When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I believed that a business’s success was measured by numbers: revenue, growth, expansion.
And of course, all of that matters. Profit is what keeps the wheels turning, sustains jobs, enables new projects, and provides the structure to keep dreaming.
But, over time, I learned that profit alone is not enough. What truly gives meaning to a company is the impact it has on people’s lives.
At SEDA, this learning came naturally.
In the beginning, the goal was to offer accessible education to those who wanted to learn English and live new experiences outside of Brazil.
But I soon realized that what truly transformed our students wasn’t just the language—it was the feeling of belonging, of overcoming challenges, of believing in themselves again.
The true delivery wasn’t in the certificate, but in the journey that led to it.
Over the years, I realized that human impact is the most valuable asset of any company. Businesses come and go, markets change, technologies evolve, but what remains is the effect we leave on people.
That’s what makes someone remember you, trust you, and, above all, want to grow with you.
And this kind of impact doesn’t appear in reports—it appears in glances, in stories, in silent transformations that happen every day.
Profit is a consequence of something much deeper: the ability to solve a real problem with genuine purpose.
When a company exists only to generate profit, it wears itself out. When it exists to generate value, it multiplies. And it is at this point that purpose and results meet.
A financially healthy business is fundamental, but a business that changes lives is unforgettable.
I learned that leading a company with purpose requires listening. It’s about understanding what people really need, not just what the market demands.
It’s about having the courage to make decisions that aren’t always the most profitable in the short term, but are the most correct in the long term.
It’s about understanding that each employee, each customer, and each partner is part of something bigger—a story that only makes sense when everyone wins in some way.
Today, I see that social and human impact is not a “department” of the company, it’s its soul. It’s what sustains the culture, guides the choices, and gives meaning to every effort.
Profit is important, yes, but it’s the purpose that makes it sustainable. Because money can keep a company alive, but it’s the impact that makes it worthwhile.
