ITALIAN, FOR SURE | Conversations with Italians in Italy About Italian Culture

Get the inside scoop on the Italian podcast market, like what podcast genres are popular (or not) in Italy, how the non-verbal in Italian culture - like Italian hand gestures - affects podcast listening, and growth and monetization techniques.
* Join the ITALIAN, FOR SURE Trip to Italy! https://italianforsurepodcast.beehiiv.com *
Francesco Tassi, co-founder and CEO of VOIS, the Milan-based podcast creators network achieving 6M monthly listens, and host Catrin Skaperdas sit down at the VOIS studios (on March 3, 2026) to navigate the evolution of the Italian podcast industry from 2019 to today, bringing you an entertaining and educational episode about Italian media culture inclusive of:
The Italian podcast market in 2019 and why VOIS only worked because of where in Italy it was launched
Francesco gives a podcast 101 lesson about the two waves of podcasting (2004 and 2014)
The reaction of Francesco telling his Italian friends and family that he was starting a podcast company in 2019
How the podcast market in Italy has changed from 2019 to now and how VOIS has changed from then until now
Cross-promotion and monetization techniques in Italy, including dynamic ad insertion (DAI)
How podcasts moving toward video has affected the Italian podcast market
How other forms of media perceive podcasts (e.g. how radio stations see podcasts)
How competition exists between podcasts and between podcasts and radio
How the Italian podcast market differs from other markets around the world
Podcast genres that are not popular in Italy: comedy and sports
Francesco describes what they call at VOIS “responsible entertainment”
Average length of podcasts in Italy and when people are listening, according to the data, and what Francisco thinks about it
How non-verbal in Italian culture affects Italian podcast listening, or doesn’t (affect it)
Francesco talks about how the Italian podcast market is a great opportunity right now

Chapters:
01:14 Intro
3:01 The Italian podcast market from 2019 to now
7:03 The reaction of Italians when Francesco told people in his life that he was starting a podcast company
10:03 Italian work culture vs the US work culture
13:39 How VOIS / the Italian market has changed from 2019 until now
16:15 Dynamic ad insertion (DAI) in Italian podcasts
22:56 The sense of competition in the Italian podcast market between radio v podcasts or podcasts v podcasts
27:13 How the Italian podcast market differs from other podcast markets around the world
28:22 Italian podcast genres and why certain ones are more popular than others
33:38 “Responsible entertainment” explained
37:55 Average podcast length in Italy
44:28 How non-verbal in Italian culture affects Italian podcast listening, or doesn’t
50:00 Francesco’s final thoughts on the Italian podcast market
52:00 Outro

To learn more about VOIS, check out their website https://vois.fm/

This interview is available to watch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, and available to listen-only everywhere else you can get podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Uncover where "Tuscany without the tourists" is and healthcare hacks that can save Americans money, and laugh with us through a cross-cultural roadmap between Italy and the US, on this episode of ITALIAN, FOR SURE.
* Join the ITALIAN, FOR SURE Trip to Italy! https://italianforsurepodcast.beehiiv.com *
Italian D.C. resident Amedeo Jashi, real estate and affordable healthcare entrepreneur and content creator, and host Catrin Skaperdas chat their way through cultural differences between Italians and Americans to bring you an entertaining and educational episode about Italian culture inclusive of:
Amedeo's views of America and Italy, as an Italian that lives in America
Areas of Italy that feel more “Italian” vs less
Cost of living in Italy vs America
Income taxes for the employee vs employer in Italy vs America
Why Amedeo thinks Abruzzo is amazing
Living like an Italian in Washington DC
How hard it is to get a drivers license in Italy
Drinking culture in Italy vs America
The difference of Amedeo’s independence as a child growing up in Italy vs Catrin’s independence as a child growing up in the U.S.
Gross vs net income in US vs America
Cost of labor in Italy vs America
The differences of American and Italian health care
How in Italy it’s more common than in the U.S. to have friends who are of the opposite sex
Breakup “culture” in the US vs Italy

