2019 is full of stories. There is still room for two major B16 milestones that deserve a chapter of their own: the first change of premises and the only professional matter that remains unresolved in my mind to this day (2026).

A year filled with adventures, milestones, episodes, situations and many complexities that made me grow. Some easier than others, but most of them difficult. I have already had the opportunity to mention them individually. I have already had the opportunity to make my comments and emotionally refer to what marked me most. Between victories, successful projects, lasting relationships and plenty of confetti, the truth is that being an entrepreneur is not easy. It has its moments. And there are moments when you feel like giving up everything.

Before sharing the first of those moments when I felt like giving up, I want to highlight two projects that helped us establish even better relationships with two clients in particular: Designer Outlet Algarve and the launch of a website for one of Visualforma’s clients, Alenquer Municipal Council.

It was this year that Célia Meira, former Marketing Director of DOA, invited us to produce a video in Point of View (POV) format, something that was trending on social media at the time and deserved our attention. Célia called us to explain what she wanted and what she already had on her side. I want a video like this, with this type of movement, this type of reference, this person as the model and this style of music. As soon as we received the brief, Costa immediately understood what needed to be done. We scheduled the production date and I even remember him asking me if I didn’t want to stay at the office; that he could handle it without needing any help. Being as suspicious as I am, I wanted to go. I wanted to be there. I wanted to see. It was during that period when João was there, but not really there. When he was doing occasional freelance work. I went. I arrived. I saw who it was. I understood what needed to be done. And I confess, I never imagined we would be able to produce this video in such a short amount of time. I don’t want to exaggerate, but I think we produced it in two hours. It is as I usually say: the final results are in the head of the person filming. And when that is the case, everything is simpler, more practical and easier to execute. Ema was lovely. And some people simply have a knack for it, full stop. I really like this video.

The second project was a challenge from Pedro Constantino at Visualforma, consisting of the complete production of the text, photography and video content that would appear on the new Portal of Alenquer Municipality. We were the ones who defined the site map for the entire project. The foundation of all the work. Only after reading a great deal of material, researching, questioning and looking for references in similar municipalities was it possible for us to envision a final result. I turned to a multidisciplinary team made up of a journalist, a photographer and a videographer. And the plan was simple: we went to Alenquer to get to know the municipality. We slept, ate, walked around, visited, explored, had fun, spoke with people at random and, in the end, prepared a document with every kind of intentional approach on our part. The client agreed and we moved on to the actual production. We went there specifically so that nothing would fail. We immersed ourselves in that geographical area. We immersed ourselves with the inhabitants. We experienced the landscapes, the products, the landmarks, the monuments and the attractions. We became fans of the municipality and, above all, I loved doing this fieldwork. It was a true pleasure to deconstruct the services of a municipal council and regroup them from the perspective of someone visiting the place, from an outsider’s perspective. It gave us unparalleled freedom. And the reception could not have been better. I leave you with a small taste of what we produced for CMA:

But, as I said earlier, this chapter is marked by a story that gives me both a good feeling and some remorse at the same time when sharing it. I have mixed feelings whenever I remember this matter. For several reasons. But I shall explain.

The company was growing and I wanted to buy an office. I have always thought it preferable to pay a mortgage for something that will one day be ours than to rent from someone else. I still think the same way today. And, at that time, as I had the opportunity to mention in one of the chapters of this book, it was José Dias who made it possible for me to have B16’s office in downtown Faro. By this point, José was no longer with us. He had since passed away, as I have already mentioned. A victim of the illness that takes almost all of us, suddenly and very quickly. But José had brothers and they both maintain the family’s assets and manage their various properties. It was at a moment like this that I mentioned to his brother, Ângelo, that I was looking for a slightly larger space, but to buy. And I was presented with two alternatives: rent the space above ours for a symbolic amount, or view an office that he himself had for sale not far from there.

