Article written by Lara Hernández , facilitator of the 'The Break' 2023 experience with remote villages.

Imagine: 18 women of more than 10 different nationalities gathered for a month, under the same roof in Agaete (Gran Canaria).

Last June I was lucky to collaborate as an ambassador of Pueblos Remotos in the European program #Thebreak.

If this blog follow closely, they will know that the objective of this program is to create a network of 1000 European entrepreneurs to boost their businesses and generate a positive impact on the Spanish rural ecosystem.

And what did I paint there? As a facilitator and coordinator, my goal was to make sure that the experience for these women in Gran Canaria was unforgettable. In other words, start the frame and the means for the connection to be created by itself among the girls.

I will not deceive you, at first I felt a little pressure! How was I going to handle such a diverse group? How was I going to address possible conflicts and meet the needs of each one? And would they get them to work towards a common goal?

A small advance ... It was much more than a retirement.

What we experience was a collective and human transformation. Including me.

Come, tell you everything 🚀

🤝 70% of energy: in preparation and people

I am 100% convinced that I could not have done this job if I had not felt a real interest in each of the breakers.

Before his arrival in Agaete, I took advantage of the first individual mentoring to know his stories, his dreams and fears, his needs . It was also important to give them security and convey confidence (explain the program, answer all your questions ...)

In addition, we organize an online mural session to identify the skills of each one and see how they could share them during retirement.

In summary, 70% of our efforts were in the preparation, along with the participants, long before the experience began.

⏰ The importance of "rituals" to give pace to experience

Since his arrival in Spain, we wanted to start with the famous "rituals."

teambuilding dynamics and we wrote a letter to ourselves (to read after retirement).

Upon arriving in Agaete, we organized a group workshop in which we define the "golden rules" of the experience and establish limits. For example, one of the Breakers wanted to propose a gesture that indicates to the rest his need to be alone.

Finally, we established what we call weekly rituals that invited the group to gather: on Mondays, a family breakfast to share objectives of the week; Wednesdays a mastermind ; And on Thursdays, family dinners.

💪 You are not a super Woman, and that's fine

From the beginning, I wanted to be the perfect host. I worried a lot about each of the breakers (perhaps as a way to overcome some personal difficulties he was going through at that time).

I wanted to make sure that each one felt 100% integrated, identify the people who had difficulties and maintain the energy of the high group.

From the beginning, I identified the most reserved people and paid special attention every day.

Suddenly, two cases of COVID-19 emerged. The two Breakers decided to isolate themselves in their rooms to avoid spreading the rest. Despite all the measures I took, one of the participants let me know that he felt alone during his isolation.

That was a turning point for me and a valuable lesson. I realized that I could not carry everyone's emotions.

From that day, I learned to preserve my energy taking time for me in my room when I needed silence.

🎨 A successful pedagogical design

A well -designed program is one of the keys to success. In this case, the combination of mentoring, activities and teamwork proved to be a good recipe.

The program included:

• A masterclass per week taught by one of the breakers.

• 6 hours of work in a local challenge with agaete entrepreneurs.

• 3 visits to local entrepreneurs to inspire and support their activities.

• 5 individual mentoring sessions by theme (personal coaching, digital marketing, sustainability, etc.).

However, the key to success for me was to give them enough free time without specific objectives. On Tuesdays and Thursdays (our rest days), magic occurred: Mastermind and Improvised Photography sessions, working groups that were formed naturally ...

The key role of a facilitator👩‍🏫

"After this community experience, I will never be the same." - Caro Weisberg (Breaker)

A community cannot be forced, or imposed. Each element chooses to be part of it.

That is why it is necessary that:

• At the individual level, "I feel 100% myself." And this requires a will to open and trust towards the same and the others.

• In a group, feel that "each is part of a whole."

• External factors, frame and context must be favorable. In our case, we had individual rooms, the sea nearby and a quiet environment.

The facilitator, with its unique personality and approach, has here a super important but, also very humble: to establish a framework for all these elements to develop safely and freely.

I don't have enough words of thanks to Elsa and Carlos, for having trusted me. I still still impressed with the level of commitment, well done work and the human quality of both.

Participating in this type of experiences, such as those organized by Pueblos Remotos with teleworkors in rural areas of the Canary Islands, allows us to grow and transform. It is an incredible opportunity to connect with people from different cultures, learn from local entrepreneurs and experience a true personal and collective transformation.