Are you ready to ‘Go Remotical’?

Un barraquito con todo, por favor.

I had mastered these six words by the end of my week-long stay on the volcanic island of Tenerife, one of the eight islands that makes up the archipelago that is the Canary Islands – back in 2005. (Along with, of course, “Lo siento; no hablo español.”)

What is un barraquito con todo you ask? Ah…if you don’t know – do allow me the privilege of introducing it to you! It’s a coffee drink, first and foremost, and it includes the following delicious ingredients: condensed milk, espresso coffee, frothed milk, Licor 43, and lemon zest. It is consumed the most on the island of Tenerife, but it is easily found on the other Canary Islands as well.

Speaking of the other islands, let me take you now to the majestic Gran Canaria, the third-largest in the group of islands, where we will meet the protagonist of our story…

In October 2020, Robin Viets – based in Germany at the time, not far from the Dutch border – asked his boss for permission to work from the Canary Islands.  Most people in Germany were working from home because of coronavirus safety precautions, and the country was on the brink of heading into a lock-down. Why not ‘work from home’ in a different home – a home in a tropical climate? he thought. Robin’s boss replied matter-of-factly to his request: “As long as you are reachable and deliver the same quality of work, I don’t care where you open your laptop in the morning.” Jackpot! Two weeks later, Robin was on a flight to Gran Canaria, and the rest – as they say – is history.

Life was magical for Robin on his new island; he was able to create a lifestyle for himself that included the perfect balance between relaxation and activity (he loves to windsurf) – and a fulfilling work life where he was able to be fully-engaged as a project manager for the firm he was working for in Germany. And then: as so often is the case when we find something we love, Robin’s thoughts veered towards this question: How might he be able to make this incredible lifestyle available to more people?

And…ta da! The answer to that question in the end took form as building a company with two of his good mates: Henning Stellmach (based in Cologne, Germany) and Nils van den Hoven (based on a different Canary Island: Fuerteventura). The company’s name? Go Remotical. Their mission? “Supporting people to relocate their home office to extraordinary locations, creating a better work-life balance, while stimulating a more sustainable way of tourism.”

What about you? Are you interested in following in Robin’s footsteps and setting up shop on one of the Canary Islands? If yes, here are some of the different ways in which ‘Go Remotical’ could serve you. They could:

• Help you find suitable accommodation
• Assist you in finding an appropriate workspace, if needed, and make sure that you have all of the office equipment necessary to produce high-quality results – for whatever sector you work in
• Book activities for you on the various islands
• Serve as your catalyst for a great social life by organizing weekly social events
• Pick you up – and take you to – the relevant airport
• Provide 24/7 emergency support
• Guide you in choosing the best insurance for your stay

…and more.

Here at Growmotely, we love these blokes; we love their company; and we love their story. The reason we love it all so much is because Robin, Henning and Niels have done what we think the Future of Work is all about: they have found a life – and lifestyle – that they love, and instead of keeping it a secret and hoarding all of their magic tricks, they have created a way of making their way of life more accessible to others via the company they have built. This is what we, too, have done – and are doing – at Growmotely.

For those who feel called to do so, we would love for you to join us! On one of the Canary Islands (Kanarische Inseln auf Deutsch) – or elsewhere…

Written by: Vanessa Kettner (Growmotely’s Creative Writer and your Remote Work Cupid)
Dedicated to: Anyone out there who thinks they might like to be a future resident of las Islas Canarias…!