Beatriz Rubio about to be a grandmother: “You have to enjoy what you are experiencing”

Beatriz Rubio, 58 years old, was born and raised in Zaragoza, Spain. More than three decades ago she moved to Portugal with her husband, Manuel Alvarez, 60, and can no longer imagine living anywhere else in the world. The three children were born here, Martha28 years old, Patricia26, and Manuel18, and her first grandchildren will soon be born, as both daughters are pregnant.

Economist and the largest real estate businesswoman in our country, owner of RE/MAX and other companies, was recently honored by the king Philip VI with the Order of Isabel the Catholic, a tribute she shares with her husband, without whom she would never have lived this adventure.

The family welcomed us at Casal de São Roque, an old fort in Cascais converted into a wonderful house that opens onto the sea, and Beatriz talked to CARAS about the past and the future that is coming.

– What does it mean to you to have been awarded the degree of Grand Master of the Order of Elizabeth the Catholic by King Felipe VI?

Beatriz Rubio – It is a great honor, which follows the work that Manuel and I have developed for over 20 years in Portugal. At this point, between our four companies, we have around 15 thousand people working with us in the most varied areas. We are many. It is a great achievement and we are very proud of this path that began with just the two of us.

– How do they manage such large companies?

– The head of all this is Manuel. That’s why I always say that I’m very proud to have received this medal, but I think he should have received it with me. It’s not just me who created this project, there is teamwork. The vision of everything is very much Manuel’s. Then, I arrive to put the ideas into practice and implement them. Nobody beats me in proactivity and the team is made to measure.

– With Manuel, he took on a life project, which is also a professional project.

– And truth. We have these two unions. It’s not easy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

– How many years have they been married?

– We have been married for 33 years and have been dating for nine years. I was very young when I started dating Manuel, I was still at school. And we are as happy together as we were then.

– What is the secret to maintaining such a strong union on all fronts?

– The secret is to give the other person freedom. When we were recently married, I joined a very renowned master’s degree in Spain, where there were eight women and 60 men and I went to Barcelona with Manuel’s full support. He was living in Madrid, I was in Barcelona, ​​and everything went well. The secret is, on the one hand, freedom, on the other, believing in each other a lot. And then there has to be a lot of respect. We may not agree and even complain at home, but if one makes a decision, it is made. Work also stays outside the home and we just spend time with family. The truth is that as a couple we agree on many things. We even do sports together. Over the years we have always had common life goals and that is wonderful.

– The biggest thing is the family they built?

– Without the slightest doubt! If you ask me what the greatest achievement I have in life, the answer is my family. The popular saying goes that “money can’t buy everything”. The love and affection of family is priceless and not comparable to anything in life.

– He has three children. Do they work with you?

– Not all. The youngest is studying in Boston. It is likely that he will work with us, he will decide. A Martha is a doctor, that’s what I always wanted to do in life, and Patricia, yes, he works with us in marketing. I’ve always said that companies are a dream of Manuel’s and mine. If any children want to continue, that will be wonderful, but if they don’t, we’re also fine with that. We spend 80% of our lives at work, the most wonderful years, so we really have to enjoy what we do, otherwise it’s torture. And all I want is for them to be happy.

– What led you to move to Portugal?

– I’m from Zaragoza and Manuel is from Mérida, from Alentejo, as I say, because there are many similarities between the two lands, and we arrived here when he came to set up the DIA group’s franchising business. As I was at L’Oréal, I asked to move to Portugal too. We came to stay for three years, then the companies we worked for renewed for another three years and we stayed. After six years, they invited Manuel to go to China and it was there that we decided to stay and set up our own business. We had already had a small business during Expo’98. We bought the ugliest piece of land, which was the cheapest and the only one we could afford, and set up a park of cabins. It was a crazy adventure, which made us a lot of money and made us seriously think about whether we could get involved in something bigger and be successful.

– Was that when the idea of ​​dedicating yourself to real estate came about?

– Yes, we thought about RE/MAX, studied the company and moved forward. Manuel ventured into the project and I moved to Jerónimo Martins, as someone had to maintain a relationship in order to have some monetary security. At that time we already had two daughters.

– When you came for a few years, did you imagine that you would end up staying?

– We never imagined we would stay. It was just a stopover, but we’ve been here for 31 years. I can only be grateful to Portugal for everything it has given us.

– Did they adapt easily to living in a different country?

– Very good, from the beginning. Our idea was to have an international experience, but Portugal ended up becoming home. We formed our group of friends and adapted very well.

“If you are going to live in another country, you have to surrender. It is fundamental.”

– Were the children born here or did you choose to be born in Spain?

– All three were born here. Going to Spain with them was not even a hypothesis that I had considered. If you are going to live in another country, you have to surrender. It is essential to assume that you are whole in this country. You have to enjoy what you are experiencing. And the truth is that we enjoyed being here so much that we stayed. It has been a wonderful adventure.

– Have you ever thought about returning to Spain?

– No. I’m not going back to Spain anymore. After all these years here, I define myself as a cod with cream. The expression I use has to do with the fact that it is no longer just from Spain nor just from Portugal. I’m a big mix. We’re going to live here forever. My life is made here. More than half of my life was spent in Portugal. I’ve already said at home that I’m going to retire, but I don’t see myself doing nothing. I will go to the company to give my ideas, although I want to take better care of myself. It was only this year that I managed to start doing Pilates.

“I don’t regret anything. I really like what I do. Give me life. If anything was left behind, it was me, but I never bothered.”

– It was always a life of hard work. Do you regret not having more time for yourself?

– I don’t regret anything. I really like what I do. Give me life. If she was at home all day, perhaps she would no longer have a husband, children or maid. Everyone had moved away, because I’m very intense, I have a lot of energy, somewhere I have to leave it. If anything was left behind, it was me, but I never bothered about it. If I couldn’t do nuances one day, I could another.

– Do you feel prepared to start a new stage with the arrival of your grandchildren?

– I am completely prepared and very happy. I’ve already taken my bike and Manuel’s to put the baby seats in, because from four months onwards we’ll be taking them out for walks. A boy comes and then a girl. And I want to enjoy it. Once again, I say, it is very important to enjoy what you are experiencing, always. It was really funny that they got pregnant at the same time. The boys will be three months apart, they will grow up together. Now, yes, I will limit my work time and go to pick up my grandchildren from school every day. I’m going to make the most of this new phase, enjoy the babies and even more the whole family.