Many people need to learn how to live better

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

My name is Paola and today I am presenting myself at CareerDailyNews.com with the anniversary of my initiative and company, founded with two of my partners, THE WHEEL CREW, a project dedicated to bicycles.

How many years have you been with the company? How do you feel in it and what does this stage mean for you?

I feel wonderful and more and more focused! Let me share a little more about the project itself – the company organizes bike tours and rides actively targeting foreigners – tourists, sports clubs, etc., to show them Bulgaria on two wheels. In Bulgaria, we promote cycling and safety training. We started in 2019, seeing the great business potential because Bulgaria offers exceptional opportunities for this – beautiful routes, mixed terrains, the possibility to combine with cultural and historical tours, visits to wineries, natural attractions and so on.

Cycling tourism, as well as cycling in general, was not popular at all in Bulgaria back then. There were still no bikes for rent on the streets, stores for such goods were almost non-existent. Not to mention that the bike at that time was perceived by most people either as a children's activity or as strictly a sport.

We wanted to change this in two ways – to show people here that with a bike you can go to many places in a clean and efficient way, taking care of your physical health, and at the same time, to invite foreigners to Bulgaria.

This sounds like a cliché, BUT there are a number of similar projects in Europe, as well as hundreds of groups, of friends or interest clubs, who with great enthusiasm discover “new lands” on bikes. Many of the so-called bike nations (Belgians, Dutch) are openly looking for places with… climbs and descents 😊 You just need someone to tell and show them. Every year, in the active season, from April to October, we have groups or individual clients for our organized tours in Bulgaria. We offer them routes based on their interests, a guide, technical support, accommodation,

In Bulgaria, we had strange luck with the promotion of cycling - the pandemic turned out to be our sublime moment because people were massively looking for outdoor activities! We started organizing one-day bike rides for all interested. We divided ourselves - one guide for the more experienced and one for the less experienced. My partners had experience leading such groups, and I was pregnant at that time and for many of the participants in the rides, I was also a guarantee that nothing bad or dangerous would happen to them 😉

What are the most memorable moments or achievements from your time here so far?

Of course, one of the most memorable moments was our first ride. We gathered interested people, set a place and time for departure, an easy route. Many people signed up, but that is no guarantee that they will come. And why should they trust us? I remember how we pushed our own bikes to the meeting place and how my partners were silent, expecting very little. I was confident, even very confident in my abilities and the interest of people – and I turned out to be right! In front of the Sofia sign in the garden of NDK, exactly as many as we expected had gathered, all registered were here and wanted to ride a bike.

We managed to conduct several safety cycling trainings – the signs, which are given to other participants in traffic, the meaning and application of vests and lights, bike lanes and maneuvers.

What motivates you to stay and develop in this organization?

The constant movement and numerous opportunities to make every round  – a one-day ride or a multi-day tour – into something completely different, boutique, designer, personal. The project combines hundreds of projects within itself, knowledge of many professions – tour operator, event manager, event organizer, marketing, PR, sports specialist, cultural guide, personal trainer, you name it.

Behind me, I have several successful projects in which I have shown Bulgaria to foreigners – it just happened that way, it was not a sought effect, but the final result has always been positive for the country's image. And this is needed, no matter how much it is yet another cliché.

How has your professional path changed from the first day until now – and what has it taught you?

I convinced myself once again that you can sell a good idea if you truly believe in it. This project holds and motivates my attention towards sports and an active lifestyle because office work – like it or not – is a significant part of my daily life.

What are your aspirations moving forward – both for yourself and for the team or company you are part of?

Our ambition is to develop the brand beyond organized cycling rides and tours, into a project that combines sports with active recreation – we started last year, with a small vacation property on the Southern Black Sea, which is a wonderful starting point for rides and tours in the area, as well as for combining with other sports – kitesurfing, swimming, etc.

We want to offer a combined service for people who want to explore a new country, a new way of life, and a new way to take care of themselves. Another cliché, but I will say again “BUT” – really many people need to learn how to live better.

In the next year, we will put a serious focus on training children on safe cycling, as well as on supporting various projects. We plan to dedicate our rides and tours to causes and initiatives, to promote them and help them attract attention – like-minded people, donors, mentors, etc.