A little girl’s dream…
Tucked away in Portugal’s Serra da Esperança mountains is a tranquil haven, TheVagar. It was here, amid this serene rural retreat, that I celebrated an entirely offline birthday and met the extraordinary Marta Domingos.
As the founder of TheVagar, she has transformed her dream into a reality, establishing an oasis of peace in a fast-paced world. With no digital distractions, I delved into engaging conversations with Marta and found myself captivated by her passion and enthusiasm.
Inspired by her story, I invited Marta to share her journey with us. Her pursuit of her dream, rather than settling for the safety of a full-time job, is a testament to the power of passion and could encourage other women to bravely follow their own hearts.
Enjoy the reading,
A little girl’s dream…
Being an independent and empowered woman carries significant weight, and today I’m here to share my story with you.
From simple and modest origins, I was taught that focusing on the professional area was essential and that working for others was the safest thing. But I always knew I was destined for more.
The whisper of an entrepreneurial spirit was ever-present within me. I wasn’t sure what that voice was, but eventually it would present itself to me.
The desire to learn more and better led me to study one of my passions: hospitality. There, I had the opportunity to feel alive, while developing work and ideas. During my academic career, I secured second place in an entrepreneurship competition and achieved the highest distinction in my final graduation work, which consisted of a proposal for creating a tour operating company, specializing in the interior region of Portugal. Despite some insistence, neither idea materialized. I had to accept and continue. The cherry on top of the cake was finding, here, my life partner.
When the time came to face the world of work, I accepted the challenge of creating a company from scratch, in the property management business, in São Martinho do Porto, and there I learned and grew a lot. Meanwhile, motherhood arrived, and it was increasingly difficult to balance personal and professional life. I had the support of my husband and his wise warnings. Together, we set up a sightseeing tour company, welcoming and accompanying tourists to the Western region of Portugal.
In the meantime, my father-in-law became a little star in the sky, leaving the family business to my husband, who had to return to Belmonte. Almost 300 km separated us and everything was more complex: family management, motherhood, professional performance, and emotions. And then I, who managed everything! I felt weak… but I did not allow myself to vacillate. When we least expected it, another blessing hit our family: a new baby! Now, yeah, we had to make changes to our lifestyle, and we didn’t know how.
Well, since my husband is very business-focused, he was always on the lookout for possibilities. We had already talked about the possibility of joining our shared passion of hospitality, but I didn’t think it was an idea to pursue. After all, why would I trade the security of an employed job, especially with two children to raise?
One day, he told me about a place called Serra da Esperança. More than 200 hectares of pure nature, in Belmonte, which, surprisingly, had incorporated a tourism accommodation. This would be the biggest financial challenge of his life, but one he was willing to undertake to reunite our family and to ensure my happiness. I promised him a peek on our forthcoming visit to the center of Portugal.
Eventually, I got to meet the place that would become our love nest. I was delighted with the peace I felt there and, at the same time, with the turmoil that lived in my head. The vision of a minimalist, charming accommodation started forming in my mind. More than that: a retreat, a healing place for the current frenetic times. Wow!
The time had come to listen to that little voice that was screaming softly in my chest and let it roar at once!
We would have to rehabilitate the space and build an honest image that would reach people’s hearts. We knew it was going to be challenging, but we didn’t foresee the multitude of problems that lay ahead. The lack of manpower, the immense bureaucracy, the unexpected costs, a work that took too long, more than six years, a pandemic, and a war, which brought us various and complex obstacles, put our resilience in check. But we never gave up. It was hard. Very hard.
Today, TheVagar is a reality. We have a lot of responsibilities. But we have the freedom to do what we want, how we want. To be really happy and free, despite the huge work and the daily challenges. We receive some of the most delightful feedback in the entire hospitality industry. Because we know they are genuine. And they are ours alone. Serra da Esperança provides us with countless opportunities for business expansion, but more importantly, it fuels our desire to grow. To make it happen. To welcome. To spoil.
And this, dear reader, was idealized by this strong and fearless, empowered, independent and intelligent woman who writes to you. But nothing was achieved in individuality. This dream has come true because I have a partner who not only supports my dreams but also makes them financially possible. Because I have true friends, who listen to me in moments of despair and offer me their shoulder. Because I have a family who help me with the day-to-day tasks. Because I work in a team and I know the importance of good relationships, which are what really matters in life. And, of course, when you have a real passion, like I have for hospitality, you don’t take “no” for an answer.
So, those who think that being an independent and empowered woman is synonymous with doing everything by yourself, are wrong. So, dear woman, I leave you with this advice: surround yourself with the right people in your life, be patient, never lose hope and when the right time comes, fly!