Today we’d like to introduce you to Roz Paige
Hi Roz , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was inspired to begin a lifestyle blog in 2009 from simply walking around my acreage and being captivated by the beauty in my gardens and beyond that surrounded me. It overwhelmed me so much that I wanted to journal about this experience. Soon, I began sharing recipes from my Italian family (and restaurants – one in the U.S. and one in Modena, Italy, where my family is from). These recipes coordinated with each season. Suddenly, people started to comment . . . about my recipes. From the number of comments that continued to grow over time, I realized that people wanted more of my recipes. So, I turned the focus of my blog to cooking Italian recipes since I’m full Italian-American. Gardening became the secondary theme. Friends encouraged me to monetize my blog, and I did so 8 years ago.
I’m also a quilter and a beader. In 2021, I opened an Etsy shop for handmade, custom semi-precious stone rosaries after someone requested that I create one for his wedding. Since then, my little side rosary venture has sold nearly $50 K in 2 years. All of this, the blog and the Etsy shop, were accomplished while working full-time at the University of S.C. as the Department Chair of the Marketing department and Professor of Marketing. As chair, I guided my department in updating the marketing curriculum to include more timely and relevant content focused on digital marketing. Since retiring in December 2024, I’ve become a certified digital marketer instructor. This enabled me to expand into independently teaching online digital marketing courses while simultaneously scaling up both the food blog (La Bella Vita Cucina) and the Etsy shop (Bella Donna Rosaries).
In my spare time, I continue to quilt, watercolor, and garden on my acreage in South Carolina.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to this success has not been difficult, but rather, it has been slow. If I had any struggles, it would be because I had a very demanding and time-consuming full-time career at the same time. My heart and soul continued to influence me to do as much as possible with the little time I had to focus on my blog and Etsy shop. With retirement only one month ago, I have now been able to throw myself into my passions and make up for the lost time doing what I love.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have recently retired from higher education with the University of South Carolina, after teaching college marketing courses since 1996. For the last 6 years, I was also the Department Chair of the Marketing and Management department. As a second generation Italian-American, I am proud not only to be one of the first to achieve a college degree, but to earn a doctorate and ultimately become a department chair is something that I will forever be proud of achieving. I was awarded the ‘Best Teaching’ award 2 years in a row for the university’s College of Business.
But my life is very multi-faceted in that I am not purely a strict academician but also a person with a creative side. I am so happy that I listened to my inner voice to continually engage in my creative nature and sensibilities. My monetized blog and Etsy shop have been successful and given me a sense of pride. However, the fact that I am 69 years of age and have felt my newfound freedom has compelled me to grow these two ventures even more.
In addition to the above, I am also proud that one of my recipes on my food blog (Tomato Pie) was entered into a national contest and voted by the judge, famed Natalie Dupree (well-known Southern chef), as being the best tomato piet she had ever tasted, It is the one and only recipe contest that I’ve ever entered. Another recognition that I’m proud of is when BuzzFeed selected my recipe for Minestrone as one of the best published of that year.
For my Etsy shop, it has been so rewarding to know that one woman purchased 3 identical rosaries: 1 for her deceased mother who died of Covid 19 during the pandemic and which she was buried with, one for her daughter, and one for herself. I have had numerous men write to me and thank me for the custom rosaries that they have purchased for birthdays and anniversaries. At this time I have a 5-star stellar rating on Etsy from the customers who have kindly given me positive reviews.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Almost all the people (outside of my position in academia) do not know that I am disabled from a back injury that took place in 2007. I use a walker and soon a motorized scooter to get around. This has had no impact on anything that I do for my work. I just take a little more time to get around the kitchen while cooking for my food blog, and it has had no impact on my Etsy rosary shop. My husband is a lifesaver and helps me with everything, from videoing me preparing recipes in the kitchen for my food blog to taking care of all the shipping and delivery of the rosaries sold in my Etsy shop.
Pricing:
- $50 – $700 semi-precious stone rosaries
- $47 – $247 online digital marketing courses
- $50 – $75 online ZOOM cooking classes
Contact Info:
- Website: https://italianbellavita.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rozcorieripaige/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lbvrosa/
- Twitter: https://x.com/RozLaBellaVita
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RozCorieriPaige
- Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaDonnaRosaries
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paige1and2/
