Brazillionaires: Gustavo & Marina Couto

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Samuel Howe

Welcome everybody to another episode of the Alliance Agent Spotlight here on the Alliance Group podcast. And we have two extremely special guests with us today on the podcast, Gustavo andMarina Couto, leaders at the Brazillionaires group down there in Florida and at five rings financial. Thank you so much for joining us, guys.

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Marina Couto

Oh, my gosh. Is it an honor to behere in Stratton Studios working with you guys.

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Samuel Howe

You like the New digs? Right.

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Gustavo Couto

Great being here with you guys.

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Samuel Howe

Absolutely. You know, it's it'samazing to have you guys here. You guys have been just this unbelievable story within Alliance Group and within five rings. So to be able to sit down with you guys, get to know you a little bit better, let our viewers and our listeners learn a little bit about you. It's going to be fun.

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Samuel Howe

So let's start all the way at thevery beginning, if you guys don't mind. How did you meet? I don't think I've ever asked you guys this.

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Gustavo Couto

We met in college.

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Samuel Howe

In college? Where? Where was this first.

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Marina Couto

Year of college? In Brazil. Uh huh. So in Brazil you tend to like stay with your one group who entered like the the whole class kind of takes the same classes all throughout. So we were in the same class and a few months, I think after classes started, we had an eye on each other first. It was a little bit of teasing of each other and like, like, I don't like you.

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Marina Couto

I don't like you.

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Samuel Howe

Yeah.

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Marina Couto

Exactly. Kind of thing. But then we got together. That was August of 1994.

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Gustavo Couto

Yeah. What can I say? I was always a good salesperson and I had my bald head because it's a tradition in Brazil for men. When you go to college, they shave your head before you start.

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Samuel Howe

Really? It's like the military.

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Marina Couto

Designer.

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Gustavo Couto

Completely shaved head.

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Marina Couto

It was good salesmanship, I'll tell you.

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Gustavo Couto

Yeah, I had to work double time.

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Samuel Howe

Just the guys, like.

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Marina Couto

Barely out of there, you know. So, yeah, good salesmanship there.

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Samuel Howe

Wow.

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Marina Couto

So there was an.

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Samuel Howe

Okay, so then you guys moved.When did you move to the States and to Florida?

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Marina Couto

99.

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Samuel Howe

99. Okay. And what were you doing before? Five rings financial actually. Start with, you know what, before Gustavo sat down and we're going to we're going to cover that story. What were you doing before or five rings financial?

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Marina Couto

Right before I was doing real estate, but not as an agent. I was doing real estate investment. So I was flipping houses, buying them, renovating them and selling for a profit.

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Samuel Howe

Okay.

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Marina Couto

That was interesting.

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Samuel Howe

Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Right. I mean, and I'm sure you actually take skills from that old life and we all bring our previous experiences into what we're doing. Absolutely. You were. I want to say, I don't want to get this wrong, the software. And yes.

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Gustavo Couto

So I was in the technology field but not doing software. I was a technology consultant for a large engineering company in the U.S. So I was always focused and working with technology.

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Samuel Howe

Right. Yeah. So tell me about the lead up to when you met. You know what we're going to talk about meeting Mary Fisher on a plane, talk about the kind of lead up into that your your mindset.Were you happy where you were? Were you looking for more?

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Gustavo Couto

I was content, but not necessarily happy or satisfied. And there was a point in our lives where I had the huge come to, you know, realization that I was working to pay the bills, save some money, but not that's not necessarily on my passion or with purpose. I lost my dad in 2006 and he came to visit from Brazil.

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Gustavo Couto

He arrived in Miami who was feeling a little neck pain. And it turns out it was rain and there isn't anyjust exploded that same night. So he arrived Saturday. I mean, Friday night, by Sunday, he was gone. Oh, my God. And that was a huge shock for me, for us, for all of us. But what hit me hardest was, okay, what have I been doing?

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Gustavo Couto

All these years away from home? I'm here. So what's the point of all this stuff we have? You know, stuff is just stuff, right? What is my purpose in life? And that was 2006. So from 2006,I have that nagging thought in my head that I needed to do something more with my life. So it took about seven, almost eight years to 2013 when I met Mary.

