The magazine "Pontos de Vista no Feminino" was kind enough to address me an invitation for an interview, which today went to newsstands together with the newspaper "O Público". Don't miss out!
Ana Mação is a Real Estate Consultant, a challenge and a vocation since forever. What defines you as a woman and a professional?
For a complicated question, a simple answer: I am a Mother, Woman, Friend and a Professional that my clients can trust! These are the 4 pillars of my life around which I try to manage a balance that is not always easy. For those who have my profession, there are no times or times when we can give up being one of these 4 characters. Each day is a struggle where I try to balance the time that I have for each of them. What defines me? The ability to dream and make those dreams come true. A giant heart, an ambition and a drive to live and enjoy living together, trying to be happy with simple things, but where every detail counts!
His professional career is closely linked to the real estate area. As a consultant, what fascinates you the most in this area?
First meet people! That is a bonus that this profession provides. I have the privilege of “collecting” friends with each customer who contacts me. Secondly, to fulfill the dream that my clients have of finding the home that will make them feel “a step further”. Change is an engine that drives us throughout life, it is up to me part of the responsibility to help make that change for the better!
What are your biggest personal and professional challenges?
On a personal level, being an exemplary mother and as a woman filling my life with happy moments. I love to travel, visit new places and make new friends. As someone said before: "The world is a book and the one who doesn't travel, always reads the same page". At a professional level, considering that my success at KW - Keller Williams was overwhelming, what moves me nowadays in professional terms is not to miss the train of change that all professions face (and mine in particular), to surround myself of the best professionals and leave no customer without my best answer. Leaving "my mark" is fundamental in every relationship I establish.
What skills have you been adding to your “baggage” with these years of experience?
The “digital” is a cornerstone of my activity and a sign of the ongoing modernization in the real estate industry. I try to be present through the main digital channels, in order to make a difference. In a market as competitive as ours and in which there are no good times ahead, sailing the wave is essential to maintain the success achieved.
Being a woman and a businesswoman represents ...
The ultimate challenge!
We live in a country that does not make a woman's life easier ... let alone that of a businesswoman. It is even more complicated when success knocks at our door. The pressure comes from all sides. I try to find the right place, where the ambition of growth does not compromise the remaining objectives. Life is a whole and has to be lived with balance. It is not easy, but without challenges life would not be the same ...
Where do you want to go? How do you want to get there? When arrives?
Living the present day without anxiety about the future or regrets about what remains to be done is the first step towards a balanced life. I focus more on the quality of my work and client-to-client success, than on the “big picture” of my career as a consultant and businesswoman. Only then, I can be more productive. Each client demands the most from me, I can't put him in a priority queue. The time to appreciate the moment when I reached a new phase is a consequence of the sum of these multiple successes, and corresponding difficulties.
What message would you like to send to women who are afraid to take risks in their own business?
Portugal does not facilitate the germination of the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in every Portuguese. It is a cultural problem but also an education problem. There is only one option, it is each of us putting our professional ambition on a level parallel to the others. Define a strategy, seek advice and believe against everything and everyone. Resilience is the key to success! Not giving up despite the lack of results is part of that path. To be a successful businesswoman, it is essential to be able to understand the right place, surround yourself with the ideal team, know how to delegate the tasks that others do better, invest in Marketing, take risks, embrace new technologies and do things differently. Above all, do it differently!