23/04/12 - 12h48

Pamela Luiz

Pamela is a Brazilian graduate of the University of South Florida and is now completing her MBA as an International Business Major with emphasis in global business, human persuasion and group interaction.

Background

• Business internships in the US
• Business and social networking
• Difference in sports between Brazil and the US
• International Business
• Aspects of the Brazilian culture

Interview

Tom Reaoch:

Today we have a very interesting guest she’s a Brazilian, she’s an athlete; she’s studying and working in the United States and now looking to intern in the United States this coming summer. I hope you all remember that a couple of weeks ago I interviewed Patrick Lenhart and he was an American looking to work in Brazil now we have a Brazilian looking to work in the US. Pamela Luiz is a Brazilian, graduate of the University of South Florida, and member of the Division One Women’s Volleyball Team. She received full athletic scholarship, she was Team Captain where she devoted 50 hours per week to athletics while carrying full course load.  She is now completing her MBA at the MidAmerican Nazarene University in Olathe Kansas and there she’s an International Business Major with an emphasis in global business, human persuasion, and group interaction. She also has related course work in leadership and foreign languages.

Pamela Luiz also is the assistant volleyball coach at the school where she is responsible for recruiting, practice and match planning, teaching volleyball techniques and strategy, relational and communication skills with college students and administrative and budget operations. There she helped the Pioneers to win the conference and go to Nationals for the first time in history. So with that Pamela, welcome to Talk2Brazil.

Pamela Luiz:

Hi Tom, how are you?

Tom Reaoch:

I’m fine and I hope you are too.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, thanks for the opportunity to be talking to you, it’s a pleasure to be here.

Tom Reaoch:

Well thanks for being on. What I do want to start out with is to ask you how you found me because it’s always a surprise, it was a pleasant surprise when I get an email from persons really out of nowhere asking me in Brazil to help you find an internship in the United States, so you want to help our listeners understand how that all happened?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah well, that all happened, I just use a tool that everyone uses everyday which is Google. I was looking for internships here in Kansas City so I put “business-internship- Kansas City” and then your name popped up and then with your name on it it had an email. I know that everything today is about networking so I was like, you know “I might as well just send him an email in case he knows anybody that needs an intern,” so that’s how I…I shooted you on email.

Tom Reaoch:

That’s how you found me but at any point did you put something about Brazil in there?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I put “business internship, Kansas City” and I put Brazil like to see if it would pop up with something that companies are looking, you know, yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

Ah, okay, well then that’s how I popped up.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, because I was looking for companies that actually do business with Brazil and here and then, you know you were there.

Tom Reaoch:

You found me in Campinas then, okay. Was that a surprise?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes because I live like 40 minutes away from you and then I lived in Campinas for two years so it was pretty nice actually. It was such a coincidence and everything but wasn’t sure if you were in Campinas right now or if you, if the radio was here, I was kind of confused about it, it was really nice to see…

Tom Reaoch:

Our radio program is LA Talk Radio, the station is in Los Angeles and I’m sitting right now in Campinas and you’re sitting in Olathe Kansas right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

And I think this is the wonders of internet, this is the wonders of communication today, anymore we don’t necessarily have to be together to do business or to talk to people or communicate or whatever and I am here speaking to you and speaking to the world and, you know that’s how the world communicates today and what I say from the business standpoint, business is everywhere so you don’t necessarily have to be in one place to be able to do it but that’s interesting. I want to thank you for sharing that because as always I like to know what’s working and what doesn’t work and part of my drive is actually to be found by persons or companies in the United States and it was a surprise for me to be found by you.

Pamela Luiz:

Oh yeah, it was a surprise for me to find you too.

Tom Reaoch:

Well let me help our listeners understand, you’re in Kansas right now, you’re in Olathe which is I understand is very near Kansas City. Is that considered another municipality or a suburb?

Pamela Luiz:

Pardon?

Tom Reaoch:

Is Olathe a city or is it a suburb of Kansas City?

