Sophie Minchilli was raised in Rome with a view of the Colosseum from her kindergarten classroom, and she enjoyed fresh pasta lunches. She explains the Italian notion of dolce far niente — the sweetness of doing nothing. 

Endless lunches, walks, and summers at the beach are Minchilli’s earliest memories that inspired her to embrace the lifestyle of surrendering to the moment. “Downtime is necessary to work better,” she says, “and Italians get that without a sense of guilt.”