07:11] Sometimes I didn't choose it for you.
Speaker1: [00:07:14] So, OK, so your turn to ask.
Speaker2: [00:07:16] Yes, that's a good one. What is the what is the funniest story about working at home together?
Speaker1: [00:07:23] Oh, OK, so one time I was on my coaching call, I'm in a business mastermind with other online businesses, and we have these calls only twice a month with everyone, with the coach, with everyone in the program is the only time I see them and we share an office and there's also a closet in this in this office. And so while I was on the call, Mateo comes home, he starts changing. He starts taking off his pants, getting into sweatpants, and everybody on the call is like, Oh my god, Gloria’s partner is literally changing. Is he going to get naked? Like, what's going on? And I just turn around and he's like, in his boxers, just walking around, I'm like, Dude, what the hell? It was, It was funny. But that's yeah, that's that's what happened when we share a space.
Speaker2: [00:08:08] So. And when you date an Italian,
Speaker1: [00:08:10] Yeah, basically a nudist. Ok. My question is, how do you think my attitudes about my business change like this year as opposed to maybe last year, it was kind of just getting started?
Speaker2: [00:08:23] Well, I think it goes back to what you said earlier. You know, like you literally went from being a one person team on your own building everything with with its like pros and cons like you're you're in full control of what you can do. You can do at the same time. So you get to a point where if you want to scale and grow your business, you need some help. You can do it all and you're very good at some things and less good at others. Not just to glory like everyone. Yeah. And so I really saw you from being like one person team and building your business by yourself to needing that help. And like again, to your earlier point, like how to build a team, lead a team motivated team and everyone being aligned to, you know, like work towards the same goal. So that is definitely like a step that everybody, every entrepreneur, I bet, goes through. And it's definitely a defining moment. And you're doing, you're doing it great. So, you know, you're basically less focused on, you know, creating and selling the business and more like having the support you need to bring it to the next level.
Speaker1: [00:09:28] I just wish I knew exactly what to do next.
Speaker2: [00:09:32] Yeah, who does? I mean, you can like, learn and listen and read as much as you want. But at the end of the day, everyone is different and you have to like, lean in and what you what your best at and also let go of like the things that you can't. You're going to be perfect. So yeah. Is it my turn? Yes. So what is your favorite client story?
Speaker1: [00:09:51] Oh my god, I have so many amazing people in the PR Starter Pack, especially amazing female founders. But if I if I had to pick one that is really inspiring is, you know, this this woman, Liana, she is a cancer survivor, and she was like watching all my free content and following me for like a year. And she just she couldn't commit to joining my program. And so she was, you know, doing all the work. And then she finally after like a year, jumped in and immediately she was able to get herself into like the top retailers she got on to podcast. And when I did a Facebook Live with her, she's like, You know, I really don't know why I waited for so long because like, I have so much experience and story to share that I can't believe I waited this long. And it's not so much about the media features for her, but it's about her feeling truly confident to share her story in a way that can inspire other people using her voice. And I could even tell from even before and after her like getting on podcasts and magazines like how her tone of voice was different, how she was more vocal, how she was more confident. So just seeing that actual physical change is just something that lights me up like every day when I think about it. So my question is, what is something that I do? That's super annoying
Speaker2: [00:11:12] As we live together, as a couple? Well, you all going to know that Gloria is very OCD in some aspects, not all of them, but she cannot tolerate like, I guess, dirt. It's not that I tolerate dirt, obviously, but you know, it's a constant vacuuming every single day.
Speaker1: [00:11:31] Our dog sheds like she does.
Speaker2: [00:11:33] She does, to be fair. But like, for example, the trash bins, they have to be empty even if they're half full, right? Like, throw this, throw that, then I'm like, Why do you need to like, do that now? She she has this like or when we get delivery from Amazon, like she needs to throw out the boxes immediately. I mean, of course, they're in the way, but the next time you go out, you can throw them away immediately. So they have to go out doesn't want anything in that is extra. That doesn't belong in the space, in the house, in the apartment for any longer.
Speaker1: [00:12:05] I hate packaging. Ok, right. So my question is, what is something you're way better than me at?
Speaker2: [00:12:12] Wait, so another question from you straight away? Yeah, OK, I'm just going to like, you know, go by what I do like in the house I. No way better, cook. So I'm the cook at home, we have a great division of labor, so cooking is on my end and I generally enjoy it. The other day, I cook the most amazing Chinese eggplants that you know, never done before, so approved by a Chinese native. What else are you? Take care of our dog? So now he loves me a lot more than she loves you. I'm a much better listener. You know, I tend to focus my attention on whatever the other person is saying versus her, like being added. Exactly. Precisely ADD, but she's a lot better than me in many other aspects. For example, being an entrepreneur and being like a successful business owner. So, you know, as I said earlier, like, you can't have it all, you're not perfect and we're very balanced. So that's the best part about your question. So what are videos on social media that you're obsessed watching that I have nothing to do with PR or female founders, so nothing to do with your business.
