Pasos de Bienestar

Community

Pasos de Bienestar starts with one person, but it isn't meant to stay with one person.

Founder

Marco Matouk

Facilitator · Coach · Mentor

Founder of Pasos de Bienestar and the first person accompanying these walking conversations as facilitator, coach or mentor.

Marco Matouk has spent more than 25 years leading, transforming organizations, developing teams and accompanying people through moments of change and decision.

He has been an executive, consultant, entrepreneur and mentor in the United States and Latin America. He has worked alongside CEOs and leadership teams, led complex organizations, and accompanied executives and next-generation leaders in their development and preparation for greater responsibilities.

For Marco, putting people first is not a slogan. It is something proven when decisions become difficult: listening before concluding, speaking with clarity, building trust, demanding accountability and acting with coherence. In other words, walk the talk.

That same conviction guides how he accompanies others. It is not about telling someone what to do, but about helping them organize what they think, question their own assumptions, see new possibilities and find a path they can truly make their own.

Behind that way of living and leading is an idea Marco has made part of his personal brand: Being Brave. Not as the absence of fear, but as the willingness to face important conversations, decisions and changes with intention and coherence.

That conviction also finds a personal and legacy expression in De 0 a 60 - Vivir Deliberadamente: an invitation to ensure that our decisions, relationships and actions reflect ever more closely who we are, who we want to be and how we want to live.

Today that philosophy takes different forms. Through Avanzada Consulting, Marco accompanies leaders and organizations through transformation processes and strategic decisions. Through Pasos de Bienestar, he creates spaces for human conversations of greater quality, closeness and intention.

Pasos de Bienestar is born from that: from believing that a good conversation, at the right moment, can help a person regain clarity, move forward with intention and leave more capable than when they arrived.

Languages: Español · English
Areas of experience: Leadership and people development · Transformation and moments of change · Decisions and professional transitions · Strategy, priorities and execution · Developing teams and new leaders · Mentorship, perspective and difficult conversations

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Honorary Members

People Marco Matouk recognizes for having contributed to the origin and/or the maturing of Pasos de Bienestar, mainly through earlier relationships as direct reports, matrix reports or formal mentees. Recognition doesn't depend on appearing here: profiles and stories are published only with their authorization.

Carlos E. Rodríguez

I doubted

“I didn't think it would work.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

San Salvador, El Salvador

The first time I heard about the idea it didn't grab me right away. I thought: ‘talking outdoors, walking, **can that really work?**’. But **I quickly discovered that it does**. At first, the conversation was about work. Then it evolved toward **career, how to project the future and, finally, toward life itself**. For me, much of the value was in **stepping outside the office walls**, moving and being outdoors or in open spaces. That gave me the chance to **think with more calm and freedom**. I did several of these sessions and **I would do them many more times**. **I made important decisions** and faced questions that were not answered immediately. Over time, I even began to **use walks on my own as a way to think and decide**.

Ernesto Noriega

I understood

“I understood why it works.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Business partner / Stakeholder

Guatemala City, Guatemala

I discovered Pasos de Bienestar in **one of the most uncertain moments I have ever lived through**: the pandemic. Amid so much change, Marco created something that seemed simple at the time, a space for conversation, and that over time became **one of the most valuable practices in my professional and personal development**. What I appreciate most about this space is that **it was never a simple performance review**. With Marco I could speak honestly about my results, but also about my doubts, my decisions and where I wanted to grow. Each conversation helped me see my opportunities for improvement more clearly, not through criticism, but through a genuine question: **what do I need to work on to be better, as a professional and as a person?** Over time I understood that this was precisely the strength of Pasos de Bienestar: **it does not separate performance from the human being who produces it**. You can talk about goals, results and work challenges and, at the same time, open space for **personal growth, self-awareness and well-being**. That combination is hard to find, and it is what truly generates **sustainable change**. Today, knowing that Marco is opening this program to more people, I recommend it without reservation. Pasos de Bienestar is not just a tool for conversations about performance: it is **a space to grow with purpose**, accompanied by someone who **knows how to listen and ask the right questions**. To anyone looking for that kind of support, I can say with complete confidence that it is worth taking the step.

