Text: Thiago Yokoyama Matsumoto*
Undertaking, in itself, is an activity that involves risks, uncertainties and constant decisions. Now, imagine facing this challenge in another country. For many Brazilian entrepreneurs, starting a business in Portugal represents access to new markets, stability and opportunitys. However, this journey brings with it a factor that is little discussed: the impact of emotions on business.
Portugal is a natural destination for Brazilian businesspeople seeking internationalization. Language similarity and cultural ties reduce some initial barriers, but do not eliminate challenges. As highlighted by Massote et al. (2010), internationalization occurs in steps, requiring progressive adaptation. Even in culturally close markets, understanding the rhythm of business, relationship dynamics and the subtleties of communication is as essential as any strategic plan. Along this path, many realize that the challenges go beyond the operation, also requiring emotional and cultural adjustment.
Daniel Goleman (1995), a world reference in emotional intelligence, has already demonstrated that business results do not depend solely on technical knowledge or strategic planning. The ability to recognize and manage emotions — your own and those of others — is what often differentiates those who thrive from those who fail. Especially in challenging environments, where just understanding business is not enough: you need to understand people.
This article discusses exactly that. More than processes and strategies, it reveals how Brazilian businesspeople in Portugal deal with the emotional challenges that are an invisible but powerful part of running their businesses.
The impact of emotions when starting a business in Portugal: the experience of Brazilians
Feelings that don’t appear in the business plan, but are there. Present in cultural adaptation, negotiations, bureaucracy and, above all, the silent and constant pressure to make things work.
When starting a business in Portugal, Brazilian entrepreneurs deal not only with operational challenges, but also with emotional factors that directly impact their trajectory. Fear, anxiety, insecurity and frustration arise frequently, especially in the early yearswhen lack of knowledge of the market and the need to build a new network of relationships intensify this scenario.
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Eduardo Migliorelli, CEO of Atlantic Hub, remembers that, in the beginning, the emotional weight was present in almost all decisions. “I noticed a lot of anxiety about this issue of wanting to understand the ideal way to get to know the market. I had a lot of coffee, a lot of meetings with players local, seeking to understand how to work, how to approach, how to generate business here. This was essential for my entry into Portugal, but, at the same time, it brought frustrations, especially when I encountered cultural differences, the way of communicating, dressing and even punctuality, which is taken much more seriously here than in Brazil. This can often lead to decisions made based on emotional urgency rather than business logic.”
Migliorelli reinforces that understanding how local culture works, building relationships of trust and adapting to the dynamics of the Portuguese market are emotional challenges as relevant as any operational issue.. It is a process that requires not only technical preparation, but also constant emotional intelligence.
How do emotions impact the decisions of Brazilian businesspeople?
In entrepreneurship, deciding is part of the routine. But in the international context, decisions are rarely purely rational. Emotions often play a central role, influencing risk assessment and accelerating or slowing down processes.
Fear tends to generate excess caution, while anxiety leads to hasty decisions, focused more on alleviating emotional discomfort than on objective criteria. This pattern is recurrent among Brazilian entrepreneurs who build businesses in Portugal, facing a new environment, a different business culture and the pressure for quick results..
That Emotional pressure appears, especially, in the expectation of replicating Brazil’s pace of work and growth. “There is a huge demand that we place on ourselves. We come with that mentality of performing, of making things happen quickly, and this generates enormous anxiety. I have found myself, more than once, making hasty decisions just to alleviate that momentary anguish of thinking that things were not moving at the right pace”, reports Adriano Sforcini, founder of Bauc, a Portuguese-Brazilian marketing and advertising agency.
Sforcini’s report highlights how decisions are often emotional responses to internal discomforts, and not the result of objective analysis. Recognizing that emotions such as anxiety and insecurity directly affect strategy is essential for more conscious and sustainable management.
Strategies to Control Emotions and Succeed in Business in Portugal
If emotions directly impact decisions and results, understanding how they influence entrepreneurial behavior becomes a strategic competence, especially in the international context.
According to Baron (2008), affect, that is, the emotional state, has a direct influence on the way entrepreneurs perceive and interpret opportunities, evaluate risks and make decisions. Positive emotions broaden vision, encourage creativity, facilitate connections and increase willingness to face challenges. On the other hand, Negative emotions, such as anxiety, insecurity or frustration, tend to restrict thinking, generate risk aversion and lead to hasty decisions.
This perception is clearly reflected in the experiences of Brazilian businesspeople in Portugal. Many, upon arriving, feel the need to adjust expectations and understand that the pace of business is different from what they were used to in Brazil. Both Eduardo Migliorelli and Adriano Sforcini highlight who learned, in practice, that trying to replicate Brazilian speed and dynamics generates anxiety, frustration and, often, decisions made on impulse.
Both reinforce that accepting the natural time of the Portuguese market, investing in building relationships and developing self-knowledge were fundamental to better dealing with emotional challenges. More than a personal skill, managing the impact of emotions has become a strategic differentiator for conducting business in a more conscious and sustainable way.
Success is also an emotional construct
No strategy can be sustained without emotional balance. When undertaking in Portugal, Many Brazilian businesspeople discover that, in addition to understanding the market, adapting to local culture and structuring business models, it is essential to learn to manage their own emotions.
The emotional impact is not peripheral. It is at the center of business construction in Portugal, influencing decisions, relationships and the ability to face risks and uncertainties. Anxiety, fear and insecurity are not just personal challenges, but strategic variableswhich shape the way opportunities are perceived and how results are constructed.
More than crossing geographic borders, undertaking a business abroad means crossing emotional borders. And, in practice, The success of those who choose Portugal as a business destination is also measured by the ability to develop self-knowledge, resilience and emotional intelligence. Business is not just about planning, product and market. They are made up of people, emotions and, above all, the ability to transform emotional challenges into competitive advantages in the long term.
*Thiago Yokoyama Matsumoto is a master’s student at Uninove University in Brazil, CMO and Co-Founder of Atlântic Hub, in Portugal.