“At the time of attaining wishes or ambitions, the absence of originality could be complicated”
As she explains “ life is too short and time does not go backwards”. That is why, this Argentinian with deep eyes and a permanent smile, sold her Human Resources office in Buenos Aires and moved to London. She did so driven by love, after meeting an Englishman in the British capital city.
By Paco de la Coba Tena
Bibiana Crocitta is a Licentiate in Psychology and has a wide experience in employing and training ambitious applicants, interested in prestigious companies such as Microsoft, American Express or Grupo Santander. At present, she is the managing director of Cook Your Business (R), a consultancy firm that applies the concept of cooking to encourage leadership and to develop people´s talent focused on the business environment.
How did it occur to you to apply the concept of cooking to your business?
The origin of my family is Italian, passionate for art and rich in cooking secrets. I can tell you many of my memories from childhood, standing in the green orchard or in my grandma´s huge kitchen. “Fresh, natural and home made” was the phrase that I always heard when some family delicatessen was prepared. Without any pre set idea, cooking and the business world were part of my greatest passions. The idea of Cook Your Business (R) was born in London when I received the accreditation as business consultant (Sfedi), and I started meeting talented entrepreneurs. It was then when I was invited to give courses for entrepreneurs at the Centre for Business Innovation (Southworth College) and it was there when I developed the idea of “cooking your business”.
What is the most important ingredient to “cook” a business?
The most important ingredient to cook a business is the people, their potential and action. I believe in people and in their capacity to find a place in the market to show who they are and what they do. This cannot be learnt in courses or at colleges, this is something genuine.
What services does your company offer?
We offer consultancy services on Human Resources and workshops focused on team work, leadership and customer care. We also organize “networking” events aimed at generating business relationships between entrepreneurs and enterprises already set up.
Do you cover every type of business sector?
Our specialization is people and their ideas. But if we specifically talk about sectors, we mainly cover areas such as accommodation, gastronomy, tourism and financial services.
Do you carry out group or individual workshops?
We work on group workshops that include individual sessions. These are organized and planned according to specific requirements. At present we hold three workshops for the development of leadership and the discovery of talents. We also explain the ten steps necessary to “cook” your business.
In your case, as you have an in-depth knowledge of the meaning of motivation and talent, how do you motivate people who go to your office and ignore they have a hidden talent?
There are two ways to awaken and strengthen people´s talent: one is to ask them to read a cooking book and the other one is by following their own personal intuition. The first one does not generate any experience but instead stimulates insecurity and dependency. The second one leads to creativity and the level of achievement it could generate may be surprising. There is no general rule applicable to every single human being across the board. When you are not original, life could be boring and complicated at the time of achieving goals. To awaken people’s potential and their creativity, to inspire them, to train them and to interconnect them commercially is what we best know to do.
What are your preferences and personal interests?
I think it is not possible to sift the personal life from the professional one as both aspects build up the same person. I enjoy visiting the market regularly, doing research work, discovering tendencies and finding people. And, of course, cooking for my family and friends. I love painting, collecting antiques and travelling.
Is there any place in particular that may have inspired your business?
London, because of its pace and innovation, because it is always changing. I love its art galleries and antique shops. An area I am very fond of is Canary Wharf, but what I like the most are its restaurants and businesses, as both are clear examples of this city characteristics.