Good Talks

Craig Stanghetta, a late bloomer, found his calling spearheading top interior design firm, Ste Marie, where he worked his way from designing a friend's loft to creating some of Vancouver's Michelin Star restaurants like Kissa Tanto and St.Lawrence

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Episode notes

#38: In this episode, Cam dives into the extraordinary life of Craig Stanghetta, a visionary entrepreneur raised in the breathtaking landscapes of Sault Ste. Marie. From experiencing the city’s rich Italian culture to finding his passion in the arts community, Craig's upbringing played a pivotal role in creating some of the world's most beautiful places, such as Kissa Tanto, St. Lawrence, Ask For Luigi, Jaybird, and Gilmore Place. Discover how Craig weaves unique narratives into his ventures, the essence of Ste Marie's success, and why embracing fear is key to achieving greatness. We also explore his approach to business development, navigating challenges during COVID, and his unique philosophy of incorporating all aspects of life into his ventures.

• 00:00:13 Start Time

• 00:04:02 Small talk growing up in Kelowna Cam

• 00:04:25 Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie

• 00:06:44 Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie and how it’s translated to creating the most beautiful places in the world

• 00:07:45 Experiencing the rich Italian culture in Sault Ste. Marie

• 00:09:28 Sports available in the city

• 00:09:47 Getting into the small arts community within the city

• 00:11:11 Friend group from the Sault Ste. Marie

• 00:12:30 Kelowna culture vs Sault Ste. Marie when growing up

• 00:14:27 Picking up where you left off with old friends

• 00:15:23 Being a late bloom can help you reinvent yourself

• 00:15:41 Idiocracy

• 00:16:41 Coming to Vancouver

• 00:17:57 Early on, career crisis within his acting career

• 00:19:22 How Vancouver gave him the guts to open a new business

• 00:20:32 First design gig in Vancouver

• 00:20:46 Chambar to loft creations to Bao Bai, Meat & Bread, Ask for Luigi

• 00:26:19 Building off of a lens of the narrative, the story, and the dream

• 00:26:42 How do you decide on a story

• 00:28:41 Building memories into a restaurant, with the example of Pepinos

• 00:32:51 Savior Volpe, pepinos, Etc.

• 00:34:12 Working with Earls by unchaining the chain

• 00:35:06 Unstilling a brands persona

• 00:36:44 Working in the States, Laurel

• 00:37:33 Started in restaurants and now quite active in the real estate and hospitality space

• 00:38:50 Connecting with people is needed more now than ever before

• 00:41:25 Boring blows

• 00:42:07 Don't bend the narrative. Get down to what you can actualize

• 00:43:30 The Hedgehog Concept

• 00:44:50 The good, the bad, and finding an equal measure

• 00:45:45 Where most restaurants fail

• 00:47:24 Being distilled and purposeful in all that you do

• 00:47:55 Ste Marie focuses on the inside out

• 00:50:38 Ste Marie staff and offices

• 00:52:36 The reason why Ste Marie has been so successful in scaling up

• 00:54:30 Why you should focus on your superpower vs working on your weaknesses

• 00:55:29 Why having fear within a first business move is the key to success

• 00:57:56 Business Development

• 00:59:28 Working with businesses in COVID

• 01:00:09 Focusing on the brand and gaining inbound leads

• 01:00:24 Ste Maries differentiators

• 01:01:58 Engineering livability and experiences within rental and retail

• 01:04:51 Toronto projects

• 01:06:53 Why Toronto?

• 01:09:50 Toronto talent pool

• 01:10:33 Hiring abroad

• 01:11:28 Workplace structure

• 01:15:43 191 Alexander opportunities

• 01:19:12 Incorporating all aspects of life into one

• 01:22:46 End Time