We had the good fortune of connecting with valentino longo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi valentino, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Mens sana in corpore sano is a Latin phrase, usually translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. And I truly believe in that . For me balance is being able to have time for myself and not thinking about work. Only in that way I’m able to work way more focused. I used not paying attention to that and thinking about work everyday all day , but then I got a hobby ( photography) thanks to photography I’m pushed to go outside and shoot photos or watch webinars or masterclasses . In that way I’m not thinking about work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m the Head Bartender at Le Sirenuse Miami inside the Fours Seasons Hotel, I Have been in hospitality for 10 years now , starting from Rome moving to London and then to Miami. And that’s my life. I always wanted to be a bartender and dreaming of opening my own bar one day. Was it easy ? Not at all , specially in Europe. HOSPITALITY is a profession , people are doing it because they really want to do it and because they want to be the best . So you have to be carefull if one day you’re not showing up to work ,Someone else might have taken your job. So that really pushed me to give my 100% everyday and always trying to be better. I recently just won “The Most Imaginative bartender” cocktail competition, where I was crowned the winner in US, during that competition I was able to share my worries with my colleagues , I learned from my mistakes from previous competition and I was able to give my 100% . I believe we have to do what we like to do in the end of the day. That’s the only way to succede.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ll start my evening by going to wynwood and showing the beautiful arts that miami has to offer. Then a quick aperitivo at Jaguar & Son . will the owner is a world class bartender , then I’ll go to Cafe La trova for a quick byte and live music ( they do Cuban live music everyday ) and have couple of Daiquiri . Julio Cabrera , the owner , is MR hospitality in person. Dinner I Love going to KYU or Macchialina if I feel Italian . Then last stop will he Sweet liberty for the closing drink . Sweet is always fun and dangerous in same time 😉 .

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is only one person that believed in me since day one . And that is my Wife Giorgia . She’s the only one that is always sincere with me doenst matter of the situations. I truly believe that sharing our problems and being honest on our weaknesses are the key to be more successful. We never know who’s around us and who’s listening and most of the time the good advice come always from those ppl

Instagram: Valentino_longo
Facebook: Valentino Longo

Image Credits
@52Chef @andrea di lorenzo