Meet Adrián Molino, Our Senior Business Development Manager

In this month’s employee spotlight interview, we had the pleasure of catching up with Adrián, our Senior Business Development Manager at Native Teams.

Originally from Madrid, he’s now living his best life in Tenerife. He has a big passion for adventure and has lived in various parts of the world, including Australia and Barcelona.

As part of his role, Adrián takes charge of expanding the Native Teams client base and customising our services specifically for the vibrant Spanish market.

Make sure to read the whole interview and learn more about his role at Native Teams as well as why Tenerife is the perfect place for digital nomads!

Hi Adrián, thanks for taking some time to talk to us today! How are you doing?

Good morning! Feeling great this morning, watching the sunrise in Tenerife with a big cup of coffee. 🙂 

What can you tell us about yourself?

I was born in Madrid (Spain) and since then I’ve been walking around the world! 

I would say that I’m a mix of energetic and calm person. I love to move from one place to another, but at the same time, I love quiet places. That’s why I love travelling, but I always go to remote places where I can enjoy life in peace. Another example is that I love to be in nature to recharge my energy, but I also need extreme sports such as surfing or rock climbing. Peace and adrenaline are my perfect match.

I also enjoy meeting new people and learning about new cultures. Throughout my life, I have lived in Australia, Barcelona, and now the Canary Islands. I have also travelled to more than 26 countries. 

You’ve been part of Native Teams for almost a year and a half, and you’ve recently been promoted to Senior Business Development Manager. Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit more about how you came to where you are today; how did your career develop?

Thanks! 🙂 I’m really happy to keep growing along with this great company. 

I look back now, and it’s been a long and amazing journey. I have worked for different companies, big and small, and I had different roles, mixing sales and marketing. 

There was a turning point in my career. I had just come from a trip to Asia for four months, and I was trying to figure out what to do with my life and which job was the best fit for me. Soon after, a start-up contacted me and offered me a job in business development, and it was the first time that I heard about that position. I accepted the position and surprisingly, it became my dream job. It was a combination of my previous jobs but also in an entrepreneurial environment, where everything changes so fast, you learn something new every day, and there is room to expand your duties to other areas. It is such an adventure working for a startup.

After a few years in this position, I was looking for a new challenge and it was when I applied for this position in Native Teams. Now it’s been one and a half years here and I can say that I really want to keep working with all these amazing people. 🙂

Where did you hear about Native Teams and why did you decide to join our company?

I was looking for a new opportunity, and one day I came across a job offer on LinkedIn. I was curious about the company and when I saw the project, I was instantly keen on working here. 

Not only could I work remotely from wherever I want, but I could also help other people do the same and find the perfect balance between life and work! Not to mention that we are all young and enthusiastic people, so working together with the same mindset makes it even better. 🙂

What are your work responsibilities? Can you walk us through a normal day at Native Teams (if there even is a normal day, haha)?

As senior BDM in Native Teams, I assist the company in expanding its client base while ensuring that prospective clients grasp our ability to facilitate remote work or seamlessly acquire desired talent. Moreover, I must comprehend the requirements of the Spanish market and explore ways to tailor our product to provide the optimal service.

Typically, my day begins with a call alongside the sales team to exchange fresh ideas and provide feedback from the preceding days.

Following that, check my email inbox, which tends to be quite full every morning! In between managing emails, I usually have a few calls with some potential new users. When I have some free time, I do some research and I contact new clients.

At the end of the day, I always like to spend time thinking about new ideas and analysing if there is room for improvement in any area of my job.

Honestly, each day is a different story. What starts as a quiet day often turns out to be the busiest. Since I spend the majority of my time talking to clients, each day brings new stories and I meet new people. It’s impossible to feel bored!

How does Native Teams help Spanish freelancers, employees and companies?

One of the best things about Native Teams is that we have many different solutions for each situation.

