Funchal, Colégio dos Jesuítas
Day XVI
Grey clouds paint the skies above as the energy gets denser. The pressure is starting to pile up.
Everybody’s growing confident that they’ll reach the goals they’ve set, and yet, what’s this feeling of restlessness in the air?
Could it be the coming of the Demo Day?
Maybe the end of the Retreat that’s slowly but surely drawing near? No one can say for certain, but we can almost taste it.
It’s big. It’s future defining. It’s coming… But that will not be today.
Today we’re still three weeks away, enjoying the company of each other, and happily oblivious to the moving forces hidden in the backstage, set on making the Demo Day the apogee of the retreat.
And it’s in that joyful obliviousness that we welcome Patrícia Soares da Costa – Branding Consultant at MARQUINISTA.
Patrícia’s no stranger to the halls of the college. Counting with the Tourism Retreat, she’s been collaborating with Startup Madeira for five years, so it’s safe to say that’s she’s part of the family. With a vast knowledge in branding and marketing, Patrícia came to fill a gap that, for some of us, was in dire need of resolution. More than that, with her infectious and very captivating personality, she can turn an already fun subject into a very entertaining mentoring, that not only proves itself to be informative but also enthralling and engaging.
Just like that, the somber atmosphere gave way to a lighter ambiance, allowing us to go to lunch with the predisposition to enjoy ourselves and get ready for the afternoon in better spirits.
In the afternoon, things went in a more familiar route for everyone, as we jumped straight to the one-on-one mentorings where, once again, everyone was invited to share their growing pains, hopes and goals with the mentor and, in turn, receive invaluable feedback on strategies to adopt, and on how to better publicize their brand.
And like that, the day slowly came to its end.
The teams, one by one begun to disperse. The skies, with no sign of the morning clouds lazily gave way to the twilight.
The morning pressure is locked in chains for now, but it won’t be chained forever.
Tomorrow will tell if the seas remain calm.
Check out all the photos HERE!