Pamela Luiz:

It’s a city, it’s like, but it could be five minutes away from Kansas City. I’m like five minutes away so it’s pretty close. It’s just one of the districts; you know they have a lot of districts in here.

Tom Reaoch:

Okay, but you’ve been in the States for how long now?

Pamela Luiz:

It’s going to be, it’s going to complete six years in August. I got here in August of 2006 and then – I’m still here.

Tom Reaoch:

And your life has always revolved around volleyball?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, well I was raised on the volleyball court and then all the opportunities I had in life was through volleyball and then took all the chances that people offered me and at the end of the day and the end of my career I still found a job that deals with volleyball so I’m an assistant volleyball coach here, so volleyball’s always been through my life, being part of myself.

Tom Reaoch:

And when did you start with volleyball? You said you were born on the court, how long ago was that?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, well I started playing volleyball at school which was very like, it wasn’t like no compromise or anything it was just like, you know, physical educations classes, I was like eight or nine, but then I decided to actually, you know go to the pro (ph) team and you know and participate, be more active and I basically started taking volleyball seriously when I was 11 to 12 years old and then from there I never stopped. And then in volleyball practice every day until I was 25 years old.

Tom Reaoch:

And you started this in Limeira right? That’s the city where you were born?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes.

Tom Reaoch:

Okay, Limeira is a city near Campinas for our listeners to understand so that’s sort of in the interior of the state of São Paulo.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I started there and then when I was, so I was 14, 15 years old and then I got an offer from Campinas from Hipica and then I took the offer and then I lived in Campinas for two years and from there I lived in a couple of cities and São Paulo and then that’s how I started my career.

Tom Reaoch:

But here in Campinas at the Hipica specifically, is that considered amateur sports, is that professional sports, what is that?

Pamela Luiz:

By the time, I think it was considered professional because we, you know, we had our own house, they paid for our school, we had health insurance, we had sponsors. We didn’t get a lot of money because you know, Brazil, it’s not big on that in paying athletes and stuff, but you know, for me, I had a lot of benefits but not actual money.

Tom Reaoch:

So you were able to still study and you were able to play and practice and…

Pamela Luiz:

Oh yeah, play, practice, we had some, they would give us some money but it was enough just to pay you know, for little things like, you know, it wasn’t anything big.

Tom Reaoch:

Okay, basically pocket money.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, exactly.

Tom Reaoch:

How did you get to the States? What happened then?

Pamela Luiz:

Well I got to the States and then it was very different, it was just like a shock, a cultural shock for me and then at the beginning I was like, “No, I don’t want to stay here” I couldn’t wait to go home, I was crossing my calendar every day, you know I was like, “Ah, two weeks to go home, one week to go home.” But then I started playing, you know that’s something that I love and then I had games every weekend and then when I see, time just passed by, it’s time to go home and then I got used to the culture, I got used to people and then I had great people around me, I was lucky when I got here, so then from, then I started learning English because when I went to school, when I came here, something that you may not know, I didn’t know any English so it was like, it was very hard because after one week that I was here, I was in class so I couldn’t understand a word that she was saying, I was just like, you know, look at her, laughing, pretending that I could understand a little bit, but seriously like I had headaches at night because that’s how much information that was in my brain.

Tom Reaoch:

I can understand that.

Pamela Luiz:

And then after two or three months I think I started to get used to my life in here and then I just got used to the college life experience and everything.

Tom Reaoch:

But how did you get the scholarship? You got the scholarship while you were here in Brazil; somebody found you or recommended you? How did that work?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I was, we had a, when I was in Campinas I was going to school in Santana, it’s in ### [inaudible].

