14/05/12 - 13h25

Patrick Lenhart

With his many cross-cultural travel experiences and international volunteer work, education and work experience, Patrick Lenhart knows he has the right skills, vision and values to be a successful asset to any international accounting/finance team operating in Brazil.

Background

• Foreigners working in Brazil
• International work experience
• Poor people and saving accounts
• Differences between accounting methods in the United States and in Brazil
• Costs of doing global business
• Why doing business in Brazil?
• Business opportunities in Brazil

Interview

Tom Reaoch:

Today our guest has literally been around the world and is now focused on coming to and working in Brazil. Patrick Lenhart contacted me several weeks ago with questions about the job market in Brazil for foreign nationals. I had some back and forth with Patrick and I asked him to come on air and share his questions with our audience because I’m sure what he will ask will be good for a lot of people. Patrick Lenhart was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and now studies – well, he’s actually finished his studies and now resides in London, England. We’ll be talking to him about why he thinks Brazil is for him and he is for Brazil. Patrick Lenhart recently finished his Masters in Business Administration at St. Mary’s University College in Twickenham, England. While studying he also interned as an assistant business unit controller at UBS Investment Bank in London. The last part of his MBA program was spent in Bangkok, Thailand where he wrote a dissertation on the economic and social benefits of savings accounts for poor people. Before obtaining his MBA, Patrick completed his masters and Bachelors Degree in Accounting at Brigham Young University’s top ranked accounting program which eventually led him to working as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers. This experience exposed him to a number of different businesses and he was able to complete his certified public accountant certificate, known as CPA. As a supplement, Patrick has lived and studied in four countries, worked in two of them and has personally visited 35 countries on 6 continents. He’s fluent in English and Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, where he served as a mission for his church. He’s now studying Portuguese. So with all of that Patrick, welcome to Brazil.

Patrick Lenhart:

Thank you. It’s a pleasure, Tom.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah. Well, all of this runaround to help us understand how did you leave Las Vegas and then end up in London and now you want to come to Brazil, with everything in between.

Patrick Lenhart:

I grew up in Las Vegas. I was actually born in Seattle. Then I went to school in Utah and after I finished school in Utah, I worked a little bit in Washington D.C. and then I worked in Phoenix as well. Then I just had this niche to get out into the international world and so I applied for this MBA work study program in London. Now that I finished it I’m looking to start work and to the next phase of my life.

Tom Reaoch:

So when you were born did they implant a GPS on you?

Patrick Lenhart:

No, they didn’t. But they should have, especially for my dad.

Tom Reaoch:

How do your parents track you down?

Patrick Lenhart:

Well, my mom passed away actually in 2009. But my dad, he keeps track of me through Skype and email fortunately. So he’s been learning how to do that. Every now and then we catch up on Skype which is nice.

Tom Reaoch:

But through all of your adventures and all your travels that was your communication.

Patrick Lenhart:

Mostly through email then they were many times where he probably had no idea where I was at and probably I should have given a little bit more notice or maybe information as to where I was at one point in time.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, I’ve been there myself. When I first came to Brazil at that time, I came in 1970. Really there was – communications were almost impossible. So it was tough. Even to get a phone call through back to the States was an adventure so my parents at that time worried quite a bit because you were out there somewhere in the world and nobody knows what’s happening and every time you turn on a television, you just see all the bad stuff. They never realized you might part of the good stuff. So, I would just like to say that to all of our audience, just let your parents know where you are once in a while. Okay?

Patrick Lenhart:

This is true. Yeah. I think my dad at first he might have been a little bit afraid but now he’s just to the point well, well, Patrick’s just out there doing his thing. He’s just somewhere in a cloud or hiking a mountain or doing something. He trusts me now.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, are you out of the cloud now? Both of your feet on the ground now?

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Now, I’m in London just with my fiancée. We are preparing to start the phase of my life.

Tom Reaoch:

So tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life, right?

Patrick Lenhart:

Pretty much. Pretty much, yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, compare living and studying in all these different countries. You’re becoming a multi-cultural person. Is it easy to adapt to all of that or do you find that it has been easy for you?

