Tamu McPherson Transcript

Kerry Diamond:

Hi, everybody. You are listening to Radio Cherry Bombe, and I'm your host, Kerry Diamond. I'm the founder and editor of Cherry Bombe Magazine. We're back with another hot episode of our Sexy Italian Summer miniseries. For the past few weeks, we've been celebrating all things Italy, la dolce vita, cucina Italiana, and the incredible women who bring it all to life. 

Today's guest is Tamu McPherson, the beloved tastemaker and storyteller based in Milan. Born in Jamaica and raised in New York, Tamu left the legal profession behind to carve out a unique space in the worlds of fashion, photography, and media, with her vibrant point of view. She's the founder of All the Pretty Birds, a platform that celebrates diverse voices and personal style. And she's recently branched into the world of hospitality. She has a tabletop and picnic collab with Bitossi Home, the Italian housewares company. If you're a tabletop nerd, you absolutely need to check out their website. I'll put the link in our show notes. And she launched her own rosé, Tamu Rosé, with an Italian winery that is very near and dear to her, as she's about to tell us. Tamu shares her take on Sexy Italian Summer: the best place to have a picnic in Italy, how she learned the customs of her adopted country, and how she learned to trust her gut. Stay tuned for our chat. 

If you love Italy as much as me and Tamu, you need to check out our special Italy issue of Cherry Bombe's print magazine. Of course, we have a story on Tamu in there. We just did a cover reveal on Monday. Be sure to check that out on our Instagram. You can head to cherrybombe.com to pre-order your issue. The link is in our show notes. It is such a delicious issue, and I can't wait for you to see it.

This episode of Sexy Italian Summer is brought to you by Nonino, the family-owned, female-led Italian distillery that's redefining what's in your glass this summer. They're secret? Spirits that take your aperitivo hour from basic to bellissima in one sip. As you're planning your aperitivo hour, there's no better place to start than with the famous paper plane cocktail. It's a cinch to make, as it's equal parts Nonino Amaro, Aperol, bourbon, and lemon juice. The paper plane is bright, bittersweet, and looks like summer in a glass. If a spritz is more your style, there's L'Aperitivo Nonino, floral and fresh. L'Aperitivo Nonino can be topped with Prosecco or sparkling grapefruit soda, and a squeeze of lime, for a refreshing twist on the summertime classic. And then there's Grappa, the signature spirit of the Nonino family. They were the first to take the grape seeds and skin left from the wine-making process and create single varietal Grappa. When you sip a Grappa made by the Noninos, you'll realize it's been crafted with all the care of a fine wine. Whether you sip it or use it in your cocktails, Nonino Grappa is the perfect finale to that aperitivo hour you're planning. Feel free to invite us over. One last thing. Nonino is the result of generations of strong visionary women shaping the brand. Now, that's a legacy. Cin cin to that.

Today's show is also presented by Square. Some of you might not know this, but years ago I owned a cute little coffee shop in Brooklyn. I sold it because I couldn't do Cherry Bombe and the coffee shop at the same time, but I learned so much about running a small business and having a brick-and-mortar location. One of my favorite tools was our Square POS. We did everything from there: ring in sales, keep an eye on inventory, and track the discounts we offered every time customers brought in their reusable coffee cups. I appreciated how easy it was to use for me and the team. Training was a snap because the interface was so clean and well-designed. Today, Square, the point of sale technology that helps you manage everything, from payments to staff, customers, insights, and lots more, has the backs of more than 7 million businesses. The team at Square knows how hard you're hustling to keep your businesses alive and thriving, and that you're looking for ways to save time and be more efficient. Just in time for summer dining, Square has a new lightweight POS device that literally fits in your pocket. Called Square Handheld, it lets you take tableside orders, process payments, and manage inventory. I would've loved to have had that back in the day. When your restaurant is on your mind, which is probably all the time, if you're like I was, think big and stress less with Square. Go to squaresquare.com/big to see how Square can help you. That link is in our show notes.

Now, let's check in with today's guest. Tamu McPherson, welcome to Radio Cherry Bombe.

