Cristina Martí in the magazine “Juntos” on TeleMadrid
Proactivity: How a Personal Angel uses intuition and imagination to anticipate customer needs
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Author: María José Núñez | May 2023
A Personal Angel must possess intuition and imagination, which are the main skills required to be able to anticipate the client’s needs before they are even aware of them. In other words, nothing is left to chance.
(Sigue en español)
That is precisely what proactivity is. Having a proactive attitude and actively taking control is what it’s all about.
“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses”
(George Eliot)
It may be a word that has been overused in the workplace in recent years, but it is a word that encourages an attitude that is always required, especially in the most creative professions: doing things without being told. Quite simply, to be fully aware of what our objectives are, and in the case of lifestyle management, to carry them out with skill, delicacy, excellence and efficiency; being our top of the class for our client, and foreseeing what is going through their mind without even knowing what they need, require or what makes them happy.
Could we say proactivity one of the keys to being a Personal Angel? Yes, and beyond that, it may be what truly defines what it means to be a good personal assistant. Our job is not just about taking action, but also everything that goes before it: confidence, determination, experience, client knowledge, exquisite instinct and a keen eye for detail. It is very simple and complex at the same time… Or as the writer Mario Benedetti said: “I like people who vibrate, who don’t have to be pushed, who don’t have to be told to do things, but who know what needs to be done and do it”. That’s how we are… And that’s how we help others to fly.
Translation: Emily Benton
Photo Credits: Unsplash
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
La proactividad: cómo intuye e imagina un Personal Angel para adelantarse a las necesidades del cliente
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Autora: María José Núñez | Mayo 2023
Un Personal Angel ha de poseer intuición e imaginación, que son los principales dones que se requieren para ser capaces de anticiparse a las necesidades del cliente… antes, por supuesto, de que éste se haya dado cuenta. Es decir, no hay nada que se deje al azar.
Y eso es precisamente la proactividad. Tener una actitud proactiva… En ello consiste. O dicho de otro modo, tomar activamente el control.
“Nunca lloverá rosas: cuando queremos tener más rosas, debemos plantar más rosas”
(George Eliot)
Quizás sea una palabra de la que se ha abusado excesivamente en los últimos años en el ámbito laboral, pero no deja de ser un vocablo que incita a lo que siempre se demanda, especialmente en las profesiones más creativas: no esperar a que nos digan lo que tenemos que hacer. Sencillamente, ser un amplio conocedor de cuáles son nuestros objetivos, y en el caso del lifestyle management, llevarlos a cabo con destreza, delicadeza, excelencia y eficacia; siendo unos alumnos aventajados de nuestro cliente, previendo aquello que pasa por su mente y ni si quiera sepa que le urge, requiere o le hace feliz.
Por lo tanto, ¿es la proactividad una de las claves de la profesión de Personal Angel? Así es. Y no sólo eso. Puede que nos encontremos ante lo que define verdaderamente lo que significa ser un buen asistente personal. Pues nuestra tarea no se basa únicamente en la acción, si no en todo lo que previamente conlleva antes de ello: confianza, determinación, experiencia, conocimiento del cliente, un exquisito instinto y gran habilidad para prestar atención a los detalles. Tan simple y complejo al mismo tiempo… O como dijo el escritor Mario Benedetti: “me gusta la gente que vibra, que no hay que empujarla, que no hay que decirle que haga las cosas, sino que sabe lo que hay que hacer y lo hace”. Pues así somos… Y así hacemos volar a otros.
Traducción: Emily Benton
Foto: Unsplash
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
TLI in the magazine “MESA DE ANÁLISIS” of the andalusian TV Channel Canal Sur
🗞️ Cristina Martí, Personal Angel and Lifestyle Manager at Alberta La Grup and lecturer at The Lifestyle Institute, took part in the magazine Mesa de Análisis on the Andalusian television channel Canal Sur. We leave you with a fragment of the interview, where she talked about the role of Personal Angels. ⤵️
“In the future, The Lifestyle Concierge profession will be in high demand and not only in the luxury sector”
Interview with Irina Davydova, Lifestyle Concierge at Alberta La Grup
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Author: María José Núñez | May 2023
Irina Davydova, Lifestyle Concierge at Alberta La Grup, tells us what she defines as a ‘great story’, which is none other than the path that led her to work for this company and dedicate herself to a profession that fulfils her every day. Coincidences do exist and you never know where your working life will take you. Below, she tells you her story…
(Sigue en español)
-How did you land a job at Alberta La Grup? Tell us briefly about your career path up to this point.
It’s a great story. I moved to Barcelona from Malta with my husband a year ago in March. In May, after getting my documents, I decided to look for a part-time job because I had started learning Spanish and volunteering. One late afternoon I opened Linkedin and after reading the first job vacancy I knew right away they were looking for me. The job was posted 30 minutes before I saw it. It was a match from the first second and the interviews only convinced me of that.
