Costa Rica is a country that has deep cultural roots based on the pura vida lifestyle. Their culture affects business, economy, and personal life. The businesses in Costa Rica heavily support sustainability in which focus on recycling and low usage systems are constantly applied. My favorite business we visited was Florex because of not only their sustainability practices applied to production but also the culture of the employees. I loved how the speaker invited the group back to stay with him in his home. I wish Florex was sold in the United States and believe with added marketing and social media techniques we can see their company expand beyond Costa Rica in the next 10 years.
My favorite activity we participated in was the cultural experience. I feel like visiting a local home gave us the true perspective of how citizens interact with visitors. I learned about true aspects of the food culture and dance of their nation. I loved how we were welcomed with a piece of their heritage and left with a hug. I remember how the first day Rocio mentioned that Costa Ricans will hug each other and that action showed through with the family.
Costa Rica has inspired me to pursue deeper interest into international business and politics. Their business model shows productivity can go hand in hand with happiness. International companies have even moved to Costa Rica and adapted practices of the Nation while staying successful such as IBM and Align. My dream is to one day own my own public relations/ marketing firm. I would love to grow large enough to work with the people of Costa Rica and be able to implement the business practices I learned into my own company as well as at my current job. A great dream!
Public Relations and Marketing 