Valentine's stories
To celebrate Valentine's Day this year we have decided to tell other types of love stories, romantic and full of affection like the usual ones. This time, on this special date for many, we want to share with you a series of love stories based on other real events: That cosmic connection and intrinsic relationship that entrepreneurs have with their projects, which weave love stories that also deserve be celebrated on this date.
Cafelito
Cafelito is a coffee shop in Lavapiés, Madrid, that is committed to the dignity of coffee and the moment of drinking it. Not only does it offer coffees and specialties, it also organizes cultural activities for all tastes.
Julio Grisales tells us: “This love story began with a real love, because it was with my ex-partner, who is currently still my partner, when he asked me what business I wanted to start, encouraging me to do something in which I felt valued. . I told him one thing that I have always been clear about: whatever I did, it had to make me feel proud of myself. And so began the love story of El Cafelito .
It was love at first sight when we visited the place, which had been empty for a year. I saw the potential, so I asked if they would let me check the roof and then I said yes, here it is.
Perhaps the value that moves us most is passion, which is part of the DNA of our brand. And it's a value that I think we share with Daniel Chong. We are a bit of a mirror in doing things with passion. We have been watching each other work for a while, we started almost at the same time here in Lavapiés.
I carry Daniel Chong bags and backpacks on a daily basis, which I start early in the morning with a HUGE bag that Daniel designed for me to go get 25kg of bread. Then I continue with my daily backpack, which is a harness with an interchangeable cover, what I like most is precisely being able to exchange it with the harness bag. And I finished off the day with an apron that Daniel also designed for me. “I’m a Daniel Chong guy.”
Mama Ramo
Another love story that we love from Mama Ramo , a company dedicated to creating centerpieces and bouquets with preserved flowers, as well as other types of flower projects, such as store windows, founded in 2021 by Angel Diez.
“This love story began with a phone call to my mother. I had been looking for ideas to start a business for a long time, something that was far from biochemistry, which is what I have studied and what I do. And suddenly this topic of preserved flowers came up, which I didn't know existed. So I called my mother and told her. Do you like it? Would you like us to start with the flower theme? He liked the idea and so we started.
The idea of starting a flower business was love at first sight. I had been looking for a long time and when the idea came up, I said: this may be what I'm looking for. But the project did take longer to come together and it took me longer to fall in love with it. I had no idea what preserved flowers were, so I had to educate myself and train. And I'm still at it.
My mother is part of it and I hope she continues to be part. That's where the project and the name of the company came from. The idea was to have one more reason to be with my mother. It is creating an additional link, and the truth is that it has been more than achieved.
Family is the fundamental pillar on which Mama Ramo is built , and that is what I try to convey to clients. For example, when brides trust me to make their bridal bouquet, I try to convey that trust to them, I try to create a lifelong bond of friendship that in the end helps me understand what they want, and they It gives that peace, tranquility and confidence that I will make their bridal bouquet the way they want. It is the same thing that I share with Daniel Chong. When Daniel asks me for a project, to decorate a store, to make a window display, it is through those friend/family ties that I build a project aligned with what he wants to convey.
I don't leave home without my Daniel Chong backpack. It comes with me when I come here to the workshop, it is a love story but a good one. When you meet someone on the street who is carrying a Daniel Chong backpack, how does that bond create, saying "you carry the same backpack as me," and that creates an imaginary bond that is very cool and very difficult to achieve."
Silverio House
There are loves that are found by chance and last a lifetime. Like Silverio's love for fabrics. Silverio manages Casa Silverio , a century-old fabric store in Madrid, successor to Ángeles González Arasti, established in 1921. They specialize in linens and all types of upholstery materials.
In the words of the great Silverio Carballar: "The love for this profession began when I was an employee of the previous business, where I had very good teachers. First of all: I love what I do. I love my job. It excites me. I started here as an employee and in the end I became the owner of the business, when the family that founded the business in 1921 retired. My teachers made me love this, they were good teachers.
Casa Silverio is a century-old business, very traditional, but at the same time we are involved in social networks and we make a lot of progress on the subject. Our slogan is that we have 100 years of experience, but the excitement of the first day. Have that enthusiasm and learn things every day. And we love the people who come here, that's how it is.
I met Daniel a while ago at the store. It's from these people that, as you see them, they transmit an energy to you, that you say, this boy is going to go very far. And they are achieving it, they are people who, as you look into their eyes, transmit an energy of entrepreneurship that gives you joy. He is always with a smile, so every time you see him it makes your day. On the other hand, it is very demanding in the materials it requests, you have to give it extraordinary quality, natural fibers, very careful with the environment, it is all very integrated."
Momentum Sport Solutions
The love story between Juan Casado and Momentum Sport Solutions unites their two passions: sports and entrepreneurship. Momentum Sport Solutions offers personal training services in Madrid and Bilbao.
"This love story begins with the fact that I am a sports lover. I have studied sports, I did the INEF (Degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences). I came to live here in Madrid 12-14 years ago and I spent some time as a coach In 2017 I decided to start a business, in which I entered gym chains by subcontracting the personal training service, with personal trainers that I hired. So to speak, as if I were paying rent to the gyms, I introduce my employees and with that I make profits through the sale of personal training services and conducting training.
Then, with the passage of time and with the pandemic, I decided to reinvent myself and I decided to enter a physiotherapy center and set up my own personal training room to carry out more personalized, more specific training, because with the issue of the pandemic, people Maybe I didn't want to go to such big gyms, or with so many people. Now perhaps this has begun to change again, but at the time the capacity issue was complicated. And today, I am here in this center.
It was love at first sight, because I am sick with sports, it shows. I have had a son and I already want him to play sports with me. I believe that sport is a therapy for people, many of the people we serve are people who may have had an illness or problem and use sport to get ahead. Then, on the other hand, there is high-performance sport that helps athletes become better, or prevent injuries.
Psychologically it brings a lot of joy to people, it generates physical and mental well-being and then being healthy, being good with oneself, feeling well, preventing reaching old age in a bad way, and little else.
Daniel Chong's products are with me a lot, I even have a bag of company keys. I carry a bag for my keys, my training bag... I have a little bit of everything, a sweatshirt for when I play sports, I have t-shirts... I made the travel bag to match another one I already had, inclusive. It is special, tailor-made for me.”
Bober fabrics
This love story began in the 1800s and, to this day, the flame lives on. Bober Fabrics is an old fabric store, dating back to 1834.
"Bober Fabrics belonged to an uncle of my grandfather, then my grandfather, my parents and now us followed. We are 3 girls who run the business. The origin of the store was special clothing, like underwear but very coarse, very village Aprons and similar items were sold. Of course, there came a time when that was no longer sold. My father went to Barcelona, bought a few fabrics and that was when we moved into the fabric business.
We have known Daniel for years, he was first a client and well, now a friend because we have gone we have continued the friendship. Dani started coming to buy fabrics for her bags. Then he noticed one in particular and spent many years buying it to make the bags, because it was a very special fabric, made from recycled fabrics, and he really liked it."
