We are delighted that for our final interview of 2017, we are speaking to Mireia Martínez, Communication & Marketing Executive and one of the latest additions to AffiliRed.
A multitalented artist who can not only come up with a piece of copy so funny it will have you rolling with laughter but also with an amazing illustration that is worthy of a place in the finest art gallery. Dynamic, active and a breath of fresh air, always the first to sign up whether it is for a volleyball championship or to keeping the team’s spirts up whilst having no sleep during the 100km Oxfam trail walk. But, take care, this whirlwind comes at a price: it devours everything in its path. Let’s see what else we can discover about Mireia.
I like sleeping just as much as I like eating so, when I sleep, I don’t tend to wake up to eat and vice versa. However, there is one thing I don´t dare keep in the house and that is Nocilla, because I love it so much I eat as if it were yoghurt, plus I eat it with everything.
I would go to the Jurassic period to see if it is really true that T Rex had those stupid tiny arms. According to the scientists, he moved fast but with this huge head and its peculiar bone distribution it’s only logical that it would fall right over, so something doesn’t quite add up with this part of history.
Easy, a 3D printer. That way I can print everything I need in a flash. A hammock, a house, a meal and a servant robot that does the fishing, cooks the dinners, does the massages….
The best advice I have been given was from my grandma during my rebellious phase “Mireia, you don´t just live for today you live forever”
The worst was from an ex-friend who told me to never use deodorant as it gives you cancer – hence the “ex”.
I wouldn´t mind having various powers, like flight, invisibility and mind reading but the one I´d like most is slightly more down to earth; the ability to eat the greasiest fast food and the wildest deserts in the world (just like the programme Man v. Food) without gaining an ounce of weight.
I would call it, the “metabolic-superpower-to-burn-fat”!
If anyone can explain in a clear, simple way and with universal examples what is Performance Marketing, how to improve the online visibility of a brand, what are the most “cool” promotional tools at the moment, how to improve the usability of a website or what is trending in the online tourism sector it is, without doubt, Enrique Fernández.
As Sales Director at AffiliRed, we could say that he has more titles than the Queen of England, as he is at the forefront of the European, African, CIS, North America, South America regions… His southern Spanish charm combined with a voracious appetite for learning makes “Kike” a very special person. So, it’s on with the “almost” last “who is…” of 2017!
So, I’d like to be able to teleport so I could visit different sites each week, travel ecologically and save time waiting in airports… The only small problem with teleporting is that in case of an accident my head could end up one place and my body another.
I am not a fan of any celebrity, so I would definitely go drinking with AffiliRed’s Marketing Director, Ana Carmona. She is the perfect person to go out drinking with, as she likes a few drinks, her conversation is scintillating and perhaps we would end the night singing “highway to hell” on the karaoke.
I like “Don’t be evil”, but I think that´s already taken… So, another one would be “Live in balance”, since it’s important to maintain the balance between our different lives, professional, personal, family. And of course, balance in the business world is also important.
“I see dead people”…and if you want to know something really special, for quite a few years I have done Capoeira, which is Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music. I also write short stories and I’ve won a prize.
A few years ago, for my birthday my friends gave me a roll of toilet paper whilst singing a song. And of course, that song was “Roll with it”.
Today we are catching up with David Rivera, our Head of Development. First impressions don’t matter with David as at the beginning you will meet a very serious and meticulous person, which he is when it comes to his work. However, when you get the chance to peel him away from his keyboard you will find that behind this very diplomatic façade lies a very kind-hearted person who is always willing to help and who often bursts into laughter several times a day. David is also known for his expert fingers, not only when it comes to improving and developing the Affilired programmes but also when it comes to giving massages!
I listen to heavy and very powerful music mainly, my favourite bands are Extreme, Guns & Roses, Iron Maiden, Metallica … but I must confess that I sometimes listen to Pop and yes, I have been secretly listening to Monica Naranjo’s hit “Sobreviviré“.