Speaker1: [00:13:18] Ok, so I'm obsessed with watching like terrible cooking videos where people just butch Italian food because I just love his reaction, like swearing in Italian. When people, there's this woman who basically puts raw pasta from the box, like into a container, and she puts like salts and whole garlic, clorox aura. And she's just like sprinkles it on and layers it and then and then puts it in the oven. And that's that's how she cooks her food. And it's so vile, especially for someone who, like, is with an Italian that I just love. I just love watching videos of Americans just like messing up Italian food and then showing it to him and and just getting him pissed off right away. And just his reactions are just so funny.
Speaker2: [00:14:02] Also, because like, there's a way to cook stuff like when I cook the Chinese eggplants, I went on different website websites I found like the original Chinese. I mean, allegedly, but at least it was like it. Look legit. I'm not going to improvise and try to do like garlic Chinese eggplants with my recipe, so I don't understand why people butcher the Italian.
Speaker1: [00:14:23] Ok, I have another question is what was one thing about America that shocked you when when you moved here?
Speaker2: [00:14:29] Well, I mean, it's still a shock to me, but I can go on for a long time. I guess the health care system, it's something that keeps boggling my mind. I posted this quote the other day on Twitter. I have to pull it up like I can remember off the top of my head. But, you know, being like a leading nation in this world and having such a such a system that is geared towards profit and it doesn't take care of its citizens, like as a as a human right, I mean, I come from from Europe, which is like way more. There's a much better welfare, but I think there are there are needs like basic needs that you cannot not provide to your citizens. Health care is one. Education is another one. And so navigating and luckily, you know, I'm healthy, but navigating American healthcare is really something that, you know, traumatized me and still does. So, yeah, OK.
Speaker1: [00:15:22] But what did you say when you first went to Walmart for the first time?
Speaker2: [00:15:26] Oh, yeah, that's another thing. I mean, we can have another long conversation about gun rights, but I was shocked to see that there was a section of the store dedicated to guns. And you know, you could there was a line and you could, you know, you could like, buy them, I mean, I guess without any permit. So. The other thing about Walmart was the size of things, the sheer size of like the products that you could buy,
Speaker1: [00:15:51] Like the thirty jars
Speaker2: [00:15:52] Of mayonnaise. Yeah, I'm like, Why do you need 30 jars of mayonnaise? And you're like, You're eating? This says a lot about the eating habits of this country, but
Speaker1: [00:16:01] Maybe things just last longer. So if you buy 30, you're set for the whole year, baby.
Speaker2: [00:16:05] Sure. But that tells a lot about what's inside of them. I mean, that's true, too. That's true. Always remember you're like, You are what you eat.
Speaker1: [00:16:13] So, OK, so now I'm going to ask you, what is our favorite show that we've been binge watching throughout the pandemic?
Speaker2: [00:16:19] Another question for me, then straight away. Ok, I'm happy to answer.
Speaker1: [00:16:23] Oh, you're so sad. Sorry, C eight, I'm ADD. This was your
Speaker2: [00:16:28] Question. Ok, see? I mean, we kind of. It's a double question. Well, it's a question for both. So what is the show that we binge watch and love the most during the pandemic and we still do? Is it that one? Is it the one that I'm thinking to do?
Speaker1: [00:16:42] Wait, wait, wait. Doo doo doo doo doo.
Speaker2: [00:16:45] I bought her this at some point. So if you haven't guessed already. It's the office. Ok, maybe people don't know.
Speaker1: [00:17:02] We love the office. And lately we've been binge watching on succession. We love succession.
Speaker2: [00:17:07] Yeah, it's a really good show. I mean, we we had to binge watch it, binge watch it because we got COVID over. Can I say this over over the Christmas break? So we're like stuck at home in quarantine. You know, it's something that I've been wanting to watch. She watched the first season, but she was happy to watch it again and we plowed through.
Speaker1: [00:17:24] Yeah, I think it's your right now, for sure.
Speaker2: [00:17:28] So what is your if you if you could have any podcast host or guest, who would you have Oprah?
Speaker1: [00:17:35] Duh.
Speaker2: [00:17:36] Ok, why elaborate?
Speaker1: [00:17:38] Oh my God, I just I haven't followed her for so long. I love her podcast. She's just her energy. She's just the OG. And oh my god, I would. I would just love to be in a room with her and actually just worked with a client. I wrote. I did a press release for her. She's a textile artist and her art was hanging in Oprah's house, and she was invited to the Oprah experience. And I was like. You hugged her, so I'm like just one association away from meeting her, you know, just one
Speaker2: [00:18:06] One level of one degree of separation.
Speaker1: [00:18:09] Ok, I'll ask you another question what is something? I spent way too much money on that. You're just like, Why?
Speaker2: [00:18:15] What is it? Oh, definitely skin skin products, skin care products that she's trying to like bring me into as well. But but but I'm becoming like, diligent and good at that, but it took her a while. What else she loves? She has a favorite store. I mean, she hasn't bought stuff there for a while, but i€. As soon as she sees the store of i€, she goes in and she does not come out of the store empty handed and coconut water. I mean, what is the brand that you love?
Speaker1: [00:18:44] Harmless harvest.
Speaker2: [00:18:45] I mean, it's delicious expensive, but our fridge is always full of coconut water. Yeah.
