More Than a Restaurant: Blair Pietrini on Building a Legacy of Love, Loss, and Pizza Artwork

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Badass Women in Business

More Than a Restaurant: Blair Pietrini on Building a Legacy of Love, Loss, and Pizza

April 15, 2025 • Aggie & Cristy • Season 4 • Episode 21

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In this deeply moving and inspiring episode, Aggie and Cristy sit down with Blair Pietrini, co-founder of Pietrini Pizza Napoletana and longtime community advocate, for a conversation that goes far beyond business. Blair shares her powerful story of launching a dream with her husband, losing him just ten months after opening their restaurant, and continuing to honor his legacy through family, faith, and fire-forged perseverance.

From founding a nonprofit that served tens of thousands annually to building a thriving restaurant with no prior industry experience, Blair’s journey is one of unwavering values, radical authenticity, and a refusal to let tragedy define her future. You’ll walk away with lessons on leadership, grief, guts, and how to build a business that’s truly an extension of who you are.

In this episode, we cover:

How Blair’s 25+ years running Grateful Hearts shaped her leadership and people-first approach
The story behind opening Pietrini Pizza Napoletana in the middle of COVID—and the devastating loss that nearly ended it
What it means to run a business rooted in values like integrity, enthusiasm, and ownership
The healing power of hospitality, and why her restaurant feels more like a home than a business
How Blair intentionally cultivates culture, even with a young and inexperienced staff
The mindset shift that allowed her to move through grief with gratitude
Why passion trumps reason—especially when you're over 60 and following a dream
Her son’s journey to becoming a certified pizzaiolo (yes, that’s a real title!)
How to lead without compromising your values—even when it's the harder path

Memorable Quotes:

“I never wanted to reach the end of my life wondering what if. I’m okay with trying and failing. I’m not okay with never trying.”“This place—it wasn’t our dream. It was his. But seeing him live it was mine.”“Adversity is a terrible thing to waste.”

🤝 Connect with Blair Pietrini