We had the good fortune of connecting with Fabio Ferracane and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Fabio, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
MITA Eyewear was conceptualized to bring a conscious, fresh perspective to the eyewear industry. After working several years in the business, we realize there is a gap left by the fashion industry: the pollution that fashion processes leave in our environment. Thinking about that, we brought our expertise into the industry, creating a product that has a purpose – leaving the planet better than we found it – and that is unique to our customers: eye and sunglasses made from recycled materials.
What was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Beyond the lack of sustainable fashion brands in the industry, we were motivated by working on a new project that could really make an impact on the world and our business. When you spend years working in big, corporate companies, you are limited, and being a business owner, you get to be more creative and can be inspired and driven by your environment.
What’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“Work smart, not hard.” The principle of this advice is for people to think of efficient ways to do thrive, I believe we should be pushing ourselves to work hard as well. That is the only way to move up in life.
Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
Life in general is a risk. Every decision you take daily can make a difference in your own path. However, risk is an essential part of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. It takes a centered professional to balance out the possibility of failure, and the payoff of stepping out of your comfort zone.
What habits do you feel helped you succeed?
There are three major habits to success, in my experience: stability, consistency and serenity. The first helps in building permanence and following through with your goals and strategies. Consistency is a key to improving self-control and self-discipline, and serenity will give you the tools you need to manage the daily stress of keeping on your tasks.
What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
The crucial aspect of building MITA Eyewear as a successful brand is staying consistent with our DNA and purpose. MITA was created from a promise to reshape the eyewear industry by creating frames that are high quality and sustainable. Keeping that promise to our customers is the main driver of our success.
What’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
My path this far has taught me to believe in myself, in my gut feeling that the eyewear industry could do better, and in trusting my expertise for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
Balancing out your work and your life can be a challenge. Transitioning from a big company to entrepreneurship has changed the way I view my work-life balance. When you’re leading your own business, you end up working more, having less time off and vacations. However, it is more rewarding to have this responsibility load and to see the success of MITA.
What are you inspired by?
Success stories are a big inspiration and motivation to keep persisting in the face of adversity, and of being creative in problem-solving.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My journey started on my country of birth, Italia. After going through University, I started to work in the eyewear industry as sales representative, visiting opticians door to door while working for Allison Eyewear. A few years later, the company noticed my dedication to the position and promoted me as a manager for East European Markets, and later on, to Latin America. In 2009, I moved to the U.S. as I was presented an opportunity to work at Marcolin Eyewear, as the Commercial Director. In 2015, I was offered a position at Kering Eyewear for luxury brands, where I worked until we finally founded MITA Eyewear in 2019. MITA was created out of a gap in the Eyewear Industry to deliver fashionable, well crafted eyewear from recycled materials, and with a strong sustainability value. This path has taught me to be humble, to work my way up with tenacity and discipline to overcome challenges in work and in life.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Miami is such a rich and cultural place to visit, so honestly I would have a guide for every neighborhood. Starting off to where we chose to have our office, Wynwood. The arts district is filled with grafitti all around – I would definitely recommend going on a walk and exploring every nook and corner. And of course, if you’re ever at the Wynwood Building, stop by our office (448 NW 28th St suite B) to say hi! For breakfast in Wynwood, don’t miss out on delicious Panther Coffee and donuts at The Salty Donut. For a bite, I would recommend KYU – a modern restaurant that mixes American barbecue with Asian cuisine – or Doya. For traditional Italian right in the Magic City, Salumeria 105 is a must. Saturday afternoons ask for sea food and drinks at the River Oyster Bar, on Riverside. Miami has so much to offer – just keep an open mind and enjoy!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I had a great mentor when kickstarting my career at Allison and Kering Eyewear, Antonio Bortuzzo. We spend several years working together and he has been my inspiration and guidance through those years. I have also been greatly inspired by the book “The Common Path of Uncommon Success” by John Lee Dumas. It is an inspiring piece of work with practical steps and motivations to be successful as an entrepreneur. Would definitely recommend!
Website: www.mita-eyewear.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitaeyewear/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/53542970/admin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitaeyewear
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC41hc-HEbjgQwYqy6ySaDGQ
Image Credits
Editorial images are credited to Giorgia DiTria