Patrick Lenhart:

Well, it has been a bit easy for me. I mean, I’ve lived in four different countries now, the U.S., the Philippines, the U.K. and Thailand. I studied in three of them and worked in two. I mean, in my experience, the U.S. and U.K. are fairly similar in many respects when it comes to working; specifically the intensity and focus with which they conduct their business. There seems to be a little more respect for the work life balance in the U.K. or Europe in general than in the U.S. I mean, I know I’m not pointing out anything new there but work life is the most important point when it comes to discussing a person’s working – or different working experiences internationally in my opinion. As far as the job environment, my team in the U.K. oh, they were awesome. They really showed a real respect, interest and concern for not only my work but also what I was doing outside of work. It’s just something I didn’t get in the States. You can’t really – these comparisons are only based on individual experiences which are no basis for projected generalities or anything but I would like to say that…

Tom Reaoch:

No, you know, people are people and they react to people in different ways all throughout the world.

Patrick Lenhart:

True. I also say, it’s hard to compare international work experiences because apple to apples comparison doesn’t work unless the experience is in the same industry or job environment. My job in the U.S. is a lot different than in the U.K. As far as living abroad, the United States has a wonderful plethora of amenities and comforts but as I’ve lived in other places, especially Southeast Asia, I really developed this desire for simplicity and an avoidance of material possessions. I mean, the living circumstances under which most people outside the West live, I mean it’s – I just have kind of grown some type of appreciation for it. I mean, don’t get me wrong. If I can avoid it I would prefer not to live in poverty and…

Tom Reaoch:

No, I can understand that because when I look at it and most people, and that’s in almost in every country, not only about the United States, most people in the world, the 7 billion persons, the population today, the absolute majority has never left the area where they were born.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yes.

Tom Reaoch:

When we’re talking about global world, most people aren’t global and most people have never been out of their own habitat or they’re own geographical region. In the States a little bit more people are slightly more mobile but I still have a lot of relatives and a lot of people in the States who really haven’t gone more than a couple of hundred miles from where they were born. Taking out eventual participations in military activities or what have you but basically they’re back to where they were born and the understanding of what’s happening out here in the world sometimes is difficult for them.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. I mean, the thing for me is, it just seems that a modest lifestyle seems to make people happier and I’ve just really developed a passion for education and experience which I determined was the goal of my 20s. I think this prospective has been the result of living abroad and as I thought about what life should really be like. So, that’s the effect that living abroad has had on me and it’s been more of a desire for simplicity and just to kind of enjoy life. Lastly, the education styles in the U.S. differ quite substantially to the U.K. The learning in the U.K. is much more independent and the assessments – at least in my experience – we’re all writing assignments, which I like more. But since my studies in Bangkok were part of my U.K. - based program, the learning was fairly similar to that of the U.K. with generic lectures and in-depth writing assignments. That’s pretty much been my experience as far as the comparison to the different countries that I’ve lived in.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, I saw your dissertation in the Philippines was and probably just melded together as you just said; of having an understanding for the local culture, taking on a project and then writing about it.

Patrick Lenhart:

It was kind of a study of multiple different research field studies. I analyzed them to try and derive the economic and social benefits of savings accounts. Just the business opportunities that could result from providing such a social need, yet remaining profitable and it’s a social business and it’s a huge need. Savings accounts, everybody knows about micro-finance but, savings accounts – I mean, you can read about it on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – but savings accounts are a huge need and a huge benefit to so many people and we need to provide them. It’s just that I think there’s a little bit of a lack of incentive to provide it because entrepreneurs aren’t sure how profitable it may be. So I tried to point that out. That was the point of my dissertation. Saying, “Look, there’s a need. We can do it profitably and feel good about it.”

Tom Reaoch:

Well, do the persons in the Philippines, are they natural savers or not?

Patrick Lenhart:

I wrote it in Thailand but the studies were in the Philippines. They were in Africa. They were in various parts of the world to try and get a diverse perspective but people want to save. The problem is finding a secure and good place to save. But people are actually willing to pay for a safe place to save because – and the affects it has on external demands from family members and friends and maybe the loss, by putting it under your mattress. I mean the importance of – I guess, my point is that poor people really see the value in some type of saving service and are willing to pay for it because it’s that valuable. It’s just that valuable to them.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, there are historical situations here in Brazil specifically when – and this is not too many years ago – but there was a president, his name was Fernando Collor and actually what he did, he just sequestered everybody’s savings. Even up to that point Brazilians culturally – I wouldn’t say that they wouldn’t save but they would always want their investments in something that they can get their hands on and wrap their arms around. That was partially proof to that – that many and myself included just lost all of my savings because you just took it over, you changed the monetary system and the next day we all woke up without any money. So, in some of these developing countries I think there’s another thing, obviously it’s the process of saving but I think economic and political stability aid to giving that comfort level again to the citizens of those countries and many countries today, I ‘m not sure they’re there yet.