Tamu McPherson:

Thank you for having me.

Kerry Diamond:

I am so excited to talk to you, especially because we're doing this Sexy Italian Summer series. And for so many people, you are Italy, you are Milan, you've been our gateway to Italian fashion, and la dolce vita, and all those things. So, I really appreciate you taking some time out of your summer, because I know the month of August is very precious, whether you are truly Italian or you've made Italy your home. So thank you.

Tamu McPherson:

Thank you.

Kerry Diamond:

What is it about August and Italy?

Tamu McPherson:

The time and the vibes really embody la dolce vita. Italians in general know how to enjoy life. And I see that really coming into focus during August. People go home, or they go to their favorite vacation destinations and they really tap into the food, they tap into the pace, they tap into the style. I think that's what it is. So, delicious food, delicious company, and just summer in the air.

Kerry Diamond:

Talk to me about that pace, because one thing that everyone has said to me is, “Italians know how to relax.”

Tamu McPherson:

Yes. So the funny thing, I say pace and we immediately think slow pace, but that's not what it is. It's just how summer is consumed. So whether they're boating, I don't know, Sardinia, or in Perugia, or Amalfi, and they have frenetic days. There's just the way that they go about it. So, from the coffee in the morning, to the lunch, to the dinner, it could be fast, but they're just fully enjoying the moment that it doesn't seem so frenetic.

Kerry Diamond:

The whole sexy Italian summer thing that we have in our brains here in the U.S. obviously is a little stereotypical, but how much of it is true?

Tamu McPherson:

Well, I would say that it's all true, because it is really centered around food, and it's centered around customs. Wherever they are, whatever the coffee it is that they drink, they're really going to do that. And they're either making a mocha at home on their stove, or they're going to the local bar to have a coffee, and have a conversation with the local bar owner. And then they're probably going to the beach club, or going to the beach. So they're either packing a little picnic situation to take to the beach, or they're bringing their water in their basket or whatever it is. And then they go to the beach, and they're there, and they chat, and they swim, and they take sun, and they're not running away from the sun, and they're not covering themselves up. And they always have the perfect, perfect beach where they super enjoy the swimmers in the Mediterranean.

And then around lunchtime they come back up, whether they stay at the beach club, or they go home, and they prepare whatever it is they're eating. And then we don't do siesta in Italy, but there is a little break where maybe you're just getting yourself together and resting for a while. And then around aperitivo, you go back out. And you have an aperitivo with friends, or you just go directly to dinner. That's kind of the routine. And it's every day, and it's built around family, it's built around friendship, it's multi-generational. It's just fun. It's fun.

And their customs are old. They obviously have adapted them today's time, but they never lose sense of the style in which they do it all. And I'm sure like J.J. said, Italians just do it better. I don't know if she shared that with you, but Italians tend to do it better.

Kerry Diamond:

She sort of implied that, if she didn't say those exact words. Talk to me about aperitivo, because you know this. We have so romanticized aperitivo now. How do you experience aperitivo?

Tamu McPherson:

The aperitivo in Italy is an elevated happy hour. That's just how I'm going to throw it down to you, because when I was introduced to aperitivo, gone were my college and young adult days where you went and you had just all this snacky food that wasn't really curated well. In Italy, you're having a homemade chip. It's like fried or air dried in the kitchen at the bar. And then afterwards, you are having whatever gorgeous, yummy olives they're offering you. And then you're going to probably have mini sandwiches. Maybe they're doing a focaccia with a prosciutto or something. But it's a spread of different items that are freshly made. There's nothing that is pre-made. It's all fresh, and it's tasteful, and it's flavorful, and it's really delicious.

And then, now, I think today, restaurants and bars are moving toward cocktails, but more or less, you would've seen wine before, definitely. Bubbles, Prosecco or Franciacorta, or even champagne. You would see definitely a spritz. And now you're seeing more cocktails, because I just think cocktails have become more common in Italy. But it's just fabulous.

