Interview With The Communication and Marketing Head of Lab39, Giulia Francesca Primo

Giulia Francesca Primo is an experienced professional who has worked for International as well as Governmental organizations. She has studied in United States, England and Italy. She also possesses volunteering experience in Kenya and Croatia and has also lived in Turkey and Georgia.

She co-founded “Our Common Thread” which won the ENACTUS Italy national competition held in Silicon Valley in 2018, and is currently serving as a Communication and Marketing Head at Lab39 and BLI, located in Italy. Furthermore, Giulia is also a founder of Uthope, a social enterprise developing an innovative textile in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan, one of the best universities in Europe.

Her experience and dedication in what she does motivated us to get her on board with Hostnoc to share how she manages to stay so active between different cultures and her management in cross culture work environments.

Hostnoc: It must have been really tough for you to get to where you are, What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role?

Giulia: I am not even halfway to where I’d like to be, I have just started. I think a great quality is being able to act and learn how not to over-think. Being a perfectionist is a big obstacle as well. At the end of the day, having tried to do something is better than having done nothing. At the same time, it’s also key to learn how to be patient and how to trust your guts.

Hostnoc: You have several years of experience in the professional field. What will you suggest to people working in the marketing community?

Giulia: To communicate clearly before thinking of making good conversions. I work everyday with people who are super good at converting leads, but at the end of the day, they cannot talk to people. They cannot have a good conversation with a human cause they have become like robots. Magic happens when people meet. If you want to distinguish yourself and have great ideas, learn how to be a human.

Hostnoc: We know for a female, it is very tough to maintain work-life balance, how do you manage your day to day activities ?

Giulia: I wake up earlier than anybody I know (around 5 in the morning), meditate, and organize my daily schedule and routine. I try to keep myself motivated, I visualize my objectives, and start to work hard to make them happen.

Hostnoc: We know that you Co Founded a cause called “Our Common Thread” which also won ENACTUS, tell us something about that.

Giulia: Our Common Thread is a social enterprise project which has just been officially launched.  The project favors work inclusion, cultural integration, and sustainability through the refurbishment of throw-away clothes. We refurbish clothes and, use the profits from reselling them to hire and train disadvantaged people.

Hostnoc: You are currently serving at LAB39, how do you find the working environment there, and what projects are you working on currently ?

Giulia: Lab39 is an agency born out of good times ashes. We are a team of experienced professionals, providing a wide range of services to those interested in high-quality contents. I love working for any project at Lab39, as we get to see very different realities, from private chefs to very big enterprises! At BLI, probably the best project I was working at was setting a business world record.

Hostnoc: You have ample experience working in a number of organizations, and have lived in different parts of the world. Tell our readers what is your key to having a successful cross-cultural management skill?

Giulia: Leave any kind of judgment behind. There’s so much you can learn from others. ‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone’ is so mainstream, but true. And this is true above all if you focus on loving people no matter where they are from and what they believe in. If you still feel the magic when approaching differences, and understand being different from someone, consider it a strength rather than an obstacle.

Hostnoc: Being in the Marketing industry, the road towards getting your brand success consists of ups and downs, so share with us that one project that you enjoyed working on the most?

Giulia: I loved to help in the launch of Uyolo, the first social network for human rights and the Environment. There, I launched a global ambassador program, a brand new way of volunteering online. It was acquisition marketing but for a good cause, which is the way I like to work.

Hostnoc: Every human is inspiring another human, everyone has inspirations, who influence you to be a part of this marketing community ?

Giulia: I honestly don’t know. I ended up working in the marketing sector but I come from a completely different path. If I’d say who inspired me, it would probably be people who have fought for their civil rights and for the love and freedom for humanity, such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Jesus Christ as well. The guy who has inspired me the most for my professional development does not even know, most probably. His name is Andrea Giuliodori and has a blog called ‘Efficacemente’. He’s a life mentor, not really a business mentor, but what he suggests in his blog (books, strategies, tools) has impacted and changed my life for the better.

Hostnoc: Digital marketing is a core of any business that leads to success, so a website plays an important part for business to showcase the services they are offering. Similarly, Hostnoc is providing web hosting services, so how do you think Hostnoc can play a better role in the industry.

Giulia: I think Hostnoc is a great option already in the web hosting services. Nowadays, a website is key for any kind of industry and sector, and a provider such as Hostnoc makes it easier to succeed. If I was Hostnoc’s CEO,  I’d like to investigate on how to offer more sustainable/ ‘green’ solutions. I figure social impact and honest marketing to be key for the years to come, even in the web industry.