Antonella Ricci

I discovered

“It helped me discover questions I didn't yet know I had.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

When I think of Pasos de Bienestar, the first thing I remember is that **I never let a session go by**. Despite the kilometres between us, **the distance disappeared**. We could arrive with a work topic, a concern to resolve, a decision, or simply a desire to talk. And it **always left me with something**: a different perspective, a question, advice, clarity, or simply the feeling of **having been genuinely heard**. It was on those walks that I **discovered an interest in something completely different** from what I had been doing until then. Something I did not know attracted me, much less that could become **a new professional path**. Today it is what I do, I deeply enjoy it, and when I look back, I know that **part of that path began while we were talking and walking** kilometres apart. Pasos de Bienestar **not only helped me find answers**. It also helped me **discover questions I didn't yet know I had**. It allowed me to build **a bond that transcended work**. Marco stopped being just the boss to become a **mentor and guide** and one of those people who leave a mark on your life. And although today we no longer work together, if he asked me whether I want another Paso de Bienestar, my answer would still be: **of course! When can you?**

Arelis González

I decided

“It produced clarity and concrete decisions.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

I worked alongside Marco for more than six years, and it was during the pandemic restrictions that we began the practice of Pasos de Bienestar. Those walks turned out to be **much more than a call**: walking outdoors cleared the mind and, combined with Marco's years of experience and track record, as well as his leadership and communication style, it created **a space of complete trust and ease to think out loud**. There, ideas flowed in a very different way than they did day to day, and **that clarity translated into concrete results**: I was able to **make relevant decisions about my work in a structured way**, and it was precisely in those conversations that I managed to **define my career path**. The fact that this practice is now opening up to more people is a very valuable opportunity for their **human and professional growth**. It is, above all, a genuine space to **pause, organize your ideas and gain perspective** on decisions that would otherwise remain trapped in the day-to-day routine. I recommend living the experience without hesitation, especially for those who feel they need **clarity to take their next step, professional or personal**.

Marcia Jiménez

I changed

“It transformed my way of leading and remains present in the leader I am today.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

San José, Costa Rica

Pasos de Bienestar was **one of the experiences that has most marked my professional life**. I remember those walks and conversations with great affection, because they were **much more than a space to talk about work**. It was a one-on-one moment, outdoors, in which I could talk with a leader I deeply admire and share professional concerns, personal situations that could be impacting my work, ask for advice, or simply have **an honest and close conversation**. For me, it was one of the best ways to understand **how a leader can accompany, advise and generate a positive impact** on people's lives. Those spaces not only helped me grow as a professional and as a person, but they also **transformed my way of leading**. When I had teams in my charge, I carried that learning with me and **incorporated similar spaces with the people on my team**, because I understood that sometimes a walk and a genuine conversation can have **much more impact than a formal meeting**. Besides, we lived in different countries, so whenever we had the chance to share one of those walks, we knew it was an opportunity we could not afford to pass up. Perhaps that is why I remember them with even more affection and gratitude. Pasos de Bienestar was not only a leadership initiative; it was **a way of connecting, listening and accompanying** that left a mark on me and that **remains present in the leader I am today**. **Many of those conversations stay with me to this day**. It is an experience I will always remember and a practice I believe any professional with leadership responsibility should consider implementing in their teams: creating spaces to listen, advise and, above all, **connect with people from a more human place**.

Eglaim González

I grew

“It helped me in difficult situations and developed my leadership.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Formal mentee

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Our walks became a **space of trust** where I could speak with **complete candor** about my ideas, my doubts and my barriers. In Marco I found someone who **truly listens**; someone who tells you straight when you are falling short, but who also helps you get back up, **order your perspective** and remember that **you are not alone**. In moments of pressure, uncertainty or power asymmetry, Marco was a voice of sanity and good sense. He never imposed answers: he brought experience and wisdom to help me **build my own**. His integrity, empathy and high standards made a real difference in my **development as a leader**. Looking back, my only regret is not having made even more of those walks. To anyone who has the chance to walk and talk with Marco, I would say without hesitation: it is deeply worth it.

Diego Alvarado

I trusted

“Trust turned the 1:1 into the conversation that really mattered.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

The best way to have a 1:1 Instead of feeling the typical ‘nervousness’ of having a 1:1 with your boss, the Pasos de Bienestar spaces became **a safe place**; a moment that, in fact, **I looked forward to every month**. There was no need for a rigid structure or an agenda full of points to cover. **The PowerPoint was unnecessary**. What really mattered was **the quality of the conversation** and the chance to go deeper into whatever needed attention at that moment. Even when Marco was no longer my direct manager, I kept seeking out these spaces fairly often. By then, I had found in him something that **went beyond the boss-employee relationship**: **a mentor and a sounding board** with whom I could bounce ideas around, question them and, many times, simply put them in order. Even when we were kilometres apart, **the walks with Marco always felt close**. The conversations flowed so naturally that **an hour rarely seemed enough**. Perhaps that is one of the best lessons those spaces left me: **the best 1:1s are not necessarily the ones with the best agenda**, but the ones where there is **the trust to have the conversation that really matters**.

Mauricio Mishaan

I opened my mind

“It broke through hierarchy and opened space for important decisions.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Pasos de Bienestar was a very interesting experience because, within a formal and hierarchical relationship, it is not always easy to **break down the barriers of work** and open space for **personal, more human conversations**. Walking in a comfortable, familiar setting made it easier to **talk about what is often most important: oneself**. That created **a much greater level of closeness** and allowed us to take the conversation beyond day-to-day matters. In those spaces I was able to make **some of the most important decisions about my future** within the organization.