And if you're doing it during the summer, usually you're sun-kissed, you're freshly showered, you're shining and glowing, and then you're arriving for your aperitivo. And your step is light, and you're kind of giddy because the summer is just unfolding so beautifully.

Kerry Diamond:

Tamu, you look so happy as you were describing all of that to me. I know you still spend time here in America. Are you shocked at how the spritz has taken over American drinking habits?

Tamu McPherson:

Absolutely not. It's sweet. It's sweet, and it goes down really easy. And it's dangerous, because it goes down so easy. And it's the kind of thing that you can have three and you're like, "Oh my God, I've had three." But they're really strong, so you have to be careful. They're colorful, that nice blood orange/red, and they're refreshing, they're so refreshing. And I think they're delicious. And I'm not surprised. And I have to say, I don't have the language that you have in terms of food, but I would say they're chic. I would say they're very chic. And they're very sophisticated, and they're very elevated when it comes to aperitivo. So I think that's what is really, I think maybe the part of the aspiring approach to aperitivo, and Italian aperitivo life.

Kerry Diamond:

We'll be right back with today's guest. If you love all things Italy, you're going to love the next issue of Cherry Bombe's print magazine. And guess who is on the cover? It's Chef Missy Robbins of Lilia, Misi, and MISIPASTA in New York City, and Chef Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza, Chi Spacca, and more, in Los Angeles. Yes, we have two covers, and every single page inside is inspired by Italy. Flipping through the issue is like taking a virtual visit to the country. We have features on lots of Cherry Bombe faves, from Hailee Catalano to Mimi Thorisson, and today's guest, Tamu McPherson. The Italy issue will be out this September. Head to cherrybombe.com, or click the link in our show notes to subscribe or buy a single issue. Subscribers, get free shipping.

The funny part about us talking for a Sexy Italian Summer is that you are not even in Italy right now. You are in the Hamptons. Tell me why you're in the Hamptons right now and not luxuriating on some beach in Italy.

Tamu McPherson:

So, it all starts with the fact that my husband and I studied together in New York, and he roomed with a very dear close friend of ours who is American, but who spent all of his summers in Italy, and who is very, very familiar with Italian culture. So they roomed together, and we're still friends to this day. Tonight he's hosting a going-away-to-college party for my son, where he's making all of his favorites.

Long story short, when we began adulting, we decided that we wanted to spend our summers close to he and his wife. And they always spend August here. So we rented a house, we rent this house, which is just around the corner from their house. And yesterday, I was just on another phone call and I was telling, the person with whom I was speaking, I was like, "Yesterday's lunch was..." And I go into everything he's prepared. And the fact that we're here is centered around friendship, long-term friendship, and food, our love of food, and our love of being together, and our bond, and how important it has been to us to maintain that bond and to cherish our friendship.

Kerry Diamond:

That is so beautiful. But Tamu, you need to go back now and tell us about that lunch.

Tamu McPherson:

Okay. So basically, and then I'll tell you about tonight's dinner, that lunch... Oh, so our other classmate came over. He's from Rome. And these two friends grew up together, actually. My husband just met them in law school. So they arrived yesterday and we did a birthday party for our Roman friend's mother, and it consisted of a cherry tomato and a shrimp pasta. We were in 24 at lunch yesterday. And these are all our friends and our children. And then we had a salad with I feel like it was roasted zucchini perhaps; and then there was delicious steak, and then there was sweet corn. And then my friend's daughters, ages 13, six, and three, made a yellow cake, but they decorated it with blueberries and strawberries. It was so delicious. And then we had my wine there, Tamu Rosé. That was lunch.

Kerry Diamond:

You mentioned Tamu Rosé. How did you wind up in the wine business?

Tamu McPherson:

So essentially, because I was out here for, and I have been out here for 20 years, 20 plus years, we drink rosé like it's water. And I remember back in the day, J.J. Martin saying that, because yeah, that rosé is like rose water. And it truly is like holy rose water. I wanted to embark on a new project, and I was thinking about all of the things that I could do. And so I really researched the market, and I researched what felt truly authentic to me personally. And it's rosé. And it's rosé because it really has accompanied my friends and I throughout the years, whether it's joyful moments, whether it's sad moments. But it's always been tabletop at these lunches, at our dinners, at our celebrations. And also from the standpoint of it being yummy and delicious to the standpoint of it looking beautiful on the table, I love it. So, I wanted to launch my own.