I was a little worried that in a corporate career sense this position would be a downgrade for me. My last positions were managerial, I was in charge of the front office and housekeeping departments in one of the best luxury hotels in Malta at my last job. Before that I created from scratch a butler service and was a deputy director of the front office in the best luxury hotel in Moscow. But I was worried in vain, there is so much new for me in this job that I have something to learn and strive for every day.
-Describe your position. What are your responsibilities?
As a Lifestyle Concierge I ensure that our residents’ and clients’ lifestyles are as comfortable and convenient as possible, by taking care of various tasks and responsibilities on their behalf. These can be very simple tasks, such as arranging flower delivery or recommending a restaurant. Or they can be complicated and delicate – organizing an urgent safe arrival of a favorite dog from China or finding a rare piece of jewelry that is no longer in production.
-What do you love most about your profession?
I really enjoy finding and choosing new places and services. I like to try things out for myself or get feedback from colleagues, residents and friends. I like the fact that I need to be up-to-date all the time, and also that behind every conversation there may be a future collaboration.
“A Lifestyle Concierge has to have resilience, curiosity and a love for people”
-What skills do you think a Lifestyle Concierge should have?
In addition to the standard communication skills and positive attitude, I would name resilience (the ability to cope with and recover from setbacks), curiosity (a strong desire to know or learn something) and love for people.
– Could you tell us about an anecdotal situation you have encountered as a Lifestyle Concierge?
I adore animals, have read literature on their psychology, have practiced and consider myself quite experienced in interacting with them. When our residents got their first dog, I immediately began to actively communicate with it. However, at some point the dog began to react unfriendly to me, and I started to worry about this and think about possible reasons and solutions. Together with the residents we came up with the idea to create a positive memory and went out together to play with the ball for a little while. It worked and now we are friends again!
Name me some other people who might have this happen during the working day:D
– What is a typical day like in your job?
It’s very difficult to describe day-to-day life, because the days are rarely alike.
But they always include communication with residents both in person and online, communication with various suppliers and deliverymen.
There are always tasks from residents and clients, some require a lot of work, some can be solved at the same moment. At the same time we do different preparatory work: we look for and meet potential partners, find interesting events in the city and in the world, prepare reviews. Since we still consider ourselves a new project, we are also developing operational standards and procedures.
“I have learned through my work to appreciate and recognise quality products and services”
-What is it about the world of luxury that interests you? When you work in this field, is everything seen differently?
I’ve been in the industry for over 10 years now, it’s hard for me to see how my perception of luxury could be any different.
The first thing that comes to mind is that I have probably learned through my work to appreciate and recognise quality products and services.
Personally I don’t strive for a luxurious lifestyle, rather the opposite, the field highlights how many people lack even the bare minimum and how much they need our help. My profession allows me to be the link between these worlds and I see great higher value in that.
“A professional, experienced and knowledgeable Lifestyle Concierge relieves their clients of a huge burden of worry”
-Do you think we are moving towards a society where having a Lifestyle Concierge is becoming more and more necessary in some areas?
I talk to a lot of different people every day and I see a growing interest in my profession. In today’s world, there are so many choices of where to go, what to do, and it’s so easy for people to get lost in it. There is a growing amount of information and it is getting harder and harder for people to filter it. A professional, experienced, knowledgeable Lifestyle Concierge relieves his clients of a huge burden of worry. I think that in the near future Lifestyle Concierge will become an in-demand profession not only in the luxury segment.
-If you could choose someone to assist, whom would you wish to serve by achieving his/her dreams?
In my years in hospitality, I have worked with the highest levels of government, celebrities, and the richest people in the world. Each time it’s a new challenge and adventure.
But if I need to choose I would choose someone with a bright, crazy, humanistic and realistic idea of improving the world.
-What is the most exciting /difficult part of your position as Lifestyle Concierge?
The hardest part was not knowing the main languages of the country. I’m learning Spanish now, but the process is much more difficult and time-consuming than I would have liked. The first few months I was demanding the impossible and I was under constant stress because of it. Over time, I realized that I could rely on my native speaker colleagues and do more tasks in English and Russian. It’s a huge blessing to have a team of professionals around always ready to help and advise.
Translation: Emily Benton
Photo: Alberta La Grup
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
“En un futuro próximo, la profesión de Lifestyle Concierge estará muy demandada, no sólo en el sector del lujo”
Entrevista a Irina Davydova, Lifestyle Concierge de Alberta La Grup
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Autora: María José Núñez | Mayo 2023
Irina Davydova, Lifestyle Concierge en Alberta La Grup, nos cuenta lo que define como ‘gran historia’, que no es otra que el camino que le llevó a trabajar para esta empresa y dedicarse a una profesión que le llena cada día. Las casualidades existen y nunca sabes por dónde te va a llevar la vida laboral. A continuación, te lo cuenta ella misma…
-¿Cómo llegaste a Alberta La Grup? Cuéntanos brevemente tu trayectoria profesional hasta llegar aquí.
