Om Malik on his Conversation with Brunello Cucinelli - [Making Media, EP.26]

Making Media

Our guest today is Om Malik. Back in 2015, Om published an interview, or what might better be described as a conversation, with Brunello Cucinelli. It's a truly special conversation, and I know many people that find it's a life changing conversation. Brunello seems to be the rare, maybe the only, billionaire that has somehow found balance in life. He's deeply philosophical. He approaches business with empathy. He has a strong family life. And he cares deeply about the people that work under his namesake brand. Om captured all of this in a spontaneous afternoon in Italy. For those who haven't read the piece, I recommend you pause the podcast and click the link in the show notes. We wanted to speak to Om about that experience meeting Brunello. And truthfully, this conversation with Om turned into something much deeper. Please enjoy our conversation with Om Malik.

Read Om's interview with Brunello Cucinelli.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

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Show Notes

(00:02:42) - (First question) - Events leading up to his conversation with Brunello Cucinelli

(00:07:50) - What he learned about the person behind the brand

(00:10:52) - Moving from casual conversation to interview

(00:11:32) - His preferred interview style

(00:13:34) - How much philosophy he knew before entering the conversation with Cucinelli

(00:15:15) - Types of books he noticed in Cucinelli’s office

(00:16:01) - Other moments during the interview that created a casual talking environment

(00:17:47) - Practicing the concept of finding balance within a company

(00:21:11) - Whether Cucinelli’s philosophy could work for other entrepreneurs

(00:22:34) - Business sense behind the brand

(00:23:16) - The speed at which the meeting was put together

(00:23:42) - What he took away from the interview and applied to his own life

(00:25:29) - Post interview visits with Cucinelli in America

(00:26:16) - Cucinelli’s Italian national pride versus other countries

(00:27:35) - The tech industry being America's biggest export

(00:30:16) - The reaction to this interview compared to others he’s written

(00:31:19) - The cultural significance of this piece

(00:36:02) - People who are similar to Cucinelli’s personality

(00:37:38) - The biggest lesson learned from his conversation with Cucinelli

(00:39:10) - Potential impacts on the piece due to current life events

(00:40:17) - Advice he has for others in the media industry

(00:42:20) - Debrief