Helena Patacao, Founder & CEO, Helena Patacão, Energy Services
Over the past few decades, women have been shattering the glass ceiling in all fields, and entrepreneurship is no exception. With their out-of-the-box thinking, leadership qualities, and unique perspective, they are chartering unknown territories, making a difference with their ideas, and seeking solutions that have never been sought. They are not only breaking barriers in the corporate arena but are also shining on the global front to have their work seen and accepted for the good of humanity. In this edition of The Gulf Entrepreneur, we are proud to share with our readers the inspiring story of one such impeccable woman entrepreneur, Helena Patacao, the Founder / CEO of Helena Patacão, Energy Services.
With18 years of experience in the energy sector and a Karate Master and practitioner since the age of 7, Helena had the entrepreneurial streak ingrained in her from a very young age. However, she decided to first build the knowledge and experience that was crucial to ensure her success as an entrepreneur. She engaged in the energy sector back in 2004, where she strategized and executed the implementation of the commercialization of electricity in Portugal for one of the major European electric utility companies. She had specialized in business strategy, research, development, and creation of innovative tools, study of energy consumption profiles, analysis, and creation of new instruments for better consumer performance, systems integration, and energy management, and in 2009 she successfully achieved a 1:1 ratio in numbers of negotiations vs. close deals, keeping this ratio ever since until today which she calls the Business “sniper” mode.
8 years later, Helena was ready to become an entrepreneur and established her company in Portugal. She expanded her creativity in the energy sector, innovating with new and better solutions and systems to contribute to a conscious and sustainable production, consumption, and usage of energy, with a unique approach and vision aiming to provide autonomous and off-grid solutions. She always believed that she could contribute to a future where people have independent access to energy worldwide. After several achievements and awards during her career, Helena realized that she was working in a market that was limiting her evolution. So, in 2019, she decided to establish her company also in Dubai, which she considered to be the best hub for expansion worldwide to solve real problems in the energy sector. “Dubai governmental approach to its residents and visitors is unique and set over a foundation of respect and care for everyone. This mindset I experience in UAE, totally meets my own”It began its activity in April 2019 under the name of Helena Patacão Energy Services.
Relinquishing Challenges along the Way
Being an entrepreneur often comes with challenges and obstacles, and Helena’s journey is no different. One of the biggest challenges for Helena has been to face financial proposals “disguised” as beneficial. “Such financial proposal offers could potentially corrupt my principles. There are many testimonials of entrepreneurs and artists in several industries that realized they “sold their soul” by engaging in multi million worth contracts and then regret it. They achieve financial status but experience frustration and severe disorders and problems in their lifes.
It takes a lot of awareness, discernment and my unshakable commitment to my ethics and moral values, to be able to consciously decide to refuse such offers, and not allowing myself to engage in any business relationship that could destroy the core value in which I built my company.” shares Helena.
Another challenge faced by Helena was back in Portugal, when she realized she was investing more time in creating strategies for her company to survive than to grow, expand, and improve her employee’s careers and financial growth. She was serving the interests of a system that promotes survival over creation. Unfortunately, this represents the majority of all active taxation systems worldwide which imposes a passive “authoritarian shareholder” on companies. It was Helena’s unwavering commitment to add value to the world and solve energy problems to make a difference in other people’s lives, that propelled her to move to Dubai, where then she realized that she had free herself from the previous enslaving system. “I now experience a relationship with the UAE government that is fair and just. It empowers me to create and contribute, and allows me to focus on building my legacy.
Creating a Culture of Cooperation Not Competition
In this ever-evolving competitive world, while every business is trying to get an edge over the other company in the industry in one way or the other, Helena has a unique perspective when it comes to competition. “As I usually say, every single person holds a unique fingerprint, so why should I consider my company to have competitors? To consider it, would imply that I would either follow others or compare my company with any other, which I don’t. My company has a unique ‘blueprint’ identity and a code of conduct which considers the highest good and protection of every party involved, which allows it to be recognized and respected in all its end eavours. There is no competition, only cooperation,” she elucidates. Helena has also implemented a “Conscious Contract Clause” which ensures all parties agree to commit to never implement practices or actions that could corrupt this principle.
Guiding the Way
Helena believes that every single entrepreneur and business leader must improve their perception and implement conscious practices in consideration of the protection of humanity and natural universal laws. She urges current leaders and emerging entrepreneurs to understand the importance of re-educating our leadership to be aware of the system we live in and its strategies, which main goal is to generate financial results regardless of consequences. “To be conscious of such strategies is the only way to shift from a state of chaos to balance.”
Helena’s additional key factors recommendations for young women that aspire to become successful entrepreneurs is to create a business model that suits their passion and commit to their purpose. “You will never experience discrimination or exclusion in your career if you focus on adding value to others through your unique professional skills and declare yourself as a business leader/entrepreneur with no link to your woman status, however as women we must understand our nature and role in society.
We do not need to embody a masculine attitude to be a successful leader. By believing it’s the only way to achieve a successful career, women are over empowering the masculine aspects in their personality (strength, courage, assertiveness, independence, power, control), while disregarding and even sometimes dismissing completely their feminine aspects (empathy, sensitivity, kindness, compassion, modesty, humility) so its crucial to balance this aspects within our personalities to be able to fully embrace our careers and personal lives. Balance is the secret.
Our role as mothers require us to be fully present in our children lifes, and not allowing ourselves to be absent and rely on others to take care of them. Children need an emotionally balanced environment, and that implies 100% presence and care from their mother. To be a successful mother and a successful entrepreneur requires a lot of self-discipline and sacrifice how ever this is possible to achieve and as a single mother, I am its living experience.” she opines.
Building a Legacy That Contributes and Serves Humanity
While success is often associated with fame, fortune, and achievements, for Helena, success lies in her personal evolution. “To be able to state that every single moment I feel happy and fulfilled as a human being, a mother, a leader, an entrepreneur, a martial artist Master, and enjoy all activities and hobbies I engage is my biggest success. I evolve by challenging myself every day to become better than whoI was yesterday. My success lies in mastering balance within myself, fully conscious and aware of all my actions within the universal laws, which allows me to create my evolutionary path and achieve any goal in a world filled with limitless possibilities,” she affirms.
Moving ahead, she will soon launch project “Elektra”, a fully equipped and independent housing structure with a built in off grid energy system capable of performing under any weather conditions, in any location around the globe. Meanwhile, she also looks forward to releasing a book to provide information and guidance about the power of mastering our human life energy force, in which she will share and expose her wisdom and vast knowledge acquired by many years of practicing and training her body and mind to her fullest potential. “All is energy and energy is all that is, and I am constantly invested in building a legacy that may help humanity and last for many years to come. Our life journey is a work in progress towards evolution.” concludes Helena.