And so thought about it for a long time, and then I approached the winemaker and I expressed why and how I felt about rosé. And we were able to come up with this rosé. It's not a blend, so that's that same blend. We came up with this rosé, and then I asked my friend Rob Wilson to illustrate the label. And the label depicts the Jamaican hummingbird, it's called the Doctor Bird, and the sun, the rosé pink sun, and then the birds of paradise. Also, I wanted to connect the fact that I spent August here chasing these pink sunsets on Georgica Beach, but in Tuscany where the wine is produced, they have beautiful, beautiful sunsets over that straw colored fields, poolside, and then just connected back to Jamaica where I was born. And I don't know if you've been to Jamaica, but Jamaica is gorgeous and lush, and so that's how we came up with the label.

Kerry Diamond:

Are the birds and the birds of paradise a nod to All the Pretty Birds?

Tamu McPherson:

Yes, yes. Everything is reconnected. So the Jamaican hummingbird, it's our national bird. They have them in Italy, obviously, obviously. And then All the Pretty Birds, yes.

Kerry Diamond:

What's something that might surprise us about making your own wine? Because I know a lot of people absolutely love wine, they love the whole process. It's like art and storytelling for them, not just something to drink. But what would surprise us about the process of making your own.

Tamu McPherson:

Actually, just really fell in love with how vintners have to take care of the grapes and the earth. For instance, for us, it was more damage control. For example, there was a frost one night. And all of the farm workers that we had to go out, and you have to create a fire, a bonfire, to keep the grapes warm. It was more things like that that fascinated me. Or for example, if there is some kind of infestation, how there is it can be and how it can wipe out the harvest. Or for instance, if it rains too much, it can wipe out the harvest.

I learned more things like that because from a practical and pragmatic standpoint, how you have to save and take care of the grapes, that's where I was more fascinated than anything else. And I know it's just strange, because it's just the effort that goes into protecting the grapes. That's where I was more moved. To see a bonfire where they're warming up the field so that they don't freeze, it's pretty powerful.

Kerry Diamond:

And it must feel like you've gone back in time in a sense. You get the sense that that's something they had to do hundreds of years ago.

Tamu McPherson:

Yes.

Kerry Diamond:

And they don't have to do anymore today, but they still do.

Tamu McPherson:

Yeah, they still do. And it's kind of wild, because you're running around doing this. And for me, those were the moments where you become very nervous about what's going to happen. And I don't know if it's also just the business of making wine. And so the fairs, how you promote the wine, or the tariffs, how they hit, and how you have to react. So I don't know why I always tend to tune into when things like that are happening, because at the end of the day, it is a challenging business. We enjoy the end product, but keeping it afloat is very challenging.

Kerry Diamond:

What's the winery that you're working with in Italy?

Tamu McPherson:

It's called Lornano, and it's in Chianti.

Kerry Diamond:

How did you get to know them?

Tamu McPherson:

Oh, well, I would say my mother-in-law owns it.

Kerry Diamond:

Wait, I didn't know that. That's amazing.

Tamu McPherson:

Yeah, yeah.

Kerry Diamond:

Hey, listen, we love female business owners here at Cherry Bombe. So, tell us about your mother-in-law.

Tamu McPherson:

Okay. So my mother-in-law and her sister inherited this winery. And it's been in their family for a hundred years. And it's a boutique winery. And they grew up there, they grew up going there. They know the land in and out, they have so many memories. My husband's grandmother was there all of her life. That's where I met the entire family. The first time I went one Easter and met everyone. And being there is completely steeped in tradition also, because they used to spend Easter on to maybe October because the main house dates back from the 1100s. And then it was built on, built on, built on until now, until they purchased it after, obviously. It just has such a rich history. And just being able to witness their traditions through that home, as a Jamaican who grew up in the United States, then moved to Italy, just to be an observant of their traditions, has also taught me so much about living in Italy.