Tom Reaoch:

Oh okay, that’s very close to where my daughter lives.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes and then I was in school and then we had an intern coach coming from Arkansas, Fort Smith? University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. She went there to Brazil and then one of the teams that she got her internship was my team so she went there to watch practices and then learn, you know learn about, you know volleyball in Brazil because it’s a big thing there and then she saw me there and she came and talked to me, she was like, “Well, I really need you, I want you, I want you to work with me.” But I couldn’t understand anything, I was just like, “Yeah, yeah.” …

Tom Reaoch:

Oh, you didn’t know what she was saying?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I didn’t, I just, I remember that I understood “work” that’s all I understood, but she said a lot more things but I was like, “Oh, thank you, thank you.” And then, so she offered me a scholarship but I didn’t know English and in order to go to her school I had to take the TUSL which is an English test that people, most of the schools here require you to take, so I was like, “I don’t know.” Tom, I didn’t know that I could come to US, my mind was just very closed, I mean I was 16 to 17 years old, I didn’t know that I could have an opportunity so it was kind of crazy for me and then I had great opportunities to keep playing for Brazil so I was very like, I didn’t know, you know, I couldn’t decide, I wasn’t sure about it so I had my teammates from that team in Campinas that actually took her offer because they know English since they were little so she kept contact with them and then they came here before I did, two of my team mates, yeah and then once they came here you know, they were like, “Oh my God, it’s so nice, you know, coach is very cool, they treat athletes here very well, you should take advantage of this.” And then when I started seeing all of this good experiences I was like, well you know, once I was like 19, I was like you know what, volleyball it’s good but sports in Brazil it’s hard, it’s hard to be an athlete in Brazil so I was like, I might as well just, you know, I’ve got to look for my education. You know, I didn’t, I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t have money to pay for most of the college that I studied in Brazil, I didn’t have money to pay for coming to college in the US so I was like, you know I’m still healthy, I still can play so I’m just going to take advantage of it and take this opportunity, so I started taking some English classes but it was like basic and after like six months I came here, you know with the help of my friends and the coach [inaudible] from Brazil. And then I got scholarships and then I went to a junior college first you know, because they don’t require English proficiency and then I got recruited by [G-1] schools and stuff and then…

Tom Reaoch:

And that was all in Florida then right? That’s how it started out, in Florida?

Pamela Luiz:

No, actually I went to junior college in Texas [inaudible] and then I graduated there, then from there I got [G-1] offers and then I went to University of Minnesota because…

Tom Reaoch:

Wow!

Pamela Luiz:

I know, I always wanted to go to Florida because my friends were there, would have their support and then it’s warm, you know it’s like a Brazilian environment so I always wanted to go there but then my coach, you know, I was very persuaded by my coach, by my friends because University of Minnesota has a great volleyball program, they’re a good school so people are like, “You know you should take the offer because you know they’re great in volleyball” and then I’m like, “I don’t like snow, I don’t like cold, I can’t take it” but then at the end of the day I just went to what was best, what my best offer was, so I went to the University of Minnesota. I loved it there, you know I love my team, the school and everything but the cold weather was killing me, I didn’t have a car, I had to walk everywhere in that snow, you know Minnesota’s pretty bad, it’s pretty bad.

Tom Reaoch:

Well it’s cold, it’s very cold, yes.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, and then since I was willing to, you know to try to find an internship in my senior year, try to get a job in the US, I’ve always seen myself working in Florida since I had a friend there that was going to help me you know, with a place to live and jobs and everything, I decided in my senior year to transfer and then so I could, you know, I could have a better opportunity to get a job in there and everything.

Tom Reaoch:

So that’s when you went, so you graduated then from the University of South Florida?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, then I graduated from University of South Florida in Business Communications and then now I’m doing my masters here on [inaudible] International Business.

Tom Reaoch:

So then from Florida back then to Kansas City, back to Olathe right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, yeah, from sunny to the winter again. Actually it’s snowed today, it was the first time that snow in the winter here in Kansas City and then I don’t like it but nothing’s perfect you know.

Tom Reaoch:

Well it’s not as cold as Minnesota; you’re sort of close to Texas anyway right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

But how is life in a school there? What do you think about that school there because obviously you’re dedicating a lot of energy to volleyball but also you’re dedicating a lot of energy to studying, how do you do that?