Chapters:
1:08 Intro
3:50 How an Italian views America and Italy
8:06 The cost of living and taxes in Italy
9:58 Amedeo tells us about Abruzzo
13:03 Living like an Italian in Washington DC / An Italian’s view of America’s cost of living
16:39 Getting a drivers license in Italy
18:29 Saving money in the US vs Italy
19:13 Drinking culture in Italy vs America
22:26 Independence in Italy
24:58 The way Italians do business in Italy
28:38 Cost of labor in Italy vs America
31:28 How to be self-employed in Italy
33:54 Healthcare in Italy vs America
44:32 Breakups in Italy vs America
52:22 Why Amedeo calls people peasants
55:23 Outro

To check out Amedeo on Instagram, click here https://www.instagram.com/amedeo_iasci/

This interview is available to watch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, and available to listen-only everywhere else you can get podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Italy, dressing well is more than just a fashion statement. Stefano Ricci's CEO, Niccolò Ricci, explains the deep-rooted traditions and cultural nuances of Italian style.
* Join the ITALIAN, FOR SURE Trip to Italy! https://italianforsurepodcast.beehiiv.com *
While revealing insights into one of Italy's most prestigious luxury brands, Niccolò and host Catrin Skaperdas have a fun and informative conversation about Italian culture inclusive of:
Tips for how to feel comfortable in your clothes and look great
The different ways to tie a tie (Italy vs U.S.)
What "Made in Italy" really means
The influence of family in Italian fashion brands
Why proper attire is important to Italians
Fast fashion and quiet fashion
What Niccolò recommends you to avoid when getting dressed
What Stefano Ricci does to give back to Florence
Passing along Italian crafts to the future generations

--
Stefano Ricci is an International Luxury Fashion and Lifestyle company.
For more information about Stefano Ricci, check out https://www.stefanoricci.com/.

This interview is also available to watch on Spotify and YouTube.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How are weddings in Italy different than weddings in America?
As an American that recently got married in Italy, host Catrin Skaperdas noticed a lot of cultural differences between weddings she had experienced in the U.S. and traditions in Italy.
* Join the ITALIAN, FOR SURE Trip to Italy! https://italianforsurepodcast.beehiiv.com *
Join newly-wed American host Catrin Skaperdas and guest Carolina Cornaglia - Event Manager at Casa Scaparone - as they laugh and smile their way through a conversation about Italian culture inclusive of:
What do Italians wear to weddings in Italy
Wedding superstitions
Pre-wedding traditions
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen vs Testimonies
If there is religion present in weddings in Italy
Party favors and "confetti"
Wedding bands
Seating plan
What gifts do Italians give at weddings in Italy
Food culture at weddings in Italy
What's thrown at the end of Italian wedding ceremonies
Stay tuned until the end to hear Carolina share 3 funny, cute, and shocking stories of weddings at Casa Scaparone.

--
To learn more about Casa Scaparone, check out: https://www.casascaparone.it/en/
--
This interview was recorded inside the flower atelier at Casa Scaparone.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discover the vibrant world of workout culture in Italy, and join host Catrin Skaperdas and guest Gabriele Tortorella - Head of Curriculum at Barry's Milan - as they laugh their way through a conversation about Italian culture inclusive of:
Athleisure in Italy
Boutique fitness studios in Italy
What time Barry's opens in Milan vs New York City
What clothes people are wearing when they arrive at Barry’s Milan
KG (kilograms) vs LB (pounds) and Kilometers vs Miles
Locker room habits in Milan (Italy) vs Miami (United States of America)
Smoothies and breakfast culture in Italy
How the Barry's Milan community is reflective of Italian culture
What language is spoken at Barry's around the world

* Join the ITALIAN, FOR SURE Trip to Italy! https://italianforsurepodcast.beehiiv.com *
--
(This interview was recorded inside the iconic Red Room at Barry's Milan and can be watched on Spotify or YouTube.)
--
For more information about Barry's Milan, check out https://www.barrys.com/studio/senato/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.