We want to help people make their dreams come true

"We want to help people make their dreams come true."

Isabel Freire de Andrade, founder, and partner of Bright Concept

Biographical Note:

Isabel Freire de Andrade - founder and partner of Bright Concept

With 26 years of consulting experience, she has led teams that have contributed to the development of teams at companies such as Microsoft, Vodafone, Heinecken Brazil, National Assembly of Angola, EDP, and LOréal through programs with diagnostics, coaching, and workshops.

She was the Founder and Director of Conceito O2 for 15 years, creating a company evaluated by clients as the best Human Resources provider in Portugal in the areas of Training and Coaching, Skills Assessment, and Consulting during 2012, 2013, and 2014.

She has been a visiting professor at Universidade Católica Portuguesa since 2013 and was the founder and Vice-President of the Chapter of the ICF-International Coach Federation in Portugal.

Bright Concept Information

Bright Concept's mission is to develop the potential of people, teams, and organizations. We believe that people and teams can be more efficient, more proud of their work, and more innovative and thus contribute much more to the organizations where they work. We also want to contribute to the development of Portugal and for this, we develop people's responsibility so that the Portuguese become more engaged and productive.

We do it with international methodologies in which we are certified and with international strategic partnerships. We have a multinational team of senior consultants internationally certified in various diagnostic instruments, training programs, and Coaching.

We work mainly with companies such as Siemens, BP, Itau BBVA, Sonae, Alstom, Leroy Merlin, Ren, Santander, and in several countries - Portugal, Brazil, Luanda, and Mozambique. We are now also investing in the development of young people in Universities and Schools so that development takes place earlier and therefore has stronger and broader impacts.

How did the Bright Concept project come about?

Bright Concept appears as a way to fulfill a dream: to create a company that really helps teams to grow, increase productivity, and to be more competitive, thus contributing to the growth of companies and the country's economy. In order for our dream to come true, we still want this growth to be done in a fun, innovative, well-founded, and rigorous way. In essence, we want to help people make their dreams come true and Bright Concept is proof that dreams come true.

What value proposition do you associate with the project?

Our value proposition is to increase company results, improve the organizational climate and increase people's satisfaction.

How do we do it? At Bright Concept we intervene at the level of people with coaching and at the level of teams with workshops. We use the most prestigious authors and international companies that carry out research in our area. In the case of the Inner Game methodology we achieved very visible results quickly and without much effort, which gave a breath of fresh air to our coachings and our public speaking, leadership, emotional intelligence, coaching, and sales training and has caused customers are very satisfied. In our training, we contribute to making the work more interesting and where they can naturally show all their qualities, which is having very interesting results, for example in Customer Service or Customer Service Programs.

We also have strategic partnerships in terms of technology to be able to multiply and simplify the work and measure the results we obtain

Another area in which we contribute is in increasing accountability, thus increasing the productivity of companies. With the Accountability Training Program very positive results are achieved in terms of people's commitment and in the increase of companies' productivity, thus contributing to improve Portugal's economic situation.

Is Tim Gallwey's visit to Portugal the company's first major event?

The Workshop “The Inner Game of Leadership” that we are going to do with Tim Gallwey at Penha Longa is a very important event for Bright Concept as it allows us to share its methodology in Portugal and other countries. Tim Gallwey is truly inspiring and his methodology makes a very obvious contribution to bringing out the best in people.

We plan to hold several events over the next few years to bring news and update our customers on new practices and models, in a logic of mutual growth. We will soon announce the next event.

What do you hope to provide with the presence of this North American specialist?

Tim Gallwey's presence in Portugal is a unique and remarkable event. His experience and evidence of results achieved within companies demonstrate how it is possible for people to evolve in a fast and sustained way. We hope that it will inspire our leaders to change, increasing their performance, by stimulating their potential and helping their teams to be more motivated.

How do you see the Portuguese business market and its needs in terms of training proposals?

The Portuguese business market is a demanding market, which values ​​effectiveness and efficiency, which we really like. Today,  companies want training proposals that reflect the company's values ​​and culture, with new methodologies and that allow them to achieve sustainable results. I think we are on the right path, on the path of seeking quality.

Creativity has been gaining ground in training in Portugal or could we be a little attached to old models?
The old models continue to exist for the same reason that we keep thick socks and Christmas routes: they have sentimental value, they are warm and comfortable. However, our clients ask us for creative proposals in terms of content and methodologies as long as they are scientifically supported. Christmas socks also have their usefulness and purpose. But we can always innovate, patch, or replace, and we feel it's urgent to do so.

Where can we go in this area?

The path is endless, it is an incessant search at the international level for new methodologies and practices. We will soon be announcing new development programs that we are certifying to give our customers what is most innovative and efficient. We see with great optimism what the future holds!

How do you assess your career in the business world and how do you look forward to it now that you are starting a new project?

As a child, I entertained myself by watching how people behave in various situations and I was fascinated to see how people could shine when given a little help, recognition, a challenge. I also loved seeing what made people more productive and engaged. I was totally determined to make people able to give their best, to be entrepreneurial and committed to what they were doing.

At 18 I was already in Psychology to understand human beings in-depth and since then every year I have taken courses and international certifications to be able to contribute the best possible.

The business environment has always fascinated me and that is why I have contributed the most. And I am very satisfied with the results and intend to continue.

For the future I'm mainly focused on multiplying the work I've developed so far, keeping in mind that it's very personalized work. To respond to this focus I am investing more in training trainers and coaches and also in new technologies. My goal is to help more people shine regardless of their country of birth, the company they work for, and their age.

Text: António Manuel Venda