Simone & The Yellow Bag

Greetings from Florence, Italy 🇮🇹 

All is going well. Enjoying the sites and the food! I mean it’s Italy, come on.

Wanted to share a little story about a friend. 

This is my buddy Simone.

Last year I rented an apartment in Florence for one month after the Camino to spend some more time with Luca. While I was here, I would see Simone almost daily. He owns two leather shops – (about to be three) one on the square opposite of the apartment I rented and the other in a building on Via dei Neri. Simone became one of the people I “collected” along the way. I bought a bag from him and that opened up a friendship and an entire discussion about his life and his business. I was very curious about the leather operations around here.

Simone is a true success story. He is originally from Lebanon but moved to Italy quite a while ago. He started working in the leather industry in Northern Italy and then moved down to Florence. He worked for an Italian man and then bought the business from him. He told me all (or maybe just most) the secrets to the leather business in Italy. He explained why the Italian leather is one of the best in the world….no barbed wire fences so the animals don’t rub against anything that would scar the hide. He showed me the difference in the quality of the leathers and why they are priced differently. He advised me on how much I should be paying for the leather. He told me about the rules and taxes and where the manufacturer is and the storage places under the city. It’s all pretty fascinating and are well oiled operation. He is a genius with math and knows all his numbers…cost, revenue, rent, taxes, etc. Exactly how much he needs to sell daily and per month during the high vs low tourist seasons. Marcus Lemonis would be very proud. 

Simone is quite an impressive businessman. He even created his own label/brand and a website to sell his merchandise online. Simone Leather. You can follow him on Instagram @simone.leather or check out his website at www.simoneleather.com. 

He told me all about his dreams of owning a business and a home and starting a family. Which he has made come true. He is 34, married with a beautiful son and another little one on the way. He bought his first home two years ago and a new car in January. I just love when people set a goal, focus on it and achieve it. ❤️ I couldn’t be happier for my new friend.

Simone is truly a kind and gentle soul. And the most special part of our reunion was, when I went to see him two days ago and I walked up to say hello, he immediately recognized me after 10 months of no communication and he gave me a huge hug. He welcomed me back like family. I was really touched. 

Today, I took another friend Sabine to see him because she wanted to buy a purse. He gave me a big hug and made sure my friend was taken care of. It’s such a nice feeling when you are in a foreign place but you find a little sense of community.❤️ Thank you, Simone. 

PS. Fun surprise for me…when I saw him two days ago he gave me a gorgeous yellow bag (that I’m in love with!) as a gift for remembering him and stopping bye to say hello. (Sadly, it’s no long on his website because it sold out.) The world is full of really good people if you keep an open mind and are willing to make a connection. 

So if you are ever in Florence, stop by and visit Simone. His shop is across the street from Zara at Piazza della Repubblica Stand N. 1. 

Goodnight and much love from Florence (where it feels like 1,000 degrees and I can’t stop sweating). 🇮🇹