Baby wipes!
Salted biscuits with hummus! Yummy, yummy!
Instead of the weirdest let me tell you about the most hated! Someone gave me a CD with the Greatest Hits of the Boss (Bruce Springsteen). I really don’t like him at all nor his music. I had to put on a smile and say thanks! Which was quite hard to do!
I have always dreamed of flying, just spreading my arms and being able to fly anywhere. So that´s the superpower I would choose: to fly (and not to crash land!!)
Peluches de unicornios multicolores, muñequitos de Miss Kitty, purpurina, ropa brillante y collares tamaño XXL… Si alguna vez habéis coincidido con ella en alguna reunión o evento de AffiliRed, ya habréis averiguado a quién vamos a entrevistar hoy.
Por fin llega el cumpleaños Paola Walker, probablemente la Head of Account Managers más dicharachera que agencia de publicidad haya conocido. Empezamos destapando que a pesar de su apellido de origen escocés y que parece recién llegada de algún salvaje pueblo nórdico, Paola es una auténtica Mamma italiana.
Más allá de lo que puedo recordar, siempre me ha gustado jugar con Lego y con Micromachines. Además vestía de azul y la gran mayoría de mis amigos eran chicos. Cuando cumplí los 14 años empecé a jugar a fútbol y a montar en moto. Así que, definitivamente, más bien era una Tomboy.
Pero de repente, cambié. No recuerdo bien cómo o cuándo sucedió, creo que fue una combinación de factores que se unieron durante mi adolescencia. Recuerdo un cumpleaños en el que mi tío me regaló mi primer par de zapatos de color rosa brillante. Fue entonces cuando empecé a cambiar de imagen, ya que me interesaba más parecer la Princesa de Rosa que un jugador de fútbol. Desde entonces, siempre tengo que llevar algo que sea brillante o rosa.
Bueno, no es exactamente una fobia extraña, pero sí una gran fobia. ¡Aracnofobia!
Amo la naturaleza y todos los animales en general, pero no puedo con las arañas. A veces tengo ataques de pánico cuando veo alguna, todo me empieza a dar vueltas y siento que me voy a desmayar. ¡Así de mal lo paso!
Me llevaría cinta adhesiva porque puedes usarla para casi todo. Puedes construir una casa, una taza para beber agua e incluso puedes confeccionar un vestido. ¿Que cómo sé todo esto? ¡Soy adicta a series de supervivencia!
Por otro lado, preferiría llevarme a un animal más que a una persona, ya que no puedo vivir sin mi amada perrita Blondie. Es la que me da felicidad a diario, mi verdadero amor, además me lo paso muy bien con ella. Es el único animal capaz de calmarme, no importa lo mala que sea la situación.
Princesa por Sorpresa
Porque tuve una drástica transformación de tomboy a una amante del rosa y el brillante.
Por supuesto me gustaría ser Wonder Woman, porque es fuerte, inteligente y extremadamente femenina. Sin embargo, sugeriría un cambio de vestuario para esta heroína: más rosa y brillantes en su atuendo, ¡por favor!
Multicoloured fluffy unicorns, Miss Kitty dolls, a vision in pink with bold and chunky necklaces. If you have ever come across her at a meeting or one of AffiliRed’s events, then you are sure to know whom we are talking about.
Finally, it is time for Paola Walker’s birthday, probably one of the chattiest Head of Account Managers a marketing agency has ever had. We can start by revealing that, despite her Scottish surname and that she looks like she has just arrived from a wild Nordic village, Paola is 100% pure Italian Mamma.
As far as I can remember, I always loved playing with Lego and small micro machines when I was a child. I always dressed in blue and most of my best friends were boys…and even when I was 14 years old I simply loved playing football and riding motorbikes….so I was definitively more of a tomboy!
