Patry Jordán on her time on 'Dancing with the Stars': "Bustamante won me over, and I won't forgive him."

She's one of the original influencers, one of those who paved the way on YouTube more than a decade ago. Now, Patry Jordán is 40 years old, lives in Andorra, and is still in love with the same man she's been with for the past twenty years. Much, yet nothing has changed since she rose to internet fame and built her career brick by brick . One of her strengths is exercise ; in fact, she experienced a second rebirth when, during the pandemic, everyone discovered her videos for exercising at home.

So it's no surprise that Lidl's sports brand, Crivit, wanted to feature her for its new campaign. The slogan, "Find your move," couldn't be more fitting: she's known how to adapt to the changes in social media to continue dedicating herself to this. Because she doesn't just create content; she also has a training platform that is the mainstay of her work. ABC spoke with Patry Jordán to understand how one goes from influencer to entrepreneur without losing the nearly 1.5 million followers she has on her personal profile.

- You've been in this profession your whole life. How has being an influencer changed since you started 15 years ago?

Before, it was like the odd one out, but after the pandemic, people have realized that it's possible to train at home, and it's very viable. You can combine it with the gym, running, and so on.

- You've created many types of content. How do you decide where the line between personal and public lies?

We used to blog a lot and tell our audiences a little more about who we were, what our daily lives were like, so they could get to know us. But even if they're just 20-minute videos, they're never 100% of your life. You can channel and show what you think will contribute, what's good, and be aligned with that content. I consider myself a content creator from the beginning; I know how to separate things very well, even as a consumer. I'm overwhelmed by wasting time scrolling. I have a lot of respect for and show what I think can contribute.

- For example, the renovation of your house.

It's something I'm excited about, and I share it with them. They even share it with me. I say, "I want a towel rack." Who can help me? And they send me options. It's a privilege. Because I help, but they help me a lot to build, to solve things. I share what I feel comfortable with. At first, I shared beauty because it was something I also liked, but now it's something I do less and less. In 15 years, I've changed too. I'm a different person, and content changes with you. You don't want to lose your essence. Content has to stay with you over the years because it takes a long time.

- One thing that hasn't changed over the years is your relationship. Many people know you precisely for your relationship, which seems idyllic after 20 years together. What tips would you give for a relationship that lasts so long?

Well, I don't know if it's idyllic. I'm sure it'll last and be good, because I've been with him for a long time, and in the end, I'd be lying to you if I said no. We work together and have a normal relationship. I think it's a healthy relationship. In the end, everything happens. One day you argue and the next you make up. The good thing in the end is talking, right? Having those uncomfortable conversations when you have to have them to stay aligned. In general, my family, my partner, I feel super proud and super supported, I wouldn't change it for anything. But on social media, I want to clarify, it seems like everything, everything, everything is great, and creating content or my job isn't just about uploading a photo. Just like having a partner isn't just about the pretty picture. We only see the pretty side of things, and in reality, there's everything.

- But you have very few 'haters', reviewing your comments most are positive.

I'm very grateful for the community I have. It's also true that I don't mess with anyone, and I hope people do the same. I don't try to please everyone, and it's normal that I won't end up being that way. I try to contribute and connect with those I can help. I think we connect in some way.

- I understand that sport is that for you, connection too, right?

I've had sport as a lifelong activity since I was little. My father was a soccer coach and owned a soccer school. My brother is currently an analyst for Barça's first team. My mother ran marathons. I studied Physical Education because I loved it. I don't see sport as a matter of aesthetics; it helps us look better, yes, but it also helps us gain confidence, well-being, and self-confidence. It has so many benefits that we sometimes overlook. I think that when we want to train, we only see the effort and see it as something bad, but it's giving you so much. The key is finding that time to disconnect, discipline, no matter what sport you do, as long as it keeps you active and does you good. I think everyone has to adapt to stay active.

- I also wanted to ask you about your time on television. You were on 'Dancing with the Stars,' but we haven't seen you on any more shows since then.

Bustamante beat me, and I won't forgive him for that [laughs]. I was there for three months until the final. It was a really cool experience. I'm sorry I didn't enjoy it as much because my demanding nature didn't allow it. I was so focused on doing well. Every week they came with a new challenge, and I had never danced before, no ballroom or partner dancing. It was a challenge. A program like that, live, where you have to learn a choreography every week, and then two more, on top of all my work... I don't know how I managed to do it for three months because it was very intense. Then the pandemic hit, and it took time. Some programs have come out, but they didn't suit me; I haven't taken it. But I won't rule out doing something else, let's see if something comes along that suits me.

- That is, something along the lines of a 'talent show' is being proposed, but not a 'reality show'.

Exactly. I've received some things, but I haven't been very aligned.

- And, regarding your home renovation, you've mentioned in your recent posts that it's costing you a fortune. Could you give an approximate figure? A range?

You'd be scared if I told you the truth. I'm scared every day when I wake up.

- They have been doing the reform for a long time.

Three years and a little more. It's been a regrettably bad experience. I've suffered tremendously over the whole thing, I'm still suffering, and I never imagined renovating a house, which is also in an idyllic location, that seems like it should have everything... but I'm confident that everything will fall into place. Not just financially, we've had bad experiences; the project went a bit awry, and it's proving more difficult than I expected. But I think everyone who's been through a renovation can relate. You have the bad luck of being with bad professionals, poorly advised, or simply making bad decisions, and then you find yourself caught up in a snowball that's hard to get out of. If you asked me why I've cried this year, I'd tell you 99% of it was because of the house... it's been very hard. I named it 'Villa Calma,' I hope it will give me all the calm it's not giving me now.

- Did you imagine where you would be five years ago?

I've always been a dreamer. I see myself the same. What I'm telling you is that since I was little, I've always been made to believe I wasn't enough because I have dyslexia, and it's always been twice as hard for me. I think developing other skills like perseverance, not giving up, self-motivation... makes you super powerful. My father always tells me, 'You're the crazy one who only believed in your project.' But when I quantify success, I don't think about how far you've come, but how satisfied you are with your work, and I feel super satisfied. I hope to continue growing and being able to contribute. I'm ambitious, I won't say no, and I like it. If you ask me, 'Did you imagine it?' I'll tell you, maybe not exactly. Look, now I'm here with Lidl doing the launch campaign, and I didn't imagine it like this, but I knew it would always be aligned with my passion, which has always been sports.