Patrick Lenhart:

No that’s a great point. I looked at that a little bit as far as the government backing of saving accounts; that security, essentially insurance involved is extremely important and some governments don’t provide that and it’s a huge risk.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, even in the States. How many people got burned here in the States, right? They had money and just lost it because there were limits to the amount that could be – well, even in Europe today. When we look around the world and what’s happening as a result of the crisis and the various types of crisis that we see, that is an issue and so how to rectify that and then how to communicate that to the common person, really to help him understand how he needs to save. First of all, he needs to save and then where do you put it? Where are the protection mechanisms that you need? So, I think that’s a good point. Did you ever think about writing a book on that or not? Or haven’t you got any…

Patrick Lenhart:

No. Well, I mean, I would’ve liked to, I didn’t have time. So it’s kind of the financial and time feasibility wasn’t working for me but I would’ve loved to have done a longitudinal study with the poor people in maybe Thailand and really assessed it from the perspective of, “Is this a viable business model?” I wasn’t able to do that. I had to study other people’s research but that would be—there’s just so much to be done, so much to learn still about it. There’s a huge need.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, now you’ve finished your studies and now you have time but then you need the funding to do that.

Patrick Lenhart:

Exactly.

Tom Reaoch:

So, I think life’s biggest secret is trying to get the – and as they say time is money but you need time and money to make the money to have the time to spend your money.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, exactly. I mean, along the similar lines is I have a friend that her dad always said, “In order to save the world you got to make money first.” I mean, in order to do things that you really want to do or do good, you first got to make money. So, kind of my point now.

Tom Reaoch:

You referred to Bill Gates and I think he’s an excellent example, he and his wife; so that’s part of it. You can only share what you have, if you don’t have much, sharing obviously a slice of bread is one thing, but sharing as much as he shares and his wife together and the process that they’ve gotten together now in sharing I think it’s a fantastic example.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. Now, the way that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation runs its operations is with specific goals and not just showing money at problems but it’s just absolutely excellent and it’s a very commendable organization.

Tom Reaoch:

So one other thing. Let me see, you are a certified public accountant in Arizona.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, in Arizona.

Tom Reaoch:

Are certifications state certifications in the U.S.?

Patrick Lenhart:

So, the AICPA is the organization essentially responsible for certifying them but then you register in the different states that you want to work and different states have different requirements to obtain your CPA. For example, some states require a master’s degree and a year’s worth of experience in order for you to obtain your CPA. You might have passed the exam administered by the AICPA but you still can’t get your certification. So it all depends on which state you want to get your license in.

Tom Reaoch:

But are accounting methods in the States, do they vary one state to another or is accounting sort of the same?

Patrick Lenhart:

Well, in the States, at this point, it all depends on the size of the company and essentially where it’s located but most people know about the GAAP, the generally accepted accounting principles of the United States. That actually can differ across the nations. So, I think in general the accounting concepts such as revenue and expenses may be very similar throughout the different countries but how those concepts are put into practice through accounting standards and requirements may not be the same everywhere due to socio-economic, political, legal, religious, culture, whatever kind of differences among various countries, which is a problem because the credibility of financial reports becomes questionable if similar transactions are accounted for differently in different countries. It’s almost as if the credibility of financial reports increases as they become more and more comparable. As everyone knows globalization has really pointed out the comparability problem and has therefore created the need for comparable standards of financial reporting across all countries. That doesn’t mean it’s actually an organized…

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah, because I’ve heard that of foreign business persons coming to Brazil; that’s one of their challenges––understanding accounting methods in Brazil. But they’ve also heard the reverse of that, of Brazilian business persons going to the U.S. or going to Europe or having business in both of those areas and in Asia as well and then saying, well, they have to have different accounting for each one of the places they’re operating in and then when they consolidate it’s the same problem as a U.S. or a U.K.-based firm of again of consolidating. So, does all of this non-standardization, how much cost does that add to any company anywhere trying to do global business?

