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#101 Seeds of Dreams w/ Claudemir Oliveira
13 Plays2 days ago
Today’s guest has a story that feels like it was written for the big screen.
Born in Brazil and one of 21 siblings, he learned the value of hard work and family from a young age. At just 13 years old, he made a powerful decision—to help his parents manage the monthly bills, planting the first seeds of responsibility and purpose.
Fast forward to today, he is the founder and president of the Seeds of Dreams Institute, a place where vision meets action and potential is nurtured into greatness. He spent years as an executive at The Walt Disney Company, learning from and contributing to the magic behind one of the most iconic brands in the world.
He’s the author of 8 books, a filmmaker who brought stories to life through a short movie and a documentary about Walt Disney, and an unwavering believer in the power of dreams.
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Transcript
Introduction and Early Life in Brazil
00:00:31
Find A Way Podcast
This is episode 101, Seeds of Dreams, and today's guest has a story that feels like it was written for the big screen. Born in Brazil and one of 21 siblings, he learned the value of hard work and family from a young age.
00:00:46
Find A Way Podcast
At just 13 years old, he made a powerful decision to help his parents manage the monthly bills, planting the first seeds of responsibility and purpose. Fast forward today, he's the founder and president of the Seeds of Dreams Institute, a place where vision meets action and potential is nurtured into greatness.
00:01:05
Find A Way Podcast
He spent years as an executive at Walt Disney Company, learning from and contributing to the magic behind one of the most iconic brands of the world. He is the author of eight books, a filmmaker who brought stories to life through a short movie and a documentary about Walt Disney, and an unwavering believer in the power of dreams.
00:01:24
Find A Way Podcast
Welcome
Corporate Training and Disney Influence
00:01:25
Find A Way Podcast
to the show, Claudemir.
00:01:27
Claudemir Oliveira
I'm so happy to be here to share a little bit of my life and my professional life with you all of you. I'm very, very happy and thank you for inviting me.
00:01:36
Ingrid
So before we start talking about all your experience, can you share more about your business and what you do?
00:01:42
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes, I have opened this business corporate training. My specialty, naturally, is about customer services.
00:01:53
Claudemir Oliveira
So because of my years at Disney and being a teacher at Disney University, of course, this is really in my heart to talk about, you know, to small and medium and big companies about how can they improve their customer services development at the end of the day, which is huge, huge for all of us.
00:02:14
Find A Way Podcast
Amazing. um I'm excited to step into all of those greatness, Claudemir, but let's start at the beginning. What was it like? Because you did mention that you grew up, of course, we're all three of us here are from Brazil and incredible land.
00:02:29
Find A Way Podcast
But I'm curious to um understand what it was like growing up in Brazil as one of 21 siblings.
00:02:36
Claudemir Oliveira
Yeah.
00:02:36
Find A Way Podcast
And how did that shape your sense of responsibility and leadership?
00:02:40
Claudemir Oliveira
ah This is a great question. You know, when people ask me, first of all, before Disney, I used to work for American Airlines and United Airlines. So I came from the airline business before joining Disney.
00:02:51
Claudemir Oliveira
And when people ask me, Ingrid and Beatrice, you know, how did you get from a very, very poor and great big family? How did you get to these big companies?
00:03:02
Claudemir Oliveira
So my answer is all as well. I was very competitive. After all, after all, you have 21 siblings. So ah since I was a little boy, of course, I had to fight for myself for my rights, if you know what I mean.
00:03:17
Find A Way Podcast
Thank you.
00:03:19
Claudemir Oliveira
So, but it was great. I mean, I learned so many things like, you know, sharing. I have this story about I used to have just one shirt to go to the school.
00:03:31
Claudemir Oliveira
And one day I got together with my brothers and said, we have to solve this situation because every time we go to school, you know, the other kids kind of make fun that we just have one shirt. And we were kind of same size.
00:03:44
Claudemir Oliveira
So I decided it there, you know, how about if you exchange our shirts? So from one, i had five or six all of a sudden.
00:03:53
Find A Way Podcast
you
00:03:54
Claudemir Oliveira
So every day I had a different shirt, but it was for my brothers and sisters. So there are a lot of lessons that you learn, you know, how to cope with so many people. So I learned a lot um in my personal life that I brought that, of course, for my professional life.
00:04:12
Claudemir Oliveira
So having so many kids, you have to have to give in. So you learn how to give in many times. ah You learn how to share. i remember, you know, we were not rich, so we didn't have a mansion.
00:04:25
Claudemir Oliveira
We didn't have a house with 21 rooms. So, of course, we used to leave to sleep in the same room, you know, five, six, or seven. and So you have to learn how to how how to share your life when you have so many other kids around.
00:04:34
Find A Way Podcast
Wow.
00:04:40
Claudemir Oliveira
So I'm i'm very fortunate that I had so many brothers and sisters, and that that shaped my life later on.
00:04:48
Ingrid
That's amazing. And I think you, you spoke about it at a little bit and I can't like, I can't imagine. i think most people can't imagine having 21 siblings. Like some people can imagine three, five, but like 21. Yeah.
00:05:00
Find A Way Podcast
It's a full classroom.
