Meet Cristiane Barreto

We were lucky to catch up with Cristiane Barreto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristiane, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I discovered my purpose,consciously, at the age of 26, when I began to realize the deep personal fulfillment I felt from seeing how my career and business consulting services truly helped people — not only in their professional paths, but also in their personal growth.
Until then, my professional experience had been in the retail and commerce sector, which gradually stopped making sense to me. I started to notice that I had both talent and a true calling for the field of people development. As a result, I understood that by helping individuals grow, they would become more capable of improving their careers and businesses.
I believe this sense of purpose was born from the genuine happiness I experienced every time I could be useful — sharing my knowledge, self-awareness, and experience to make a real difference in someone’s life.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a Brazilian professional with a degree in Business Administration and a lifelong passion for learning. Over the years, I have pursued numerous specializations in business planning, organizational culture, leadership development, and strategic management, which have allowed me to serve companies and professionals with an integrated and human-centered approach.
My career began in the retail and commerce sector, where I gained valuable experience in operations, management, and customer relations. However, at a certain point, I realized that this path no longer aligned with my true purpose. I felt a strong inner calling to work with people — to help them unlock their potential, strengthen their leadership, and create more conscious and sustainable organizations. That realization marked a turning point in my life.
At twenty-six, I made the courageous decision to close my stores and start a new chapter as a business and career consultant. I discovered a deep sense of fulfillment in helping others build clarity, strategy, and direction for their professional and entrepreneurial journeys. From that moment on, I knew that my mission was to combine knowledge, experience, and self-awareness to empower individuals and organizations to evolve.
Throughout my professional journey, I have worked with executives, entrepreneurs, and teams across different sectors, supporting them in areas such as strategic planning, team formation, leadership training, and organizational culture transformation. My consulting work integrates analytical thinking with emotional intelligence — balancing structure and creativity, logic and intuition.
I believe that genuine and lasting success is built on authenticity and purpose. No marketing strategy or external image can sustain what lacks inner consistency. For that reason, my work focuses not only on measurable results but also on the human values that sustain them: integrity, responsibility, and continuous learning.
In 2022, after more than two decades of professional experience in Brazil, I moved to Florida to begin a new phase in my life and career. It was a conscious decision — an act of self-leadership and faith — to align my personal happiness with my professional mission. Today, I continue to serve as a bridge between Latin American and U.S. professionals and companies, offering consulting services that unite business strategy with personal growth.
For me, leadership begins within. True success is not about having all the answers, but about maintaining constancy, coherence, and courage to evolve — in business, in relationships, and in life.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I would say the three most impactful elements in my journey have been faith, continuous self-development, and lifelong learning.
Faith has always grounded me — it gave me strength during transitions, clarity in uncertainty, and the courage to make difficult decisions guided by purpose rather than fear.
The second key element is the work of self-awareness. Understanding who I am, my values, and my emotional patterns has been essential for leading others with authenticity. Personal growth is not a destination; it’s a daily discipline of reflection, emotional balance, and self-responsibility.
And finally, continuous learning — studying, researching, and staying intellectually curious — has allowed me to remain relevant and adaptable in a constantly changing world. I truly believe that our professional evolution depends on how willing we are to keep learning and unlearning.
To those who are just beginning their journey, my advice is this: nurture your faith, invest deeply in your personal and emotional growth, keep your mind open to learning, and surround yourself with people who inspire you. Success is never built alone — it’s the result of a well-nourished mind, heart, and community.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

Without a doubt, the person who has been most instrumental in helping me overcome challenges and develop the essential qualities I needed to succeed has been my spiritual mentor, Benjamin Teixeira de Aguiar.
He is the founder and president of Sociedade Filantrópica Maria de Nazaré (also known as Maria Christ Society), a spiritual-Christian school of thought with a universalist perspective. The organization promotes the principle of “spirituality with or without religion,” offering a rational, pragmatic, and inclusive approach to faith that integrates timeless wisdom with new spiritual insights. Its mission is to inspire a spirituality that harmonizes intellect and heart, fostering peace, happiness, and universal fraternity.
Since 2018, the institution has held special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), actively participating in international forums and humanitarian causes — particularly those related to gender equality and sustainable development.
Through his profound connection with the spirit Eugênia-Aspásia, Benjamin has guided countless people — myself included — to live with greater awareness, integrity, and purpose. His mentorship has been one of the greatest blessings of my life, helping me cultivate balance between intellect and faith, discipline and compassion, and to align my personal and professional mission with a higher purpose.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @cristianebarreto_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristianebarreto
• Other: [email protected]
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