Es una gran historia. Me trasladé a Barcelona desde Malta con mi marido hace un año (en marzo). En mayo, después de conseguir la documentación, decidí buscar un trabajo a tiempo parcial porque había empezado a aprender español y a hacer voluntariado. Una tarde abrí LInkedin, y tras leer la primera oferta de trabajo, supe enseguida que me buscaban a mi. El trabajo se publicó 30 minutos antes de que yo lo viera, coincidía desde el primer segundo y las entrevistas no hicieron más que convencerme de ello.
Me preocupaba un poco que, en el sentido de una carrera corporativa, este puesto supusiera un descenso para mí. En mi último trabajo estuve a cargo de los departamentos de Recepción y Limpieza de uno de los mejores hoteles de lujo de Malta. Anteriormente, creé desde cero un servicio de Mayordomo y fui Subdirectora de la Recepción del mejor hotel de lujo de Moscú. Pero me preocupaba en vano… hay tantas cosas nuevas para mí en este trabajo que, cada día, tengo algo que aprender y por lo que esforzarme.
-Describa su puesto. ¿Cuáles son sus funciones?
Como Lifestyle Concierge me aseguro de que el estilo de vida de nuestros residentes y clientes sea lo más cómodo y confortable posible, ocupándome de diversas tareas y responsabilidades en su nombre. Pueden ser tareas muy sencillas: como organizar el reparto de flores o recomendar un restaurante; o pueden ser complicadas y delicadas: como organizar la llegada urgente y segura de un perro desde China o encontrar una joya rara que ya no se fabrica.
-¿Qué es lo que más le entusiasma de su profesión?
Me gusta mucho encontrar y elegir nuevos lugares y servicios. Me agrada probar cosas por mí misma o recibir opiniones de colegas, residentes y amigos. Y me satisface el hecho de tener que estar siempre al día y que detrás de cada conversación pueda haber una futura colaboración.
“Un Lifestyle Concierge ha de tener resiliencia, curiosidad y amor por la gente”
-¿Qué cualidades cree que debe tener un Lifestyle Concierge?
Además de las habilidades comunicativas estándar y la actitud positiva, yo nombraría la resiliencia (la capacidad de afrontar y recuperarse de los contratiempos), la curiosidad (un fuerte deseo de saber o aprender algo) y el amor por la gente.
-¿Podría contarnos alguna anécdota, curiosidad o situación que le haya ocurrido?
Adoro a los animales… He leído literatura sobre su psicología, he practicado y me considero bastante experimentada en la interacción con ellos. Cuando nuestros residentes tuvieron su primer perro, enseguida empecé a comunicarme activamente con él. Sin embargo, en algún momento, el perro empezó a reaccionar de forma poco amistosa conmigo, y empecé a preocuparme por ello y a pensar en posibles razones y soluciones. Junto con los residentes, se nos ocurrió la idea de crear un recuerdo positivo y salimos juntos a jugar un rato con la pelota. Funcionó y ahora somos amigos de nuevo.
Nómbrame a otras personas a las que les pueda pasar esto durante la jornada laboral…
-¿Cómo es el día a día en tu trabajo?
Es muy difícil describir el día a día, porque los días rara vez son iguales. Pero siempre incluyen comunicación con los residentes, tanto en persona como por Internet, comunicación con diversos proveedores y repartidores. Siempre hay tareas de residentes y clientes; algunas requieren mucho trabajo, y otras, pueden resolverse en el mismo momento. Al mismo tiempo, hacemos distintos trabajos preparatorios: buscamos y nos reunimos con socios potenciales, encontramos eventos interesantes en la ciudad y en el mundo, preparamos reseñas… Como aún nos consideramos un proyecto nuevo, también estamos desarrollando normas y procedimientos operativos.
“Con mi trabajo he aprendido a apreciar y reconocer los productos y servicios de calidad”
-¿Qué tiene el mundo del lujo? Cuando se trabaja en este campo, ¿se ve todo de otra manera?
Llevo más de 10 años en el sector y me cuesta ver cómo mi percepción del lujo puede ser diferente. Lo primero que se me ocurre es que probablemente he aprendido con mi trabajo a apreciar y reconocer los productos y servicios de calidad. Personalmente, no aspiro a un estilo de vida lujoso; más bien lo contrario… este terreno pone en relieve cuántas personas carecen incluso de lo mínimo y cuánto necesitan nuestra ayuda. Mi profesión me permite ser el enlace entre estos mundos y veo en ello un gran valor añadido.
“Un Lifestyle Concierge profesional, experimentado y bien informado libera a sus clientes de una enorme carga de preocupaciones”
-¿Cree que avanzamos hacia una sociedad en la que tener un Lifestyle Concierge es cada vez más necesario en algunos ámbitos?