00:05:02
Ingrid
yeah It's a full, it's a full, but there's a full soccer team with, with, uh, with bench, with bench players.
00:05:02
Claudemir Oliveira
yeah
00:05:02
Find A Way Podcast
you
00:05:05
Claudemir Oliveira
It's a soccer team. It's a soccer but
00:05:11
Claudemir Oliveira
team. Yes, they almost two teams, huh? One more and you have two teams.
00:05:13
Ingrid
Right.
00:05:17
Ingrid
Yeah. um
Education as a Path to Support Family
00:05:18
Ingrid
So we know that, you know, at just 13, you made the decision to help your parents financially. What motivated you at such a young age and how did that experience um influence your approach to work and life?
00:05:32
Claudemir Oliveira
Yeah, I came from the northeast of Brazil. so you know, many people, when they are young, many people from the northeast of Brazil, in general, they move to the south in search of a better life.
00:05:44
Claudemir Oliveira
So that's what happened to my whole family. The whole family moved from the northeast of Brazil to Sao Paulo in search of a better life. And I was just 13. And I was the one who saw that scene, my father and my mother trying to pay the bills at the end of the month.
00:06:00
Claudemir Oliveira
And I had the vision. I said, you know what? I really think that I should help my father and my mother not go through these problems of paying bills. But the good news about that is that how can a child of 13, 14 years old have the vision to kind of say, well, I know that I have to do that, number one.
00:06:22
Claudemir Oliveira
Number two, I thought, how am going to make that happen? So I had the the idea that through education, I would be able to make that dream a reality. So I thought, if I study hard here in Sao Paulo, I'm going to get a better job.
00:06:40
Claudemir Oliveira
If I get a better job, I'm going to get a better salary. And as a consequence, I'm going to help them. But Here's the thing that I didn't talk so to you before.
00:06:53
Claudemir Oliveira
it's ah I had a big question at that time, which was, Claudio, I know you're going to win in life, but what if you win in life and you don't have your parents together?
00:07:06
Claudemir Oliveira
So that was a $1 billion dollar question to me at 13 years old, right? So it's just like I was asking myself and I had to answer myself.
00:07:18
Claudemir Oliveira
And I said, well, if I win in life, if I get better jobs, if I get money, and I can help my parents, if they are not there, that would make no sense at all.
00:07:32
Claudemir Oliveira
So they have to be there. So
00:07:37
Claudemir Oliveira
I answer myself, say, so run. Run because in theory, in theory they will live before you so if you have this preoccupation of having them when you win so you gotta run so i never stopped running since then because i was a messenger during the day in brazil we call office boy
00:07:59
Find A Way Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:08:06
Claudemir Oliveira
At night, I studied. So what I did Saturdays and Sundays, I used to go to schools to, you know, this English that I'm speaking right now, I learned on Saturdays and Sundays. So when people come to me with excuses that I don't speak English, israel I don't have time. I mean, this is bullshit. I'm sorry to use that word here if you want to add it later. i No problem at all.
00:08:27
Claudemir Oliveira
You know, if you really have a dream, if you really want to pay that, you just go and going to make it happen. So Saturday and Sundays was the only extra time that I had to push to the future so I could get before they leave me.
00:08:43
Claudemir Oliveira
And guess what? I was right. My theory was right. I was able to help my father and my mother.
00:08:56
Claudemir Oliveira
way before they had to go. And I'm sure that as a spiritual guy, I know that right now they are listening to me and and proud of what I was able to accomplish.
00:09:08
Claudemir Oliveira
So that that's that's basically what I did. I think that education was key for me. Education wise was key. And I'm so happy that I have an institute, everything to do with education.
00:09:19
Claudemir Oliveira
with that. So I'm very proud of that story. Very, very proud and very happy that you guys are sharing these to other people that I can in a way, directly indirectly, help them to make dream their dreams come true.
00:09:34
Find A Way Podcast
No, it's beautiful. And um I'm actually grateful you answered my next question, which is exactly about education um and how it's a powerful theme in your life.
00:09:45
Find A Way Podcast
um So thank you for that. um One other question that we have, we have many others,
Lessons from Disney: Discipline and Commitment
00:09:51
Find A Way Podcast
but you spent many years as an executive at the Walt Disney Company.
00:09:51
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:09:55
Find A Way Podcast
What were some of the most powerful lessons that you learned during your time there? And how do you carry those lessons forward today?
00:10:03
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes. I think Disney helped a lot about discipline. And I got that, you know, by reading a lot about the founder, Walt Disney, because many people don't know, but when I came to Disney, I thought it would be easy to work there because I had worked for American, for United Airlines. So my thought was, well, I already know the American culture.
00:10:30
Claudemir Oliveira
I have worked for two huge companies, American United Airlines. So what's going to be different than Disney? It's an American company. Well, but I forgot that even though they are American companies, they have different cultures.
00:10:45
Claudemir Oliveira
And when I got to this, they realized there was completely different beast, completely different, right? So I even had some difficulties in the beginning. It was a little bit hard for me to understand some of the things that was happening. Like, for example, if somebody asked me to put Mickey Mouse in a brochure,
00:11:02
Claudemir Oliveira
I would call Orlando and say, no, you cannot put Mickey Mouse in this brochure.