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Gustavo Couto

Right. That's another wholestory, a crazy story that we can share.

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Samuel Howe

Yeah, absolutely. Let's let's go ahead and jump right into that. So you I actually heard this story from Mary Fisher about a month ago. I was up in in Virginia Beach and we were having some drinks at a meeting after the meeting. And I said, listen, I needed to hear the whole story from the horse's mouth.

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Samuel Howe

So now the other horse's mouth, the other side, the other side of the story.

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Gustavo Couto

So as I said, I was looking for a purpose. We moved around. We moved from Florida to Canada, from Canada to California, from California to Brazil and back to California. Since 2006, you know, purpose was not where I was living. I changed jobs a few times. It was not in the job or profession. But I have been praying and I've been asking God to show me what's my purpose in life.

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Gustavo Couto

And that one night before I wasin Omaha, Nebraska, catching a plane to fly back to Fort Lauderdale, and then we had a connection in Atlanta. Think about think about the connections in the world. Right? Right. So I prayed to God and said, you know, give me a vision, give me a dream. And sure enough, that night I had the clear dream that as Iwas walking out of the airplane, you know, when you get out of the airplane and the speakers, the what they call it, the honor system, the peace the system.

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Gustavo Couto

Right. So they were calling hey,we are calling Gustavo Coto out of this plane. We are calling you to teach people about money. And you're going to learn to sell. You're going to learn to jewels, small things. And those things are going to become bigger and bigger and bigger. And that was my dream. So I woke up in the middle of the night and I was creating the habits of, you know, since I was praying so much, I wanted to hear the answer.

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Gustavo Couto

So I was always recording every dream and every thing that came to my mind. So I picked up, picked up my phone, didn't think twice, and they recorded like I would hear.

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Samuel Howe

That first.

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Gustavo Couto

Half as I just had a dream and this is and I describe the whole dream and I turned it off and I went back to bed and because I was waking up early, so I had the first flight called connecting flight and I could not remember the dream at all. Right, you know, just get the mechanics.

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Samuel Howe

And you immediately forget.

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Gustavo Couto

The stuff.

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Samuel Howe

Going on over the day. It gets fuzzy.

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Gustavo Couto

And so I didn't remember the dream. I boarded on a plane in Omaha. I went to Atlanta for the connecting flight, and then Atlanta I was in the middle seat. So I said, you know, God, just give me a better seat. I don't want the middle seat. I'm a son of God. I'm going to get a better seat.

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Gustavo Couto

So I went in there and I started talking to the guy in the counter to find a better seat. Right. And this guy spent the whole boarding process on the computer, me looking at him as being friendly, nice. And he was trying to help and I was being friendly too, and he could not find any other seats. So essentially everybody boarded and the lady that was doing the boarding, she said, okay, if you don't board now, I'm going to have to close the doors.

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Gustavo Couto

Right? So I was literally the last person on the plane. And the crazy thing is, as I was walking in the plane, I saw all these empty seats on the window in my window. And I said, that won't happen. I mean, what the heck? All right.

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Samuel Howe

There are plenty of seats on this.

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Gustavo Couto

I guess I was supposed to get the middle seat. So I got in the middle seat and Mary's on my left and there's another guy on my right. So I'm there. I put my headphones on and I just I sleep on every flight. So I slept pretty much all of the flight except for the last few minutes, just before they were landing, I struck up a conversation with Mary.

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Gustavo Couto

And long story short, what do you do in your family and then work and kind of stuff? And the question I ask her was, so what do you do? And here's what she said. I work in this company and we teach middle America about money. And that's exactly what I had in that dream, right? Wow. But I didn't remember the dream, right?

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Gustavo Couto

I had you.

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Samuel Howe

Didn't even realize how big of a part.

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Gustavo Couto

No clue about it. And I was like something in the back of my head. This is like the Holy Spirit. The angels are like, you want to hear this? All right. Something told me, Hey, you want to know more about that? And that's what I said to her. I said, That's pretty interesting. I want to know more about that.