Pamela Luiz:

Well I’ll tell you it was like the hardest challenge of my life, it wasn’t just because I was [playing] but I was in a G-1 school and they require lot more from you than other schools do, so being from Brazil it was hard to do you know, all the homework, all the papers that I had in school people like Americans will take an hour to write a three page paper, I would take 5, 6 hours and I need a tutor to proof read it so it was hard because everything that I was trying to do for school would take me a long time to finish and besides that I had practices four hours a day and I had rehab because I had a shoulder problem and then besides that I had a tutor, I had study hall and then we would travel every weekend because we used to play Friday and Saturdays so it was pretty tough. I had like, we can say I had no life, you know but at the same time like in Florida, Florida was awesome, Florida’s really fun you know and I met a lot of Brazilians, there’s Brazilians everywhere. I always found a crew you know that I identify with and they would go watch my games so I kind of had a little bit of social life, but it was pretty tough but it kind of built me up to be a strong woman and a tough woman because I feel like all these challenges have just been helping me. It wasn’t easy at the beginning but now when I look back I’m pretty proud of the things that I had opportunity to do.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah, you’re a pretty independent person.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, I didn’t have a choice.

Tom Reaoch:

Well no you did, either that or something else, you always have choices and what you, your choice was that, you did choose that and now obviously today I’m sure, like you said, you’re proud of what you did and just listening to your story obviously none of the stories like that are easy but life isn’t easy for most people.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, exactly.

Tom Reaoch:

But I’m impressed from what you’re saying because obviously comparing Brazil and specifically to the United States obviously for an athlete in Brazil it’s difficult even for these, mostly in Brazil you’re talking about soccer and men or women but again sports in Brazil is also a male-dominated thing right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, exactly.

Tom Reaoch:

Recently you say for women’s soccer which is important, we have excellent players, it’s very difficult for women soccer players to become professional and to be able to live a reasonable life just playing and I can imagine that in volleyball and volleyball then you get to the point of either male or female it’s even more difficult then the other sports just forget it, so now I think you did take advantage of what was out there, obviously you’ve studied, you’ve bettered yourself and you did that through your personal skills as being able to play volleyball. Obviously you invested, you paid your way though [inaudible] and you’re getting the return today.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, exactly. Well I just, you know I was just, I was lucky too that I got, gave me all this opportunity and I just took them and as you say in Brazil it’s really hard to be an athlete and then to be a woman athlete and everything’s about soccer and then when you come to US and you see, you know how much support they give to athletes for a lot of, you know for everything, not just football, you know of course football has more money but everyone has opportunity here to play their sports, to do what they want and they’re still rewarded for it and I think that’s something that’s pretty cool about being an athlete in here in the US. People they recognize, they see, they know you play, they know that you played and won and stuff, they kind of, you know they think that’s nice, they recognize you for that and in Brazil they don’t really care if you played or not, you know, just the coach are different, that’s pretty big.

Tom Reaoch:

Well you’ve played in Florida, you’ve played in Texas, you’ve played in Kansas, you’ve played in Minnesota, from that perspective of the different schools that you were a part of did they all treat you as a woman and as a female player the same as they treated male players? Do you feel there’s a gender difference in the States or not? Men and women athletes, are they valued?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I feel like in Brazil it’s more soccer and then everyone else and here it’s kind of men’s sports and women’s sports you know, because football, the big sports on the colleges here are men’s basketball and football and then even though women’s basketball and volleyball some people would go watch and support us, I can see the difference between the crowd that goes to the basketball team and the crowd that goes to the football team. There’s a difference but for me you know, the support that I had from here it was still good enough, you know I think was really good but there is a difference, there is a, I can see the difference but the gender difference that they have between men – I think they provide more money, you know, they provide more attention, people watch more men’s, you know sports so I think that’s why, the money comes from and I think that’s why I think the population just likes it, yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

But you never felt uncomfortable about being a female volleyball player in the United States?

Pamela Luiz:

No, I actually, I always felt like good about it, I feel like people really value that I was an athlete, they – I had a good career here and then people would recognize me because of volleyball, you know it may be, it may be, some people may not like it but I like it to be related with volleyball, you know because it’s something that I like to do…

Tom Reaoch:

Sure, well and you do it well obviously, right? Sure.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, yes because I did well I think it was you know, rewarding for me to be related with the sport that I love to do but I never felt anything you know I was always well-treated here from coaches to teammates and to people that would go watch the game I think everyone just treated me well because I was doing what I was doing.