Patrick Lenhart:

Oh yeah, I mean, huge. It’s a huge problem. It all depends on where you want to do business, where you want to register your business, where you want to – if you want to get involved in – or if you want to join – drawing a blank here. Like the S&P 500, they might have requirements for you to register with them if you were chosen and if you don’t meet the requirements of – for in this case, it would the U.S. GAAP – then you wouldn’t be able to register. If you want to do business in that other country you might have to follow their accounting practices. There’s an organization called World GAAP Info that actually researches and seeks to point out the many similarities in accounting practices among the different economic regions of countries of the world. They use that acronym GAAP, which stands for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, as I mentioned earlier. Each country or economic region may have it’s own GAAP. Therefore the goal would be to make one common GAAP among all the nations which would eliminate a lot of costs. It would eliminate a lot of the confusion and the International Standards Board, the ISB is the organization that’s set up to actually make these internationally accepted accounting principles, these principles so that everyone participating in international business is essentially on the same page.

Tom Reaoch:

Do you see that happening in your lifetime?

Patrick Lenhart:

Well, for example, Brazil, they had their own GAAP but now for what I’ve read is now required to follow the international accounting standards as of 2010. I get emails from the IAACPA actually, the organization responsible for certifying CPAs and there was an article recently that referenced in the journal of accountancy the ISB’s chairman feeling very confident that the SEC in the United States would adapt the IFRS; something many countries are looking to do or have done. However, it appears that the whole convergence keeps getting pushed off, keeps getting pushed further and further back but I believe it will eventually happen. I actually have a friend that works at the IAASP here in London and despite all this pushing further back he seems optimistic so I think it will. I think it will. It will be a good day for a lot of people.

Tom Reaoch:

I would think so too. Because again, I can just see that adding cost to processes for companies no matter where they are located and where they want to do business. Today you need to reduce costs even to stay competitive and that’s a factor. Within in Brazil it certainly is. We have the tax problems and the accounting, so that is an issue.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, absolutely.

Tom Reaoch:

But, getting a little bit away from accounting, why Brazil? Why do you want to come to Brazil?

Patrick Lenhart:

Well, obviously with my fiancée I’ve made a lot of Brazilian friends here in London. I have one in particular and he continually reminds me all about the great things that have been and will be going on in Brazil economically. They also frequently talk about the quality of life there in Brazil being so much higher than here in the U.K. and he can’t wait to get back and tap into the opportunities there. I mean, from the economic interests of foreign business and investors, to the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, Brazil is seriously the place to be. Also, my fiancé Elaine is from there and all her family lives there so it’d be great to be with them. My first experience actually outside of North America was to Brazil, to Sao Paulo and I was 17. I noticed how wonderful, fun Rio and just dynamic the people are there. Those characteristics I just would love to be around. Obviously, it’d be central to so many of the other countries in South America that Elaine and I would love to go see. Don’t get me wrong there are many great things going on in the United States but in many ways it just is very uninviting to me right now. I love my country but I want to take the many great things that the U.S. has given or taught me to other places and to other people. Plus, I really want to learn Portuguese. A third language would be just great. And then most importantly…

Tom Reaoch:

That is one of the things I already mentioned, you do need that. So it really works in the business sense, yeah. But back to your former point…

Patrick Lenhart:

Well, I was just going to say, along with this Portuguese, my wife, I mean, my future wife, and her family and all her friends, they’re already noticing my talent to learn Portuguese, and it’s similar a bit to Tagalog the way that, you know, just moving your mouth and I feel I’ll be able to pick it up pretty quickly. But what I was going to say is most importantly I love dancing Forró. It’s the best. I love it. Actually, that was my first memorable experience in Brazil. When we went down there and I danced Forró and the girls were teaching me, it was just – I was in. I was hooked. I was hooked.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah. I think that’s the word. You get hooked.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yes.

