Lori Goodman

There were plenty of times I wanted to give up, but I've got to say that my grandfather would be the one I attribute my success to. He came over - well, his parents came over from Italy just before he was born. I mean, we're talking immigrant family, all that jazz, and he had 3 jobs. My mom's family was always poor, whatever, but it was always hard work. And he always had a smile on his face, no matter how tired he was, and he was always joking. Everybody in our village still remembers my grandfather, even though he passed away in 1989. I mean, he just was somebody who left an impression on you, and I got him for 5 years. Every day I just hope I can amount to even a shred of what he was, and he just was an overall good man - hardworking, always believed in, you know, God-fearing and whatnot. He was a deacon of the church, you name it, just put everything he had into people. Having nothing also growing up, it just kind of transpired into people are the most important and priceless thing you have. It doesn't matter what you have, it doesn't matter how much you have, but if you're surrounded by good people, you're always rich.

The best career advice I've ever received is that no matter what rank you are, or where you are in the pecking order, always be humble. It just makes things so much more clear, especially if you're in one of those situations where you don't know really what you're dealing with and stuff like that. It's best just to be humble, don't overthink things, and honestly, you might not be the brightest light bulb in the room, so always look to whoever you have there. Teamwork has always been a very big asset to me.

First of all, I've got a wicked sense of humor, and you're going to need that. What I would say is, always keep your nose clean, but at the same time, thin skin isn't going to work. Know who you are. Know what it is you want, and at the end of the day, if those two things do not line up, you're in the wrong place. And no one will appreciate you more than you appreciate yourself. Always be your biggest cheerleader. That will get you through some of the hardest days. As funny as it got last week, I tell you what, I just sat there going, this is what I want to be in, and regardless of the stress that is coming at me, I can wake up and say, you know what? Today's another day, and I know I am where I'm supposed to be. And if that changes, I'm out.

The biggest challenge has to be undoing everything my predecessor either didn't do, or didn't quite do correctly. That's been super fun! And then the best thing is just knowing what we're aiming for. Like, we have a big picture, and knowing that my boss has such an immense vision, and it's all coming to fruition is the most awesome thing, and it's coming quickly. It's crazy how everything's just falling together. He's been working on this for almost 2 years, and we're just getting to that place now where we're like, yes, we are about to be pumping out the big venue events, you name it. Whereas we've had little ones and these little meet and greets and stuff like that to kind of reintroduce the Fontanelle. But, to be honest with you, just being a part of something that is gonna be so great, and the mission behind it, it's not just a place for you to come have your wedding. It's not just a place for you to come and gather. It's making this a part of your family, your tradition, making this a lasting thing. It's not just the today thing, and it's not just a next year thing. It's like, you're gonna become part of the Fontanelle family. And that's how we see it.

The most important values to me are definitely loyalty. I also think that definitely goes into the workplace, but transparency is important too. Those are two things I think are pretty important. And with loyalty comes integrity. I know people have their own definitions of integrity, but mine is just, no matter what, or if anybody's watching, just make sure you're doing the right thing, for the right reason.