00:11:05
Find A Way Podcast
Thank you.
00:11:06
Claudemir Oliveira
said, why not? I'm the guy in Brazil who cannot even approve Mouse. No, you can't. So how about an upgrade? Let's give an upgrade to somebody who's staying in a cheap hotel to Gran Florida, for example. No, you cannot do that.
00:11:25
Claudemir Oliveira
So I realized that I was a little bit in trouble because I couldn't get anything approved. So what I did... And this is something very nice for everyone who is listening to me. I said, Claudio, if you understand about the guy, if you understand about the guy, Walt Disney, if you read about him, if you understand his mind, you will understand everything that's going on as far as culture in the company.
00:11:52
Claudemir Oliveira
So I became an author of eight books, five of them about Walt Disney, because of a difficulty. By reading the guy, by understanding the guy, I understand the whole culture.
00:12:00
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:12:05
Claudemir Oliveira
So one thing that I give to everyone who is listening to us is if by any chance in your job you know, whatever you are in this moment in your life, if you're not adapting yourself to the culture of the company where you are, I have this insight.
00:12:20
Claudemir Oliveira
You know, read about the guy who founded the company where you are right now. You understand everything. And here you're going to have an option. You will not change that culture overnight, number one.
00:12:31
Claudemir Oliveira
It's going to be very, very hard. Either you adapt yourself to that culture or get out. you will not change the mind of somebody who has been there. The company is 100 years old.
00:12:44
Claudemir Oliveira
And today, I can see everything that runs in the company has to do with the mind of Walt and his brother, Roy Disney. So that's one thing that I learned a lot, you know, to understand how the mind of the founder works.
00:12:59
Claudemir Oliveira
And that helped me to not get frustrated when somebody asked for Mickey Mouse. Why I cannot put Mickey Mouse? Well, because Walt Disney failed three times before he was 23 years old.
00:13:12
Claudemir Oliveira
And then he worked more five years to get the first cartoon as a success, Oswald, the lucky rabbit that was not lucky at all. He lost the rights to Oswald after five years trying.
00:13:27
Claudemir Oliveira
And then he created Mickey Mouse in a train trip from New York to Hollywood in 1928. to an a And he said nobody will ever touch you do my characters because he lost Oswald.
00:13:41
Claudemir Oliveira
So that is in the company to this day. That's why it's not easy for you to get Mickey Mouse doing anything. It's because it's there. It's it's in the root of the company. So I always tell people, try to understand the mind of the founder, the mind of the guy who created this company, and you will understand the company. You will understand the de culture of the company. So...
00:14:02
Claudemir Oliveira
That's one thing. The other thing, very, very, very shortly, is about commitment. I mean, when I when i went to Disney, people had a joke. They said, Claudio, do you know that when you work for Disney,
00:14:16
Claudemir Oliveira
you are equivalent to three other people. I said, what do you mean? I used to work a lot at the American Airlines and Well, at this, you're going to work three times more than you used to work with government.
00:14:29
Claudemir Oliveira
I said, are you kidding me? But this is reality because you are so passionate about brand, because you want that so badly. at the end of the day you're going to be so committed you're going to be so so focused on that thing that you end up being very very productive that's why many people uh regarded disney's employees as you know uh top because of that because of our passion for that thing we end up really doing things and i remember at the american airline had like 80 people working for me united airline like like probably
00:15:06
Claudemir Oliveira
25 people. I came to this as a global leader and I had two people working for me. So just by that, Just by then, you will know that that the company is really a great company, but you you have to you have to love, you have to have a passion.
00:15:25
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah. True.
00:15:28
Claudemir Oliveira
Otherwise, you won't stay there longer. there There are some research that proves when somebody doesn't have the DNA of Disney, two months and and they themselves are expelled.
00:15:39
Claudemir Oliveira
They they don't want to stay.
00:15:40
Find A Way Podcast
yeah
00:15:41
Claudemir Oliveira
But I learned a lot.
00:15:41
Find A Way Podcast
true
00:15:42
Claudemir Oliveira
I owe so much to to these three companies, America, United, and Disney, all of the other companies that I have been. Even the ones when I was a messenger, an office boy, I'm very grateful to have all the experience that I have. I am a consequence of all those experiences. So I i don't deny...
00:16:01
Claudemir Oliveira
I deny zero of my experience in the past. I am i'm part of all those experiences from the moment I was born to the moment we're talking right now. So I have to be grateful.
00:16:14
Ingrid
I love everything you're saying. And I think that the next question, it's almost like me and Bia trying to pick your brain than just for our listeners.
00:16:22
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes. Yeah.
00:16:22
Ingrid
But ah you've written eight books, just a short film and a documentary about Walt Disney.
Storytelling and Personal Philosophy
00:16:28
Ingrid
What draws you to storytelling? And is there any tips for us out there that want to write books at the same time that we work full-time jobs and have bunch of projects going on? like Like, what are some, like, give us the tea in it.
00:16:41
Ingrid
Like, give us the the tips.
00:16:41
Claudemir Oliveira
Yeah.
00:16:44
Claudemir Oliveira
You know, in general, in psychology, we use the theory of chaos, which is known as butterfly theory.
