Portuguese people who are making a name for themselves abroad are helping to find out where business opportunities are and what kind of companies and activities the country can attract. An initiative that brings together Negócios and the Portuguese Diaspora Council.

1- What led you to leave Portugal?

The desire to experience new challenges and cultures that would make me grow. To get to know and learn from new mentalities, both professionally and personally. My wife and I have always wanted to expand our horizons and those of our four children. Watermelon produced an animated series, “Nutri Ventures”, which became the first Portuguese series sold to American television channels (“free to air” and cable) and also to Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. When, in 2013, the series received Michelle Obama’s endorsement, and we were invited to develop educational content for the American public education system, the opportunity was too good, and we didn’t hesitate.

2- What advantages or disadvantages did being Portuguese bring you?

I think that being Portuguese is a huge advantage. We were born into a culture of “hard work”, flexibility, the drive to do well, the friendliness that brings us closer to others and builds trust are fantastic “skills”. Another huge advantage is “desenrascanço” which, in my opinion, is the Portuguese word that best sums up “using your imagination and trusting your intuition to solve problems and unforeseen events and find a way forward!”. As we grew up in a market which, due to its size, gives us a generalist experience, almost like “specialists in a bit of everything”, this gives us a broader exposure and vision of organizations and businesses – this is a very positive factor for me, especially when compared to the North American market, where specialization reigns.

3- What obstacles did you have to overcome and how did you do it?

The Portuguese film and television industry has grown a lot in recent years. However, even today there aren’t many Portuguese series or films on the international market, let alone animation. This was a huge obstacle because it creates discomfort and uncertainty for potential clients. So breaking new ground in the international market was the biggest challenge I had. To overcome it, we had to show our quality of work and build the reputation of the company and our productions. We realized that the strategy was to build credibility and prove that our series were better than the competition. We focused on the series with which we were achieving the greatest internationalization, “Nutri Ventures”, and managed, with a lot of resilience, to get the support of Michelle Obama and the World Health Organization (the series promoted healthy eating). In addition, we carried out a study of the series’ performance with its target audience, which showed that when it was shown on Disney in Spain and Brazil, it increased audiences by more than 10%. All this combined meant that the “Nutri Ventures” series was sold to more than 60 countries around the world.

4- What do you admire most about the country you’re in?

Many things. New York being the main, if not the only, metropolis in the world that intentionally and genuinely seeks to build a universal community makes it an open society that respects and accepts others and wants to create equal opportunities for everyone. This doesn’t mean that it’s easy and there’s no friction, but rather that there’s a fantastic starting point for everyone to be what they want to be.
Another aspect is the mentality where everything is possible; and for everyone. This generates a general culture of positivity, support, encouragement and a desire to build, undertake and grow projects. It’s an “airy” environment and a constant search for “the next big thing”, in other words, to dream big.
This has been engrained in Americans since the Declaration of Independence, which considers everyone’s right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness to be inalienable.

5- What do you admire most about the company or organisation you work for?

Being a project and life path of mine and my “great partner” Rodrigo Carvalho, where the mission is to produce the stories of the films, documentaries and series that we feel called to tell the world and, at the same time, inspire and touch people’s minds and hearts. And to achieve this, we have to start internally with the people who work with us. We work with the sincere intention of helping and contributing to everyone knowing and developing themselves, discovering their purpose and being happy. That sounds very neat and organized, but in the end it forces us to live in discomfort and make the decisions that push us to go further. And the result is series and films with more genuine and engaging stories and art.

6- What recommendations would you give to Portugal and its entrepreneurs and managers?

The American market is huge, super dynamic, but also super competitive (I often say it’s the Champions League). In other words, it requires courage, persistence, drive and determination (those who believe the most and for the longest win). There are two important aspects to implementing any plan…
The first is to connect and build a “network” that helps to form a reputation, which is fundamental. A great advantage is the support of the Portuguese expatriate or Lusodescendant communities – they are always a very positive support. To get anywhere (business partner or client) you need a “dating” process, a relationship – Americans have a very open, available culture, but “you have to walk the talk”, i.e. you have to be present, demonstrate value, commitment, where we can help and the skills, solutions and talent we bring.

The second aspect is “don’t sell yourself short”. We Portuguese are generally humble, and that’s a tremendous quality. But we also often confuse humility with a lack of self-esteem – we let the fear of what others will think take away our initiative, confidence and, above all, the audacity to show our worth and dreams..

7- In which sectors of the country where you live could Portuguese companies find clients?

All of them! I haven’t found a single industry, market or area of society where I don’t know a Portuguese person who is a professional of excellence, makes a mark on society, shines in the arts and makes a difference.

8- In which sectors in Portugal might companies from the country where you live want to invest?

At the moment, Portugal is very prominent in the USA. In my early years, it was rare to find anyone who knew where Portugal was. Now, every American either wants to visit or move to Portugal, or knows someone who has. This creates a very positive general awareness. In addition, Portugal is a great test-market for Europe (because of its size, because it is technologically developed, etc.). I think these factors can be very important in attracting American investors to any industry, namely technology, senior tourism, assisted living and healthcare..

9- What is the competitive advantage of the country you live in that could be replicated in Portugal?

A principal vantagem é a mentalidade – gostava de ver replicada a de não ter medo. Tentar e falhar faz parte e é um passo imprescindível para ter sucesso (mesmo quando já se atingiu sucesso). Talvez devêssemos premiar também as tentativas e o esforço, em vez de idolatrar apenas a parte visível do sucesso. Depois, adicionava ter ambição, sonhar alto, sem pudor. Estas características são, para mim, o motor do sucesso sustentado americano. Quando deixei o mundo corporativo em Portugal para me tornar empreendedor, perguntavam-me, frequentemente, “mas porquê? Não consegues arranjar emprego?”. Aqui nos EUA, quando digo que sou empreendedor a reação é “uau, que espetáculo, vais ficar milionário” – e, atenção, não estou a dizer que temos todos de ser empreendedores ou que o sucesso só se mede em milhões.

A outra, mas talvez seja pedir demais, é que nos tratássemos todos por “tu”…

10- Are you thinking of returning to Portugal? Why do you think so?

I don’t think I’ve left Portugal. I’ve expanded the area where I live and work. I come very often, for family and work, and I talk about Portugal to everyone. In fact, I’m producing the first CGI animated film for Portuguese cinema, inspired by the love legend of Viana do Castelo (my wife’s hometown, which also made Viana the love of my life). It’s a sort of Portuguese version of Frozen, with a cast of Hollywood celebrities. As a film and television producer, I chose to make this movie because it’s a fantastic story, which shows the importance of love as the greatest good – it has immense commercial potential, above all because it makes the good heart of the Portuguese (in the movie, the heart of Viana) known to the whole world. The borders of today’s world are no longer the traditional physical/territorial ones, they are the ones that the Portuguese create and expand, inside and outside Portugal, as a community.