Spanish freelancers face numerous obstacles, including high taxes and a convoluted bureaucratic system. It’s far from an easy journey for them. However, with our solutions, they can streamline their earnings, obtain more benefits, consolidate their operations into a single platform, work with clients worldwide, and we even handle bureaucratic tasks on their behalf. This allows them to concentrate on their business while we take care of the rest. Moreover, we continually enhance our offerings, adding new tools each month. Native Teams is a live product!

Regarding companies, we assist them in being able to hire talent from any desired country, facilitating business expansion at minimal expense and risk. Additionally, we handle all registrations and local contracts, as well as manage monthly payroll and taxes on their behalf. Their sole responsibility lies in finding the right talent while we handle everything else. Hiring remote talent is easier than ever!

You live on the beautiful island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, which is a dream destination for many digital nomads. What unique advantages does Tenerife offer to professionals working remotely?

For me, Tenerife is one of the best places to live on Earth. You have good weather the entire year, it has stunning nature, and it offers a slow life. This concept, known locally as “La vida en cholas” or “Life in flip flops,” captures the essence perfectly—an expression I truly love!

Moreover, there are people from all around the world and a big community of digital nomads. Some of my closest friends here are from Switzerland and Finland, and they are working remotely from the island thanks to Native Teams.

In Tenerife, you can work from picturesque seaside cafés, followed by enjoying the island’s best cuisine at local Guachinches (local restaurants), all at incredibly affordable prices! Alternatively, you can opt for a trendy co-working space, then hit the waves for a surfing session, and conclude your day with friends, drinking a beer and watching a stunning sunset.

What sets Tenerife apart is its ability to slow down time, you can find the right balance between life and work. What more could one possibly desire?

How do you maintain a balance between work and personal life, especially living in such an attractive location?

Everything seems easier here. I live in a small town on the coast, which is quite well known within the surfing and kite surfing community. My house is 2 minutes away from the beach, so I can go surfing every day after work and clear my mind, do some freediving and see some cool marine life, go for a walk with my dog in one of the largest sandy beaches of the island or simply enjoy some good local wines with my partner.

As I mentioned before, this is a slow life, so I don’t usually plan anything, we just live each day as it comes and we do what we feel each day. Sometimes the simplest life is the best. 

Moreover, on weekends, we usually take our camper van and get lost in nature and disconnect from the digital world.

Basically, you have endless possibilities to balance your life and enjoy every day.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

I would say when I decided I needed a break from everything, and I bought a one-way ticket to Asia. It was a few years ago when I was working for an international company. Feeling the need for a significant change in my life, I decided to listen to myself and go for an adventure.

I bought a one-way ticket to Nepal, and it ended up being one of the best experiences in my life. I embarked on an unforgettable trek through the Annapurna Valley for 14 days, sleeping at minus 20 degrees, I spent a month exploring numerous islands in the Philippines, witnessed the best sunsets of my life from a lost temple in Bagan (Myanmar) and marvelled at nature’s intertwining with ancient temples in Cambodia.

It was four months of new experiences, new people and new cultures. It felt like a year! How amazing travelling is!

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Any specific travels you want to do?

I have a multitude of dream destinations swirling in my mind, yet, being realistic, I’ve set my sights on a journey to Asia for a few weeks this year. Asia holds a special place in my heart; it’s my ultimate favourite destination.

Additionally, I would love to do a trip to the Alps with the campervan and climb one of the big walls of the Dolomites.

However, as I often remind myself, let’s embrace the present moment and remain open to whatever the year may unveil!

Last but not least, what’s your advice to anyone wanting to get into business development?

If you possess an entrepreneurial spirit, enjoy engaging with people, and thrive in dynamic environments where every day brings new lessons, hesitate no longer and embark on this journey!

Nowadays, there are plenty of opportunities for business development, so if you are interested in starting this new journey, just do it. Who knows, it might just evolve into your dream job. What I can assure you is that the learning curve will be steep but immensely rewarding!