Tom Reaoch:

I think Brazil does hook you. I have to say that I was, you know, when I came back. I came here 1970. I got hooked on Brazil for more or less the same reasons and Roy mentioned, I’d never traveled anywhere. I’d never been anywhere and the opportunity did come up to come here and it was my first exposure to a foreign country in that sense and everything else but, I think that obviously the beauty of the country, the friendliness of the persons and there is something that hooks you. Well, I think that whatever we’ve learned and whatever we have created ourselves as professionals, as persons, I think the point is what you just said; you can share that wherever you are. But the important thing is to share it. Many people have been able to share it so I think at your stage of life and the path that you’ve chosen, I think you’re right on and your friend is right, when we compare Brazil to the rest of the world today and you’re talking 2012 right now, most of the fingers do point to Brazil as the place for opportunities. There are other places but certainly for the first time in looking at Latin America specifically, Brazil has its strength and most of the opportunities are coming to maturity right now.

Patrick Lenhart:

Oh yeah. I was reading an article in foreign policy website online and they were talking about getting rid of the BRIC, the four countries, getting rid of China and Russia, and Brazil would still be in there but they aren’t going to include Mexico and Turkey and what not. But they showed some statistics for Brazil and just there’s so many qualities, not just resources – there’s just so many things to Brazil that make it such an opportune, or not an opportune but just a potential country for so many great things and it’s definitely, I mean, as far as growth, as far as being number one, they’re going to surpass – I think it’s surpassed the U.K. but they’re going to become the fourth-largest economy in the world not too long from now.

Tom Reaoch:

That’s true.

Patrick Lenhart:

Aside from the economics of it, socially the quality of life like I talked about and just the fun-loving people that they are, I really can’t think of a better place to be right now.

Tom Reaoch:

Great. But, do you still consider them fun-loving when you’re trying to get your visa and you’re going through all of these approvals to come here? How’s it going?

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, absolutely. Well, it’s going well. So, it’s a difficult process but we’re going to get married through Brazil, get our papers there and I’ve got to apply for a permanent visa and then I also have to apply for an ID to work according to my conversations with the Brazilian consulate here and then my fiancée’s mom talked to the Brazilian consulate in Santa Catarina, where they’re from and that looks like those are the steps that I need to take in order to get my visa. But it will happen. It’s just a matter of time and how long the process takes.

Tom Reaoch:

No. No. I think that’s pretty straightforward. Once you do get married, you have the marriage certificate; the rest of the process is…

Patrick Lenhart:

Easy. It’s a matter of time.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah, just a matter of time. But just presenting the documents and I’m not going to say there’s no hassle. Every time you pass paper on to somebody there’s always a hassle. But no…

Patrick Lenhart:

Always a hassle. No, that’s true.

Tom Reaoch:

No. But, there’s no problem. There’s nothing there that would say that you could never get your visa. No. You certainly will get the visa. It’s just a question of time. But, any doubts – even in Brazil, all of the bureaucracy and everything the present government is taking a number of steps to reduce that. The bureaucracy in general and even that the visa – and not only in your case – but because of the opportunities in Brazil today there are a number of foreign nationals coming here to work. Brazil knows that it does need today skilled persons for a number of areas. One of the points, one of the barriers is the visa system and the government is aware of that. So again, how you make that come about faster is the steps that need to be taken.

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s a good point. There’s an article in the Rio Times today that talks about just that; opening up the borders to foreign professionals and maybe giving VIP visas or whatever it may take. But, and I’ve also read somewhere else that there’s a lot of jobs available, it’s just there’s a lack of qualified professionals.

Tom Reaoch:

No, that’s true. That’s true.

Patrick Lenhart:

I just feel like for me, with two master’s degrees and the significations that come with the CPA, I just know that my skills, knowledge and mental tenacity to think and learn they’re all vital for helping administrate a company and it would totally be an asset to do economy right now.

Tom Reaoch:

No, it would be but those two points that I’d mentioned when we first shared our communications is that – the two big things – you need a visa and you need to speak Portuguese. It’s not just that you can’t work here just speaking English, obviously there are opportunities but they’re more limited. When I mentioned to other persons that I know here, basically persons involved in placement of executives, again they assured me that those are the requirements. Most of them are getting floods of resumes and everybody in the world seems to like to come to Brazil.

Patrick Lenhart:

Really.

Tom Reaoch:

Those are the things. They say, well, does the person speak Portuguese and what about the papers?

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. You know those two big roadblocks. I mean, the permanent visa, that’ll be taken cared of, I ‘m not worried about that. The fact that I learned another language already and I know what it takes and I’ve got what it takes, I will learn Portuguese and I will overcome both those roadblocks and I will be set.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, obviously too, I learned Portuguese. Being in the country and living in the country you learn it. It’s hard not to learn.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yep. That’s what they said that it’ll take. Yeah, give me six months they say. They say give me six months and you’ll have it down. Well, that might be a little quick but they seem pretty optimistic, at least those that I’m surrounded by.

