Both Jessica and Nisha Stockmann are incredible women, bound by blood and the strong belief in working hard to achieve greatness. Our Platinum Partner Villa Monaco is the Principality’s neighbour and the brainchild of Jessica Stockmann, a rare property of 4,000 sqm overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Club Vivanova interviews both Jessica and Nisha to find out more about the passion and drive behind their success.

Jessica Stockmann - could you describe why and how you created and developed Villa Monaco.
Originally I built the Villa for myself meaning my children and my parents and my friends. I wanted to create a holiday hideaway where 3 generations get together, feel at home and spend quality time together. We celebrated many parties and had so many friends staying with us. Constantly a full house but with good vibes only. More and more often I was asked if I could rent Villa Monaco for special occasions or to my celebrity friends who wanted to hide from the paparazzi and just feel good energy and the vibes at our home and that was the beginning of Villa Monaco as 5* luxury hideaway.

Tell us something about you and the motivation behind your successful career.
When I am motivated to create something special, nothing can stop me. I am full of ideas and enjoy the creative ride and am blessed that I am not scared to take risks. If you believe in something then it doesn’t feel risky it only feels right. And if the willpower is big enough then a week of 72 hours of work does not feel wrong. On the contrary, it makes you feel better and you gloom like a flower who suddenly got more sun and more fertilizer than ever before.

What would you suggest to a young woman planning an international career, some tips and advice.
Think outside of the box. Listen to your heart and your soul. Keep your eyes open and use every chance you can get to learn and make experiences. Something you would like to create for your own is not only for you. Also, other people will appreciate it one day and want to have it too but they were maybe not as brave as you are. Being international does not only mean speaking many languages, it also means keeping your eyes and ears open and understand different cultures and traditions and the needs or dreams and wishes people have. Whenever you create something that people need or want then you are on the right track.

What were the challenges you had to face while developing as a female entrepreneur?
Being a woman in a man's world like the real estate business was not easy in the beginning but I also think that it’s easier for a woman to sell dreams than for a man. If you are authentic as a woman and don’t try to behave and act or sell a project as a man would do, you will find your clients easily if you don’t try to pretend to be someone else. Fortunately, in the luxury segment, I believe it’s a plus to be a woman. Women were always known to fall in love with very special jewels. Looking back the past centuries the history taught us that the most extraordinary diamond jewels were made for women and not for men. A luxury real estate is a jewel and who could create and sell it better than a woman?

What goals do you have for the future?
I want to learn from the new generation. I have experience and in some ways „know-how“ but the new technology opens so many doors. I am not afraid of those doors, they fascinate me. I always ask my children what is important for them and I realize they have different interests than I had when I was in my twenties. But I love the way they think and I would never say „leave me alone with your ideas“. The values are still the same, they don’t change, but our life has changed due to the internet, global warming etc. It’s constantly a challenge to stay happy and we can only do so if we listen to the very young and the very old population. In the end, we all live together on this planet. We only need to find a way that we can all live together happily. I believe in traditional ways but I also believe that the future has so much to offer for all of us.

Give us a quote by yourself to put in the article.
Creating a home, a castle, a real hideaway which you never want to leave - that’s real luxury and that’s our goal. I don't measure myself against others, I just want to outdo myself and keep getting better with each property I create.

Nisha Stockmann - briefly tell us about yourself and your career.
When I was six I started to get on my mum's nerves because I always wanted her to take me to her construction sites. Seeing the process of creating a castle made me feel like a princess walking into a wonderland. When I got older I realized that it’s always a team effort. I loved watching people working hand in hand. And new ideas were created. I once said to my mum: „imagine a TV would be hidden like a treasure and no parent would know that there is a TV in the kid's room“. And you know what my mum did? She built a hidden TV in the ceiling that comes out of the ceiling with an electric remote. It looked like a James Bond movie. And that was the moment where I realized: Everything is possible. You only need to know your desires and dreams and then you can make them happen and that’s what made me decide at a very young age that I wanted to become an architect and designer.

How are you inspired by your mother?
My mum never tried to convince me to go into real estate but she constantly told me to open my eyes and be aware of how to spend my time. She said if you enjoy playing the piano for 10 hours a day then go for it and become a professional piano player. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy-a real passion. Luckily I developed a similar passion as my mum. Being creative but as a new generation. In my generation, we think more about sustainability and what is necessary. It’s not only a trend to look at in the future. It fascinates me what is possible when it comes to sustainable building and at the same time focusing on new designs and technology.

What are your aspirations for the future?
I want to create something that is still usable and modern and up to date even 50 years from now. I know it’s a very high goal but as I learned „nothing is impossible if you believe in it“.

Villa Monaco
9 Chemin des Eucalyptus
06320 Cap d’Ail
+33 680 864 109
Email
Website

Interviewed by Aakash Damani
International University of Monaco