Today it was raining here in Hong Kong, and I went to the bank to open an account for my consultancy company. I registered the company two years ago, but the impossibility of receiving my fees from an international client (since, due to compliance, they could not make the payment in my pthe name of the natural person if they had hired a legal entity) led me to take this new step.
With documents in hand, I arrived at the agency, and the receptionist's first question was the name of the company. I answered: weUP. To confirm if her understanding was correct, she asked me to spell it: W-E-U-P. Immediately, I remembered why I had chosen that name - TOGETHER TO EVOLVE.
I waited a few minutes, and soon Gabi called me to start our conversation... Imagine Gabi as a young woman in her mid-20s, who was born and raised in Hong Kong. After handing over the documents, Gabi asked me:
What kind of consultancy do you do? Who hires you? What do you deliver?
Simple questions to answer, right? I started to answer in a broad way, without being specific (deep down, I was shy - I was probably the first social entrepreneur Gabi had ever met).
But Gabi didn't give up on me. And she continued: You mentioned that you held a Team Building workshop for Havaianas here in Asia. What did you talk about?
Okay, now I couldn't escape. I opened the presentation I had made and explained to Gabi the concept of living our IKIGAI, the integration of who we are with our talents, how we can help the world be a better place, and at the same time be paid for it. To see work as a MANIFESTO of who we ARE.
Gabi looked at me fixedly, and I felt encouraged to go further and illustrated: "For example, Gabi, let's imagine that your cause is female empowerment, and that through your work here at the bank, you feel deeply fulfilled in helping entrepreneurs like me make their businesses prosper by opening their accounts. Gabi opened a small smile. I had the impression that she understood exactly what I was talking about.
Gabi, then, does her "due diligence" - she asks me for proof that my consultancy exists: emails with my clients, copies of invoices and payment receipts. I have everything. I feel strong. I see how much I've walked these six years that I've been in Hong Kong.
Gabi asked me how much I was planning to make in the next 12 months. Nervous. What to answer? I was afraid of estimating a higher value than I would be able to deliver. So I replied with a number that made me feel comfortable. A value that does not guarantee my financial independence. I hoped she would ask if I had another source of income. And I was ready to breathe a sigh of relief and bring Daniel, my husband, into the conversation. To my surprise, the question didn't come.
So we continued. Gabi asked me about my professional journey. She wanted dates from my last jobs, both in Brazil and in Hong Kong. And I was intrigued - why was all that relevant to opening the account? Wasn't it just about bringing the documents, having money for the minimum deposit, and that's it?
Since my head doesn't hold dates so well, I asked permission to open LinkedIn and go through my resume together. We went to my last job in Brazil - partner in Mergers and Acquisitions at an international consultancy. Then Gabi asked me about my two years of experience as a director in an NGO in Hong Kong and then asked: What was my salary? I answered without hesitation. And that made me reflect on my answer about the revenue I aimed to achieve this year.
Gabi was looking at my computer screen and asked me about Somos Todas Marias. I replied that it was an impact business that I had created in Brazil with three other women. She became curious and asked about our business model. I explained and remembered the Marias. I brought Brazil, its inequalities, the power of women, and beauty to drive change into that small room in Hong Kong.
In this brief journey through my resume, I took ownership of my accomplishments. I empowered myself and reconnected with my intention. I went back to Gabi and said firmly - Gabi, in my business plan for this year, I estimate earning "X" per month. I will now start planning the communication and social media. Gabi goes back to the computer screen and changes the value that I had mentioned before. I look inward and embrace myself.
Gabi asks me to download the bank's app and create passwords. She promises me that I should receive the approval or rejection of the account in 4 weeks. Finally, she asks me: Have you found your IKIGAI? With a smile, I replied: IKIGAI is not the destination, but the journey.
What would have been a simple trip to the bank to open an account made me revisit my trajectory, see myself vulnerable, and find ways to strengthen myself. And in this inner journey, I had the opportunity to bring something new to young Gabi. A day about LIVING and not just SURVIVING.
