Nico Palazzi is one of the country’s most respected importers. His company, PM Spirits, is known as THE purveyor of fine spirits (listen to our previous show, Unicorn Booze with Nico Palazzi). He is constantly traveling, tasting, choosing casks, and working with small, craft producers all over Europe. In March, that all ground to a halt. Some of the places most affected by COVID-19 – Spain, Italy, New York – have been the most important business hubs for him.

As the country closed restaurants and liquor stores, Nico himself went into quarantine with his family. As the father of a young daughter with a rare form of epilepsy, he is taking this quarantine very seriously to potentially save her life. His current plan is stay at home for the next 18 to 24 months, or until there is a vaccine.

So now he has to rethink how he conducts his business. Or does he? Being the founder of a small import and distribution company means leading a team of salespersons and producers that are already spread out all over the world. A lot of his work is done from 10,000 feet in the air. One person can’t be in three countries simultaneously. So, as Nico examines what the future holds, we just may be looking to him for guidance to see how to realign ourselves with the new, no-contact way of operating. This is New Earth. We need to adapt.