Meet Steve Fiore and the Passion Behind Rooted & Refined Living
My passion for single-origin foods and finely curated products has evolved over decades. It began with organic loose-leaf tea and small-batch dark chocolate, and each year I’ve explored a new corner of the kitchen including imported Italian olive oils, single-origin spices, local honey, maple syrup, and freshly milled flour, to name a few. More recently, this love of quality has extended beyond food to include cookware, hand-blown wine glasses, a favorite bread knife, and even bath towels.
While I have been toying with this idea of creating a website (or maybe someday a retail store) for many years, it wasn’t until recently on a trip to Kauai that my son, Michael, suggested this would be a great time to share my passion with the rest of the world.
We had just finished a 3-hour tour of a cacao farm at Lydgate Farms and not only got to taste the cacao pulp (fruit) and beans (early version of chocolate), but we sampled apple bananas (that is the actual name of the banana), dragon fruit, soursop (yup, we never heard of it either), white pineapple, honey, and even peppercorns right off of the pepper plant. It was an amazing experience and the best tour I have ever experienced.
My hope is I can transfer my passion, along with the curated set of products I have researched in depth and personally use to give you a jump start on your own personal journey.
Enjoy!
Steve Fiore
"Elevate Your Sensory Experience"
Me drinking a fresh coconut in Kauai
From Left to Right:
Matthew, Michael, Steve (me), Emma, and Mary Beth
June 2025
About Me
I started Rooted & Refined Living as a passion to help others. Beyond the site, I have worked in the software and technology field for 30 years in sales, sales leadership, and most recently customer success leadership roles. My experience focuses on leading teams, building customer-focused strategies, and helping organizations strengthen relationships that drive retention and growth. I focus on leading with openness, collaboration, and trust.
Beyond my day job, I have taught as an Adjunct Professor at Bryant University, guided professionals through career transitions, and shared insights as a TEDx speaker on personal productivity.
Following the TEDx, my 30 years of corporate experience, and the creation of Rooted & Refined Living, I have also started an executive performance advisor business, Rooted in Curiosity, which is a structured framework designed for executives, business owners, and high performers seeking to eliminate daily exhaustion and reclaim sustainable clarity.
Outside of work, Steve enjoys traveling, cooking, and hiking with his wife, Mary Beth, and their three children, Matthew, Michael, and Emma, much of which you will see sprinkled throughout this site.
To learn more, please visit my LinkedIn page.
The Rooted and Refined Living Standard:
In a world of mass-produced goods, I believe in the Rooted & Refined Living standard. Every product featured on this site is personally used by my family and me to create an elevated sensory experience. Similarly, the Lifestyle Tips I publish are practices I have successfully incorporated into my own daily routine.
Please note: I approach these topics as a dedicated enthusiast, not a medical professional. I only share product reviews and practices that align with a balanced, sensory-rich lifestyle. If it isn't in my home and I don't practice it myself, it isn't on this site.
I would love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out at steve@rootedandrefinedliving.com
Meet the Team
We are growing and I am excited to add these very talented individuals to author some of our most exciting stories.
Tony Fiore is a native New Yorker born and raised in Staten Island. He currently resides in Orange County, California.
Tony received a BS in Business Administration from Wagner College and an MBA in Financial Management from Pace University. Tony’s Master's Degree Thesis was about his Family’s Fuel Oil Business and the threat of Gas Heat on the long-term survival of the business.
Upon graduating Wagner, Tony worked in Accounting at Colgate Palmolive and Johnson & Johnson, in Domestic and International Marketing at Warner-Lambert, and as Vice President of International Marketing for American Express.
He then went to work MarketSource, a three person College Marketing Company and grow it into a 5,000-employee company and one of the largest Marketing Services Companies in the country.
He is currently retired and has an East Coast family comprised of his son Steve and wife Mary Beth and grandchildren Matthew, Michael and Emma.
His West Coast family consists of his wife Carole, stepdaughter Kristin and husband Aemon, and grandchildren Brody, Brennan, Brinley and Arya.
Amy is a New England–based writer and advisor.
Her writing is rooted in the art of noticing—paying close attention to the moments, decisions, and questions that shape how we live and work. She writes from within her own experience, often drawing on life in and around Boston, offering a clear, thoughtful perspective on what it means to move through both personal and professional worlds.
She is the founder of MAR Advisory, where she works with founders, leaders, and organizations to shape stories, build visibility, and connect ideas to the people who move them forward. Her background includes serving as a Chief Marketing Officer, advising boards including The Greg Hill Foundation and Camp Casco, and contributing to a range of collaborative writing and leadership initiatives.