Rising Stars: Meet Sally Roberts Pasquali

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sally Roberts Pasquali.

Hi Sally, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I’m from Kansas City, KS, and I went to Notre Dame de Sion High School. After high school, I attended the University of Kansas where I took Italian as an elective, which started my fascination with Italy, but I graduated in Journalism. I went directly to work for a small PR and event management company in the Crossroads after graduation and I lived in Brookside. From that job, I went to work for the ALS Mid-America chapter and was their development director.

It was at The ALS Association when I really took it to heart that life is short and we have to make the most of it. I packed up two suitcases, found an apartment on craigslist, and moved to Florence, Italy. In Florence, I quickly held several part-time jobs in the tourism industry. I was a wine tour guide and I did marketing for a short-term apartment rental agency. I then became a personal assistant to a chef in Florence and began giving food tours in Florence and in the Tuscan countryside, while still giving wine tours as well.

In 2013, I decided to use my marketing and event planning background to start my company, Slice of Tuscany. I plan full, custom itineraries throughout Italy for private travelers. My services include itinerary layout, accommodation selection and booking from hotels to B&Bs to private villas, and all private and custom tours and experiences throughout Italy. In 2014, I met my now-husband, Matt, who is a fighter pilot in the US Marine Corps. He was stationed in southern Italy when we met. In 2015 we were engaged in Positano and in 2016 his job changed and moved us back to the US. We were married in downtown KC in October 2016.

We currently live outside of Washington D.C. but plan to move back to the KC area next spring upon his retirement from the Marine Corps. I continue to travel to Italy throughout the year spending anywhere from two to six months of each year with clients and solo-traveling to create new partnerships and experiences in Italy for my guests.

I’m fluent in Italian and I hold several wine certifications.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. Living in Italy and trying to figure out jobs, making ends meet, and learning a new language while knowing no one certainly had its challenges.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I own and operate Slice of Tuscany, LLC. I hold a WSET Level III in Wine, am a Certified Specialist of Wine, and an Italian Wine Specialist.

My goal is to make sure all of my travelers have an incredible time and no stress. I go the extra mile to provide in-depth service, unique experiences you can’t find elsewhere or online, and I am not afraid to turn down business when I have too many requests, as it’s my goal to provide top-notch service to my clients and not stretch things too thin. I keep my client numbers just where I want them to provide the best service to them and maintain a good work-life balance.

My husband and I are big travelers and adventure seekers so having personal time and taking weekends to explore and eat well is a top priority in my own life as well.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Covid has really thrown a wrench in the travel industry. I think we will be seeing a lot of shifting trends in the coming years as things hopefully get back on track. I think we will see a boom in travel in 2022 assuming it’s safe, and a shift towards more eco-friendly travel, as well as continuing to get people off the beaten path and into the lives of the locals.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.sliceoftuscany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sliceoftuscany

Image Credits
Slice of Tuscany