Nelson Bohórquez

I came to see

“A good conversation can take us much further than many steps traveled.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Pasos de Bienestar has been **much more than a conversation outside the routine**. It has been **a space of trust, open and genuine**, where walking and talking lets you pause, share concerns freely and **look at situations from a different perspective**. Having a leader who, beyond talking about work, **listens, asks, shares his experience** and acts as a coach and mentor has enormous value. These conversations have helped me **recognize behaviors, clear doubts**, find **new ways to face challenges** and, many times, simply **organize my ideas**. In an environment where much of our time is focused on results, meetings and commitments, creating spaces to talk about how we are, what worries us and what we can do differently **strengthens trust, stimulates creativity** and helps us **grow, both professionally and personally**. Sometimes **a good conversation while walking can take us much further than many steps traveled**.

Marvin Llanos

I made it mine

“The value endured over time.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Pasos de Bienestar was **a moment I looked forward to** because it allowed me to have a more relaxed conversation. What I loved was that **it wasn't only about work and the day to day**, but about something **more personal: me as a person and my surroundings** — my family, my network and my work peers. It was a space where we talked about how to **turn my areas of opportunity into tangible, visible changes**, under a **timeless model** that still resonates with me today and that I keep championing. Then we would talk about work, but that was part of the day-to-day tasks and, by nature, it was temporary. For me, **the truly valuable part was that first part**. I'm grateful that you dedicated that time to **listening to me and helping me ground so many thoughts** into something more **simple, practical and actionable**.

Jerson Flores

I shared it

“I adopted it and brought it to others.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

My experience with Pasos de Bienestar was very positive. It was a space that combined something as important as physical activity with the opportunity to have a **close, different kind of conversation** with my boss. Once a month, usually on our home-office days, we would connect early by video call and go out walking while having our 1-1. That format made **the conversation feel much more natural and enjoyable**. We could talk about challenges, opportunities, work topics and exchange ideas with greater openness, while at the same time starting the day with exercise. Personally, I remember that stage with great appreciation. It helped me stay active and, at the same time, gave me **a quality space** with my boss, outside the traditional dynamic of a meeting or an office. The experience was so positive that I later **started applying the same dynamic with one of my direct reports** and with peers or collaborators from other teams. I also received very good feedback from them. For me, that confirmed it was a practice that **could transfer and generate value at other levels of the team** as well. I believe Pasos de Bienestar managed to integrate two important elements very well: **well-being and close leadership**. It wasn't only about going out for a walk, but about creating a different space to **talk, listen, build trust and strengthen the relationship** between leader and collaborator. It was definitely a practice I truly enjoyed, one that I even **incorporated into my own way of leading**, and that I believe is worth maintaining and promoting.

Kevin Juárez

It transformed me

“It left a deep mark.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Matrix report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Our 1:1 walks with Marco were much more than follow-up spaces; they were a constant catalyst for my **personal and professional growth and development**. **Connecting from a place of honesty** and **pausing the rhythm of the day** to speak openly about life, my aspirations and the challenges of work transformed the way I understand leadership and **my own potential**. It allowed me to discover **a more mature, focused and self-aware version of myself**. Marco's ability to inspire through **empathy and real listening** turned every encounter into a push forward. Every conversation left a deep mark on my life and gave me the certainty that true development begins when we dare to have **authentic conversations**.

Enrique “Quique” Rodríguez

I carry it with me

“The conversation left a calm that still remains.”

Honorary Member of Pasos de Bienestar

Direct report

Guatemala City, Guatemala

For me, Pasos de Bienestar meant the opportunity to have a 1:1 with Marco **from a different kind of vulnerability**: wearing sports clothes, walking along a trail near my home, and **far from the usual dynamic** of sitting behind a desk going through a list of pending items. That setting allowed me to **connect at an exceptional level**, **well beyond the typical 1:1**. **I clearly remember the conversations** we had in each of the Pasos de Bienestar sessions. Even today, when I walk that same trail near my home, **I can feel the calm** that walk left me with — the one where **we found a way out of something that was weighing on me**.

Honorary Members

Future community

Some people who experience the value of being accompanied may eventually choose to accompany others, allowing Pasos to grow from one relationship into many, with facilitators, coaches and mentors who share the same way of being present.

It isn't expected of every participant — it's an open possibility for anyone who wants it. When the moment comes, each invitation is a personal conversation.

Facilitator

Helps you find your own answers.

Listens, asks, reflects and helps organize your thinking. The value of the conversation is deliberately centered on you.

Coach

Challenges your thinking, broadens your options and helps you move forward.

May question assumptions, play devil's advocate, point out alternatives you may have overlooked and push constructively when it helps.

Mentor

Brings both people's experience into a deeper conversation about perspective and direction.

The most reciprocal of the three roles. The mentor contributes experience and judgment, and also learns from your experience and circumstances.