Hello Francesca. Just to set the scene with our readers, will you please give me some background to you, your family and education? My name is Francesca Aragno. I was born on a old farm located in a small rural village, surrounded by the love of my family and my animals. We did not used to be a ‘normal’ family at all… I am the youngest of the family, I have got an older sister and brother, and a half-sister too. We grew up with three simple values: respect, love and honesty. I spent my childhood on the farm, playing with my dogs and my horses. Either in summer or winter, there was no one day I wouldn’t spend in the natural surroundings. It was like a new challenge and a new adventure was waiting for me every day. Dad once came back home and he found me standing with a whip around the walker where I was training all my six dogs. When and where did you first meet an Arabian horse? Who was he/she? I was born into the Arabian horse world and I inherited this passion from my father, Dr. Gianmarco Aragno. When I was a child, he used to breed a lot and then we turned into the Arabian horses races. Dad would wake up early in the morning, he would prepare the truck, he would unload the horses and would leave for the race. For several years, he has been the best race trainer all around Italy and Europe, at a time when the races were so many and the horses to train too. He put me on the back of an Arabian stallion at the age of 3. His name was For, a Polish horse bought at Janow Podlaski. What a horse! He was 1.43 m at the withers, solid body, strong perfect limbs and amazing mouvement; he wouldn’t care about anything but just run and win. At mornings, I would go out with dad and while he was preparing the truck, I would be standing in front of the stable of For and I would be watching him for hours. He was dancing all the time, even alone in the box, but he would put on a careful and focused look when he knew he would go racing. Francesca, which are your favourite bloodlines? Why? Dad is a Polish bloodlines lover and, so am I. Most Arabian/Polish horses are not the most refined ones, but their presence, their movement, their eyes are just out of the ordinary. Besides that, they are all horses that can give you a lot of fun if you ride them, something I can’t stay without! Tell us about early stages of your professional career inside the Arabian horse industry. I started my professional career in the Arabian horse industry 5 years ago when I was still studying, and I started working for Jeff Sloan and Denise Hearts’Arabian Horse World Magazine. I did some marketing and I wrote articles for them for a year. At the same time, I was travelling a little around the world and got to know the business. I am very thankful to them for the great opportunity they gave me and I will always be. I respect both a lot for what they have achieved in life, especially Denise, her passion for Arabian horses is something visceral. However, the person I am most grateful to is Jeffrey Wintersteen. He is the one who believed in me since the very beginning, he is my coach and my mentor. He has been very patient with me, I have to say, but still today he teaches me new things each time we are together. He is a beautiful person, I am glad I have met him and, deep in my heart, I know that he is a true friend to me. What’s the story behind Arabian Insider? When was it founded? How many young professionals are there on the Team? Who are they? Arabian Insider was prompted by a strong desire to achieve my goals according to a well-defined vision: make the Arabian horse famous around the world like many other breeds. This was, and still is, one of my biggest dreams. It was not easy for me at first… I was quite young and not sure about what I was doing, but, deep in my heart, I felt this was the right project to believe and to invest in, not only money wise. I put all my efforts in it and now I could not be prouder. Ally Nelson found the name Arabian Insider, which sounded just so good to me. Then, I developed my own first brand and main concept, and little by little the company has turned into what it is today. Few months after the foundation of Arabian Insider, I asked my business partner Michel Reboulaz to join in the venture. I really needed him to develop this little crazy project I was working on. With no hesitation, he jumped on that train and, ever since, the two uf us have been working non-stop! Michel Reboulaz is for sure a fundamental element of the company just as much as I am. From day one, he put everything he had into it, without sparing himself, and nothing, absolutely nothing, would be the same without him. It was a dream that became a reality for both of us. Today, we have four employees and nearly fifteen free-lancers working for us on a daily basis. I could not be prouder and happier about what Arabian Insider has now become since the launch of the first TV show. I decided to freeze my university studies in Human Medicine and invest all my future in Arabian Insider. This was a big life change for me, and my major breakthrough. What is the toughest part of your job? And the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started this business? I learnt many life lessons thanks to Michael. I understood how to handle a business, how to respect even more my clients and partners, and I realized how many sacrifices must be made to get what you want in life. The most important thing I got in return for my good behaviour is respect and loyalty from others. These are most crucial things a person should have either in life or business relations. I am glad because, just like my father, I can walk by people and look straight into their eyes. Sometimes, I wish things could go different, but I have learned to be patient and keep working hard. Results will come sooner or later. What do you always put in your suitcase when flying abroad? I travel a lot for my job and this is also the side I like the least of my job because it brings me away from my family that I always miss a lot. But, I have become some sort of ‘pack-up and go’ person and I can get everything done in only 15 minutes. I will choose my clothes depending on the weather, though, I will always take my sportswear and my Arabian Insider t-shirt with me, of course! Which is your favourite Arabian destination to travel to? And your favourite shows? I love flying to Brazil! The atmosphere you can breath at shows there is simply fantastic, so real and so beautiful. I love Paris because that is the coolest moment of the year, and I also love flying to Doha. It’s a city I feel very close to, and I guess it is nice to live in as well. How do you think is your work received internationally? I think people around the world like to follow Arabian Insider for its contents but, most of all, for the passion we try to convey through every single project we do. I think the whole industry was in need of a company like this, and considering all of the comments and feedback we receive worldwide, I can say that each time we really manage to bring together the entire community of Arabian horses lovers. For sure, there is a lot to improve and we do accept constructive criticism. This enables us to improve year after year. What would you like to achieve by the end of this year? This 2020 has been a very particuliar year for me like for everyone else, I guess. Besides two losses in my family, however, it brought about some amazing moments I will always cherish; in particular, the Online show but also the 6 months I spent in the Middle East were indeed my two major achievements; the first on a professional level, the second on a personal one. I have many projects in store for the beginning of the new year that I hope I will be able to get off the ground. Francesca, how and where do you see yourself in ten years? I don’t know exactly where, but I would like to have a beautiful house full of animals, horses and a family, which is my biggest dream in life. In conclusion, would you please leave a message for our readers? I hope that everyone will continue to follow their passion and to believe in their dreams. Try to be positive and to always see all the beauty that life provides us because it is our responsability to be joyful and respectful of everything we receive every day. I believe life brings you what you ask for, if you really are ready to get it. And I couldn’t be more blessed for everything life has given to me so far. Thank you so much Francesca. This was quite a moving story. We on the AHM team wish you the best of luck. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, which we hope will be full of happiness, freedom and passion in everything you do!