13 Years, 13 Lessons: What I Learned Leading Affinity

This month marks 13 years at the helm of Affinity. A company that was born with a clear purpose – to do things differently – and that has grown thanks to extraordinary people, difficult moments, and decisions that have left their mark. Along the way, I have learned more than any MBA could teach me. Here are 13 of the most important lessons I have learned from this journey:

1. Culture is not what we write, it is what we tolerate. You can have values on the wall, on the corporate website, but it is in everyday practice — in the small permissions, in the absence of consequences, positive or negative — that culture reveals itself.

2. Talent attracts talent, but only trust makes it stay. Recruiting well is the beginning; the real challenge is to create an environment where people feel valued, grow with freedom, and know that leadership truly trusts them.

3. When you feel comfortable, you’re already behind. Growth happens outside the comfort zone. That’s where innovation lies — and also risk, error, and learning. Innovation is a continuous process that brings dynamism and new approaches to the whole.

4. The role of a leader is not to have all the answers. It is to ask the right questions. I learned to listen more, to be quieter, to provoke with intention, to challenge, and to give space for others to shine.

5. Don’t just scale the business. Scale autonomy. Creating an intrapreneurship model was one of Affinity’s most important milestones in the last 18 months. Companies within the company. Freedom with responsibility. Blazing your own trail.

6. The CEO’s silence is deafening. Leaders are always communicating, even when they say nothing. The absence of feedback is also a message.

7. The big moments are not the awards. They are the invisible turning points. Those days when everything seemed to be falling apart… and someone had an idea. A customer gave us a chance. We got back on our feet. A team came together even stronger.

8. Growing without losing your soul is possible—but it requires constant vigilance. With growth come temptations: shortcuts, bureaucracy, egos. Protecting your essence is a daily task.

9. The best marketing is a happy employee and a surprised customer. We can invest in campaigns, but nothing beats an authentic recommendation.

10. Your limits are the limits of your ambition (and your courage). Affinity works with more than 10 countries, with hubs in Lisbon, Porto, and Óbidos, talent centers in Brazil and Tunisia, and active projects on four continents — all because we chose to grow boldly, not comfortably.

11. When you no longer need to be involved in everything, it’s a sign that you’re leading well. Delegating is not giving up. It’s building an organization that can breathe without you. And that frees you up to think about the future.

12. Companies are made up of people — and people go through phases. I learned to deal with departures, returns, and transformations. Not everyone stays forever, and that’s okay — leading also means knowing how to accept these cycles, even when they leave us more alone along the way.

13. The most valuable legacy is not numbers. It’s the stories you leave behind in people. No one remembers the EBITDA for 2019. But everyone remembers how they felt. The real impact. The “why.”

Thirteen years later, I’m still learning and wanting to go further. Whatever the future holds, this journey has been worth it. I am proud to lead a 100% Portuguese brand, with its governance in Portugal, with most of the investment made in Portugal — and now paving the way for new internal brands. We will go as far as our vision reaches, always one step beyond the horizon.

Thank you to everyone who has walked (and walks) with me.

Carlos Pais Correia Co-Founder & CEO, Affinity