Hablo con mucha gente diferente cada día y veo un interés creciente por mi profesión. En el mundo actual hay tantas opciones dónde ir, qué hacer… y es muy fácil perderse. Cada vez hay más información y cada vez es más difícil filtrarla. Un Lifestyle Concierge profesional, experimentado y bien informado libera a sus clientes de una enorme carga de preocupaciones. Creo que en un futuro próximo la figura del Lifestyle Concierge se convertirá en una profesión muy demandada, no sólo en el sector del lujo.
-Si pudiera elegir a alguien a quien ayudar, ¿a quién desearía servir haciendo realidad sus sueños?
En mis años en la Hostelería, he trabajado con los más altos niveles del Gobierno, celebridades y las personas más ricas del mundo. Cada ocasión es un nuevo reto y una nueva aventura.
Pero si tengo que elegir, escogería a alguien con una idea brillante, loca, humanista y realista de mejorar el mundo.
– ¿Cuál es la parte más emocionante/difícil de tu puesto como Lifestyle Concierge?
Lo más difícil fue no conocer los principales idiomas del país. Ahora estoy aprendiendo español, pero el proceso es mucho más difícil y lleva más tiempo del que me hubiera gustado. Los primeros meses me exigía lo imposible y sufría un estrés constante por ello. Con el tiempo, me di cuenta de que podía confiar en mis compañeros nativos y hacer más tareas en inglés y ruso. Es una gran bendición contar con un equipo de profesionales siempre dispuesto a ayudar y asesorar.
Traducción: Emily Benton
Foto: Alberta La Grup
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
“I would define my job as meticulous: you have to pay attention to every detail”
Interview with Gemma García, Lifestyle Concierge at Alberta La Grup
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Author: María José Núñez | May 2023
Gemma García, Lifestyle Concierge at Alberta La Grup, tells us how she landed in the company, what her job consists of and what her day-to-day work is like. If you don’t know exactly what it is to be a Lifestyle Concierge, you will soon find out… You may even discover have an aptitude for it
(Sigue en español)
-How did you land your job at Alberta La Grup? Tell us briefly about your career path up to this point.
Since my years at university, I have always been linked to the world of luxury. I started my professional career in 5-star hotels and went through different departments until I became a butler at ‘The Penthouses,’ in Hotel Arts Barcelona. This experience is what led me to be able to work at ALG.
-What are your responsibilities at Alberta La Grup?
At ALG I manage all kinds of requests from our residents, always with the highest level of confidentiality. In addition, I also support my colleagues in our Passeig de Gràcia office with the requests from the rest of Alberta La Grup’s clients.
-What do you love most about being a Lifestyle Concierge?
For me, the best thing about being a Lifestyle Concierge is that every day is a new challenge, no two days are ever the same!
“A Lifestyle Concierge receives a lot of requests and you have to know in which order to deal with them”
-What skills do you think a Lifestyle Concierge should have?
The most important skills for a Lifestyle Concierge are to be decisive, to be able to solve any situation and to be able to work quickly and efficiently and prioritise the most important tasks. You receive a lot of requests and you have to know in which order to deal with them.
-Could you tell us about an anecdotal situation you have encountered as a Lifestyle Concierge?
Some of our residents are regular purchasers of vitamin supplements in England… And every month, we have to do all the follow-up: from the purchase to their arrival in Spain through customs controls. The process is so long that every time we manage to release one order we have another one waiting.
-What is a typical day like in your job?
The day usually starts with a follow-up of the previous day’s pending tasks. Once we have defined the importance of each one, we start to resolve all the residents’ requests, always keeping an eye on everything that comes in during the day and resolving it according to its urgency.
“The professional field of Lifestyle Management allows you to develop many different skills”
-How would you define your position at ALG in one word?
I would define it as meticulous. You have to pay attention to every detail.
-For young people who want to develop their career in Lifestyle Management or who want to turn their working life around, how would you invite them to pursue this?
This is a job that allows you to develop many different skills, so if you are a person with attention to detail and a high level of customer service who is willing to keep learning every day, this job could be for you.
Translation: Emily Benton
Photo: Alberta La Grup
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
“Definiría mi puesto de trabajo como meticuloso: hay que prestar atención a todos los detalles”
Entrevista a Gemma García, Lifestyle Concierge de Alberta La Grup
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Autora: María José Núñez | Mayo 2023
Gemma García, Lifestyle Concierge de Alberta La Grup, nos cuenta cómo aterrizó en la empresa, en qué consiste su puesto y como es el día a día de su trabajo. Si no conoces en qué consiste exactamente ser Lifestyle Concierge, en breve lo vas a saber… E incluso puede que tengas aptitudes para ello y estés a punto de darte cuenta.
-¿Cómo aterrizaste en Alberta La Grup? Detállanos brevemente tu trayectoria profesional hasta llegar aquí.