Tom Reaoch:

Good, well how did you evolve, how did you become a coach?

Pamela Luiz:

Last year, it’s been seven months that I’m here in Olathe in Kansas, I was coaching Florida too, I kind of coach, when you play you coach camps like volleyball camps and summer camps, we usually have summer camps but it wasn’t the same, you know I had opportunity to coach in South Florida and Minnesota and then Tampa but college coach, it was my first experience as a college coach which is more like a little bit more serious and that’s all I do and it’s been great, I didn’t know, I will tell you the truth, I was a player I was like, “No, coaching’s not for me” you know, I liked being on the court, I like to play and then I never thought a coach would be one of the, you know one of the things that I would do in life and then so coming to Kansas was my first experience and I‘ll tell you that I really like it, I really like to be, you know of course around volleyball and to be able to see that it can help girls to get better. I think it’s very rewarding you know because you can like directly see it you know, after two or three months you can see that you’re kind of, you’re teaching them, it’s working, you know some of the things also don’t work so it’s just been a learning process for me but so far so good, you know we accomplished great things here, the girls are really nice and then I can’t complain about my job right now.

Tom Reaoch:

But now you’re a coach and you play as well right? Are you a player coach?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I coach here and then they have a club team and it’s all Brazukas, you know, we just found all the Brazilian girls that play volleyball here in Kansas City and we put all of them together and we go and we play for a club team but it’s very informal it’s not anything serious, it’s just supposed to have fun but I still like to keep touch with the volleyball.

Tom Reaoch:

Well that’s true. Are there enough Brazilians in Kansas to do that?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, there is. You have no idea how many Brazilians they have here, it’s crazy. I met like, I know around like 20 or 30 and I’ve only been here for like 6 months.

Tom Reaoch:

Well that’s surprising, that’s, well surprising, I don’t think it’s surprising, we don’t realize how many Brazilians are spread out throughout the United States. Again everybody thinks of you know, Miami or Florida or wherever, but it’s good to hear, that’s really good to hear.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah Miami, you know I used to go to Miami a lot and then I have friends there, there’s a lot more you know, but here, but most of the people that I know here are from volleyball because you know volleyball is a big thing in Brazil but here it’s not as big so I feel like people have more opportunity to come here you know because, you know what I mean?

Tom Reaoch:

Alright. As athletes right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, so it’s the right sport to play, to come here so I have, you know most of the people I know, girls, the girls that are playing with me they were players here, they went to different schools around here and the people, some people are still playing in different schools that they, you know they’re like, “Oh, is she Brazilian, let’s bring her” because we kind of, you know we have a positive feel here as far as being a volleyball player.

Tom Reaoch:

So your advice to young Brazilian girls in Brazil is to play volleyball and volleyball could be the stepping stone to the United States?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, for sure. Well I would advise volleyball and even soccer because I think, you know you were talking about how soccer don’t have many opportunities in Brazil, I think volleyball even has a little bit more than soccer and that I’ve had a chance to meet some soccer players in Brazil and they don’t have any leagues, they, they’re just, it’s really bad, you know the support it’s almost zero in there so I think, you know any sport, I feel, I think if you’re passionate about a sport and there’s going to be a time, you know you can either go play professional and follow your dream or you can also, you also have to think about education. There’s a lot of opportunity here in the US for young kids that, you know playing sports and then they’ve just got to search for it, you know like I did. I think opportunities sometimes don’t knock your door but you can find it through, you know through people and then I have a lot of friends, I try to bring a lot of people here when I go home, I’m like, you know, come, you know, “Go over there, you’re going to like it, you’re going to learn English” even sometimes people don’t want to stay here for too long but you know I think just learning English in Brazil today with all the economy the way it’s growing I feel like, learn English, it’s even better than getting a degree in Brazil because if you can learn English…

Tom Reaoch:

Well I agree with you there.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, you can go to, now you have university in Brazil they have two year course, you’re not going to learn English in two years in Brazil. Companies they can make you learn in a month, so it’s just, it’s really something that, it would be a benefit and advantage for you if you can learn English and go back home, I think their doors would be way wide more open.

