Paul Hagman and Nick Giancola share drinks Aug. 5 at 3 Taps.
ARIANNA NEVAREZ
Staff Writer
2,500 years ago, Plato recorded a theory in his Symposium about primeval humans, described as having four arms, four legs and two faces, but they were split in two by Zeus. For the remainder of one’s life, each half seeks to become one again and find the person who was once a part of them.
This theory has always stuck with Paul Hagman. In his story, Hagman met his complementary half in his 30s — on a dating app.
In the suburbs of Youngstown, Ohio, Nick Giancola and Hagman grew up near each other, but had never spoken until they matched online. On July 13, 2016, Giancola first met Hagman.
As they talked, they realized they had mutual friends and felt like “fate” had led them together. Giancola remembered viewing Hagman as smart and put together. Hagman felt the same way, admiring both Giancola’s entrepreneurial success and kindness.
“To meet somebody in the same place as you, that was really something that I think we both were looking for. Same page, same time in life,” Giancola said.
Although both were raised in Youngstown, each left the area after graduating from high school. Giancola moved from Los Angeles to Nashville, Tennessee, to Atlanta and, eventually, back to Ohio, where he would establish the inaugural Spruce Home Decor; Hagman went to Florence, Italy, to study urban design, then to Cleveland to found RBF Colab Architecture, a historic preservation firm that provides design and consulting throughout northeast Ohio.
“[Building a life individually first] opened the door,” Giancola said. “That was good. Then the door opened, and we met.”
Since the beginning, Chautauqua has played a crucial role in their relationship.
Hagman, who is now a member of Chautauqua Institution’s Board of Trustees, was introduced to Chautauqua by friends about 20 years ago and immediately fell in love with the place. Within the first year the couple started dating, Hagman used Chautauqua as a test to see how Giancola would interact with a place of “lifelong learning.”
Paul Hagman and Nick Giancola share drinks Aug. 5 at 3 Taps.
“How someone interacts with Chautauqua really sort of reveals a lot about what they value, their own interests and their own passion for learning and for furthering themselves,” Hagman said. “… It would be difficult to have a long relationship if someone didn’t get Chautauqua, right? And didn’t have that same sort of interest in returning and learning and pushing themselves to be a lifelong learner.”
Giancola passed the test with flying colors. The two began visiting each summer and became closer with the community and one another. In 2019, the two got engaged.
Two years later, in February 2021, the two were officially married. That same year, Hagman was asked to join the board; 2022 would be the first season of his position. In the summer on their usual visit to Chautauqua, Giancola noticed a temporary pop-up shop in the Colonnade that would leave an open spot for the 2022 Season.
Following his initial desire to fill a gap in retail shopping on the grounds and the administrative meetings that followed, Giancola’s second location of Spruce Home Decor was born.
When the couple simultaneously started growing their foundations on the grounds, they realized they’d be spending more time in Chautauqua throughout the summer, but they had no complaints about that.
Though they said the programming is “wonderful,” Hagman said the porch culture is the most unique part of the Chautauqua culture and community. As an introvert, he said it is his favorite way to engage with other Chautauquans and feels unique.
“You don’t find that very often in the world — a place where you can just walk down the street, hop on your neighbor’s porch, and have a meaningful conversation, at least not today any longer,” Hagman said.
While Hagman is an introvert, he said his favorite thing about Giancola is his extroverted nature because it’s “complementary” to him. On the other side, Giancola said Hagman helps him slow down and pay attention to the little things.
The couple said they hope the future holds adventure. Giancola said he is blessed to have someone in his life who is willing to take on new experiences, whether it’s trying a new restaurant or allowing themselves to get lost in Italy. To find that quality in a partner is “rare,” he said.
Chautauqua will continue to play a role in the next chapter of the couple’s lives, especially after they purchased a condo on the grounds last fall. In Giancola’s perspective, Chautauqua is a place that has brought the pair new friends and new opportunities. It connects them, he said, in a way that no one else can understand.
“The fact that this is ours, and we share it with different groups of people. … We share it with our families, but I don’t think they quite understand day to day what happens here and why we actually love it so much. [On the] outside it’s super cute, and everybody can see that, but it’s bigger than that,” Giancola said.
Finishing his partner’s sentence, Hagman said, “It’ll be interesting to see what the next phase looks like for us and Chautauqua.”