Tom Reaoch:

No. That’s what it took me more or less to be, let’s say functional. Yeah, functional in a business sense, to be conversant in a social sense probably less. But to be functional in a business sense, after six months I’m sure you’re going to be able to pick it up.

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s good.

Tom Reaoch:

Even from your background many of the technical vocabulary’s pretty much the same worldwide. You know, when you’re looking at a spreadsheet.

Patrick Lenhart:

Exactly. Exactly.

Tom Reaoch:

You know, it’s just not a whole lot to – numbers talk by themselves.

Patrick Lenhart:

This is true, business is business when it comes to that.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah, P&L is P&L, right?

Patrick Lenhart:

Exactly.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, they hope that there’s more P than L.

Patrick Lenhart:

Exactly, yes.

Tom Reaoch:

You know, stay on the P side and not on the L side then you don’t have to talk a whole lot.

Patrick Lenhart:

That is so true.

Tom Reaoch:

But in that, so now you’re going to get married. You’re going to come here, right? Are those the steps? You’re going to get married, you’re going to come whether you have a job or not, or coming here depends on having a job?

Patrick Lenhart:

Nope. So, because we have friends here, we will get married here and then we will go to Brazil and hold the reception there. Sort of to kind of share the love and then we will apply for my working ID and then I will be ready to go. I mean, it’s a fresh air thing.

Tom Reaoch:

It’s going to be good. Is your fiancée studying there as well? What does she do?

Patrick Lenhart:

She’s a nanny and a massage therapist. She’s been here six years. She’s ready to get out…

Tom Reaoch:

And come home.

Patrick Lenhart:

She’s excited to go back to her family, yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

That’s why I’m thinking…

Patrick Lenhart:

She came here to learn.

Tom Reaoch:

…most Brazilians want to come home.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. Well, she came here to learn English and she speaks great English now.

Tom Reaoch:

What you have to do, you have to make a deal with her and say, “From today on we’re only going to speak Portuguese.”

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s true. Yeah, I know.

Tom Reaoch:

That’s what I did with my wife when I met her. She didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Portuguese and we started our relationship literally around a very small little green dictionary. There was an English-Portuguese dictionary. Yeah, and one of the advantages of that is that you rarely argue.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

You can’t argue. So there’s nothing to argue about. So, we started our relationship that way and for similar reasons, is if I was going to stay in Brazil I need to speak Portuguese. When I first came to Brazil is similar to what you’re seeing there, everybody wants to speak English to you. You know, socially, in a social situation because most people want to better their English. But, you as a professional, you have to put that on the learning Portuguese side, it’s fundamental that you learn it very quickly. So, as much as you can pick up and as you converse with people it’s to your advantage. So, if you can immerse yourself in Portuguese even while you’re there, the better. All your Brazilian friends, just tell them “No more English.”

Patrick Lenhart:

Oh, yes. That’s a great point. When I go to [Joyvillez] (ph) while I’m looking for a job, her family doesn’t speak at all English. So, it will be complete immersion, which I’m excited about.

Tom Reaoch:

Yeah. When my wife’s parents at that time, the same thing. I would call her at her house and it took me half an hour to figure out that she wasn’t home.

Patrick Lenhart:

Sure.

Tom Reaoch:

You need that. So, that’s it. All of your Brazilian friends tell them, if they really want to help and if they are friends they will bear with you as you speak Portuguese.

Patrick Lenhart:

Perfect. That’s a good point.

Tom Reaoch:

All right?

Patrick Lenhart:

Yep.

