Black Meeting: to heat up business, Caito Maia

When the rock band Las Ticas Tener Fuego ended, That was exactly where the opportunity arose.. Vocalist of the band and music college student in the United States, in season, Caito Maia realized that on the beach where he used to go, an item was a hit: sunglasses not as eye protection, but as an accessory.

From what could be considered the failure of a project – the end of the band – to the success of being one of the biggest businesspeople in the country, It wasn’t quick or easy., but it's definitely a journey worth knowing. Privilege for guests 2º Black Meeting.

Caito Maia was the guest speaker on the second day of the event, on Brazil House, this Tuesday (30). Energy is contagious, the trajectory is inspiring, the power of resilience is a lesson and the entrepreneurial vision is stimulating: ideal ingredients for a business meeting, retailers of the highest standard in the design and architecture segment in Brazil.

“I went to a street vendor, I bought 200 glasses, brought to Brazil, I paid all the taxes – at the time I didn’t even know what taxes were – I sold it to friends and thought about knocking on the doors of some companies. Then a friend of mine asked me for a 18 thousand glasses, but I didn't even have money for a thousand. He said he had gone with my face and advanced me the amount. Thereby, I opened an import company, I came to have 250 Brazilian fashion wholesale customers, two of them didn't pay me and I went broke. Either I would go back to the band or I would learn the biggest lesson of my life, which is brand: what makes a customer buy a product and pay up to 200% the most is the value he sees in the brand”, Caito Maia, entrepreneur and founder of Chilli Beans.

Just share a little story to inspire new ideas and successful strategies, as the beginning of kiosks in shopping malls, for example. There is 30 years, only coffee and cheese bread were sold in these spaces, until the businessman risked this sales format and the result came. “Today, at Guarulhos International Airport has 8 stores that sell R$ 2 millions every month on sunglasses alone. The kiosk continues to be a gigantic opportunity to publicize, to sell, to communicate”, account.

And when necessary let go? Caito no longer considers itself a manufacturer or a retailer, but a brand manager. As 150 own stores were sold and today they make money 30% more in the hands of franchisees. A sign that keeping everything under your own control is not the solution. On the contrary, share is one of the secrets revealed. And that's what he does with the team, trained frequently not to focus on price or discounts, but prioritize brand value and generate consumer desire.

“Tempo, insistence, training and enchantment. Speak the seller's language, launch collections that delight my team, like this, The collection is already sold in the store”, explains the formula for winning over your own team first and, consequently, reach the customer.

Business strategies, entrepreneurial vision, sustainability, new ideas, creativity, courage and daring. From a simple perception – sunglasses – to the pinnacle of success, Caito Maia showed that every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise for growth, you just need to be willing to face the challenges, even in the face of uncertain scenarios.

It was in this energy that the Black Meeting guests continued the day of the event. New insights and an even closer look at brand launches for 2024 – Eliane e Eliane Floor – and the new environment of Casa Brasil, O Space B.