Desde mis años en la universidad, siempre he estado vinculada con el mundo del lujo. Empecé mi carrera profesional en hoteles de 5 estrellas y pasé por distintos departamentos hasta llegar a ser Mayordomo en ‘The Penthouses,’ en Hotel Arts Barcelona. Esta experiencia es la que me ha llevado a poder trabajar en ALG.
-¿Cuáles son tus funciones en Alberta La Grup?
En ALG gestiono todo tipo de peticiones de nuestros residentes, siempre con el más alto nivel de confidencialidad. Además, también doy apoyo a mis compañeras en nuestras oficinas de Passeig de Gràcia, con las peticiones del resto de clientes de Alberta La Grup.
-¿Qué es lo que más te apasiona de ser Lifestyle Concierge?
Para mi, lo mejor de ser Lifestyle Concierge es que cada día es un nuevo reto, ¡nunca tienes dos días iguales!
“Un Lifestyle Concierge recibe una gran cantidad de peticiones y hay que saber en qué orden resolverlas”
-¿Qué aptitudes consideras que debe ha de tener un Lifestyle Concierge?
Las aptitudes más importantes para un Lifestyle Concierge son ser resolutivo, tener capacidad para resolver cualquier situación y saber trabajar de forma rápida y eficiente priorizando las tareas más importantes. Recibes una gran cantidad de peticiones y hay que saber en qué orden resolverlas.
-¿Podrías contarnos una situación anecdótica con la que te hayas encontrado ejerciendo de Lifestyle Concierge?
Unos de nuestros residentes son asiduos a la compra de suplementos vitamínicos en Inglaterra… Y cada mes, debemos realizar todo el seguimiento: desde la compra hasta su llegada a España pasando por los controles de aduanas. El proceso es tan largo que cada vez que conseguimos liberar un pedido ya tenemos otro esperando.
-¿Cómo suele ser un día en tu trabajo?
El día suele empezar con un seguimiento de las tareas pendientes del día anterior. Y una vez definida la importancia de cada una, empezamos a resolver todas las peticiones de los residentes, siempre manteniéndonos alerta de todo aquello que entra durante el día y resolviéndolo en función de su urgencia.
“El ámbito profesional del Lifestyle Management te permite desarrollar muchas aptitudes diferentes”
-¿Cómo definirías en una palabra tu cargo en ALG?
Lo definiría como meticuloso. Hay que prestar atención a todos los detalles.
-Para aquellos jóvenes que quieran desarrollar su carrera profesional en el ámbito del Lifestyle Management o quienes quieran dar un giro a su vida laboral. ¿Cómo les invitarías a dedicarse a esto?
Éste es un trabajo que te permite desarrollar muchas aptitudes diferentes. Por ello, si eres una persona con atención al detalle y con un alto servicio al cliente dispuesto a seguir aprendiendo cada día, éste trabajo puede ser para ti.
Traducción: Emily Benton
Foto: Alberta La Grup
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
Alberta La Grup in Spear’s Lifestyle Index 2023!
ALBERTA LA GRUP IN SPEAR’S LIFESTYLE INDEX 2023!
May 2023
We are honoured to be in The Spear’s Lifestyle Index 2023.
A list that includes the best lifestyle advisers for HNWs and UHNWs. And Alberta La Grup is in the Concierge Services category.
Thank you very much, Spear’s Magazine!
And thank you 🙏🏽 to all our clients, employees, interns, collaborators, partners and friends for your trust and support.
Read more here: https://spearswms.com/luxury/best-concierge-specialists-high-net-worth-individuals
(Sigue en español)
Mayo 2023
¡Alberta La Grup en Spear’s Lifestyle Index 2023!
Es un honor para nosotros figurar en The Spear’s Lifestyle Index 2023.
Una lista que incluye a los mejores asesores de estilo de vida para HNWs y UHNWs. Y Alberta La Grup está en la categoría de Servicios de Conserjería.
¡Muchas gracias, Spear’s Magazine!
Y gracias 🙏🏽 a todos nuestros clientes, empleados, becarios, colaboradores, socios y amigos por vuestra confianza y apoyo.
Más información aquí: https://spearswms.com/luxury/best-concierge-specialists-high-net-worth-individuals
Excellence: Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Author: María José Núñez | April 2023
Excellence is defined as the superior quality or goodness that makes something or someone worthy of appreciation and esteem… In the world of Lifestyle Management, we think of it as the ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. We find ourselves in the pursuit of excellence almost constantly.
(Sigue en español)
It is far from being a question of living under pressure from this relentless pursuit of perfection, but rather, with the correct training, experience and skills required to be a Personal Angel, we can consider it a daily learning process… It is the icing on the cake that makes this profession different in every situation, as well as interesting, exciting and, above all, the antithesis of monotony.
Where does the magic of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary happen? Quite simply, in the small details: Those particularities, gestures and even details that make the difference.