Tom Reaoch:

What other tips? I also looked at your LinkedIn profile and saw that you made a couple of the changes in I think a couple that I’d suggested and others that I will suggest. I’d think and not only for your case but for everybody’s case, I think LinkedIn has become – and here in Brazil as well – it’s becoming very relevant in terms of not only job searches but for what people and what persons and what companies are looking for, they’ll look at your profile, really to pick up all the information. So, as much as you can complete that with all of your specialties and your skills, what have you. What I would do is to pencil in there probably at the beginning of your summary, to mention the fact that you are destined to Brazil and put a dateline on that. That as of, whatever the date you’ll be here put that as a headline and maybe you’d want to that in a way that it shows up. Obviously, I’ve seen you’re following a number of different groups, a couple of them Brazilian groups. I think there are a number of others, as you may know you can follow up to 50 groups in LinkedIn, so I would take advantage of that and look for Brazilian groups but also start following companies that are located in Brazil. They don’t necessarily have to be Brazilian companies, but within the framework of the region, the type of company you would want to and those could European companies, they could be American companies, they could be from anywhere. Start following those companies and in following those companies you’ll be able to see and maybe find then professionals in those companies that are in Brazil or may have responsibility for Latin America or for Brazil. So that’ll help you guide your search and then follow-up with either sending a resume or connecting with them or showing more visibility to them about your profile. I think those would be the – I won’t say that’s an easy way of doing it but it’s a more structured way of being found today.

Patrick Lenhart:

Great. I just wrote them down. Those are good suggestions.

Tom Reaoch:

Because all of your background and everything that you’ve done and the way you’ve prepared yourself for this business life and now for life in Brazil, it’s hard for me to see that you wouldn’t be successful very quickly.

Patrick Lenhart:

Okay.

Tom Reaoch:

But to be a successful or more successful and also successful within the framework that you need, probably justify coming here but also help from a financial situation, you want to be in a good company making reasonable money that will compensate…

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, and I’ve got loans. Student loans that I got to pay off, so.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, I think everybody that started has that.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. If it’s possible that’s the thing.

Tom Reaoch:

What? To pay back the loans?

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s one of my questions is—yeah, I mean just to be able to have a job that is, you know, the pays enough to not only survive but pay off a significant amount of student loans. I know that there are other countries that if you make the local wage, you don’t make much.

Tom Reaoch:

But looking at your experience and having talked to you now and seeing what you’ve not only done but what you’re capable of doing, well I think that’s the secret in any interview. Few people want to know what you’ve done. So, the sooner you can turn the page on your past and guarantee people to a promising future in the company and that your focus is on the P side and not the L side…

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. No, I agree.

Tom Reaoch:

Seriously. I mean, companies want people who are able to make money. You have all the capabilities. You have the keys for that success. So, it’s either help them make more profit or help reduce their losses and reduce cost or whatever. I think those have to be the key buzzwords in everything and I would suggest putting that in your profile as a specialist in that. So I think from what you’ve seen and done in your life throughout the world, you would be a key person to help companies make more money and to reduce costs; which is the other way of doing it and doing it in a quality way so you can bring the business processes to that company here in Brazil. I’m sure they’d value that. The bottom line is that you would certainly make money to pay off whatever you need to pay off and I think you should look at it. You’ve invested in yourself in the traveling and the study. So you seem to be intelligent enough and you without a doubt would be able to get that compensation.

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s good to know.

Tom Reaoch:

As I just mentioned if you go in and start looking for four companies on LinkedIn and do the research on those companies that are here, I think that’s where you should go. Eventually, two of the companies – the Brazilian companies that are on the – that have sizable investments outside of Brazil or they’re on the U.S. stock exchange. These are also structured companies that within the business process where you would be a perfect fit. Investment banking too, you have experience in investment banking, you have experience in auditing so all of those are requirements and everybody needs that. Because all of the growth in Brazil right now, much of that, banks are involved, the auditing companies are involved, everybody’s involved. And against the lack of skilled persons, so.

Patrick Lenhart:

Personally, I think that’s great advice.

Tom Reaoch:

I would also in that put down that you’re learning Portuguese. So, put Portuguese as a beginner which you are. You’ve highlighted your volunteer and your sharing experiences and I think that’s important, companies do value that here. They want persons who understand the social needs of the country and so I think that all sort of melds together in your favor.

Patrick Lenhart:

Sounds good, that’s awesome. That’s great advice.

Tom Reaoch:

What you got to do too is just beat the drums. You got to do it. So it’s the networking thing. So as much as you can portray yourself and get inline with persons and have persons or companies see you in this, because today you’re just a fantastic person. You’re in London. So, what you really need to do very quickly is just to make Brazilian companies know that there’s a fantastic person in London who wants to come to Brazil.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. That definitely may help to put that on my summary.