00:16:55
Claudemir Oliveira
I'm sure that's some people, there is even a move about that. And that comes from a guy from MIT, if I'm not if i'm not mistaken, Harvard or MIT, Albert something, Lawrence, I think.
00:17:09
Claudemir Oliveira
And he proved that when a butterfly in the Amazon, they do this. in the context of the world, that this is enough to create a hurricane in Japan, for example.
00:17:22
Claudemir Oliveira
So every little action that happens in our environment, in our world, that has a consequence. And the movie talks about that. For those interested, just see Butterfly Effect.
00:17:34
Claudemir Oliveira
This movie is an old movie, but it talks about the theory. So it's a theory. i mean, it's scientifically proved that that happened. And why I'm bringing this to you. Because as my difficulty working for Disney was the cause for me being here with, you know, eight books, five of them about both.
00:17:53
Claudemir Oliveira
There will be something that will happen in your life that will lead you to those things. it's not just like this. For example, the scenery of seeing my father and my mother trying to pay the bills at the end of the the month, that scene is a butterfly fact.
00:18:13
Claudemir Oliveira
That scene brought me here today talking to you. for That scene made me go to study Saturdays and Sundays. That scene told me you got to run because if you don't run, you run a risk.
00:18:26
Claudemir Oliveira
of not being having them with you when you win life.
00:18:26
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:18:31
Claudemir Oliveira
So it's ah that will be a trigger. That will be something that will make you go to the next level. And we have to be what?
00:18:42
Claudemir Oliveira
Alert. We have to be present. Because why other brothers didn't see that scene? Does that mean that they are not good brothers? Of course not.
00:18:53
Claudemir Oliveira
Nothing to do with that. It's just a moment. So all of us will have some moments that will define our next step. But we have to be alert.
00:19:03
Claudemir Oliveira
Sometimes it's there. We are not alert and we don't get it. So we stay longer. But as I believe in life, evolution is the only way we have to go.
00:19:17
Claudemir Oliveira
It may take another life or many other lives. We have no way back. Either going to learn by love or by pain.
00:19:29
Claudemir Oliveira
But evolution is where all of us have to go.
00:19:33
Find A Way Podcast
I agree completely.
00:19:33
Claudemir Oliveira
So for me, today, I pray that I'm better than I was yesterday. And I'm working hard today to be better tomorrow than today.
00:19:44
Claudemir Oliveira
So it's a constant change. constant improvement. And that's how I see life. That's how I see, you know, business. We have to keep improving ourselves in every area, personal, is spiritual, physical, all the areas we have way to improve that every single day, infinite, endless, endless, endless.
00:20:07
Ingrid
I want to add a comment before we jump to the next question. So I think it's it's incredible for you to say how your you know experiences early in life like challenge you and like taught you a lot about business itself. And it was the same for me.
00:20:21
Ingrid
But also from what you're saying, it's ah there's a phrase that like I remind myself every day, which is the magic you're looking for is on the work that you're avoiding. which is you experience the challenges and you can you can rise to the challenges or you can just sit around and complain about it. So in your case, it's like you experienced a completely difference of culture from like having a lot of control over the brand that you're working and all that to like having minimum control and having to deal with a lot of bureaucracy.
00:20:49
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:20:49
Ingrid
And you could have said, well, this is not for me and walked away. But you rose to the challenge and be like, okay, i want I want to be obsessed about this in a good way, understand it better so I can be the best possible person I can for this company.
00:21:02
Ingrid
And I think that says a lot about you and your experience of like you know like overcoming your challenges.
00:21:07
Claudemir Oliveira
Wonderful. And you know, a story that I want to share very quickly. This book has over so almost 600 pages. It's called Have You Ever Eaten
00:21:18
Claudemir Oliveira
In Portuguese, você já comeu água. Have you ever eaten water? you know what this story is about? Because I was running around Saturdays and Sundays to help my brother my father and my mother.
00:21:30
Claudemir Oliveira
Remember, I worked during the week as a messenger, office boy. At night, I studied. So Saturdays and Sundays boy my was my extra time to study, to go, to run against time, right? To get earlier.
00:21:44
Claudemir Oliveira
yeah Well, on Saturdays and Sundays, in general, I didn't have money to to have my lunch. The only thing that I had was the money to go by bus and come back by bus to my home from 8 in the morning until 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. I have no money to for lunch.
00:22:03
Claudemir Oliveira
So the only thing that I had for lunch was water. That's why the title, Have You Ever Eaten Water?, And that look how how how life is beautiful. Today I can have this water.
00:22:15
Claudemir Oliveira
But that was my lunch.
00:22:18
Find A Way Podcast
That's beautiful.
00:22:20
Claudemir Oliveira
That was my lunch. So I tell people, what's the size of your dream? If it's a small dream, I have good news for you. Very good news. The price is small.
00:22:34
Claudemir Oliveira
If you have median dreams, I have good news for you. price was going to be median. If you have great, I mean, big dreams, I have great news for you.
00:22:46
Claudemir Oliveira
The price is going to be big. Now, make up your mind what size of your dream, go and pay it. Do you know what I see all the time, my friends? Do you know what I see all the time?
00:22:58
Claudemir Oliveira
People dreaming big. but they do not want to pay the price.