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we pursue perfection we can achieve excellence”
(Vince Lombardi)
Examples? Well, they are just as endless as the many different situations and complex lives you can find… Enjoying the softness and comfort of Egyptian cotton sheets when you have just landed on the other side of the world, being the first diner of the night at the most coveted table in the best restaurant in the Big Apple, having everything ready to take a first class flight and arriving on time, being able to have breakfast every morning with the best views of your city…
Everyday moments such as sleeping, having breakfast, eating and moving become exceptional and unusual. These are moments that could be something amazing for the vast majority of mortals.
That is what being a Personal Angel is all about: Managing complex lives, so that your clients (High Net Worth Individuals) can enjoy their privileges, spending their time on what they truly desire and delegating other functions, actions and tasks to the assistants in their private lives. We only have one life. If you have the possibility for it to be excellent, why would you settle for ordinary?
Translation: Emily Benton
Photo Credits: Unsplash
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
Excelencia: Convertir lo ordinario en extraordinario
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Autora: María José Núñez | Abril 2023
Se define la excelencia como la calidad superior o bondad que hace digna de aprecio y estima a algo o a alguien… En el mundo del Lifestyle Management, lo concebimos como la capacidad de convertir lo ordinario en extraordinario. Y ese estado de búsqueda de la excelencia se puede decir que nos encontramos, casi constantemente.
No se trata, ni mucho menos, de vivir presionados por ese incansable hallazgo de la perfección. Con la formación, experiencia y aptitudes que se requieren para ser un Personal Angel, es más bien un aprendizaje diario… Esa guinda del pastel que hace que esta profesión sea diferente en cada situación, a la par que interesante, emocionante y, sobre todo, la antítesis de la monotonía
¿Dónde se produce esa magia de transformar lo ordinario en extraordinario? Sencillamente, en los pequeños detalles… Esas particularidades, gestos, e incluso, pormenores que marcan la diferencia.
“La perfección no es alcanzable, pero si perseguimos la perfección podemos alcanzar la excelencia“
(Vince Lombardi)
¿Ejemplos? Hay tantos como situaciones y vidas complejas… Disfrutar de la suavidad y comodidad de unas sábanas de algodón egipcio justo el día que acabas de aterrizar en la otra parte del mundo, ser el primer comensal de la noche en la mejor mesa del mejor restaurante de la Gran Manzana, tener todo dispuesto para emprender un vuelo en primera clase y llegar a la hora prevista, poder desayunar cada mañana con las mejores vistas de tu ciudad…
Momentos cotidianos como dormir, desayunar, comer, trasladarse… se tornan excepcionales e inusuales. Y bien podría decirse que asombrosos para la gran mayoría de los mortales.
Y en ello consiste ser Personal Angel… En gestionar esas vidas complejas, para que sus clientes, individuos con elevados patrimonios, puedan gozar de sus privilegios destinando su tiempo a lo que verdaderamente desean, delegando otras funciones, acciones y tareas en los asistentes de su vida privada. Porque vida solo hay una… Y si tienes la posibilidad de que sea excelente, ¿por qué dejar que únicamente sea corriente?
Traducción: Emily Benton
Foto: Unsplash
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
Interview in Nius Diario
Cristina, assistant to millionaires: “We don’t judge what they ask of us. As long as it is legal and moral, we will do our best to resolve it”
Read this interesting interview with Cristina Martí about Alberta La Grup and The Lifestyle Institute at NIUS DIARIO!
21 March, 2023
The original article: ¿Qué hace un asistente personal de millonarios? (niusdiario.es)
And read it in english here:
· These professionals are dedicated to assisting “high net worth individuals” to ensure that they don’t need to worry about anything
· There services fall under at least 300 categories which are provided according to the clients’ needs
· They estimate taking care of around 5,600 tasks per family each year.
Their job is to always be one step ahead and to help their clients avoid worrying about trivial tasks such as buying birthday presents, sorting out boxes after a house move or looking for cleaning staff. They are know as personal assistants or, as they like to refer to themselves, personal angels as they consider themselves to be guardian angels for those whose lives they make easier.
Certainly, some of the tasks they have to take care of are challenges that would seemingly require some help from above, although they take care of them without batting an eyelid: picking up a forgotten teddy bear from a villa in the middle of the mountains, convincing the Little Mermaid herself to appear in the private pool at the birthday party of a little American girl in Spain, or taking a specific brand of bottled water from Geneva to Kazakhstan for clients who only like to drink that particular brand.
Cristina Martí (42) is one of them main protagonists when it comes to these achievements. She has been working as a personal assistant for high net worth clients for the last ten years and she talks about these challenges (that she faces on a daily basis) as though they were totally natural. As she explains, it is her job: the client makes their requests and she (and her team) make them happen.