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Gustavo Couto

And she's like shuffling her bag for her card. She did not have a business card on her, but I had Mary. But I went, but it gets better. So I get my business card and I give it to her and I never got her phone number. So I gave my card to Mary with my number on and she took off.

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Gustavo Couto

We took off and I go home and Itell Mary and I said, I had this amazing dream and I have a feeling it's connected to this lady I met on the plane. But let's let's listen to the dream again. This I had a clear vision for my life. So I got this did the the recorder on my phone.

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Gustavo Couto

And I played the audio and I wasplaying and Marina was listening. I was like, Oh, my God, it has everything todo with that lady. Wow. And I don't have her connections. I have no way toreach out to her. I have nothing. And then I told Maureen, I said, Marina, thisis a connection. This is, to me a clear message.

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Gustavo Couto

It's a it's God's way for us. Iknow if it's from God, she's going to text me and I hit the table like this. As soon as I bang the table, my phone goes, bleep, no way. And it was like away from us. And I told her That's her. And I had 100% true.

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Samuel Howe

6000.

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Gustavo Couto

That doesn't sound crazy. It sounds crazy.

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Marina Couto

Right.

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Samuel Howe

So we have an actual way. Yes,that's amazing.

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Gustavo Couto

And unfortunately, I lost the recording, but I actually transcribed all my notebook. So I have the word forword what I said in that dream. Oh, my gosh. Anyways, I got the phone, it's Mary. And she's like, Oh, this is Mary from the plane. And I said, Hey, I was just talking to you about my wife. And she's like, Well, I know it sounds weird that I'm staying in a hotel.

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Gustavo Couto

Why don't you guys come? I said,Well, of course we'll go see you have a cup of coffee and talk about it. So we met her the next morning was a Friday and we met her on a Saturday. Right.

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Marina Couto

It was a Sunday before that.

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Gustavo Couto

Had that same weekend. Yeah, but the bottom line was is Mary had to do what she had to do. Right. She committed to sending a follow up. Yeah. And she was hesitating. Should they do it? Should they not? And she said, Well, I'm going to do it. And if it wasn't for her sending that message, I would never be connected to five rings.

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Gustavo Couto

But that's the true story. So when I met her at the hotel and we we went down to the beach and she was drawing diagrams and explaining five rings on the sand in the Fort Lauderdale beach. And I was listening to her and I'm already in and she doesn't know that. Right? So she's selling the thing.

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Marina Couto

And that was a dream at that point.

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Gustavo Couto

So at the end of the story, Isaid, Mary, I don't know, what do you believe in or not? But here's what it is.I believe in God and I believe this is supposed to happen. I mean, and then I told her the whole dream story and just all being crying.

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Samuel Howe

Oh, I can only imagine, Mary. It must have been just pouring. Yeah, but.

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Gustavo Couto

Then the other side of it is she was also praying for that trip to be a good trip for her in her business and feeling guilty about coming to Florida in the beginning of her career. Yeah, and sure enough, that's the connection, you know, that's unbelievable. And that's how it happened.

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Samuel Howe

You know, and that's how this whole thing started. And what for those of you who don't know this whole thing, what it is, is that you guys have developed an enormous group underneath you full of of exciting young blood in this industry that are just bringing more people in. And it's just the the Brazilian our group is such an amazing, energetic, different group, a breed of a life insurance agency that, you know, being in my position, that Alliance group, I'm able to see lots of different agencies.

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Samuel Howe

There's nothing quite like you guys. What is it about your group that is so different than other other groups?

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Marina Couto

Marina I think first of all, weare driven by mission and we develop this mission soon in our career, even before we thought that we were going to be bringing this career to other people, but we wanted to make a difference in people's lives. We chose to help our community first, which is Brazilians. We immigrated to the United States.

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Marina Couto

So our mission was we developed this mission and we want to make the Brazilian community, the Brazilian immigrant community, the richest immigrant community in the United States. Every client that we help, every family that we help, this is that's our goal. And it's it's going to take a long time, but we're going to do it one client at a time.

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Marina Couto

And I think it was actually really believing in the mission that made us make the switch like it. And I'll be just the two of us. It's a big community, is a lot of people. So we need.

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Samuel Howe

To share the wealth.