00:23:04
Find A Way Podcast
True.
00:23:04
Claudemir Oliveira
And that's so sad because people did not realize yet that it's the price that you pay for your dream that's gonna give the sweetness of your victory.
00:23:04
Find A Way Podcast
True. Yeah. Yeah. know
00:23:22
Claudemir Oliveira
It's proportional. The harder, the sweeter it will be.
00:23:24
Find A Way Podcast
yeah
00:23:29
Claudemir Oliveira
The softer, less sweet. That's it. That's life. It's not mesochism. It's not about to I love to suffer. far I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about that life will give you some some things that is not it may not look sweet in the beginning. You're going have to sweat.
00:23:50
Claudemir Oliveira
But I guarantee the results in general is are very, very sweet. So thats that's why I never complain. Another thing, if you have a dream, don't complain.
00:24:01
Claudemir Oliveira
If you start complaining about a dream, I have something to tell you here right now. It's not a dream, stupid.
00:24:09
Claudemir Oliveira
It's a nightmare. If you have a dream and every day you complain about the dream, I have to wake up or I have to pay for that or I have to work on weekends or I have to work extra hours. ah This is not a dream, my friend.
00:24:22
Claudemir Oliveira
This is a nightmare. You don't even know the difference between a dream and a nightmare.
00:24:28
Find A Way Podcast
I love that.
00:24:28
Claudemir Oliveira
So let me help you here. If it's a dream, go and pay And do not complain because by the moment you start complaining, it's not a dream anymore.
00:24:40
Claudemir Oliveira
And guess what? It's going to be very, very hard for you to make this dream come true. It will be real.
00:24:46
Find A Way Podcast
For sure.
00:24:46
Claudemir Oliveira
I don't want to be in your place.
00:24:49
Find A Way Podcast
For sure. That should be a quote by Claudemir Oliveira.
Founding Seeds of Dreams Institute
00:24:54
Find A Way Podcast
Now I want to hear, Claudio Muir, tell us about the Seeds of Dreams Institute. ah What inspired you to start it and what impact are you hoping to continuously make through your work?
00:25:05
Claudemir Oliveira
I always had the dream to have my own business because, you know, the corporate world is is really beautiful. I really loved all my years in corporate world.
00:25:17
Claudemir Oliveira
But all of us, we know that it's not as easy as many people think. So it's it's it's it's hard sometimes when you get to, you know, to some positions in these big companies.
00:25:28
Claudemir Oliveira
e It's not as easy as many people think. So I always had my dream to have my own business. And because of my passion, naturally, for education and have a PhD on the education, on psychology, actually, I don't think that would be any other field that I would be in.
00:25:48
Claudemir Oliveira
The other thing why I really want to have an institute is because I do believe that through education, as education transformed in my life, So I want to pay back to life by transforming people's life through education.
00:26:05
Claudemir Oliveira
So I'm a firm believer that, for example, what we're speaking here today, we may reach somebody on the other side that was in need of the words that I'm giving today for the questions that you guys...
00:26:20
Claudemir Oliveira
ah wonderfully asked me. So I do believe ah that education is about transformation, is about getting to the next level.
00:26:30
Claudemir Oliveira
It happened to me, so I'm a poorer i'm i'm i'm i'm i'm an example of what education did to me. So I want to do that for other people that go through what I went through or for people who are in different situations but doesn't matter education will fit anybody who really wants to learn so that's why i'm really proud to have an institute where we can talk not only about customer services but also about positive psychology that's another field that we teach you here at the institute so i'm very very uh very very happy when people ask me and i think this is going to be the best answer for your question you know why when people ask me calling me but
00:27:14
Claudemir Oliveira
Disney, I mean think about Disney, how much you learn in Disney and how much are you learning in your own own company. And my analogy is when I was at Disney, I was pretty good as a facilitator,
00:27:31
Claudemir Oliveira
a is as an instructor, as a teacher, as an executive, but in my area, marketing or sales or education, right?
00:27:41
Claudemir Oliveira
Training. Now with my own company, and I know that this is going to be really great for over everyone who is is starting a company that listen to us, is that when you have your own company, you have to be good at almost everything.
00:27:59
Claudemir Oliveira
So that in itself, it's a game. For example, when I used to travel by Disney, do you think I would be worried about how much the hotel would cost me? Or the airline seat in business class?
00:28:12
Claudemir Oliveira
or how much it would be you know the water or the coffee break of that event. I knew that it would cost a lot of money, but that's not now. Today, if you ask me, will tell you how much it costs, accounting, you know how much we have to spend in marketing, how much have to spend. So I think you have a 360 degree when you have your own business.
00:28:38
Claudemir Oliveira
You have a view of the human resources. You have a view of marketing, sales, everything, accounting. And when you are in a company, in general, you're going to be good just about one area.
00:28:51
Claudemir Oliveira
So this is an advantage for all of you who are listening to me and you have your own own company and you're struggling a little bit. there are some benefits of knowing about the whole picture and not about only one area specifically.
00:29:06
Claudemir Oliveira
So that's that's one thing that brings me a lot of joy. I learn every single day. I mean, this morning I was talking to my VP, Juliana, about you know the costs of our program coming this week, what we can do, what we cannot do. Let's give you more to the client because this program, we have a lot of people.