And I always say that's where I learned so much in general, because even there, they have an ongoing aperitivo tradition, like they do aperitivo every night when they're there. They drink the wine from the canteen, they put out a beautiful spread with also Tuscan delicacies, and they sit over this garden that is like a protected, a lot of the gardens are protected in Tuscany, but it's a very old garden, beautiful garden. They sit on the terrace overlooking this garden, and they just chat, and it's really beautiful.

Kerry Diamond:

Oh, my gosh, I love that. And I absolutely love the family connection. I was reading the story that Klancy Miller wrote about you for our Italy issue, and you talked about when you moved to Italy that your mother-in-law was your best friend. I thought that was so beautiful.

Tamu McPherson:

She really was. So, she helped us find our apartment. I always emphasize this to people, because people ask me, "As a black woman, you moved to Italy, how was it?" And I always emphasize my place of privilege, because I moved here and had been working as an attorney already. So I had already been working. And I also had a sense of value, a specific sense of value, notwithstanding the nuances that exist in the United States being a black woman in law. I moved to Italy and my mother-in-law helped us so much.

And so we moved there, and the next day, the day after I got there, she didn't know a lot of people in fashion, but she knew one person. So she took me to her showroom because she was like, "I know you want to transition into fashion, so I'm going to introduce you to all the people I know working in fashion." So, our first appointment was a showroom that she set up.

And then afterwards, we just spent a lot of time together. We finished decorating our apartment together, and then I had a subscription at the Scala with her and her friends. It was the best school that I could have ever had, because I was attending the Scala with opera experts. Well, appasionatos, I wouldn't say they were experts, they didn't study the opera or the ballet, but they had been going all their lives. And it was like a crash course in culture. And it was also a crash course in language, because I was studying Italian, but beginner's Italian versus speaking formally to adults it's a whole other thing. I always tell people it was humiliating, it was humbling, but you learn quickly. And it's so intimidating, and because you're making so many errors, you kind of grow a tough skin. But it was rough.

And my mother-in-law is an intellect. She's a professor, retired professor of contemporary history. And so the first book she gave me, Calvino. I could barely speak Italian and she could speak Calvino. I always say it was a very formal education, but I feel like it really set me up well.

Kerry Diamond:

When we were talking about Italian summers earlier, one of the words you used was custom. There are so many customs. Was she your gateway to that?

Tamu McPherson:

Absolutely. Also, because she upholds those customs to this day. She's loosened up a little bit, she's loosened up because she's aging, and to stay behind those customs kind of gets tricky in today's world. But definitely, definitely. And I'm so happy, because when I wasn't with her, I was able to actually follow along. And should that be important? Maybe not, but it was, initially. Now things are I think less rigid. However, when I got to Italy 20 years ago before people were online seeing other customs, before I think the culture was ready to let go of some of the customs, you absolutely have to have some knowledge of what was happening.

Kerry Diamond:

Can you give us a sense of what you're talking about? Because growing up here in America, folks might not really understand what you mean by customs.

Tamu McPherson:

It depends on the level of dining at the table meant for your family. So, my mother-in-law had full-on table scape. So if you were at dinner at her house, you would have all the silverware. So, remember in Italy, they're still doing three courses plus dessert. She would have the full table scape with all of the utensils, with all of the stemware, with everything. And I remember it was okay to joke about it, because my husband's uncle one day was like, "Where do we start?" He was like, "Which direction did we start it at?" And it was a joke because he absolutely knew, but I think he was trying to break the ice for everyone else.

And so you were definitely expected to be able to navigate your way around that table, and use the right utensils at the right time. And down to how, I mean, she's so well-versed. And there's not just one, because she can switch it up and do many versions of that full table. So, where the napkin placement is, where the dessert utensils. She could do it on the fly. I had a book. I literally bought a book. I did, because I was not going to embarrass myself. I like shopping with her for all of those beautiful tableware. I wasn't going to let it go to waste. So I had a book and I used to use it every time she would come over. And I got pretty good at it.

