Talking Luxury

Maria Eugenia Giron, Prof. of Entrepreneurship in luxury & creative business talks about the luxury industry and the Japanese concept of beuty “Wabi Sabi”.

There’s a Japanese proverb that says that the person who makes poor quality goods is worse than a thief, because he makes things that neither last nor provide true satisfaction, while a thief at least redistributes wealth in society. Well, when it comes to quality Prof. María Eugenia Girón knows everything there is to know.

Here she speaks about luxury and perfection, while touching on the ancient and intriguing Japanese Wabi Sabi concept of beauty, which is about seeking beauty in the imperfections found in all objects. As you might know, the aesthetic values of Wabi Sabi have inspired a great many aspects of Japanese culture, including the tea ceremony, flower arranging, haiku, garden design, and noh theater.

Prof. Girón has many sides and talents. She holds a degree in industrial engineering and is a Harvard MBA graduate. She has also studied art, worked as CEO of Carrera & Carrera, is a member of a large number of boards, including that of Oceana, and also she is the Executive Director of the Premium & Prestige Business Observatory etc. etc. But most of all she is just a really nice person. What else can I say?

P.S. Prof. Girón is the author of the book “Inside Luxury”.

Gliding Vertigo

IT Prof. Ricardo Perez flies in a glider to overcome his fear of heights.

The parents of Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante used to give him the choice of either having a sardine for dinner or going to the movies. He loved the cinema so much that he always opted for the movies. Later in life he wrote a book with the title “Cinema or Sardine”.

Fortunately IT Prof. Ricardo Perez did not have to make such a choice, but he does share that same passion for movies, and in his case he used it as an effective way to conquer his fears.

He confessed to me that he has had a fear of heights for a number of years now, to the extent that he couldn’t even look out of a window. He finally decided that at this stage of his life it was high time he overcame this fear, and he had a plan to do just that. First, he was going to fly in a glider, which is what you are going to see in this video. Then, if he didn’t wet his pants (I am quoting verbatim) in the glider, he would do a parachute jump. He still has to make that jump, but I won’t be surprised if we see him do it in the near future. Anyway, every time he overcomes his fear of something he gives himself a reward, and yes, the reward is a trip to the movies. In this case, he went to see Django, and so did I. It’s a really good film by the way!

P.S. Prof. Perez also recommended the book “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, about what the author calls “optimal experience”. Research shows that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. It’s always a pleasure to work with Prof. Perez because he has the knack of making you feel that life is good, and that’s all that matters.

A Turkish Fan

Strategic management professor Daniel Blake speaks about non-market strategies while watching a football match: Atletico de Madrid against Betis.

Strategic management professor Daniel Blake is articulate, efficient, focused, Turkish, and, most importantly of all, a fan of Atletico de Madrid. He says he picked Atletico because it’s too easy to be a Real Madrid fan. He tends to support the underdog, and is ready to fight and suffer just like any real Atletico supporter. Don’t forget that Atletico’s fans are called sufferers, sufridores in Spanish, because they face an uphill struggle all the way, except this season that is…

We went together to watch Atletico play against Betis from Seville. So far this season Atletico hasn’t lost a home game, so, thinking it was high time it did, I bet Daniel 10 euros that Betis would win. But I forgot that professors always win, and that’s exactly what happened. Apart from that we had a nice Spanish tortilla sandwich and a really good time, which is what it is all about, of course.

I’m going to leave you with a quote by Turkish Nobel prizewinner Orhan Pahmuk: “Life can’t be all that bad. Whatever happens, I can always take a walk along the Bosphorus”. I spent my summer holidays in Istanbul and have included some of the shots I took of the city in this video, but unfortunately I could not share that particular experience with Prof. Blake.

The international Art Fair ArcoMadrid has this year as one of the major attractions of the Fair FOCUS TURKEY, a section which enjoys the collaboration of the Turkish Embassy to Spain and the participation of the curator Vasif Kortun, director of research and programmes at SALT Istanbul,who have selected the 10 Turkish galleries which will take part in the programme.

P.S. Prof. Blake teaches non-market strategies and has a lot to say about external factors that dramatically affect businesses.

Social Horses

Corporate Social Responsibility Professor Joaquin Garralda talks about Social Entrepreneurship taking his daughter´s equine therapy startup as an example.

For some years now Corporate Social Responsibility Professor Joaquin Garralda and myself have shared a mutual joke. Whenever it rains, we know it’s the signal to call each other to go for a nice after-work drink. You might think we’re always having drinks because it rains so often, but don’t forget that in Spain the rain stays mainly on the plain – and it seems it never rains enough!!!

It was on one of those rainy evenings that Prof. Garralda told me his daughter Lola had set up an equine therapy firm, Equisana. He explained that horses were an excellent means to promote emotional growth for troubled youth who are otherwise therapy resistant.

Equine therapy has been shown to have many positive benefits when done properly by certified therapists. Such benefits include self-acceptance, confidence, self-efficacy, and communication.

Well, horses, social responsibility, his daughter, and Prof. Garralda’s concern for people are the subject of this video that I have the pleasure of presenting to you on what could very possibly be a rainy day…