00:29:26
Claudemir Oliveira
So it's it's beautiful. It's a 360 degree view when you have your own company. While when you're working for somebody, in general, you're going to have just one view of that area that you want.
00:29:42
Ingrid
um I love that. And I think it it ties in well to my next question, which is for other immigrants and or aspiring entrepreneurs listening today, what advice would you give them?
Advice for Immigrants
00:29:56
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes, as an immigrant. I mean, my PhD, my dissertation has ah has a lot to do with he immigrants. I'm... i'm I have a deep, ah deep respect for immigrants and Beatriz read one of my articles where I talk about, you know, it's even difficult to translate the way I wrote because it was in Portuguese and almost impossible to translate what I wrote there about, you know, when they have, you know, these because they work hard.
00:30:26
Claudemir Oliveira
So I always saw immigrants with a different kind of heart. heart I don't believe people leave their country just by leaving. In general, there is a situation. It may be political, it may be social, it may be economic.
00:30:47
Claudemir Oliveira
In general, they leave their country just because they are trying to find a better place for them to make their dreams a reality. Just that in itself is is something that we have to respect a lot, you know?
00:31:03
Claudemir Oliveira
And I would say that because of the struggle that in general immigrants go through, they are going to have even more capability of surviving and naturally, besides surviving, exceeding in whatever they they have in there in their plans.
00:31:22
Claudemir Oliveira
you know The difficulty will make things sweeter down in the road. So I use the same analogy. If you are an immigrant and for any reason you think it's a little bit more difficult, well, take that difficulty as I took it in the past, my in my personal and my professional. The the example of this is one example. It was a difficulty.
00:31:42
Claudemir Oliveira
It was very difficult for me not understanding the culture of the company. So I think the difficulty that you face will help you go to the next phase.
00:31:52
Claudemir Oliveira
Go to the next phase. And one thing about education that I think it' very important I want to tell people, know, prepare yourself. Prepare yourself. Don't wait to learn when you are in the battles.
00:32:06
Claudemir Oliveira
learn with the more than a thousand year, you know, lessons from the Orient, from Japanese, from Chinese people, from those who are, they say that you should prepare before going to the battle, before going to fight.
00:32:20
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:32:22
Claudemir Oliveira
You have to go to fight when you have all the the skills. So sometimes you wait until we are in the battle to learn. and no no, no, no. The battle is not the place to learn.
00:32:32
Claudemir Oliveira
The place to learn is before going to the battle. So I think that's a good analogy for immigrants and for anybody who really wants to exceed and really wants to be successful.
00:32:45
Find A Way Podcast
I love that. um That's why we're very passionate about this theme, as you as we've talked before and you know. ah That's why we created this platform is to highlight because what we see sometimes on LinkedIn is a lot of the achievements and all of those things, but we don't talk about the struggles and the hardships and everything that we have to prove twice as hard that we're good.
00:33:07
Find A Way Podcast
We have to restart with zero connections and just make the most of it. So I'm a very, um we we are very proud to be immigrants and we are very proud to highlight the beautiful stories like yours.
00:33:20
Find A Way Podcast
And there are a hundred guests that we, we're now triple digits in Find A Way.
00:33:20
Claudemir Oliveira
Yeah.
00:33:24
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:33:25
Find A Way Podcast
So it's something we're incredibly be proud of.
00:33:28
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:33:28
Find A Way Podcast
um Now we're going to step into some more personal ah questions for you, Claudio Miha.
00:33:32
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:33:35
Find A Way Podcast
If you could have dimmer with any person alive or dead, who would that be?
00:33:41
Claudemir Oliveira
My parents.
00:33:43
Find A Way Podcast
That's beautiful. they I'm sure they're very proud of you from out there and your journey.
00:33:47
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:33:51
Claudemir Oliveira
Well, I have dinner with them every single day because my heart, 24 hours, beats what?
00:34:00
Find A Way Podcast
No, that's beautiful.
00:34:03
Claudemir Oliveira
Their DNA. e eight I'm part of them.
00:34:05
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah, true.
00:34:06
Claudemir Oliveira
So they are here right now.
00:34:08
Find A Way Podcast
Carrying their legacy.
00:34:08
Claudemir Oliveira
But physically, from a physical perspective. So let's put that way. Even though I have dinner, lunch, I live 24 hours with them, beating my heart. ah Physically, probably probably that would be that would be great.
00:34:25
Claudemir Oliveira
But I'm sure that next life, ah I have this idea that when we live this life, the people who love you the most, even the dogs, I'm a huge fan dogs, they will be on the other side to welcome you.
00:34:42
Find A Way Podcast
We are too.
00:34:48
Claudemir Oliveira
Just like when we were born, they were there waiting for ice. That would be a party. So it's beautiful.
00:35:02
Find A Way Podcast
Yes.
00:35:03
Ingrid
Awesome. um So we have a thing here at the podcast where our previous guest always leaves a question for the next guest. And the kind question
Cultural Background and Leadership Style
00:35:13
Ingrid
that we have for you today is, which is really fitting.
00:35:16
Ingrid
So what part of your culture do you carry with you in your business? And how does that shape the way you lead?