Kerry Diamond:

I can't help but think that all those things that you learned and everything you were absorbing, as you enter into your hospitality era, which I think you are in right now, between the wine and the next project, I want to talk about your Bitossi Home project. It seems like you took the best parts of what you learned around her table and around the Italian table, and have put it into this project.

Tamu McPherson:

You're absolutely right. And when I met with Ginevra and Mariangela, Ginevra is the CEO, and Mariangela is head of style. I mean, the reason why we have those little forks in the kit is because, how many picnics have we been to, enjoyed, where we just don't even have the right utensils? We're there, we're using our fingers. And that was the thing about Italian style in general that I found. They have everything for every occasion. And I'm sure we do too in the U.S., and I'm sure in Jamaica as well, at a certain level of service. I just kind of feel like without fail, the Italians do. And so when we thought of what we were going to put in the picnic basket, we were very intentional about having everything that would make a picnic complete. We just enhance your picnic experience. So there was no item that we couldn't put in there safely that's not in there.

Kerry Diamond:

Walk us through the collection. How did it all come about in the first place?

Tamu McPherson:

Well, I've been a fan of Bitossi Home before it was Bitossi Home at this boutique where it is in online. And I became a fan when I worked for Grazia. It's silly, because my right-hand woman, she knew Ginevra and she knew Mariangela. And she did a lot of scouting for me. We would actually do content with them. And then so I fell in love with their aesthetic. And their aesthetic is very charming, and it's very witty, and it's very pro-sisterhood. And so that was definitely on my radar from the beginning. And it's a joyous space, it's colorful, and it's cheeky. So I loved it. We were collaborating through editorials with them in the beginning, and then also on All the Pretty Birds we would source when we would do home editorials.

And then I wanted to do a collection with them. So I approached them and they were open to it. But my desire to work with them came from my appreciation of what they do. And for instance, I get my holiday presents from Bitossi Home because they just always have the perfect thing for me, the perfect thing that I want to give to my friends and my family. So that was very authentic, and that's why this collaboration came about.

And so the picnic aperitivo kit is a kit that has everything you need for spending time with your friends. It doesn't necessarily have to be an aperitivo. It could be any time of day, it can be anywhere. It's pieces that you can mix and match with anything else in your home. You can add anything else to the kit, but it has your essentials. So, it has two dishes that usually you don't even have a dish and a picnic basket, but it has two dishes with the Rose Latif, which is a universal symbol of love.

And I think that's something that's really important to Bitossi Home and myself, is just love. And love in this time, and love in this moment. It's like a very difficult moment. And also, the platonic love, and the romantic love that women share. It's very important. I think it's what bonds us, and I think that a lot of more people are talking about it now, how we are appreciating, and growing, and acknowledging love, the way that we love each other. So, that was super important.

And then connected to the wine, la vie en rose, is very important, because I'm from Kingston, Jamaica. I'm not from a privileged background whatsoever. I'm from an immigrant background. My mom is super bossy, and she's a self-made woman. And she put me through a lot of different schools to prepare me for the world and to create a foundation for me.

But the thing about it, even though I don't have this glossy upbringing, I am a positive person. And it's because I grew up in a really, really positive home, with a mother who is just so loving, and so kind, and so forgiving, and so open to accepting people for who they are. And so I could be having a rough time, but somehow I project, and people tell me this, people tell me this, so this is how I am aware of this, I project joy and tranquility. And I think that is a blessing, and I think it's something that it must be in my DNA, and something that I have received from the universe. So, that is La Vie in Rose. And it just happens to be connected to a rosé. That's where that comes from.

And then I worked with the team, Bitossi Home team, is amazing, and we talked about what needs to be in the kit. So, we have glasses because you're going to drink rosé. And if you're sober, you're going to drink some beautiful sparkling water with some fruit in it. We have napkins, we have a placemat. Since I'm a fashion girl, this basket can definitely double as a carry-on. It can double as a handbag. The placemat can double as a fullard, because I love to wear scarves on my head. The closure of the basket is-

Kerry Diamond:

Okay, you have to go back and say that because people might be saying, "Did she just say you could wear a placemat on your head?"

