Professional careers rarely follow a predictable path, and this is the reality that advertising professional Lua faces in Bastidores, Analice Malheiros ‘ debut work . The book portrays the insecurities, challenges and frustrations of the corporate world from the perspective of a young creative director who, despite her achievements on her resume, feels out of place in her profession. With themes such as impostor syndrome, pressure in the workplace and the need for reinvention, the narrative invites the reader to reflect on the true meanings of success and happiness in one’s career.
The professional journey is rarely linear, and in Behind the Scenes you show precisely the ups and downs of this trajectory. How do you see the importance of embracing uncertainty and starting over when necessary?
This is a very interesting question, because life is presented to us in a linear way. We grow up, go to school, then to university, and become professionals. Period. But the journey is very different from that. We have ups and downs. Therefore, we need to understand that the most important thing is to give ourselves the opportunity to start over if necessary. We blame ourselves a lot for the things that happen, we often consider ourselves failures for having to change course. But changing course is not a bad thing. It is something that can bring us much more joy. So, the cool thing about the book is to identify that there may be someone who has gone through this like you, to identify that there are more people changing course, and that this is not a failure, this is not a bad thing. We need to reframe ourselves in many things. The proposal of “Behind the Scenes” is this: you can reframe, you can change your course, adjust your sails and sail through seas that you often never imagined. That’s the beauty of life, because when you understand that there is no ready-made script, that you can change the trajectory, it gives us a sense of freedom.
Lua, the protagonist, deals with the pressure of proving herself in a competitive environment and with impostor syndrome. Have you ever faced these feelings in your own career? How did you overcome these moments of doubt?
I’ve definitely had these feelings. It’s not a matter of overcoming, it’s a matter of knowing yourself. The moment you know yourself and know what your purpose is, how far you can go, you see it in a different way. Challenges don’t stop existing. It’s like that story: you face a lion every day. So today’s lion is this one, and what can I do best to face these challenges? The moment you see this, you start to see things differently. You stop blaming yourself, for example, for not being able to accomplish something. This is where the issue of impostor syndrome comes in, when you demand too much of yourself and think you’re not capable.
If I have a challenge today, what is the best way to deal with it? Period. There is no such thing as overcoming or ceasing to have moments of doubt. What matters is how you look at difficult moments.
In the book, we see that success goes beyond the achievements visible on your resume. What do you think are the small, everyday victories that deserve to be celebrated, even if they often go unnoticed?
Since I work in cultural production, more than a successful event, a big event, I realize that victories are something very personal. I identify victories in the father who manages to take his children, sometimes even while still wearing their work uniform, to see the theater. I identify victory in this, in the small memories that we manage to create. I always say that working in culture is working with memories, so the moment I can see that I am providing or helping families to create new memories, that is the victory. These are the issues that I identify in my professional life. Putting on a big event is worth it, but the small victories are these. It is the opportunity to provide a child with access to theater, to a musical, to buy cotton candy for the first time. It is the sum of these small victories that make my life as a producer fulfilled.
Lua’s creativity didn’t seem to be valued at the agency where she worked. Do you believe that the current job market knows how to take advantage of professionals’ creative potential?
I believe it is a process. Many companies are encouraging and taking advantage of the creative potential of their young professionals, but it is not yet complete and we have a long way to go. I believe it is something that will happen and is happening more and more. I will use my company, a communications and cultural production agency, as an example. I identify this in my relationship with the young people who work with me. I have professionals who are the same age as me and younger professionals. It is very gratifying to see this exchange, because they bring a lot to the company that we are not familiar with. I believe that we should not know everything, we do not need to know everything, so this exchange is very healthy. That is why I believe that there are large companies that are investing in their talents, but we still need to have this combination between those who have more experience and those who bring a lot of innovation. For me, this is the key to success: the combination of experience with the creative potential of young professionals.
You bring a sensitive perspective to the challenges of being a woman in the job market. What specific obstacles have you encountered in this regard and how did you turn them into fuel to advance your career?
We all go through challenges. The important thing is to show that my neighbor has a challenge that may be similar to mine and is similar to my colleague’s. My goal is to explain that we are not alone in this journey. We are on different paths, but we face similar challenges.
I want to show that a young professional has knowledge in my field, communications, and that she can change careers. I believe that the key is to constantly seek knowledge, because it is something that no one can take away. That is why you need to always be seeking it. It is not a question of proving it, it is a question of strengthening yourself. If you seek knowledge, you have something to say, you have something to argue. That is how you will conquer your space. In the field of ideas, there are no differences; it is up to you to put this into play. A person who seeks knowledge will always have something to say, will always have something to add to their professional and personal lives.
The protagonist’s journey also involves financial crises and challenges in relationships. In your opinion, what is the role of resilience in times like these?
Here we are talking about two challenges: she is going through financial crises and love issues. These are just two, but we have many other challenges in life. Focusing on the solution is always better than focusing on the problem. And that is what I want to show with “Behind the Scenes”: problems always happen, there is no such thing as continuous happiness, but how do we look at them? I, Analice, think: “ok, I have this problem today, but what is the solution for it?” So, putting energy into the solution is better than putting energy into the problem. The problem will not lead anywhere, but the solution will. Resilience is essential for a healthy life, you need to be ready for changes, for different perspectives. The role of resilience is precisely to broaden your horizons so that you can find the best solutions for the challenges you are facing today.
Cultural production emerges as a transformative opportunity for Lua. What inspired you to explore this universe in the book? And how does this change of direction connect with your own professional trajectory?
The backstage of communication, for example, is portrayed in literature and on television. We know how a newspaper office works, and what life is like in an advertising agency. But we know little about cultural production. When we go to a theater to watch a show, we have that product ready. But what happens before that? What is it like behind that? The purpose of the book is to shed some light on this life, how professionals behave and what challenges they face.
My professional life connects with Lua’s life precisely because I had both experiences as an advertiser, working as a creative director at an agency, but also as a cultural producer. That’s how I meet Lua. The connection is in telling about these two worlds that are so different and similar at the same time.
You mention the importance of seeing each obstacle as an opportunity for growth. What advice would you give to young professionals who are facing frustrations and still trying to find their place in the market?
Telling young people that they are special seems a bit hollow. But I can tell you how I dealt with my challenges and that I didn’t look at other people’s journeys. The moment you look at your neighbor, you can get a little frustrated because it’s different from yours. So I looked at my journey and went through one challenge at a time, always focusing on the solution. When you find a solution to a challenge, you start to grow in confidence – and that’s rewarding. As you go through challenges and collect solutions, you will move forward. Only those who persist will move forward. That’s what I can say and put forward to young people who are coming up: focus on your journey, and that way you will be able to achieve what you want and be happy.
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