In December of 2014, almost 6 years ago, I first wrote about the protagonist of today’s post. Today, after having been a witness of part of his entrepreneurial adventure and, what’s more important, after having his support and love, I let myself write about him again. He is, without any doubt, a real entrepreneur. His name Juan Barbed; his “job”, entrepreneur.
I don’t think I’m wrong if I say that one of Juan’s dreams has always been to help others improve their quality of life. I said it years ago and I will say it now. That’s what I call holding true to his convictions. Do you want to know what Juan is doing right now? Keep reading.
I know him since 2009 (it’s been many years) when he started blinding us with his entrepreneurial attitude. Well, after living experiences of high VITAL intensity and evolving as the great PERSON he is, nowadays, Juan has created Rooral together with his colleague Ana Amrein. It’s a project aimed at improving people’s quality of life.
It’s a new work approach: teleworking with other people from the countryside, from the natural environment, because that’s where productivity, motivation and wellbeing are encouraged from. Because it’s from that environment that we can reconnect with ourselves and with the local community in an active way. Because, as Juan says:
“Roots make you free”.
His curiosity, his passion and his big heart, his illusion to keep learning in a permanent way and his attitude, made it possible for an idea to start seeing the light in the middle of confinement due to COVID-19. Who would have thought? And it’s that Juan has very clear that in this life you have to learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself and to be compassionate with yourself, and what’s a better place to achieve that than a natural environment?
The conclusions Juan and Ana got to after analyzing the depopulation and ageing reality many towns are facing, combined with a life in small apartments without big luxuries, but, of course, surrounded by noise, pressure and continuous stress, in addition to being far away from nature, and to what now we add the forced teleworking or on the way of being forced, led them to plan a project to be undertaken in places with a risk of disappearing in nature. The result: Rooral. But I’ll let Juan and Ana tell you about it (in Spanish) because I’m sure they will do it better than me.
What do you think of this idea that’s already working? If you want to try it, think in 3 weeks and get in touch with them (hola@rooral.co), hoping there are still spots available. For what Juan has told me and the pictures I’ve seen, I’m sure the experience will be worth it. I wish I’ll be able to live it. I’m sure I wouldn’t regret it.
Congratulations to both of you for this initiative and for not giving up when that would have been the easiest way.
Enjoy life. I’ll see you next month.
Translated by María Ubierna Quintanilla and supervised by Arantza Arruti.