For example, when she travelled to New York to decorate a hotel room for Halloween to surprise the family’s children, or when she had to pick up a car in Rome and drive it to Geneva so that the top executive she was assisting could arrive on time to his meeting without having to worry about his sports car. Of course, Cristina delivered it looking spotless and with a full tank of petrol.
These are the kinds of requests that arrive to Alberta La Grup Lifestyle Business, SL, the agency in which she works and where they carry out services in at least 300 categories such as home and family, care for the elderly, shopping, travel, family activities or taking care of properties.
The client chooses what kind of service and the amount of hours they want to contract and from there, the magic starts to happen. It could be anything from doing the shopping to what is called a ‘soft landing’ (one of the most requested services) which is simply helping with the ‘landing’ of someone who is getting set up in a new country.
“That was one of my first jobs and I remember it fondly. A client was moving to Spain and they hired us to handle to move. She needed to travel for a month in Europe so we got the house ready, we put away the clothes in the way she liked, and we filled the fridge with her favourite food. We got everything ready: the garden had been taken care of, her pet was at home, the housekeeping staff were hired, her children had a school ready. When she arrived, she found a home that was ready to be lived in”, she explains.
It’s the work of a fairy godmother that she has taken care of many times since she started. “We take care of everything, so that when they move that don’t miss their home country. We try to make sure that their arrival is not traumatic.”
That’s why among their clients (of whom they won’t give us any details) there are footballers who have recently moved from other countries, executives without much time on their hands and other people who prefer to pay and free themselves of their worries.
“The first thing we do is send them a survey that allows us to get to know them better. This way we know what their needs are, whether it will be just for that person or for the whole family, how many hours they need, what they are like and what their tastes and preferences are.”
Question: And from that point on do you offer personalized services?
A: We become their circle of trust, without being their friends. Everything they ask of us, we take care of it. We show them hairdressers, schools that meet the criteria they are looking for, we help the to do all the paperwork for the school, we find them a gym or a personal trainer. We also remind them when they have a doctor’s appointment or when their kids have extra-curricular activities. That’s why a lot of what we do involves anticipating their needs.
Question: So in addition to what they request, do you propose things too?
A: For example, we know when their partner’s birthday is so we can suggest that they go for dinner to a certain restaurant and we will have informed the restaurant beforehand so that they are aware and can put flowers on the table or take care of any special requests. Or perhaps the client has let us know that they love F1 and the Red Bull team so we might suggest that they go to the Red Bull paddock in Miami and we can take care of organizing the trip if they want us to.
Question: Are you available 24 hours?
Answer: There are many different situations: some clients only need assistance until 6pm, whereas others contract our services for 24h. That’s why we work as a team – this way, we know that they will never be without the assistance they need.
It’s very important that there is always someone available. A client may call to tell us that they have forgotten their medication and that they are travelling and therefore we would need to get on a plane and “take it to Dubai”. Or maybe the pipes in their mountain home burst in the middle of the night and we need to “put the family up in a hotel and 3am” and take care of resolving the issue with the insurance.
Question: Have you ever rejected any requests?
A: We are not here to judge what they request, as long as it is legal and moral we will do our best to resolve it. It’s a challenge for the team. A while ago, a client told us that their daughter was very sad because in the U.S. she had been a friend of the Little Mermaid who she had met at a birthday party and to whom she wrote letters. When she came to live in Spain, that relationship became complicated, so we looked for a Spanish Little Mermaid. We organized a pool party and the little girl found the new Little Mermaid their. The client and their daughter were delighted.
Q: It sounds like things never get boring!
A: Not everything is so exciting. We also deal with more simple requests. We take care of paying fines, sending a taxi with a phone charger when the client forgets it, taking the children to their basketball practice or helping to organize a dinner with friends. But of course, we do have very exciting requests. Right now we are taking care of a trip to Disney for a family and not only do we need to take care of flights, arrival, accommodation, etc. The planning starts before all this: who will take care of the house, the pets, the garden, who to call in case the alarm goes off, who will take them to the airport, etc.
Q: Have you ever failed to resolve a request?
A: We try our best not to. We have a great deal of the work already done and we take good care of our relationships with suppliers. If the client needs a reservation in an exclusive restaurant, the staff there already know who we are. If they urgently need their suit dry-cleaned, we already know where to take it. When we don’t find what they need, we can adapt. It could be a case in which the client likes their household staff, but they don’t know how to cook what they want or they don’t know how to iron their shirt the way they like it, in this case we would show them how.
Q: Have you ever rejected a client for being rude or inappropriate?
A: Our clients know who we are and we understand them well. If some of them don’t ask for things in a polite way, we know that it’s nothing personal and we always work in a professional manner, unless it was somebody who was constantly disrespectful. We have said ‘no’ to many people.
Q: What are the requirements to become a personal assistant?