Tom Reaoch:

They certainly would be and I’ve seen that more and more here in business environment situations where people say that, they have Brazilian graduates of good universities but they don’t speak English and today in the global world you need to speak English and even other languages. Let’s talk about this, what is the transition? We’re talking about business and what English is all about but what are your challenges in transitioning now from athletics to business? You are looking for an internship in the United States but you’re looking for an internship in business right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, well I think my challenge, I think it would be a lot of challenges actually but the fact that I never had opportunity, I was always playing and had volleyball around me, I never had opportunity to go and have this experience in the business environment earlier so I feel like right now, you know I have my undergrad, you know I’m running through my masters but I don’t have the experience and then like right now a challenge for me for example in classes, all of my classes, you know doing my masters is that I have people – everyone in my class are like five or ten years older than me and they already, they are managers under companies, some work like in big corporations and they also supervisors and managers so I feel – I can’t even feel like sometimes when you do some activities in class, they even, they do better because they’ve been in that situation just like me talking about volleyball, they feel, it’s their comfort zone and then it’s not my comfort zone at all so it’s nice because I’ve learning from other people but I want to be there, you know I want to get the experience and be able to say “Yes I want to do that, that’s what I want” and then if I don’t like it I hope I you know, I hopefully can still stick with volleyball so I just want to get the experience, I just need an opportunity to be part of a business environment and then see how everything that I learned from sports, how that’s going to fit into the business environment, you know what I mean, because I think there’s a lot of great things that I learned on the court that I can put into action when I start working.

Tom Reaoch:

Oh I think so and from what you said just this, your transition to coaching and the interpersonal relationship, because my experience in business, the major challenges come from being able to communicate with people. That’s anywhere, that’s in Brazil, that’s in the States, that’s anywhere in the world and when you’re on, either on a shop floor and in an office or wherever, and no matter what the MBA or the degree you may have but at the end of the day it comes down to understanding people and having people understand you and understanding mutual objectives and motivating them to that end so I think that has a whole lot to do with what you’re doing so when you’re saying coaching is not for you from what you’ve been talking about I think coaching is for you and the managerial role in any company you’re basically a coach.

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, and you know my minor was leadership and then I’m trying to put a lot of things into practice here because, you know being a coach they see you as a leader and then you have to, you know make decisions and then a lot of the time I just feel myself in the situations that I never thought that I would be and I have to act fast, I have to be leader and I still have to look like a leader to my players and it would be really nice to have this experience here and bring that; because you know I played on a variety of teams and a lot of diversity, you know people from different countries, people from different cultures and that was good for me because I always adapt myself, I always wanted to be friends of everyone. I think every team I played at, you know I got along with everyone and tried to understand everyone‘s styles and everything. I think that would be really helpful for me because I care about people, I like people to like me, I don’t just want to go and do my job, you know I’m done and going to go home, so I think that’s going to be a challenge for me but it’s something that I think I’m ready, you know I’m ready for it I just, I can’t wait to find it and then be there and then learn, you know…

Tom Reaoch:

Well apparently you did because you helped the team win the conference right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, yes.

Tom Reaoch:

Because you don’t get to do all of that, obviously just playing is one thing but playing and then getting into the conference and winning championships that’s where this all comes together right?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, well I had, you know a great group with me and I think that helps but at the end of the day when you play people think it’s all about performance but it’s a lot to do with psychological too so as a coach it’s really hard to motivate them you know, people or young people right now they can’t focus on anything, they don’t work as hard as people used to do to accomplish things…

Tom Reaoch:

you’re sounding like an old person right now, how old are you right now, how old are you?

Pamela Luiz:

I’m 26.

Tom Reaoch:

You’re 26? Wow!