But then I just changed. I can’t remember exactly how or when it happened. I think it was a combination of the simple fact that I was growing up and that my uncle gave me my first pair of pink sparkly shoes as a present for my birthday.
I started to create a different image for myself, basically, I was more interested in looking like a pink princess than a football player! So ever since then I always have to wear something that is either sparkly or pink!
Well, it is not a strange phobia, but it’s a big one!Arachnophobia!
I absolutely love nature and all animals in general… but I simply cannot abide spiders at all! Sometimes I have a panic attack if I see one, I start sweating and feel like I’m going to faint! That’s how bad it is!
I would definitely take with me a roll of scotch tape. You can use it for almost everything! You can build up a house, you can make a cup to drink water from, you can even make a dress! How do I know that? I am addicted to the Survival Series!
On the other hand, I would prefer to take an animal instead of a person, as I can’t live without my beloved dog Blondie; she is my everyday happiness, my true love and I have so much fun with her. And most of all, she is the only living animal who can calm me down no matter how bad the situation is!
The Princess Diaries, as I have also gone through a drastic transformation from a tomboy to a lover of all things pink and sparkly!
Uh! I am sure I would like to be Wonder Woman!
She is strong, clever yet extremely feminine. However, I would have to suggest a change to the superhero outfit to a more pinky and sparkly one that´s for sure!
Today we are talking to Devender Panghal, one of the most experienced members of AffiliRed´s Development Department. His commitment to work, his excellent managerial skills and his close collaboration with the rest of the team have made him a true leader in our APAC Division.
Possibly, one of the key reasons for making Devender responsible for HR at AffiliRed’s APAC Division is his eternal and very contagious smile.
Let’s get to know him a little better.
I have used the same toothpaste since I was a kid. But, what I think is really important is not the whiteness of my smile but how special you can make someone’s day simply by smiling at them.
I have been a huge fan of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan ever since I was a child. He is a very famous Bollywood actor, I have seen all his films. Not only he is a great actor but he is also known as a great poet.
Well, since I am a real foodie person I would go for food especially sweets, as well as clothes and shoes!
If I could have a superpower I would like to be able to go back in time and be able to stop it. I would go back to my childhood and pause the time. I miss those days when I was happy all the time, just having fun with my friends and family and not caring about future.
There is a belief that artists are chaotic and disorganized. Well, Taruna Dogra, our APAC Operations Manager breaks the mould. She is the artist of the APAC office without a doubt, she draws, creates typefaces, designs dream-catchers… But in her daily work she is very organized, fast and very efficient.
Surely with such an interesting profile, we will discover many more interesting things about her…
“Life is Beautiful” is the best movie title, it sums up perfectly how I feel. I believe that we all are actors in our own lives, so why not make it beautiful and live happily.
Chocolates. Yes, you heard right, it’s chocolates… but only those which I don’t like (especially the ones which have been gifted to me and have strange flavours). But the truth is that I love chocolates so much that even though I don’t like them I can’t bring myself to throw them away. So, if you ever come to my house you will always find odd flavoured chocolates lurking in my refrigerator.
The nerdiest thing I do in my spare time is “Art & Craft”. I really enjoy doing crafts so whenever I have spare time I try my hand at new stuff like mandala stones, Egg craft…
I get scared of the slow Internet connection on Friday nights when I want to watch a movie. 🙂
I would like to have the superpower of Omnilingualism. So, that I can travel to any country without the fear of not being able to speak or understand the local language.
When AffiliRed mentions sweet it is inevitably our Administration colleague Naomi Cortés that comes to mind. She is sweet in character, sweet in appearance and what’s more, whenever we have the odd brunch in the office she prepares mouth-watering desserts to tempt us.But what we want to know now is if she also has a wild side!
Nope! I’m very conventional in every way. When I don’t do scrapbooking I like cooking cakes and I am now getting into the world of vegan food and hyper health food. I also like to learn about psychology, gardening, spending time with my dogs… in short, all very normal.
