Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a woman working in finance? In this interview, Maria Helena Válio, the founder of Women Invest - a financial education platform tailored for women - talked about her journey as an entrepreneur and her experience as a woman in the financial industry.
The Women Invest platform, launched in 2019, has enabled over 5,000 women to learn about investing in nearly six years. Maria Helena also leads an annual event in São Paulo, bringing together speakers, financial brands, and women investors to advance financial education.
Before the interview, I had the pleasure of attending the first Women Invest meeting of the year, in which several topics were discussed, including: changes in the world, their potential impact on Brazil, and specifically on your investment portfolio. The Women Invest platform is incredible for women who want to understand more about investments, learn how to invest and also understand more about the world we live in and how it all connects. Now, let's jump into it.
Have you ever reflected on why you want to become an entrepreneur? Maybe it's because of the freedom or maybe it could even be parental influence. In the case of Maria Helena, she shares that what led her to pursue entrepreneurship was her desire to put into practice a life time of experience while enjoying the autonomy to make her own decisions and implement her beliefs. It is important to note that achieving this freedom within an institution is considerably more challenging. However, the freedom of an entrepreneur comes with its own challenges. Maria Helena points out that the drawback of entrepreneurship is that it can be very lonely, as you will have to make decisions alone. Naturally, every situation has its pos and cons; the important thing is to understand and be able to manage both sides of the spectrum.
Maybe as a woman you think the financial world is mostly influenced by men, and you are not wrong. "The world of investments is still very masculine", says Maria Helena. Curious, I asked her what she perceives to be the biggest challenge faced by women in the business world, specifically in the financial sector. Maria Helena observes that the financial world is based on a lot of logical reasoning and little emotion, which often leads to women being "excluded" in some situations. "I have been in the financial market for over 40 years and, looking back, many things that I thought were not prejudices were," Maria Helena reflects.
With that, Maria Helena also left by some advice. Without hesitation, the first word that came out of her mouth was resilience. Her second piece of advice was "Don't engage in conflicts with men, be yourself, and listen." Last but not least, she advised, "Don't go for quotas, pursue the area you are passionate about and fight for your place."
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