interview translated from original article edited by the magazine "Voglio vivere così"
Hi Ariane, hi Lisa, tell us something about yourselves. Who are you, where are you from…
We are two Italian entrepreneurs, originally from the Veneto region, but both born and spent our childhood abroad, to be more precise, Lisa in Canada and Ariane in Germany. We are open-minded people, we feel at home everywhere on this wonderful planet, thanks also to our linguistic skills, we speak 5 languages.
What is your first travel-related memory?
More than memories we would talk about emotions: curiosity to discover new places and meet new people, desire to acquire new experiences, desire for change.
What prompted you to leave Italy?
After many years of working for various companies in Italy, it was time to spend more time with our husbands and so, in 2018, we chose to move with them to a more peaceful place, on the ocean.
Where exactly do you live and what do you do?
We both live in the Algarve, a region located in the south of Portugal, directly on the ocean. Here, from the moment we met, a strong friendship was immediately born which led us to embark on an important career path together. Indeed, in addition to our Venetian origins and our first period of life spent abroad, we have discovered that we also have a very similar professional background, mostly carried out in the tourism and marketing sectors; in the latter we have over 20 years of experience.
This is how, in 2020, driven by the energy that our beautiful friendship gave us and strengthened by our experience in the sector, we founded our digital marketing agency “BrandingBizz”. We provide digital marketing services and products to those commercial activities, small and medium-sized enterprises, who wish to increase their online visibility and, consequently, their turnover. We handle just about everything, from a start-up that needs the right initial business promotion to grow, to an established company that needs a new brand identity, a new state-of-the-art website or an outsourced marketing manager , who takes care of all-round business marketing, both online and offline.
We started with a few customers, small entrepreneurs, shops and pizzerias in the area, and now we are proud to be able to count among our customers companies of considerable importance throughout Europe.
Describe your daily life…
Let's say that work, which we always carry out with great passion, has become for us a pleasant break from our full-time life made up of family life, lots of sport, sun, the ocean and parties with friends.
What are, in your opinion, the most common difficulties to face for a move to Portugal?
Portugal is not all the same and it is definitely not for everyone. For those who want to relocate, we advise you to do more than a few trips in different places, to have a precise idea of what you really want and how you imagine living your new life. However, we must bear in mind that it is necessary to learn the language. Another issue is health care, which in some cases in Portugal is not entirely efficient. Especially for elder people, but also for young people, we always recommend taking out good private insurance.
How have you been welcomed by the locals?
The Portuguese are very simple people, sometimes reserved, but very friendly. We were immediately very well received. Among other things, the Portuguese greatly appreciate Italy, our cities of art, our food, our style in furnishing and in fashion.
Close your eyes, I say “Portugal”, which image immediately comes to your mind?
Endless beaches and the ocean breeze.
Which advice would you give, even practical, for moving there?
We advise retirees, who are the majority, at least in our region, to always seek help from those who have already had this experience in the past and to rely on a reliable agency that deals with relocation.
For those who want to relocate for work, we recommend leaving Italy only with an agreed contract, or, in the case of young people, whose project is to open a business, we recommend preparing an innovative and interesting project in advance , draw up a business plan as realistic as possible with an adequate initial budget, which allows them to bear the expenses of at least the first year, also including an amount intended to a targeted promotion of your start-up.
Furthermore, in the latter case an being fluent in English is also essential, in addition to Portuguese, as the Portuguese speak, for the most part, English on a professional level and tourism is mostly English-speaking. Without these important elements, moving becomes a real gamble. You risk closing the business after a very short time.
And which places would you suggest to those who want to come to the country on vacation?
Portugal is a fantastic country that offers all kinds of holidays. It just needs to be discovered and lived to the fullest.
If you think about Ariane and Lisa who lived in Italy and compare them to the women you are today, what differences do you notice?
Sure, we've changed. For better or worse we cannot judge. We certainly enjoy our free time and we are more serene.
Future plans?
Our future certainly sees our commitment to always maintain a good balance between work and free time to spend with our husbands, while continuing our professional career, i.e. helping companies in their marketing promotion.
And then there is also a very important new project, on which we are focusing and decisively putting all our synergies ... but we'll tell you about it next time ...
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