00:35:24
Claudemir Oliveira
The way I eat?
00:35:26
Ingrid
won't Lead.
00:35:26
Find A Way Podcast
Lead.
00:35:28
Claudemir Oliveira
oh yeah. Well, we are a consequence of every single action, every single moment from the moment we were born to this moment here.
00:35:40
Claudemir Oliveira
So there is no other way your leadership will be based on your principles, on the way you lived your life. So that's why it's so important for you understand the mind of the founder of the company, for you to understand the the culture of the company.
00:35:59
Claudemir Oliveira
So as a leader, you will be a consequence of your life. it will be You can learn. I mean, everything, the way you lead will be a representation of the way you lived.
00:36:14
Claudemir Oliveira
i really I really believe in that.
00:36:16
Find A Way Podcast
Love that.
00:36:17
Ingrid
I want to add a quick comment here because I did a talk two weeks ago on like immigrant founders and the immigrant founders asking like and one of the questions I had was that it because we're from the same culture.
00:36:23
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes. Yes.
00:36:28
Ingrid
ah So in Canada, especially like what they think Brazilians are like, we're really blunt and we're really direct.
00:36:35
Claudemir Oliveira
ah
00:36:36
Ingrid
And for a lot of time, I actually tried to change that to sound and be more Canadian. But I learned that actually is a tool. So like for us, Brazilians is like people now come to me for advice a lot because they know I'm going to be as honest as they come.
00:36:51
Ingrid
Right.
00:36:51
Claudemir Oliveira
yeah
00:36:51
Ingrid
So if it is like it's like it's what you said is like we're we need to use our like not be ashamed of our roots, but actually use what we learned into the future and what we learn into what we do.
00:37:03
Claudemir Oliveira
Very, very good. For example, I would say that in my our ah my Brazilian culture probably i would not be successful in these American companies if I didn't learn in the American way of doing business.
00:37:18
Claudemir Oliveira
So we we are, there is no problem if ah another culture brings more you know positive things for my own culture. So I would say when I talk about discipline, you know i mean, think about an airline. I mean, I was i got the discipline about time.
00:37:36
Find A Way Podcast
yeah
00:37:37
Claudemir Oliveira
know, time, Disney, time. So our culture sometimes is a little bit, you know, we have an excuse. There is no excuse.
00:37:48
Claudemir Oliveira
So the american the American culture shaped me, helped me to be better, right? So I think we can, and an American can learn with the Brazilian culture. So it's there are so many opportunities out there in any culture that people sometimes do not want to adapt to themselves, or they don't want to learn.
00:38:10
Claudemir Oliveira
Oh, it has to be my way or the highway. No, I mean, let me know what I can learn from the India culture, or a Chinese culture, or a Japanese culture, Canadian culture.
00:38:21
Claudemir Oliveira
And I can get what I think it will make me a better person and what I think that is not going to make a better person. I don't get it. No problem at all.
00:38:30
Find A Way Podcast
Amazing. Thank you for that, Claudine. um Just rushing in because of the sake of time, we do have some rapid fire questions. We usually ask four, but we'll try to keep it to two today.
00:38:42
Find A Way Podcast
um So we'll give you two options. You choose whatever fits best. Okay.
00:38:45
Claudemir Oliveira
Okay, okay.
00:38:46
Find A Way Podcast
So first one is comedy club or live music concert?
00:38:52
Claudemir Oliveira
Live and music, yes.
00:38:54
Ingrid
And the second one city life or countryside. One
00:38:58
Claudemir Oliveira
Countryside, no doubt about it.
00:39:01
Find A Way Podcast
Amazing.
00:39:02
Ingrid
of mine. Awesome. ah We would love to get some book recommendations for you, from you, from books that maybe change your life, books that you really love.
00:39:11
Claudemir Oliveira
I'll give you two. This is one that I'm reading right now from a guy called Will Guidara.
00:39:20
Claudemir Oliveira
It's called the reasonable Unreasonable Hospitality. If you really are into the business of a serving clients, you have to read this book. Or by any chance you don't like reading books, go to YouTube, he put his name, and that'll be a lot of interviews.
00:39:37
Claudemir Oliveira
This guy is the owner, was the owner of the best Michelin restaurant in the whole world. But he started as as not even being the least of the Michelin restaurants.
00:39:50
Claudemir Oliveira
And then he went to be one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. But then he discovered that he was number 50. And he said, no way, I'm going to be number one.
00:40:03
Claudemir Oliveira
And he became number one in the world. This restaurant is in New York. I really advise you to buy this book because it's really amazing. ah Absolutely amazing.
00:40:14
Claudemir Oliveira
The examples. I wish I could give you some example. Can I give one example?
00:40:21
Find A Way Podcast
Of course.
00:40:22
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes.
00:40:24
Claudemir Oliveira
So imagine this guy coming from dreaming of being a Michelin restaurant, then he's one of the 50, but then he discovered his number 50. He doesn't like at all. He comes back restaurant and says, no, I don't want to be 50, even though there's 50 best restaurants in the world, man. It's already great. No, I want to be number one.
00:40:46
Claudemir Oliveira
So the story goes that when the restaurant was really busy, he used to go to the restaurant really to help. he He likes to be to see what's going on in the restaurant, right?
