INTERVIEW WITH GIADA MIELI

GIADA MIELI, THE ETHICAL ENTREPRENEUR OUT OF THE BOX

A TALK WITH GIADA ABOUT THE BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES OF SERICIN AND HIS COMPANY, J.AND.C. COSMETICS, A TRUE MADE IN ITALY EXCELLENCE.

A few years ago he decided to bet and create a cosmetic line based on sericin, silk powder, a very precious substance.

Today, after so many efforts, she is at the head of a totally made in Italy company and is increasingly convinced of what she does but above all of how she does it.

Giada defines herself as “completely upside down” and is someone who never gives up, which is why, when we met her some time ago at ComOn in Como, while she was playing the drums of her band Stomp (Percussioni Industriali), she didn’t leave us indifferent.
She’s a tough, stubborn and sincere girl, capable of going against everything and everyone when she sets her mind to something.

Who is Giada Mieli?
I’m a risk-taker: despite having the opportunity to work in the family business (the historic Como-based silk company, Tintoria Pecco e Malinverno, ed.), I decided to do something completely different. I graduated in public relations with the goal of working in communications and advertising: I said to myself, “I’ll do something of my own, to see what I’m capable of.”
It went pretty badly: I ended up in an agency in Milan that didn’t offer me anything ethical, which was exactly what I was looking for. After just two months, I quit, and spent the next month wandering around Milan trying to figure out what to do. I finally realized what I absolutely didn’t want: being stuck in an office.
I’m a person who’s constantly challenged by “something”: being a woman in a male-dominated workplace—like the cosmetics industry—isn’t easy. They follow the money rather than the idea; they don’t have the sensitivity needed to engage people.
My company is like me: it follows an ideal and doesn’t think about profit; on the contrary, it always reinvests in new things. Ethics are fundamental to me: if something isn’t ethical, I don’t do it.

I’m very sensitive, I always listen to those in front of me, and I have a strong empathy. I often coach people who ask me for advice. And I’m very cheerful: difficulties knock me down, too, but I always have the strength to get up with a smile and keep going.

Worst flaw?
I’m incredibly meticulous and precise in everything I do. If I see a crooked painting during dinner, you can be sure that at the end of the evening, before I leave, I’ll stop to straighten it out.

What qualities do you look for in others?
Honesty, for me, is nothing more important, and it’s essential in a community. Honesty allows you to understand the person you’re talking to, and if you listen to different ideas, you can always learn.

Sericin: a “magical” protein used to make soaps, shampoos, and creams. What is this incredible substance enclosed in a silk thread?
Silk is a natural fiber produced by silkworms and is composed of two strands of a protein called fibroin, the classic silk thread we all know, and another protein, sericin. The latter is one of the most complete and complex proteins: it is composed of 22 amino acids and solidifies upon contact with air.

How did the story of J.AND.C. COSMETICS begin?
After that month spent wandering around Milan trying to figure out what to do with my life, my father called me one day and said, “We’ve invented something new. Would you like to come see it?”
When I arrived, I found myself faced with a very fine white powder: it was silk powder, or rather its “waste,” sericin. I picked it up and tested it on my hand to understand how to use it. I discovered that it was used in very small quantities in some cosmetic products for marketing purposes, simply to write the word “silk” on the packaging.
So I thought I’d do an experiment: make a soap to give to friends, and when the soap factory asked me what percentage of sericin I wanted, I said 3%: we are three siblings, and it seemed like the right number.
That’s where it all started. I didn’t ask my family for help, even though I have a wonderful bond with them; I self-financed and created my startup. I was able to count on the help of my brother Andrea and my sister Cristina, and today I take care of everything myself.
Despite the bank often advising me to close because I was in the red, and telling me I’d never make it, I persevered, with the longest-running startup in history, but in the end, I made it.
Today, I have 19 products, I’m enjoying considerable success thanks in part to word of mouth, and I’m increasingly moving toward the world of luxury for a select few.
It was a challenge, I overcame it, and time has proven me right.

Is there a secret recipe behind all this: do you and Cristina travel on separate planes like the ones who keep the secret of Coca-Cola? 🙂
No, no! (laughs)
In fact, in June we’ll be traveling together on the same plane, since Dad knows the formula, along with a few other people, in a segmented way.
But this “secret formula” thing and the way we communicate it captures the collective imagination and plays in our favor. It creates the “wow” effect, which is crucial when communicating a product.
A Japanese university analyzed your sericin, “sericin M,” establishing its ability to regenerate skin tissue by 250% in 72 hours. How does this affect the control of the raw materials?
The controls are very strict, and I own the entire production chain.
My uncle has the company in China where he lives; there he uses machinery that makes the product unique. He personally selects the silkworms, and when the best silk arrives, he lets me know. I alert the dry cleaners, we prepare the machines, and we process it.
The characteristic that emerged after the analysis by the Japanese university was astonishing: the protein in my sericin is whole, unlike others, which are all broken down, and it regenerates the skin in 72 hours. It’s excellent for those who suffer from eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis, and it’s effective on burns. It’s pure and completely hypoallergenic. Plus, the name they gave it, “sericin M,” is perfect for the “m,” which is the initial of my last name!
Today I have several competitors, but none of them have sericin as intact as mine.

What does it mean to represent 100% Italian excellence, and what responsibility does it entail in your opinion?
If you don’t do anything foolish and work hard, you’ll be rewarded in the long run.
I aim to build customer loyalty by inviting them to my company to show them the world behind it.
I’m very patriotic. Everything I buy is made in Italy, and the same goes for what I sell. I could pay very little for the packaging of my products if I bought them in China, but I prefer to pay more and source them in Italy, aiming for eco-friendliness if possible. These are choices; I find them inspiring and they set me apart from others.

Which feature of Eastern culture is closest to your way of life or thinking, and which is furthest from it?
My uncle is Japanese and lives in China, so I know both worlds well. I feel very close to Chinese culture because they’re hardworking, tireless, and meticulous. They work twice as hard as us, but it’s completely natural.
The Japanese are more “upscale,” and in many ways, like patriotism, they’re similar. Furthermore, if they don’t feel useful to their society, they tend to marginalize themselves so as not to be a burden to anyone and to try to motivate others to react in some way. This is a way of doing things I fully agree with.

The biggest achievement so far?
Definitely not the cheap kind! So many people have thanked me for my products and my work, and that’s the greatest satisfaction for me. Above all, it means I was right not to give up when everyone told me I couldn’t do it.

What is the company’s main goal for the next few years?
I’m creating four exclusive products that will be part of a truly expensive Limited Edition box set, with extremely high percentages of intact sericin. I plan to produce only 3,000 pieces and deliver them directly to the end customer, to pamper them a little. This will allow me to travel, which is a great passion of mine, but also, and above all, to bring “something of mine” to those who purchase it.

When Giada isn’t working, what does she like to do?
I’m a heavy metal rock drummer and I’ve been playing for years (now I’m sidelined due to a minor injury) in a band like Stomp, Percussioni Industriali, with which we tour Italy and Europe. I also play padel, having participated in two Italian championships in Serie B. It was great to get back into the game after turning 40!

Have you ever done something “upside down” in your life?
I would say that almost my entire life has been and is “upside down”.
I just need to learn how to do a handstand, and then it will be all there: it’s the last piece I’m missing!