Well, I had several, but the only one I’m going to tell you is that at home they sometimes called me “La Caballé” because when I was small I liked to sing opera! I was obviously very bad at it, but while doing other things I would do some operatic screams and without realising I was soon giving a concert. After a while my mother would say I had to stop, even though it made her smile that a 4-year-old could be interested in opera.
1. Take my daughter to Argentina so she knows where her dad was born.
2. Improve the languages that I already speak and learn at least one more.
3. Travel to at least to 3 countries on every continent.
1. Michelle Obama: I want to know what it was like for her to be the wife of the President who changed the course of history and what was her role during this time. I am sure that her influence would have been decisive and would like to know her point of view.
2. Laura Pausini: I want to know how it is that we have so much craziness in common.
3. The Pope Francis: I would like to know what a Pope thinks of this world full of contradictions, rebellion and hatred in which we live and what would he do.
No way! They always die or end up injured. I’d rather choose to proclaim about the goodness, love, generosity… in short, well you know what I’m like!
Let’s talk today to Kalpna Chauhan. She is our Senior Affiliate Network Manager based in our Asia – Pacific Division. We know she is considered to be the Best Rangoli Designer at our offices in Chandigragh. Just in case you didn’t know, Rangoli are traditional Indian decorations and the talent you need to make them is reflected in Kalpna’s personality: she is positive, straightforward yet very creative. Now let’s get to know her a bit more:
When I was a kid I was a great dreamer. I first wanted to be a doctor but then as I grew up I realised that I wanted to become an Artist. However I went on to change my mind again and dreamt of being an Architect or try something in Interior Design.
In my spare time I like sketching, so I guess in that way I am making my childhood dreams come true.
What’s your favourite mid-night food?
Chocolate Ice-cream, Masala Maggi or sometimes Popcorn.
The bucket list is huge but to sum up few:
– Travelling to the places I have never been before, I think travel broadens your mind. It allows you to move out of your comfort zone, meet new people and to live the life to the fullest.
– To buy a dream house, which is almost on everyone’s bucket list. A home that I can decorate to my taste.
– To make Sketching my profession.
I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English… because English is a very Funny language. Namak Halal Movie.
Picking one favorite superhero is tough. I have several facourites each one for very different reasons and they all are good because they are realistic, they come across as real people.
This month we are changing our “Who´s who” post for “the Battle of Eduardo’s”. Our 2 main protagonists are antagonists (or so we think). We have Eduardo Salom, our Software Developer. He is sensible, classy, a music lover, a man of few words and meticulous in his work Verses Eduardo Besga, our Sales & Marketing Executive. He is the loud Eduardo: a complete dram queen always on the go, a true trackie lover who speaks his own language and very creative in his work.
They do seem quite the antagonists, don’t they? But are they really that different from each other? Let’s see their answers to our little questionnaire!
Edu Besga: I was known as the roller skate boy. I always used to skate down the slopes, spin around the streets and hooked on cars…I was a bit reckless at that time.
Edu Salom: My favourite toy was an Amstrad CPC computer. Do you remember them? Those which had a cassette tape and a monochrome screen. I used to spend hours copying the codes from a Basic Book my parents gave me together with this computer. I felt a real sense of power writing down those codes, although to be honest I had no clue about what I was programming.
Edu Besga: A friend called Gloria. Her parents ran a toy shop, so I’m afraid that it was more a selfish platonic love.
Edu Salom: I had a crush on all the beautiful pop singers from that era: some of the Spice Girls members, Natalie Inmbruglia, Shakira, Maria Carey… although I must admit that I had a special crush on Alicia Keys. For me, she wasn’t the prettiest but her music was a great influence.
Edu Besga: I see myself as a very interesting old man working out in the gym. 😉
Edu Salom: Relaxed, with an epic pot belly and enjoying of good music in my swimming pool.
Edu Besga: Parachuting! I am afraid of planes, but still I got on a plane to do some skydiving!
