The best lessons come from experience
An entrepreneur is defined as “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” However, no two entrepreneurs have the exact same approach, industry, and goal. As such, it can be hard to learn exactly how to succeed in this profession–particularly as there is no one set curriculum taught in schools.
The best education I received came through my own experiences, and those of businesspeople I admire. I shared some of the best lessons I’ve learned in Entrepreneur.
Burnout is not a badge of honor; it is a design flaw
I find it difficult to connect with the narrative that insists on romanticizing the "entrepreneurial sacrifice." We have been raised on the idea that passion solves everything and that exhaustion is a badge of honor, but reality is far more pragmatic: enthusiasm without margins ends up being a very expensive hobby. An owner’s objective should not be to build a personal epic, but to design operational resilience. This shift in focus is not just a management opinion; it is a matter of corporate public health urgency. According to a BID Lab study in Latin America, 64% of high-impact entrepreneurs show moderate levels of burnout, and 20% already exhibit severe symptoms. When 3 out of 10 founders report profound psychological distress, it becomes clear that "burning through life" as fuel for a business is not a strategy—it is a design flaw. This is why I value initiatives like BBVA Spark, which has understood that supporting startups goes far beyond capital allocation. By integrating well-being and mental health discussions into their service model, they validate a truth the market often ignores: a burnt-out entrepreneur cannot make lucid strategic decisions. Self-care is not a luxury; it is a variable of financial sustainability. Real success is
Conscious Luxury: Entrepreneurship with Purpose in Times of Change
Over time, I’ve realized that luxury no longer means what I once believed. For decades, we assumed luxury was synonymous with exclusivity, rarity, and status — something found in the unattainable, in perfection, in pieces that only a few could possess. But today, in a world changing at a dizzying pace — environmentally, socially, and culturally — I’ve come to understand that true luxury is not measured in carats, labels, or window displays. For me, luxury has become something far more intimate: purpose, awareness, authenticity. A way of living and creating that blends elegance with ethics, aesthetics with sustainability, and desire with responsibility. I don’t see it as a trend or a “new segment,” but as a profound transformation in how we understand value. Perhaps that’s why it’s been so striking to witness how many people, brands, and projects are rethinking the industry from within. It’s no longer about producing more, but about producing with intention — valuing the story behind each piece, the hands that shape it, the impact it leaves behind. And this shift doesn’t originate only from companies; it comes above all from a more informed, more conscious consumer who wants to know who made what they buy, how
Cultural Experiences as an Economic Driver
Cultural celebrations have a transformative power that inspires me deeply. It’s not just about music, dance, or tradition; behind every carnival, festival, or local celebration lies an economic engine with enormous reach. These gatherings attract thousands of visitors, energize entire sectors—from tourism and hospitality to gastronomy and local commerce—and at the same time, project a country’s identity to the world. What begins as a genuine expression of community becomes a solid platform for economic and social development, capable of generating investment, employment, and opportunities that extend far beyond the festivities, leaving a lasting mark on the national economy. Brazil’s Carnival is perhaps the most striking example of this phenomenon. In 2025, between February 24 and March 8, over 310,000 international tourists visited the country to enjoy the festivities, with more than 161,000 arriving by air. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, hotel occupancy reached record levels, with areas such as Copacabana, Ipanema, and downtown seeing rates between 96% and 99%, while the statewide average was 87.7%, compared to 81.2% the previous year. Additionally, there was an 8.6% increase in temporary jobs linked to Carnival. These figures confirm that it’s not just samba and joy: Carnival is a global-scale economic engine. It