We keep introducing the team that makes TheVagar happen every day. Today we went to hear who materializes the dream in words. She is Cátia Rodrigues, Tourism Consultant, specialized in Career Management. Besides her vast experience in the trade, she has also dedicated herself to teaching, training and mentoring new talents in the sector. She believes that People are the centre, the heart and the voice of this industry and it is on the development of their potential that she bases her life purpose. In his spare time he enjoys writing, reading, swimming, walking and interacting with animals.
1. Why do you say that Tourism is the love of your life and not a passion?
Through self-knowledge, I could see that I am a woman of passions. And that's what made me suffer for many years in this area. I had to redefine the way I felt about things. Transforming passion into love is an art. I managed to do it with Tourism: accepting his faults and weaknesses, focusing on his qualities, being tolerant, understanding as well as being flexible. This was the only way it was possible to keep what I felt I had to release. It worked.
2. What do you like most about the teaching/ professional training/ mentoring side of tourism?
Learning. Teaching is the best way to learn. For me, intellectual stimulation is absolutely indispensable. Nothing gives me more pleasure than sharing my knowledge, my experience and my example, inspire others to do the same and grow with it, as a professional and as a human being.
3. How do you start writing for TheVagar?
Marta was the first person I met when I arrived in the city of Seia, in 2002, to enroll in university. It was the beginning of a friendship that has lasted through time, based on respect, admiration and true love. We have always worked together in several projects over the years and this union is simply very natural. Marta has always believed in my talent for writing and the truth is that it is relatively easy for me to transform her thoughts into words, because I have known and followed her for a long time. It has been a privilege and I am very grateful for the trust she and André have placed in me but, above all, for being part of their journeys.
4. What's the biggest challenge you've encountered at TheVagar and how did you overcome it?
I don't really consider myself a content producer, and certainly not a writer. I simply write. I do it in freestyle, to share my thoughts, share my knowledge, expand my creativity, practice discipline and consistency and because it really gives me pleasure. For TheVagar, I had to start working on technique in writing and that has been challenging. On one hand, trying to get the words to come out fluidly and harmoniously, and on the other, taking into consideration SEO, copywriting strategies, storytelling and others. I have been working together with Marta and Adriana: we invest in training, discuss many ideas, analyse many case studies, adopt a posture of constant learning, sharing and improvement. It is a team effort.
5. How do you evaluate the relationship you've established with Marta and André, as well as the rest of TheVagar team?
Given our history and the fact that a family of friends work in this place, it has been very rewarding. I have always admired Marta and André very much, both as professionals and as human beings. So, respect, understanding, tolerance and support are always present. We don't always agree, but, even with different views, we manage to extract the best from each other's opinion, remaining confident that everyone is comfortable with the decisions taken and that we are doing a competent job. For the sake of a quality Tourism, always!
6. How has TheVagar allowed you to grow as a professional?
I think in all ways. My work at TheVagar goes far beyond writing. As they say: Tourism Professionals know a bit of everything and are not experts in anything. Well I say that at TheVagar, most of us are Tourism experts and therefore know a lot about everything. So we address, together, all the topics. From marketing strategy, to operational decisions, to interior design choices, to market trends, to partnerships, etc., etc., etc. Here we are open to sharing opinions, experiences and knowledge. And we always learn a lot from each other. We expand. We grow.
7. In your opinion, is written content important to the success of a tourism business?
It is more than proven that content converts, essentially because we live in the age of influence. Nobody buys anymore without visiting a website, an opinion platform or asking a family member or friend if they heard about the company, the product or the professional X. Therefore, it is necessary to have a very well defined and consolidated marketing strategy, based, above all, on a concept that reaches people's hearts. Honest and consistent. But that's not enough. You have to communicate it at the top of your lungs to the world.
8. All creatives have their own signature that is printed on their work. Where can we see yours in TheVagar's written content?
Simple, practical and objective. That's how my writing on TheVagar is, just like everything else I do.
9. More than a TheVagar partner, do you consider yourself a TheVagar customer?
As I often say: I like working for people who make tourism, much more than I like making tourism. But, yes, of course it has already conquered me. Its concept and its surroundings are too magical for us to remain indifferent to it.
10. Tell us about the biggest adventure you've had in writing for TheVagar that you'd like to share with us.
Although I always get a lot of information from the site, the team and especially Marta's head, writing is essentially a solitary job. In the corner of my desk, there's not much going on, but I can tell you that despite all our history, in the beginning it was challenging to adapt to Marta's thirst for making things happen. She is a hands-on entrepreneur and sometimes the hardest thing is to get her "feet on the ground". It's always been that way and I say it with pride. Hearing her dreaming fills my heart, makes my eyes shine and keeps me believing it's possible. But she doesn't just dream. She makes it happen. Together with André, they form a brave, powerful and inspiring team. In this context, it is very easy to think that we fall short, but we must have the courage to respectfully counter. Fortunately, they like and are always open to opinions, they understand that there are concessions that have to be made and they count on their People to help them make it happen in the real world. And everything flows. Together, we make it happen. Every day. TheVagar.
Thank you Cátia! Without you, TheVagar wouldn't be so romantic!