Speaker1: [00:18:49] So hey, you you. I don't drink and you guys spend like nineteen dollars on a cocktail. So what's $11?
Speaker2: [00:18:55] Fair enough. Fair enough. Not all right. But am I right? Yeah. Ok, what's the answer?
Speaker1: [00:19:01] So we're getting to the end of this episode. I just want to do like a real quickie casual one. So I hope I really hope this one was entertaining for you. If you would like to have Mateo back on the show. Please comment, rate review and subscribe. Yeah. And let me know if you enjoy this episode and what other questions we should ask, is there another question that you want to ask me and put me on the spot on while we have this episode going?
Speaker2: [00:19:25] Yes. Can it be business related or it has to be? Sure. So if there's one, if there's one thing that you could choose to achieve this year with your business, whether it's, you know, economic or financial, or whether it's like a specific industry or like a specific client or yeah, sector that you haven't explored or even just like, you know, to your point of like growing the team, getting to a place of, you know. Yeah. Of of of like, you know that that, you know, you can move on that, you know, sky's the limit. Like, there's nothing that can prevent you from getting there. Well, on the magic wand, what can you what would you pick?
Speaker1: [00:20:09] Oh, my magic one would be getting all of the people on my Facebook and PR certified community onto any speaking panel stage that they want, because I really think now that, you know, like we're getting back into real life, you know, I think we really miss the in-person kind of events I know I do. And I think being able to help them feel like they can pitch themselves and get on to those panels, something I'm doing for myself as well. That would just make me so happy because it's there's nothing like that in-person connection, you know?
Speaker2: [00:20:40] And I'm sure you can do it, I mean, this one is able to put people on the most amazing outlets without them even having a business, so I'm sure it's definitely doable, attainable for you. And it's a good goal. I like it.
Speaker1: [00:20:56] What is your goal this year for yourself?
Speaker2: [00:20:59] It's a year of change for me. I mean, we started, we started with a few housekeeping. What do you call it like, you know, logistic health practices like she can I say it? Yeah, she had a big surgery that, you know, I was really happy. We were really happy to get it done with. I had a couple of surgeries myself. I just got my Lasik eye surgery i.e. I need. I've been, I've been. I've been complacent on a bunch of different areas in my life for too long and my, for example, my my, my work permit, my visa is coming up. So I need to figure out a way to live in this country. But I have her, you know, we're getting married in case, like, nobody knew, but we've been engaged for a long time, so
Speaker1: [00:21:42] I better behave.
Speaker2: [00:21:45] It's no news, so I feel it's it's a year of change and I want to explore areas that whether it's business or music, for example, that I haven't been able to explore or I haven't put enough effort behind to explore enough in the past. So, yeah, a lot of new stuff this year
Speaker1: [00:22:02] You're being humble. Mateo is also a self-taught DJ, and he bought a DJ set for his birthday.
Speaker2: [00:22:08] Well, self-taught. I mean, I have friends who taught me do. So, for example, tonight is the night because it's like cold and snowing to practice.
Speaker1: [00:22:16] Yeah, it's a storm. Literally everything shut down. So he's going to start, start playing music, and it's really strange. But I find that electronic music is actually conducive to focusing OK, which is so weird to so many people.
Speaker2: [00:22:30] I brought her into that. She was jokes that, like before meeting me, it was a completely different genre. She was listening to
Speaker1: [00:22:39] One hundred percent.
Speaker2: [00:22:39] But now what? But now she can't. She can't avoid it, and she loves it. Hey, listen, I've been I've been going down rabbit hole music, rabbit holes all my life, and this is the one that I'm going through now.
Speaker1: [00:22:53] So you introduce me to like the techno house electronic and I introduce you to like classic soul like R&B.
Speaker2: [00:22:59] Today we were listening to like soulful music for the most part, and it was beautiful. Yeah, you always have to learn from each other. There you go.
Speaker1: [00:23:06] Now, on that note, happy Valentine's Day. I hope we have all day.
Speaker2: [00:23:12] Sorry, we're not.
Speaker1: [00:23:13] Very. Yeah, we actually have a Valentine's Day where we're like, we will not do anything on Valentine's Day. We will not give each other a gift on Valentine's Day or subscribe to society's forcing us to buy into the capitalistic ways. But because you
Speaker2: [00:23:25] Also have to celebrate love every single day of the year, not just one day.
Speaker1: [00:23:30] True. So on that note, love yourself. Love everyone else you remember you are enough.
Speaker2: [00:23:35] I love meeting everyone. Bye!.
Speaker1: [00:23:42] Hey, my friends, thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of the Small Business PR podcast. Now if you are ready for this year to be the year that you land, press and stop hiding behind the scenes, I want you to join our Facebook group, the number one place for small businesses looking to go from unknown to being seen, heard and valued. This is a special one of a kind space for small but mighty business owners at every stage of their PR journey, and you can come join us at www.getfeaturednow.com you might meet a podcast host, you might be able to get on to a podcast, meet a business bestie and you'll be able to see me where I go live in it every single Friday. I cannot wait to
[00:24:20] Meet you in the group and I look forward to you joining us.