A: We once got together to count them and there were 137 skills that were required as an assistant, but basically we can summarize it as showing willing or excitement to do this job because it is a vocation, and a demanding one at that. Furthermore, you need to have professional ethics, good time management skills, know how to handle your emotions, politeness, languages, know how and be multi-talented. One day you might be organizing a top itinerary, and the next running to pick up a bag from the gym.
It is a job that, according to what Lourdes Carbó, the CEO of the agency in Barcelona told NIUS, is very well compensated. “We take in at least 60,000 euros a year, but it all depends on the family we are working with”, she says. What is certain is that it is well earned. According to their calculations, throughout the year they carry out on average 5,600 tasks per family.
Confidentiality: Absolute privacy
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Author: María José Núñez | March 2023
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”: A well-known phrase that we all have etched on our brains and that captures precisely what we all understand by ‘confidentiality’. Let’s explore further this concept that forms a quintessential part of our business…
(Sigue en español)
Following our breakdown of discretion as being key to our service, today we will look at confidentiality. The meaning of the word is clear but in practice it is a complex concept.
The dictionary defines it as the quality of being confidential, meaning that something is said or done in confidence and with reciprocal security between two or more individuals. It can therefore be considered a element of information of which the objective is to guarantee access only to authorised persons.
This element must therefore take precedence over many others within the Personal Angel profession. This is due to a variety of (very) justified reasons:
- You work managing other people’s personal and family lives.
- The work involves handling complex lifestyles: People with High Net Worth and for whom discretion and confidentiality are of utmost importance.
- The client trusts that they can delegate any task that they require to the PA and this trust is always built upon a fundamental premise: Privacy.
Trust is indeed the basis of the Client-PA relationship and the confidentiality agreement forms the foundations of this trust for PAs and other professionals within the lifestyle management industry.
This is where the concept of becoming a ‘confidant’ comes from: PAs are like Guardian Angels and provide the security, determination and natural confidence that are required in order for there to be harmony and trust between the parties.
As we mentioned before, the concept is both simple and complex at the same time, in exactly the same way that our work as Personal Angels can be.
“Simplicity does not precede complexity, it follows it“
(Alan Perlis, American professor and computer scientist)
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
Confidencialidad: Privacidad absoluta
Editorial The Lifestyle Institute | Autora: María José Núñez | Marzo 2023
“Lo que pasa en Las Vegas, se queda en Las Vegas”. Sí, una frase muy conocida que todos tenemos grabado a fuego y que plasma, de manera concisa, lo que todos entendemos por confidencialidad. Continuemos con nuestro repaso a la quinta esencia de nuestro servicio…
Tras el desglose de la discreción como clave de nuestro servicio, hoy la confidencialidad entra en escena. Su significado es claro pero su desarrollo, complejo.
La RAE lo define como la es la cualidad de confidencial. Es decir, que se dice o hace en confianza y con seguridad recíproca entre dos o más individuos. Con lo cual, es una propiedad de la información cuyo objetivo es garantizar el acceso únicamente a las personas autorizadas.
Por lo tanto, esta propiedad debe ir por delante de muchas otras en el ejercicio de la profesión de Personal Angel. Por diversas y (muy) justificadas razones:
Trabaja gestionando vidas ajenas, personales y familiares.
Se trata de estilos de vida complejos, de personas con elevados patrimonios y donde la discreción y confidencialidad debe jugar un papel primordial.
El cliente está confiando en el PA para delegar en su figura todas aquellas funciones/tareas que él/ella necesite y que hayan establecido previamente. Siempre con una premisa fundamental: la privacidad.
Sí, la confianza es aquí la base de la relación cliente-PA. Y de ese ‘confío en ti’ nace ese acuerdo de confidencialidad. Ese feedback en el que nace el servicio del PA y el resto de profesiones del universo del lifestyle management.
Y de ahí derivaremos en la característica y el valor de llegar a ser ‘confidente’. Como un Ángel de la Guarda. Con la seguridad, determinación y naturalidad que se requieren para que haya esa armonía y garantía entre las partes.
Tal y como mencionábamos anteriormente, sencillo pero complejo al mismo tiempo… Precisamente, como se podría definir este nuestro trabajo.
“La simplicidad no precede a la complejidad, sino que la sigue“
(Alan Perlis, catedrático e informático estadounidense)
Traducción: Emily Benton
Foto: Pixabay
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
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!
Closing of the III Edition of the Postgraduate Course
The closing ceremony of the III Edition of the TLI Postgraduate Course took place on Saturday 11th February. Our students and teachers gathered to conclude these 5 months of learning, debate, practices and illusion. A ceremony that was experienced with a different energy, where we were able to get to know each other, and where there was an atmosphere of good vibes, connection and good humour. Thanks to all of our students and, of course, to our lecturers, partners and academic team. Let’s fly forever! If you want to see the gallery of images of the ceremony, click here:
Copyright ©by Alberta La Grup
Photos by Claudia Schmidt (Volpus Design)
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!