Edu Salom: Being a DJ has been the craziest time of my life without a doubt. It was a great 12 years, full of madness and experiences. Have you heard of Magaluf or Arenal in Mallorca? Need I say more?
Edu Besga: Skinny jeans are not for me. I hate feeling trousers tight round my legs. That’s why I always prefer to wear tracksuits or comfy clothes.
Edu Salom: You will never see me wearing a miniskirt and high-heels. I don’t like wearing tracksuits unless I´m doing sports.
Edu Besga: I’m afraid of flying on a plane. I can do parachuting but the thought of being on a plane for hours just freaks me out. I even get anxious when I go to an airport.
Edu Salom: To fail and not being able to accomplish my dreams.
Edu Besga: I know how to do some jaw-dropping magic tricks with cards. When I was a kid I took a magician course with Juan Tamairz, a famous Spanish magician.
Edu Salom: without a doubt Doing head massage and what’s more I even enjoy doing them!
Edu Besga: Super strength. I’ve always wanted to have enough power to punch holes in walls or to participate in an arm wrestling contest or a weight-lifting contest and beat everyone easily.
Edu Salom: I would like to control time! There are moments I would just love to hold on to forever.
Edu Besga: Groucho Marx once said: “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them…well, I have others”. I like it because it gives you the feeling that you can avoid all conflicts and stick to who you are.
Edu Salom: No pain, no gain!
Edu Besga: More than with a celebrity I would like to dine with Dubbing actors, such as the ones who put voice in Spain to SpongeBob SquarePants or any of the characters of South Park and listen to the curiosities of their work.
Edu Salom: I would like to take Luis Sampedro. He is not a celebrity as such and he passed away but still I loved his outlook on life and the economy. It would be amazing just to sit with him and talk about current issues.
Edu Besga: People always think I’m crazy…but really I’m an extroverted dreamer.
Edu Salom: I don’t know right now, you tell me…. However, a few years ago people would always say: Please don’t get upset with what I’m going to ask you … you are gay, aren’t you?
I never got mad with this question really. I actually thought it was really funny.
Edu Besga: Quiet, persuasive, a participator.
Edu Salom: Crazy, funny and very rough.
Today’s protagonist is Ana Carmona or “Dinamite Anita” as she is known around here, as she’s a bit of a time bomb that can go off at any moment! As well as that she is also half English and Afillired’s Communications & Marketing Director.
Passionate about surfing, the beach, Bali and loud music groups, those that she likes to delight us every day with her perfectly out of tune hum… Jokes aside, she is a veteran here at AffilliRed and has a lot to say. INTERVIEW INSIDE!
I would be a disaster as leader: I’m tone deaf, I’m ham fisted with any instrument and have a tendency to fall off high places like stages! Now, what I’d really like to do is go on stage and dance like crazy with Soulwax, or stick my tongue out with Kiss or do some epic jumps to the sounds of Tame Impala!
Mmm well a few years ago I would have said otherwise, but right now I’d love to able to spy on my daughters while they are in the nursery…
I need to put all the cutlery into groups when I put them in the dishwasher, so the forks with forks, the spoons with spoons… but once they are clean I just throw them all together into the drawer!
To the past, to meet my paternal grandfather, go to a Nirvana concert and see Woodstock live, including the mud!
Whisper; the sound of it is so pleasant and makes you want to … whisper.
A Lion: spending most of the day sleeping in the fresh air and the rest of the time eating or making love… and of course having a long mane, just like me!
Today we meet another member of Affilired´s central office in Spain. We are chatting with Nuri Ribas, Accounting Manager and a lover of “singing at the top your voice” in the car when no one is listening.
OK, let me tell you that I would never sing in public LOL, but when I’m alone, it all very much depends on my mood. Could either be melodies or rock … I don’t have a defined taste in music, I like a little bit of everything. Ah, except jazz, I don’t know what it is about this style of music, but I don’t like at all, it makes me very nervous.