I viewed both. The first needed renovation, was directly above ours, but was part of the same rental solution I was trying to avoid; the second was striking, in fact. It was spacious, had a fantastic view and was right in the city centre. I became extremely excited and delighted at the possibility of being able to acquire a commercial property for B16. I spoke to the banks and it was impossible. B16’s figures and years of existence gave me no credibility with the banks. The office was quite cheap (€60,000), but B16 had very poor turnover and history in the eyes of the banks. Most said no, and the banks that presented me with proposals demanded the earth, with horrendous conditions that I could not possibly afford. I was saddened at the time. But I recovered and, so as not to lose the opportunity, I spoke to my friend Cláudio Martins. I explained the situation to him and even told him that, if it was not for me, it was an opportunity not to be missed. He showed interest and came to see the office with me. He wanted to buy it. I went, full of happiness, to speak with Ângelo and told him that I had a buyer for the office. We proceeded with all the arrangements and prepared the sales process together. We agreed that the price would be inflated by ten months of my rent, and thus I would gain that period without paying it, with that discount arising from the sale to my friend. All in a transparent and honest manner. That is what happened. They completed the deed and I stopped paying rent from then on. However, imagine my astonishment when, one day, he knocked on my door and asked me about the two months of overdue rent that had not been paid. Indignant, I said to him: then what was it that we agreed? To which he replied: I do not know, I do not remember. Let us go to my office and talk about this, alright? I stopped what I was doing and went down to his office inside the café. I sat down and listened to what he had to say. I was open-mouthed, astonished, dying from the lack of loyalty, seriousness, honour and character. He told me that the extra amount I had charged in the sale would cover only three months of “free” rent, nothing more. Another unforgettable lesson. That is how they appear. Like a punch. Like a stab. Like a trip. We have no chance. It is done. Now we must endure it. I accepted his decision after trying to argue back and realising that I had no chance whatsoever. Nothing had been put in writing between the parties and he preferred to make it clear that he did not care about the lack of truth. He lied. Through every tooth in his mouth. And, if for some reason he thought he had not, I do not care either. We both know what happened. And that is enough for me.

If there is one thing I value in life, it is a person’s word.
And a Man who has no word loses the capital letter. He becomes merely a man; a man without his word.
A little man. Regardless of his size.

I left his office and went to my desk. I immediately drafted a letter expressing my wish to terminate the tenancy agreement, having to comply with the three-month notice period stipulated in the contract. In other words, I was forced to pay rent even after the entire process. I think I still paid one or two months, I do not remember. But the truth is that I drafted the letter, printed two copies, went downstairs again and walked straight into his office without warning. I handed him both letters and asked him to return one signed copy to me. He tried to speak with me and I said absolutely nothing more to him. I came back with my letter in hand, made a photocopy which I kept, and went to the post office to send the original by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt. That very day, I began packing my things into boxes. It became my priority: to pack everything, remove it all and return the space as I had found it. It took days, I do not know if it even reached a week. It was truly very quick. I took everything I had and moved it to my father’s garage, with the intention of turning his studio into B16’s new office. I painted, cleaned and left the office immaculate. It hurt me terribly to have to paint over Francisco Camilo’s graffiti. It hurt me terribly to remove the vinyls from the windows. It hurt me terribly to fill the holes where the pictures, shelves and memories had been, the things that made that space original and 100% B16. But life is this. It is made of moments. And that place ceased to be ours. I turned the page. It was over. I never again wanted anything to do with that man, nor the office, nor the street, nor the place. The only thing that truly hurt me was no longer spending time with José’s wife, Mirja. A beautiful and wonderful person. Whenever I see her, I hug her and my eyes shine. She is one of a kind. Weeks later, I was already working in B16’s new office: my father’s studio, in Atalaia. A very small space, with a view of the sea, plenty of storage, but where the furniture was piled on top of each other and the pictures remained on the floor. I always saw that place as something temporary and fleeting. But I did not imagine what it would truly be like.

The office move had not been planned, but looking back, it was inevitable. And it was for the better. B16 had a completely different future ahead of it. It was not there. It could not be. I never imagined it would be like that. And the new place brought me a temporary sense of familiarity. It had been the house where I lived for many years. And the studio was now my workplace. It was an interesting moment. Today, I see changing premises as a necessity from time to time. It is like building a website for our business. As soon as we put it online, we should immediately begin thinking about the next one. Every two years, every three, every four. More than that, and the change is not as significant. It remains waiting to happen. And there, at that moment, at the end of 2019, it truly happened. But not before we tested a project in that empty studio. It was still with the studio vacant that we produced the very matter I mentioned at the beginning and which still remains in my mind today. And it is about that subject that the next chapter speaks.