Month: March 2020

A different philosophy. “Without a doubt, our philosophy of work is different.” Lourdes Carbó claims.

by Elena Castelló | Editorial Alberta La Grup | December 2018

Lourdes Carbó, founder and director of Alberta La Grup, had a great intuition: a “personal assistant” is like a personal guardian, an “angel”. Just like in the finance world where we speak about “business angels” – the figure who helps entrepreneurs start their business investments and supports them – a “personal assistant” is much more than merely an “assistant”: it is an “all round helper”, who watches over their client. Therefore, Lourdes has created the expression “personal angels”. “We wanted to deepen the the scope of the concept of a personal assistant.” explains Lourdes Carbó. The quality of service at Alberta La Grup and their 360 degree attention requires a new title.

“There is no law establishing what the functions of a “personal assistant” are. But, our work provides a much broader vision of their tasks. Therefore, our professionals are “Personal Angels”. What type of work defines a “personal angel”? From receptionist to managers secretay or secretary of the department, up to “Office Manager” or “Executive Assistant”. A “Personal Angel” does more than just organising travel, answering phone calls or managing important documents” adds Lourdes Carbó. A “Personal Angel” also carries out all the personal affairs for a client. It is a complex job that requires a lot of sensitivity and intuition.

The right hand

A “personal angel” is a professional with compete confidentiality, the first person to go, because they are the person you confide in more than anyone, to resolve all aspects of your personal and professional life, and because they are the most capable of doing so, as if it was done by the client themselves: this is one of the definitions that Lourdes Carbó likes the most. “Yes, a personal angel is your absolute right hand” she explains. “They are the figure that you delegate any management to”  Therefore, their work goes beyond the agenda, flights, calendar, calls or bureaucratic procedures. They also tackle more personal tasks, medical appointments, leisure… “They are like the eyes and the hands of the client” says Lourdes, “Always by your side to coordinate and execute.”

An endless list…

The attitudes and capacities that a “personal angel” that can develop when working with a demanding client are infinite. They have to deal with not only their intellectual, but also their psychology. The “personal angel” is always available to respond in the best way. At Alberta La Grup we have complied up to 137 skills and abilities that characterise what this means. Listed below are only a few of them: Good manners, diplomacy, discretion, confidentiality, a good memory, the ability to multitask, multilingual training, complete availability, – especially to travel-, ability to react quickly, have a network of contacts.. These are characteristics that you learn with good training and experience, but that are also part of a persons character and personality, such as emotions, self control, the capacity to organise and anticipate, the intuition to understand situations and capture the needs of the client.

A “Guardian Angel”

Our “personal angel” watches over and cares for their client (like an angel does, of course!) How? Putting their needs first and looking after their interests. “A “personal angel” is always one step ahead, says Lourdes. Negotiating to obtain the best possible results. Therefore, it is essential when defining them to use words such as fidelity, honesty, and above all, loyalty.

What are the clients like who demand a “personal angel”?

At Alberta La Grup, we work, above all with personal and private needs. We take care of the organisation of private trips, medical appointments, family agendas, domestic life, activities for children, the international arrival of guests, extensive changing rooms or private celebrations…”We travel with the children, we know who has an allergy, what they like”, describes Lourdes. “A good “personal angel” can get to know all the brands and models of private planes and helicopters. Or the Jimmy Choo collection from the past three years. Not an expert in fashion, but has the right contacts.”

A good contacts list

Therefore, a “personal angel” responds daily, getting rid of stress.The everyday life of a “personal angel” is a permanent challenge, but the preparation and professionalism allows them to resolve everything efficiently and without nerves. The key aspect: a “personal angel” always knows where to find the necessary information. From where to repair a delicate piece of jewellery for a family, to where to find fencing classes, the best flowers in the city or to make a reservation in the most demanded restaurant at the moment.

Implication within a discreet and intelligent distance

A “personal angel” is always accessible and has a very close relationship with their client – which is essential, given that they manage confidential information-, but at the same time, they know that they do not belong in the environment. Between closeness and intimacy there is a fine line which you must not cross, and a “personal angel” knows this very well.  “I always say that we are like ballerinas, because we enter, tip-toeing into a house, but we are not part of it.” says Lourdes.The formula: you have to distance yourself to not lose the perspective, whilst being close enough to understand the necessities of the client. It is only in this way that the results will be impeccable.

If you wish to re-print this article or photos, that’s fine. Just include the biography at the end of the article. Thank you! Copyright © by Alberta La Grup

“Many clients don’t want to seem rich, but rather express their personality and feel emotions.”  Gilles Lipovetsky, in the introduction to La fórmula del lujo (The Luxury Formula) by Susana Campuzano

by Elena Castelló | Editorial Alberta La Grup | February 2020

To better understand what a Personal Assistant is, we can start by discussing luxury itself. With their discreet and efficient demeanour, the Personal Assistant becomes a somewhat vague figure whom nobody is quite sure what exactly it is that they do.

Do they help manage paperwork?

Do they organize the day-to-day tasks of someone’s professional and domestic life?

Are they in charge of all those small details that someone with a very busy life can’t take care of?

The answer to all these questions is yes, but a Personal Assistant is so much more than that: their mission is to make all the experiences that a client has stored in their imagine possible.

Creating time so that the client can live each moment with maximum intensity. The classic values – exclusivity, excellence, the private client philosophy, attention to detail, sense of urgency and discretion are at the crux of what a Personal Assistant does in in their daily work (which is why at Alberta La Grup we refer to them as Personal Angels).  But it is also vital for them to search for sensations, emotions and the pleasure in every moment. A Personal Assistant is not only there to help, they are there to create dreams. They perfectly embody luxury in the way that we have come to understand it today: experiential, exciting, precise and well informed. However, if we look at the evolution of luxury over the last century, we can also understand what the true essence of a Personal Assistant is and why at Alberta La Grup, we refer to them as Personal Angels.

Quality, exclusivity, innovation, tailor-made care and high prices: these are the elements that define luxury, according to what researcher Susana Campuzano explains in her book, La fórmula del lujo (The Luxury Formula). In the beginning, with the focus being on haute couture, it wasn’t difficult to identify these values. The world of luxury was directed solely towards the social elite, who wanted tailor-made products that were completely handcrafted. This remains much the same today and lives on in the DNA of the greatest brands, which have nowadays become century-old institutions. The definition of luxury, however, has become somewhat more complex. The need to adapt to a globalized market and earn the trust of new millennial clients is paramount to keep progressing and not get stuck in the past with the older generations, meaning that with their long-serving elegance, the big brands have started to seek out new strategies. With this change, ‘new luxury’ was born in the sense that a product alone is no longer enough; clients have changed their perception and the kind of things that they long for.

Choosing a brand means feeling identified with the story that they have created, which nowadays is a message of experience, imagination and, on occasion, defiance, much in line with the culture of the younger generations of today. Of course, the classic values of luxury still have their place, but without this new kind of philosophy, they would lose their touch. It is essential to demonstrate a lifestyle that takes the consumer away from the habitual and allows them to become the protagonist in their own story; the hero of their own life.

And this is where a Personal Assistant’s work lies: in earning trust, fulfilling wishes, making life easier and bringing what is most longer for to life.

Could there be more of a dream job than this? Without a doubt, the answer is no.

If you wish to re-print this article or photos, that’s fine. Just include the biography at the end of the article. Thank you! Copyright © by Alberta La Grup

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