CHOOSING TO EXPAND

When people ask me how I am so strong and fearless, I immediately say that I am not stronger or more fearless than anyone else. Like anyone, I have my fragilities, I have suffered my losses, I have my cries, I have my doubts. What happens is that the possibility of creating my own story and contributing greatly to the world enchants me much more than fears. And that's what keeps me brave and focused on the future.

Carlota Ribeiro Ferreira, Founder & CEO of The Collection of Inspiring Businesses

These are very much like interesting times, say. And I look at myself and ask: God, what am I’m doing? Suddenly the fabulous quote from Gasset that my mother used so often during our youth put everything in place: the man is himself and his circumstance. Relieved? Not exactly. In fact, and in line with José Ortega Y Gasset's thinking, I also have a dynamic conception of the world and human life, which means that we live an infinite game. Creeped out? Not exactly. So, what is happening? I'm expanding.

And this is just the beginning of my text and of a new chapter in my life.

So how did this Covid-19 affect my life? When I say life, I mean life – career, business, family, boyfriend, friends, sports, studies, routines, everything. Well, in fact, everything was impacted; some of the things eventually imploded, but most of them made room for major transformations and improvements. Given this, I couldn’t be more grateful for that and for having the cool support to take advantage of tensions for new evolutions. I think this is a space that we also create to ourselves but, and going back to Gasset, the man is himself and his circumstance and here I can never forget how fortunate I am for having the wonderful family and friends I have and for living and creating in such a country like Portugal. It is a privilege and a blessing that I must assume and it is an opportunity that I must take advantage of. It is a commitment that I have with myself, with the people around me and with the world.

Gasset brings another insightful concept – that of the vital reason. This takes us to try to do something with our life that relates, impacts and does good to the world. Everything may well start with us – our thoughts, behaviors and actions – and may well reach our circumstance, our context, our era. And that’s what led me to choose to expand. And how? Well, when we come to a time of chaos, we got to call for intellectual bravery, courage, vulnerability and resilience. The means for advances are not limited to the intellectual capacity to make changes but include enthusiasm and love, whether for one or the other, whether for science or the will to innovate and create.

When people ask me how I am so strong and fearless, I immediately say that I am not stronger or more fearless than anyone else. Like anyone, I have my fragilities, I have suffered my losses, I have my cries, I have my doubts. What happens is that the possibility of creating my own story and contributing greatly to the world enchants me much more than fears. And that's what keeps me brave and focused on the future.

As Jack Welch would pragmatically put it: you can look at a situation and feel victimized or you can look at it and be excited about conquering the challenges and opportunities it presents. Life in general and Covid-19 if we want to talk about this year in particular, have that opportunity effect on me.

Unfortunately, due to chosen or imposed circumstances, not everyone can make use of an expansion prerogative. But those who can, should take and use, expand and support those who cannot.

At another time I can do an essay on expansion so that we can all reflect a little more on the breadth of the concept. For the purposes of this article, I see expansion as a relative and elastic concept, expandable as much as man wants, applicable to most dimensions of a man's life, from the mind and heart to relationships or business.

So, what now? Moving on to today, today is a very special day because we are putting hands, brains and hearts into action and I’m proud and happy to share what we are doing to expand. So here we go.

2020, a global pandemic, a challenging year. Challenging but wonderful in terms of transformation at all levels, creativity and digitalization. Tough but putting us all on the way to build back better. It’s been a beautiful year in terms of family, friendship, companionship, health-focus, emotional enrichment, and I’m really grateful and working hard to strengthen myself, my family and teams, and all around us.

In terms of business, I took the chance to expand. I started writing and publishing more, which is something I love, I opened three new businesses and started collaborating with companies in a few consulting and coaching projects. First, as an opportunity to diversify interests and revenues, but thinking in advance that all these businesses have many synergies which allows leveraging cross selling and offer more and better services to clients.

Regarding WIN World, the events company that I founded in 2008, it turned all of its projects into digital ones, adopted new business and work models, gained new partners and things are starting to change positively in this new context. The new businesses I am establishing now are The Expression Studio, The Content Studio and The Self-Expansion Studio – and together with WIN World they start constituting The Collection of Inspiring Businesses, which is a group of companies and investments in creativity, content, communication, human development and technology. Each company has its own partners and we really look for the best people, for the best impact and results for all the stakeholders.

The future is unknown, but what's there more exciting than that? For now we have a vision and a strategy, but in such an uncertain and unpredictable world, our commitment goes far to the ability to feel the growing needs, the capacity to create and implement distinct solutions, the willingness to keep up with time and to be always prepared for the next challenge and problem to solve.

To all of us involved in this project, to our families and teams, clients and partners, I wish that we all continue to feed the courageous, curious, expansive, positive and creative spirit that defines us, which combined with the focus and determination to open new paths can lead us to grow individually and collectively. I really believe that together is better, together we up the game up, together we think ahead, embrace beauty, move on and do great.

This is part of the expansion journey that I have embraced and led in this peculiar year, which I hope can be interesting and inspiring for others. This was not a linear path at all. Uncertainties, apprehensions, dilemmas and pressures are part of the process, but once one is ok with that, defines goals and a path, it is time to move on! At this point, Jack would say: when launching something new, you have to go for it – the just “playing not to lose” can never be an option.  

So let us all go for it, expanding our minds, hearts and actions, asking for help whenever need, moving forward with the best we have.

One final note, I loved writing this article and while organizing my ideas and messages, I almost felt that I was in a meeting in heaven, next to Jose Ortega Y Gasset and Jack Welch, discussing the course we want to imprint to existence.

More, today Jack would celebrate 85 years and it is definitely a very special day. And talking about existence, one thing makes me really happy: Jack's example – his passion for life, his courage to expand, his pragmatism and focus on the future – keeps him very much alive in this infinite game. Thank you.