Pamela Luiz:

I mean, I’m saying I’m old but I can see that for myself you know, I can’t focus, I’m in class you know, I get blurred a lot and then it just like, it feels like it’s getting harder to focus on one thing and work harder for things like people used to do so it’s really hard to put the group, you know, to make the group be cohesive and then make them work together, work as a team and then all those things are necessary when you go to a final you know, when you’re trying to win the conference. So, I think that’s one of the good things about being a coach that you’re kind of the one that leads them into the drill you know of being a champion but it’s hard to keep it, it’s nice that we got there but staying, moving is better than staying so we’ve got to move to somewhere else higher than we did last year.

Tom Reaoch:

Well that all sounds like business because that’s the same thing in a business environment you know, you’ve increased your market share, you’re a leader in the market but somebody else comes and wants to take it away from you so you’ve got to wake up in the morning and do something different every day.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, and I like that because I do not like routine.

Tom Reaoch:

Well what kind of an internship are you looking for? You said you want to find an internship but what would you like? You’d like to work in a company, where would you like to work, is that anywhere, you want to work in a company during the summer in the United States, is that it?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I’m looking for a summer internship here while you know preference here in Kansas City, anything that’s related to international business, I’ll accept it. I don’t want to be like, “I want to do this” I don’t know exactly what I want to do, I want to learn, I want to learn what I want to do and then I just want it to be anything related to international business, I still like, my dream is to have an international career, you know and then I feel like if I, there’s any multinational corporation that has you know subsidiaries abroad that would be good for me because I just feel like that will have more opportunities of companies like that because you know I speak English, Spanish and Portuguese but of course I would take – basically I just want to be there and just get any type of experience in a business environment that I can.

Tom Reaoch:

And next you’re what, you’re going to finish your MBA at the end of what this coming year, is that it?

Pamela Luiz:

October.

Tom Reaoch:

In October? So this October you’ll be out, okay. And then you want to get into business full time. Then what are you going to do? That’s a good question huh?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah that’s a good question you know, it’s hard to plan things, things never go the way you want, which is good because for me it’s been better than I want it so I just, you know I let God just guide me and of course I just want to get a job. But you know one thing that’s hard here, probably hard for a lot of people is the visa, you know, getting a visa. I’m still on a student visa right now so that’s why I feel like internship would be good for me because if I go somewhere and I’m lucky enough they’ll be like, “Hey, we like you, whenever you graduate we want to sponsor you, we want to have you here because you can help us” so that would be something that would fit perfectly into my life. But if nothing works out and I have to go back home, I’ll go back home and I like challenge, I’ll just start over but I’ll have experience, I just want to have experience on the field and be able to, you know be able to handle stuff better.

Tom Reaoch:

How much do you miss Brazil?

Pamela Luiz:

A lot. I went to Brazil last month, no December for Christmas break I came back January 21st almost being a month that I was home. I just miss, I’m missing all family, you know I’m very family-oriented, I love to be with my mom all of the time. I’m 26 but I still like to be around my family all of the time and I just miss the people, I feel like, I think Brazilians people are just happy all of the time, very helpful. I like here, I love here but it’s just different, I feel like I have more love when I’m in Brazil, I feel like that, I’m around the right people and I just like the environment, everyone’s happy no matter what’s going on with the country, with the economy and I just like environment, I think people, Brazilian people are just like happy and they’re the best people in the world, that’s what I think, you know…

Tom Reaoch:

Well that’s coming from a Brazilian; well said.

Pamela Luiz:

I mean yeah, I‘m doing it this [inaudible], I’m putting on my Brasilian shirt on right now, but I, you know, but US is just, I also thank everyone here that helped to get what I got and I can’t complain about here just like I feel like I identify myself with Brazilians and…

Tom Reaoch:

