Quick Summary
- 1Pedro Rosa, a 52-year-old entrepreneur from Málaga, faced a major setback when the 2007 financial crisis destroyed his rustic materials business.
- 2He describes this period as his 'traversía del fracasado' or journey of failure.
- 3It took him approximately eight years to recover from this professional blow.
- 4Today, Rosa has successfully reinvented himself through his artisan brand, Todobarro, which focuses on traditional Málaga pottery.
Quick Summary
Pedro Rosa, a 52-year-old entrepreneur from Málaga, experienced a profound professional transformation following the 2007 financial crisis. After losing his business in rustic materials for interior design projects, he spent eight years rebuilding his life and career. Today, he runs Todobarro, an artisan pottery workshop that revives traditional local firing processes. Rosa views his journey through failure as a defining experience that created a new version of himself. He argues that society has become more open about discussing business failure in recent years, though this was not the case twenty years ago. His story serves as a testament to the resilience required to start over.
The Crisis and the Collapse
The year 2007 marked a turning point for Pedro Rosa. The financial crisis swept through Málaga and destroyed his business dedicated to rustic materials for interiorism projects. Rosa describes this period as his travesía del fracasado or journey of failure. He emphasizes that no MBA or formal education can truly prepare an individual for the emotional weight of business collapse.
According to Rosa, the recovery process was neither quick nor easy. He states that it took him approximately eight years to fully rise again from the ashes of his previous company. This long period of reconstruction required not only financial effort but also a deep psychological shift to accept the loss and envision a new future.
"Nadie te prepara para un fracasado empresarial. Eso hay que vivirlo, por mucho MBA que se haya hecho…"— Pedro Rosa, Entrepreneur
Reinvention Through Todobarro 🏺
After years of struggle, Pedro Rosa found new ground in the world of artisan pottery. He launched Todobarro, a project that recovers the traditional firing processes used for the iconic earthen floors of the region. This new venture represents a return to roots, both literally and figuratively, for the entrepreneur.
The work at Todobarro involves:
- Recovering traditional cocción (firing) techniques
- Creating pieces with local barro (clay)
- Valuing the heritage of Málaga pottery
Rosa believes that his current success is directly linked to the lessons learned during his years of failure. He notes that those who have faced professional collapse and managed to rebuild themselves carry a different kind of pedigrí or pedigree.
A New Perspective on Failure
Today, Pedro Rosa speaks with a calm and naturalidad (naturalness) about his past that did not exist before. He observes that 20 years ago, discussing failure was taboo in the business world. However, the landscape has shifted significantly.
Rosa asserts: "Nadie te prepara para un fracasado empresarial. Eso hay que vivirlo, por mucho MBA que se haya hecho…" (No one prepares you for business failure. That has to be lived, no matter how many MBAs you have done).
He adds that giving oneself a second opportunity is a rare and valuable act. "Quien se ha podido dar una segunda oportunidad de este tipo a sí mismo, para mí es como de otro pedigrí. Se lo noto hasta en la mirada" (Who has been able to give themselves a second opportunity of this type, for me, it's as if they were of another pedigree. I notice it even in their gaze).
His experience reflects a broader cultural shift where resilience is valued more than uninterrupted success.
"Quien se ha podido dar una segunda oportunidad de este tipo a sí mismo, para mí es como de otro pedigrí. Se lo noto hasta en la mirada."— Pedro Rosa, Entrepreneur
Frequently Asked Questions
Pedro Rosa recovered by creating Todobarro, an artisan pottery brand, after spending eight years rebuilding his life following the 2007 crisis.
He lost a business dedicated to rustic materials for interiorism projects during the 2007 financial crisis.