Tom Reaoch:

And through all your Brazilian friends, if they are networkers, have them give you a list of companies or persons that they know here and a conduit to that.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. I’ve been talking with them for sure and my non-Brazilian friends who also have connections here.

Tom Reaoch:

Right. Now, London, how close are you to the center of London?

Patrick Lenhart:

I’m a little a ways right now. I’m up by Wembley but it’s not too bad of a hike to get into London.

Tom Reaoch:

But also my suggestion to you would be from the companies in England who have established business here, try to visit them while you’re there.

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s a good point. Yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

Find the person there that’s involved or responsible for their Brazilian business or their Brazilian ventures. Do that. Also energy; there are a number of companies from the U.K. that are here because of the energy, the gas development, what have you. So, track those down. Even along the lines of not only the World Cup but the Olympics which there are a number of companies in England today who have been to Brazil looking forward to the opportunities of serving or offering services; so pinpoint those companies as well. They can be a natural conduit again finding opportunities here.

Patrick Lenhart:

Okay. Perfect.

Tom Reaoch:

And not to forget though, that even Thailand – pick up the connections that you have made there. There are a lot of Southeast Asian companies also in Brazil. Just go back to all of those connections that you had, the persons that you met while you were there and also just let them know where you are in the professional phase of your life, that you finished your master’s and you’re now on your way to Brazil.

Patrick Lenhart:

Perfect. Yeah, I know. Those are great points.

Tom Reaoch:

So, let’s just let everybody that you know know what you’re going to do and what you’d like to do and that it is coming to Brazil.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. Okay.

Tom Reaoch:

Because as you mentioned to me, you think that you’re ready for Brazil. You think Brazil’s ready for you and I think you are, I have no doubt about it. You just have to keep telling more and more people about that. And then not necessarily just people in Brazil. That’s all of your network––everybody. Just keep developing that and tell your dad. Is your dad telling everybody that he knows?

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

That’s really tell them or just saying, “Well, you know, my kid’s going to Brazil.”

Patrick Lenhart:

No. He is and he’s trying to network as best he can with the few connections that he does have. My fiancée’s got friends there and they’re telling people that I’m coming. Her family is there and they’re telling people as well. You know, I’m trying to get the word out.

Tom Reaoch:

Now, that’s the way to do it. Go back to all of your alumni friends at your universities and also don’t forget, let me see, where did they see that? I’m not sure it was on your resume or if it’s in your LinkedIn. Your sports activities – weight lifting, international travel, mountain biking, marathon. You ran in marathons. Half-Iron Man?

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah.

Tom Reaoch:

Now, that Half Iron Man, 5:39 and that’s the time? That’s 5 minutes and 39 seconds, is that it?

Patrick Lenhart:

No. It’s 5 hours and 39 minutes.

Tom Reaoch:

All right. So you might want to put that in. I’m not an Iron Man person so I’m really not sure what that means.

Patrick Lenhart:

Yeah, it’s a triathlon.

Tom Reaoch:

All right. Politics and photography. You do that semi-professionally?

Patrick Lenhart:

Oh, travel. No, I travel photography. It’s a way for me to capture the place and the feeling of places that I go. It’s definitely one of my biggest hobbies.

Tom Reaoch:

Well, I’ll give you one more suggestion. I’ll give you a bunch of them but take all that and create yourself a blog and put all that on a blog and put the connection to that blog on your LinkedIn profile. There’s no better way for people to see where you’ve been and what you’ve done other than through pictures. So, I would do that. Just make sort of a life timeline of everything that you just said and all of the places that you have been and whatever photos that you’ve taken.

Patrick Lenhart:

Okay, yeah. That’s a good idea.

Tom Reaoch:

That could help people understand your cultural appreciation of all the places you’ve gone to and to show that in a more graphic way.

Patrick Lenhart:

That’s a great idea.

Tom Reaoch:

Of why you’re ready today. Why you’re ready for the future. You’re ready for the future because of your past. Okay? Well, we actually sort of overran our time and in any minute now they’re going to cut us off. But I want to thank you for being part of the program, okay, Patrick. And I hope…

Patrick Lenhart:

Thank you so much Tom.

Tom Reaoch:

…to stay in touch and I hope to see you here in Brazil when you do come and whatever we can do on Talk2Brazil to help you we will.

Patrick Lenhart:

I appreciate it. Thanks so much Tom.