00:40:58
Claudemir Oliveira
So he was cleaning the table, imagining the best restaurant in the world. And he was there talking to see if everything was okay. And then in the table, you had, you know, like like five or six people.
00:41:13
Claudemir Oliveira
And they would say, wow, have been to the best restaurant in any place in the world. And now we finally came to the best in the world. And he was ah cleaning and listening. And one of the guys in the table said, well, the only thing that we're missing in New York...
00:41:31
Claudemir Oliveira
is the $2 hot dog on the streets. And imagine this in the best restaurant in the world. He listened to that.
00:41:43
Claudemir Oliveira
And he keeps cleaning. He goes to the kitchen, talks to the chef, and says, look, hold a little bit because I have to run. So he crossed the street, bought five hot dogs, $2 each, brought it to the chef.
00:41:59
Claudemir Oliveira
The chef said, are you crazy? Do you think I'm the best chef in the world that's going to serve a hot dogs from New York, $2? Yes, let's serve. I was there listening.
00:42:14
Claudemir Oliveira
And they come at that. So I was present there.
00:42:18
Claudemir Oliveira
They Get the hot dog. The guy put a little bit in and took the table. And the rest is history. That's the story that this guy talks all the time. You know, how how people, it's not about the restaurant.
00:42:34
Claudemir Oliveira
It's not about the price of the food. It's not a price it's about the experience. And you have to be present in the best restaurant of the world to listen to somebody say, you know, A $2 hot dog. I miss that.
00:42:48
Find A Way Podcast
Thank you.
00:42:48
Claudemir Oliveira
You know? it's great. So this is... i mean I'm sure everyone's going to buy this book. And i I have no commission because good people should have that. And the other book is by a psychologist called Viktor Frankl.
00:43:04
Claudemir Oliveira
Viktor Frankl. Men's Search for Meaning. You have to read it. It's a book like this. You have to read it to put in perspective how grateful you should be about life.
00:43:20
Find A Way Podcast
yeah yes
00:43:23
Find A Way Podcast
yes
00:43:23
Claudemir Oliveira
That's all I can say. You have to read this book because this guy, Viktor Frankl, is my favorite psychologist and he has a story to share.
00:43:34
Claudemir Oliveira
He has a story to share about gratitude, about not complaining about any situation, and that we at the end have the choice to say if life is worthwhile or not.
00:43:48
Claudemir Oliveira
And it doesn't depend what circumstances you are. He will prove to you that you should not complain about the life you have right now. ah you will see, believe me, that whatever you complain right now, it's not the good is not a good idea. It's not a good attitude.
00:44:08
Find A Way Podcast
I have that in my bookshelf and I haven't started reading it yet.
00:44:08
Claudemir Oliveira
So, yes.
00:44:11
Find A Way Podcast
So it's a sign and I've heard great things about the book. He was, I think he was in a concentration camp, right? So yeah.
00:44:16
Claudemir Oliveira
Yes, it's a beautiful story.
00:44:18
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:44:19
Claudemir Oliveira
He was one who created the Logotherapy, which is therapy through meaning.
00:44:19
Find A Way Podcast
um
00:44:22
Find A Way Podcast
Logotherapy. Yes, yes, yes. I've heard about that. Yes.
00:44:25
Claudemir Oliveira
about meaning, how you find meaning in life. It's absolutely beautiful. So here we have a business book and a psychological book, let's say that.
00:44:36
Find A Way Podcast
I love that. Thank you so much, Kaldami. Before we close the episode, just for the sake of time, ah what question would you like to leave to our next guest?
00:44:45
Claudemir Oliveira
What are you doing
00:44:48
Claudemir Oliveira
to make sure that you are much better today than you were yesterday and more. What you're doing today that proves me that tomorrow is going to be better today.
00:45:04
Find A Way Podcast
I love that.
00:45:05
Claudemir Oliveira
A lot of pressure on the guy or the girl.
00:45:08
Find A Way Podcast
Claudemi, thank you so much for telling your story. This has been a delight. I am so sad that we are close to our time because, you know, I could spend hours and hours talking to you. um But is there anything you'd like to add before we close this episode?
00:45:22
Claudemir Oliveira
I mean, I didn't feel the time passing. in psychology yeah In psychology, we say flow.
00:45:25
Find A Way Podcast
Me neither.
00:45:29
Find A Way Podcast
Yes.
00:45:29
Claudemir Oliveira
Flow is a concept that tells a lot about what happened here today with me and you too, and everyone who will be listening to all of us. So I didn't feel time.
00:45:42
Claudemir Oliveira
And when you don't feel time is because it was beautiful.
00:45:46
Find A Way Podcast
Yes.
00:45:46
Claudemir Oliveira
So deep gratitude to all of you. And I really wish that we can do this again. ah hopefully soon we can meet together with you too and also with everyone who's going to listen to us.
00:45:59
Find A Way Podcast
Yes, I agree. um Thank you so much. This was our episode 101 Seeds of Dreams with Claudemir Oliveira. We'd like to thank all of our listeners and would like to remind you that we will be posting one episode bi-weekly, always with a different guest.
00:46:14
Find A Way Podcast
So make sure to subscribe on your favorite streaming platform.