“What John says about Peter says more about John than Peter”.
Easy, I was crazy about Tom Cruise! I couldn’t fit anymore photos of him into my photo album. I know the movie Top Gun off by heart, including the dialogues LOL.
Although it sounds like a cliché, I would take a good book. I am terrible when I am bored, so it needs to be one that keeps me entertained and can be re-read over and over again.
I have to admit that I find it hard to go out without my mobile, even though on the odd occasions when I have left it at home, I´ve felt a kind of liberation throughout the day which isn’t a bad thing, a sobering thought!
We say hello to April by celebrating Rosa López‘s birthday.
So, who is Rosa? She is our Global Head of Administration. We just love her relaxed and sensible personality as well as the macrobiotic food she always brings in the office. Apart from being the most elite runner, she is an avid climber of the Mallorcan cliffs. She is also our in-house yogi and teaches us how to bend and not break!
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA. This mantra helps to connect with ourselves. You should sing it 108 times nonstop. At the begining it can get a bit tedious so you can start with a multiple of 108, but 27 is the minimum, as it is important to respect this mystic number. How can you do this without losing track? You need a “mala” (a type of bracelet), as each mala has 108 beads to help you counting. You can also get a bracelet with just 27 beads.
I don’t think there’s a film which describes my life, but I can tell you which film has had the most impact on me, and which also shares my vision of life: Mr. Nobody.
I’m afraid to say I have very normal hobbies, but never have enough time for all of them, so I read, learn about different musics, experiment with different flavours in the kitchen and I also do sports (there are lots still to try out). Perhaps what they all have in common and that could be classed as a bit peculiar is that they are all connected to what makes me dream. I like everything that’s got to do with dreams. I’m deeply fascinated by Jean Pierre Garnier Malet and “The Doubling of Time Theory” and The Toltec Active Dreaming Technique.
To see a glacier, to try hang-gliding and to swim with sharks.
Obviously, I would choose to fly. But I’d supplement it with travelling and dreaming (she says with a big smile!)
This year year AffiliRed will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary, and we are proud to say that some of AffiliRed’s earliest members of staff are still here with us. Devender Panghal, Senior Software Developer has just marked 10 years’ service with our company. He launched our APAC Offices together with our APAC Sales Director, Manoj K.Sheoran who placed his trust in this highly qualified developer right from the very beginning. Here’s some of his thoughts on how the last ten years have been for him.
Great learning
AffiliRed has provided me an opportunity to research and develop new ideas in IT. I’ve also had the chance to interact with the other teams, such as Sales or Marketing which has been fun and continues to be fun even now.
Manoj and I, our APAC Sales Director, have known each other since we were at college and what I can say about him is that he still treats me like a friend, and that’s the generally atmosphere that you find here at AffiliRed, everyone here is very friendly; no matter whether you are senior or junior, everyone is treated with respect. We all feel like we are part of a big family, and that’s a great life lesson.
New Challenges
During the journey of the last 10 years I’ve faced many challenges in Development and developed new solutions successfully. I´ve had experience of various posts during this time: Content manager, SEO manager, Software Testing, Linux Admin and R&D Tech, each time gaining great experience.
Dream Come True
One of the major milestones for me during this decade was travelling to Spain on 2014 to spend some time at our headquarters. What I enjoyed most about it was spending time with the team there and gaining insights to how AffiliRed operates. One of the best moments was a Quiz game which was played at our farewell party. It was so much fun.
I can only conclude with a message of gratitude: Thanks AffiliRed for an amazing decade together!
Today, we are meeting up with Miguel Angel Vidal, AffiliRed Operations Assistant Manager. He deals with affiliates online and offline (yes, we have pictures of some affiliate parties to prove this!). Although he swears he is not an Otaku, we do know he is a big fan of Japanese culture and a true devotee of Linkin Park music.