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Menche Nikolovska-Papesh Founder of Casa Italia Some time ago, a journalist asked me: “Did you, 28 years ago when you founded Casa Italia, have a clear idea of what that business should look like?” Those who know me well know how direct and completely honest I am in communication. And so was my answer: “I thought I had an idea, but what I’ve learned is that no matter how skilled, informed, and confident you are that you know and can do it, the truth is that people only truly learn business once they actually start doing it. Because, believe me, if many people knew in advance all the challenges they would face, they might never start.” But not me… and that’s how this small story of my path to success began. I was only 20 years old when I embarked on this adventure, with a loan of 5,000 German marks back in 1993 from my sister’s husband. For me, that sum was “like in the movies,” and the opening of “the first Casa,” as I love to call it — near the Universal Hall — was a real hit. To bring Made in Italy designer furniture pieces to a country newly formed after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, in a region where neighboring countries were at war, was madness. To many, my 20 years were also madness — too young to dive into an unknown business. But I am like the wind. University life bored me, and in less than two years, my business expanded. After Skopje, I opened my own showroom in Bitola, and soon after, I crossed Macedonia’s borders — Casa Italia appeared in Budapest, Bucharest, and Sofia. Then came 2005, the year I made a different kind of decision. That was to pause my personal career and business for a noble reason — to become a mother. And as illogical as it may sound for a growing business to take a break, my philosophy in life is that whatever you do, do it completely — with full dedication and love. If you’re not fully committed, don’t improvise. So, I took another fearless step — I sold everything except my company in Skopje, which I believed I could manage and ensure its place at the top. Exactly where it deserves to be. That so-called pause was a beautiful period in my life. From this distance, I see it as a wise and necessary decision that made me happy in many ways — and it was also a time of personal growth that lasted about seven years. My two children and family life brought harmony and joy. Then I felt it was time for new challenges. We decided to think of another corner of the world — one fiercely competitive, a destination for business challenges “where sharks literally eat each other.” It was time for Casa Italia in Singapore. That’s where we are today — with our own offices — and also in Skopje, where it all began. A life between Skopje, Singapore, and Milan, realizing top-level, high-end projects in our industry. Today, I can freely say that my business, my Casa Italia, is a synonym for beauty. Just like architecture and interior design — if it’s not beautiful, it’s neither architecture nor interior design. Today, I am who I am thanks to courage, to the instinct that has never failed me, and to my endless belief in myself and in the team I choose to work with. My team is always made up of top professionals. There’s no compromise there. We believe in dedicated work, attention, and an individual approach to every client — from the smallest to the largest. For us, clients are sacred. There are no words to describe our joy when we see the spark of happiness in our clients’ eyes — whether it’s their home or their investment in a business space. You cannot be at the top of this industry if you don’t love what you do, if you don’t continuously learn and progress, and if you settle for average. This is also an industry that requires risk — something I’ve lived with since I was 20. You have to take risks. It’s not a cliché — it’s the truth. Fortune favors the brave. And one last thought… or maybe a beginning… Life is now, in this very moment — and it should be valued as such. It’s hard to create a better world if we don’t try. And I, with my Casa Italia, work on making the world better — every single day.