A public holiday shout turns into a masterclass in building something that lasts—both in stone and in business. We sit down with Amadeus from Pazzi Marble and Granite to trace a 16-year journey that started on a concrete pad in his parents’ backyard and grew into a 40-person team delivering ultra high-end residential projects worth millions as natural stone specialist. The early days were hotplate cutouts and small vanities; now it’s floors, walls, fireplaces, and sourcing natural stone from quarries that have defined beauty for centuries.
We dig into the real pivots: how silicosis reshaped the industry, why engineered stone gave way to safer “mineral surfaces,” and what it takes to protect a team without compromising craft. You’ll hear candid insights on selecting marble at the source, moving slabs with cranes and careful hands, and keeping seams tight when quality is visible to the naked eye. The logistics are heavy, the finishes unforgiving, and that’s exactly why process matters.
The heart of the conversation is leadership. Amadeus shares how scaling from 3 to 35 nearly broke the company, and how coaching, recruiting discipline, and assertive standards built a stronger foundation. He’s experimenting with a bold idea—lifetime employment after probation—not as leniency but as a commitment to training and clarity, where people rise or self-select out. Along the way we talk SOPs, apprenticeships, marketing a craft brand, and the identity shift from practitioner to operator.
There’s also a love of beauty that runs through everything: scanning Jordan Peterson for a future sculpture, honoring a sculptor father’s feast-and-famine career, and aiming to shape public spaces with stone built to outlast trends. The north star is simple and ambitious—create work that endures and a team that grows with it.
If you’re into craftsmanship, small business scaling, leadership, or the future of natural stone, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves building things that last, and leave a review with the one leadership idea you’ll try this week.
