Welcome to ‘7 Ways To Pay It Forward’, 7 questions to individuals who are making a difference in the community. Each day we will feature a different initiative with details of how you too can get involved.

As always please do share with us any other initiatives you may know of and we can add them to our growing list which will be published on the seventh day.

Be safe, give back & stay connected!

Tatiana

Nicolas Trabucco & Stay Positive

‘Chose to be optimistic, it feels better’, says the Dalai Lama, a quote from Nicolas Trabucco’s new website StayPositive.

There are so many incredible resources out there right now but it can all be quite overwhelming once you start looking, Nicolas has very cleverly brought it all together under one website.  The content is created by and for UAE residents and includes DJ sessions, workout videos, virtual tours of The Louvre Abu Dhabi and even guitar lessons, it’s not just a great tool for our life in lockdown but for anyone looking for some inspiration on how to get active and connected.

1/ Please can you tell me about your background, your business, when you started and why?

I am from France, I am 38 years old, and I have lived in Dubai for over 13 years. I have always worked in the fields of Marketing, Communications, Media, Sports, and Education.

I soft launched the Stay Positive portal a few weeks ago. The objective is to share positive messages and videos from and with UAE residents and to highlight people who are active and have a valuable message to share with the community. Stay Positive lists chefs, coaches, trainers, artists, and activities that residents can do or listen to at home such as recipes, workouts, talks, workshops, courses, songs, concerts, and stand up shows. The content is created by and for UAE residents.

2/ Why did you decide to start the initiative, what has the response been like so far?

Everybody is currently stuck at home and some feel negative and are not active enough. I would like to highlight that many residents are still active and positive. That’s inspiring! The response has been heart-warming. I received so many videos and positive messages from the community.

3/ Please can you explain how it works i.e. give details about the mechanics, who can get involved, what you need, what is the aim of the initiative?

The Stay Positive platform lists all activities you can do online at home (workouts, recipes, courses, workshops, etc). The aim is to upload new videos every day and in each section (Stay Fit, Healthy, Creative, Tuned, Happy, etc) to be able to engage with everyone. For example, if you want to stay active and fit, you will find videos about online Yoga, Zumba, HIIT, Tabata, Cardio, and many more.

4/ What is the expected outcome, do you have a figure/goal/timeframe in mind?

I would like to help the community to stay positive and active during the upcoming weeks of lockdown.

5/ What has been the biggest challenge for you during this time, as an individual and as a business owner?

I think that the biggest challenge individuals are currently facing is to understand how life will be like after lockdown; nobody knows which causes confusion. We have to be patient and wait for better days.

Regarding Stay Positive, the main challenge is going to be to raise awareness about this initiative.

6/ We talk about BC (life before COVID), what do you think life will be like AC (after COVID) personally and professionally?

We are all going through challenging times being away from our loved ones – family and friends – and things we love to do as well places we like to go to. It is going to feel amazing to be able to hug people we missed, have a drink with friends, swim at the beach, share a meal at our favourite restaurant, etc.

On a professional level, we could hope that the local economy will start strong and help companies to come back on their feet, hire staff, pay their employees, etc.

7/ Can you tell me about some of the things you do in your daily life that are sustainable, what more can you do and has COVID made you think more sustainably?

I recycle and I use a filter to drink water from the tap. I am also trying to grow plants at home. I used to order food most of the time – for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes even dinner – which creates a lot of paper and plastic waste. I now cook, so eat healthier, control the origin, quality, and quantity of the food, and limit waste.