No that’s true but I think to that you’re to be commended because your first six years in the States and everything that you said, all of your growth, professionally as a person what have you, I’ve known many other persons, Brazilians that came back because they just couldn’t get over the [saudade], they couldn’t get over missing people and gave it all up and came back and I think that’s unfortunate but obviously you understand the value of being there and you’re staying, you’re sticking with it and you’re, you know, that’s your payment and I think you are to be congratulated on that.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, well I’ll tell one thing that I believe that you know you have to try everything that you can, you now and then that’s what I’m doing here, I’m trying everything and I’m trying to get an internship to be better, I’m trying to get a job but if these things don’t work out, you know just, I feel just like God just has something else for you, God has planned something different for you so everything that I followed this thought, things have happened greatly for me so I just follow the same path. I’m here, I’m trying everything I can, I don’t want to go against the flow, you know I want to just, I’m just trying to do as much thing as I can while people are giving me opportunity, once it’s done, you know I had my time, if I have to go back I would just be grateful for all the things – because I gained a lot of things here in the US, I can’t complain and I have a lot of friends that are like, “Oh my God, I have to go back” and they don’t see that they had their time here you know it’s like you just got to be thankful that you were able to come, some people can’t even come here, so I’m really glad for all of the opportunities I had and whatever comes next, I’m just going to be thankful…

Tom Reaoch:

I really think comparing from a business standpoint there seem to be many more opportunities in Brazil right now for persons who are finishing their university, for finishing their MBA and not only saying for Brazilians to come back because I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Patrick Lenhart – but I’ve received a number of contacts from other persons who are finishing their degrees in the States, so they want to find their way to Brazil because right now in the States things aren’t all that easy. I think the opportunities, as taking and putting everything in the nutshell what you have done and what you have learned, obviously there certainly will be a lot of opportunities for you here so I don’t have a doubt there at all. The only tip I want to give you though, in your path to finding an internship and also in your path of projecting yourself as a business person and I mentioned that and I want to mention again; you need to start creating your profile and what I mentioned specifically on LinkedIn, when I had asked you if you had your profile, I think LinkedIn is at the moment the place for you to show yourself professionally as a business person. Obviously take everything that you just said as a sports person, as a female athlete, put that into your profile because in the States without a doubt and even in Brazil more so, companies are starting to look for persons and looking for candidates the way you are, they’re searching and the searching can go through Google, searching through LinkedIn, searching through other mechanisms to find people, so you need to be in that arena so that, you need to help people find you. One thing is for you to try to find people and we’re going to help you do that but the other is for you to be in the mainstream of the opportunities and eventually be found by others.

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I have, I’ve had my LinkedIn for two or three years but to be honest I never thought that would be very useful and how, you know when I talked to you and you told me that I had to work on it because I, basically I had my stuff from volleyball, I didn’t have my resume and now a lot of my friends have it, you know, especially from Brazil I feel like they’re using that a lot more than here.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah, they are. In Brazil right now, I saw this yesterday, day before, Brazil has now reached seven million users in Brazil in LinkedIn, so you can see how fast It’s growing here, so seven million, there’s 150 million users in the world but Brazil has now reached seven million so I think and obviously you’re a candidate to be found by companies in the United States, in Europe, here in Brazil, anywhere but you need to be in that; that would be my suggestion.

Pamela Luiz:

Well have you see my LinkedIn? I think I added you but I’m not sure if you’ve seen mine, I just posted my resume.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, I’ll put [inaudible], I’ll give you some tips on that, okay?

Pamela Luiz:

Okay.

Tom Reaoch:

Well Pamela I want to thank you, we’re coming to the end of our time unfortunately, we could talk for hours what I think is very, you’re a very exciting person to talk to, I’m completely surprised about the wealth of information that you have and your growth in the United States, I want to commend you on that, you seem to be a very ambitious and dedicated person, right? And again for you to have been, at the end of the year to have gone back to the States entered in Google and found me, I think that somebody’s stars are lining up so what we can do as I mentioned, as much as I can I will further your information and this interview to other persons that I know in the United States and also here to help you find your internship for this summer in the United States okay?

Pamela Luiz:

Yes, thank you very much Tom, I appreciate your help.

Tom Reaoch:

And congratulations again, have fun until the end of your MBA okay?

Pamela Luiz:

Yeah, I will, I’ll definitely work on it, thank you very much and thanks for everyone that listens to your program.

Tom Reaoch:

Thank you.