Tamu McPherson:

Well, it's a fabric placemat. It's not an actual rigid one. So we've made it in fabric so that you can have it at your picnic. And so it's kind of like a mini tablecloth, but you can just wear it as a scarf on your head. Absolutely. Because we wanted duality, and we wanted you to be able to use everything in this kit. The dishes also can be used as svuotatasche in Italian... By your entrance way, you just empty your pockets. What's that dish called?

Kerry Diamond:

Like a trinket tray?

Tamu McPherson:

Yeah, trinket tray. You can use it, yeah. We want people to be able to utilize everything in the picnic basket in their lives every day. So the ribbon closure, that's just extra fabric, because I didn't want anything to go to waste. I don't like waste. Coming from a country like Jamaica where inherently, we're sustainable, because it's a poor country, and we cannot waste. So we just use the extra fabric to close the basket. That little ribbon you can wear around your wrist as well. So, it's about having objects in your life that you can mix and match, that you can use outside of the picnic scenario, that you can use in your home, and then pack them back in the basket when you go out.

Kerry Diamond:

For folks who want to buy some of it, they ship to America, right?

Tamu McPherson:

They ship to America.

Kerry Diamond:

Oh, that's so great.

Tamu McPherson:

Yes, they ship to America.

Kerry Diamond:

And I didn't ask about your wine. Can we buy that here in the U.S.?

Tamu McPherson:

Yeah. Well, oh, we ship internationally as well.

Kerry Diamond:

What would the perfect picnic be for you?

Tamu McPherson:

Okay, so the perfect picnic for me would be in Byron Bay in Liguria, Porto Venere. It would be on the rocks, because I love that scenario. The sea is super beautiful. I would pack some fresh focaccia, like the Ligurian focaccia. I would pack sardines. I love sardines so much. I would pack donut peaches, because I love them. I would pack some rosé, some Tamu Rosé, some sparkling water, and I think that would be it. I think that would be a very simple picnic, and I would be with friends. And then there are all these seafront restaurants. So then after, well, we could leave it on the rocks. It's a pretty safe place. And we would just go dance at one of these restaurants.

Kerry Diamond:

I want to talk a little bit just about you and trusting your gut. You seem to me like someone who's very good, or at least maybe you've gotten very good at trusting your gut, between pivoting from law to fashion, and photography, falling in love with your husband, and moving to Italy. Now you're sort of transitioning career-wise, and like I said, you're in your hospitality era. Were you always someone who trusted your gut?

Tamu McPherson:

I think I've always had good instincts. I have to say this, my mother has great instincts. My mother, when she moved to the United States, she had to figure out a lot of things without the internet. I truly feel like there was some kind of cosmic force guiding her, just because some of the things that she achieved with little to no help are really impressive.

Now, when I think about the things that I need to achieve, and I have all this access to things that she created for me, and I have access to the internet, I always go back and think, my mom wasn't able to do things without the resources that I have. That's the first thing.

The second thing is that I grew up watching her work all the time, and still hold a space for joy. That's really important. The fact is, at the end of the day, me personally, she sent me to school. She sent me to school because that was going to be the foundation. So, there's some people who are entrepreneurs and they just could start a business, and they can do really well in the business. I don't feel like I have that experience because I went to school for so long. But what I do have, and I'm so grateful of, is that I am JD/MBA in finance. I really have a strong educational background, and even if it's not related to what I do today, it did prepare me to navigate business in a specific way. And so I'm really grateful that my mom chose that path for me, because it's a path that works for my personality and for who I am.

And then, because I feel like I'm self-aware, I'm not going to say I'm very self-aware, not going to say I'm more self-aware than the next person, but I feel because maybe I'm trying to compensate because I don't feel like I'm that entrepreneurial person by birth, or it's like an innate thing, I love experience, and I book my experiences. I put a bookmark in that, I'm like, "Okay, I experienced this, and I experienced this, and now I can apply this to this scenario." And I think that's really helpful for me personally to fall back on certain experiences.

But I also am very open to the fact that you think you've mastered something, and then something else comes up, and I can surrender and say, "Well, what I learned is not helping me here," and then just use a mix of all of it to try to get through it. So, I just kind of feel like you have to be a bit flexible, and you have to be agile, and then that's kind of just how I operate. Or I ask somebody. Perhaps.

Kerry Diamond:

It's always good to ask. You were an influencer, a creator, all those things before we even had terms for that. Now, when you look out at the landscape, there are fewer magazines, websites are having, I guess call it interesting moment because of what's going on with AI, and traffic that's being generated from searches. What is your take on the creator economy today? I would love to know just when you look out at, what do you think, and what advice do you have for women who are either in the creator economy or hoping to be part of the creator economy?

Tamu McPherson:

I think micro trends are definitely driving the creator economy. I feel anyone who's creating, who's new to creating, who wants to create it, I think that they need to just focus on what they're doing, they need to focus on their audience always. They need to really hone whatever they're offering, whatever message, whatever communication, whatever content they're offering. I feel like they need to be patient. They need to believe in themselves, believe in their work. Don't let the algorithm make them feel that their content is less worthy, because I think that's a trap that we can all fall into. I feel engagement is super important. Engage, engage, engage with your audience, and accept the fact that, when I think about my friends who are in communication at fashion houses specifically, they are responsible to finding new voices. They are responsible for adding new flavor to their communication. So, I always try to look at things from their shoes.

The other thing that I would say is just don't be so nervous or so concerned. Obviously, it feels really oversaturated. However, a lot of these newer accounts, they can crash and burn, because they're not putting the work into what they're offering. So, at the end of the day, I think quality, quality is a marathon runner, right? It's a marathon, it's not a sprint. So, quality lasts, inherently, quality lasts. So always just focus on creating a qualitative experience for your audience, and that will last.

Kerry Diamond:

Yeah, be proud of the work you're putting out there.

Tamu McPherson:

Yeah, yeah.

Kerry Diamond:

Yeah, absolutely. Okay, Tamu, last few questions. For somebody who wants to visit Italy in the summer, where should they go and when should they go?

Tamu McPherson:

Okay. So, I think you should definitely go in June, because all of my friends who visit, they say that the crowds are really overwhelming when you get towards July and August. So, if you can come in June, I would come in June. And if you have time, I would go to more than one region. And if you can, I would fall in love with Lake Como, because it's so romantic and moody. And then I would head to Tuscany. I would maybe even go to Umbria. I would definitely go through busy Rome, and then I would head down to the Amalfi, and, oh, if you had time, you could go to Puglia, you could go to Sicily, or you could go to Sardinia.

Sardinia, a lot of people have gone to Sardinia this year. I haven't been in maybe two summers, but Sardinia was having a big moment. And the food there is incredible, the wines there are incredible. The natural beaches there, they're sand beaches in Sardinia, so that's a plus. We have many places. It's a small country, but I always say that the concentration of nature is insane. Or go to the Dolomites. You know what? If you've never been hiking or to the mountains in the summer, you'll absolutely fall in love. It's so beautiful.

Kerry Diamond:

All right, I want to do that entire itinerary. That sounds perfect. I just need probably more than June to do it, maybe June and July.

Tamu McPherson:

I did all of Ghana in seven days one time. That's why...

Kerry Diamond:

Wow. Okay. That's ambitious. Tamu, it was so nice to spend time with you. It's just been great chatting with you.

Tamu McPherson:

Well, I just want to say, thank you for having me, and hello to all of your listeners, and I just want to share how much fun this has been.

Kerry Diamond:

That's it for today's show. If you missed our previous Sexy Italian Summer chats with Angie Rito of Don Angie and San Sabino, or with J.J. Martin of La DoubleJ, be sure to give a listen. Our theme song is by the band Tralala. Special thanks to Good Studio in Brooklyn. Our producers are Catherine Baker and Jenna Sadhu, and our talent guru is Londyn Crenshaw. Thanks for listening, everybody. Ciao, bella.