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Marina Couto

To share. We need to help more people. So that mission like from the beginning, that's all we sold like really to all the people, I think we didn't even have so much the idea of the value of the career and how we were going to change people's lives through the career at that point. But we sold the mission and people, all the Brazilians wanted to be part of that mission.

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Samuel Howe

The mission being, you know, you have people from Brazil who come to the United States, they need help.

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Marina Couto

They need help with understanding the financial market here and planning for their future, depending only on themselves, like really taking power over their finances and their money. So people bought into that. And I think to this day, of course, people see all the Brazilians see all the advantages of this career. I mean, in my opinion, the best career in the world, you know, in every aspect.

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Marina Couto

And people see that. But the added of like that significance, people really are like for that to make a difference in making making a difference with your community, with people that, you know, went through the same things that you did, had the same kind of dreams that you did. I think that's what unifies us. And I don't know, that's kind of like the secret sauce, I think.

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Samuel Howe

Yeah, it's amazing. Well, what would you say, Gustavo? That kind of makes it just so different? I mean, to be honest, you know, I. I go around and I meet with a lot of agencies. I love all of our agencies, Alliance Group, they're wonderful. But generally speaking, if you were to ask somebody, hey, if you walked into a life insurance conference, what would it look like?

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Samuel Howe

And they would say it looks gray, white and old. Right. And, you know, I mean, that's that's kind of what it looks like. And it's it's boring and it's suits and ties. And, you know, that sort of thing. Your guys's meetings look nothing like that, the polar opposite of that. So that's just more of a comment, I guess.

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Samuel Howe

But what was what would you say that sets you guys so apart from the average, you know, agency?

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Gustavo Couto

I think in addition to what Marina is saying about the mission, which is a big deal to me, we are very purpose driven as a group. Everybody has a purpose of, you know, doing good for their lives, increasing their families finances, improving their finances, and at the same time helping other people. So when you add those two things, because it's part of our what our profession really is, which is you cannot succeed or make money unless you help more people.

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Gustavo Couto

So it's it's just like a perfect combination of purpose and ambition to grow and look to increase our, I guess,our well being overall. So that's one main factor. And the other key factor is we don't concentrate on like superstars on the one star. I mean, the Brazilian, theirs is not Marina and Gustavo. It's all of us. Right. And we are very focused on keeping a group as a united front, not individual groups within the group.

00:15:16:06 - 00:15:35:23

Gustavo Couto

Not different teams, not different agencies. We're all working as one because we all agree when we whenwe are almost like we feel very solid that we are in the same boat. Right. Everybody, pretty much almost all of us is started in the career not knowing anything about the industry. Somebody invited us to a workshop and here we are right?

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Gustavo Couto

And so we all have to grow through the profession. We have to grow in the career. So it's almost like, hey, I found a way. I'm going to help you find the way and you're all going through it. I'm going to say, Hey, I've been there before. Here's what I did. And and now that I helped you, you're going to help somebody else.

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Gustavo Couto

And we don't see the lines between the organizations, the hierarchies. It's it's just a big group. It'sall independent consultants, independent teams, independent agencies. But we work together a lot and.

00:16:02:20 - 00:16:03:17

Samuel Howe

Cheering for each other.

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Gustavo Couto

And cheering for each other's, supporting each other. So that comes across. I mean, if you go to the dance convention, you'll see, yeah, one guy goes in there, everybody's yelling and screaming and we don't care what group he's part of. Yeah, he or she's our, ourpart of. So that's a big thing. And also in our culture, I mean, being Brazilian, being Latin brings a different flavor, I guess, to it as well.

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Gustavo Couto

We are loud, we talk a lot and we talk loudly.

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Samuel Howe

We love it when we talk. We bring energy wherever you go. Yeah.

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Gustavo Couto

So it fits right in with the culture that Mike and Monica created for Five Rings Financial, which is a very loving. Yeah, hugging and kissing. It's common for five rings financial and it's very common for the Brazilian. So we just kind of hand-in-glove.

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Samuel Howe

Yeah.

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Marina Couto

Developing real relationships that came from five rings, but it fits so well with the Brazilian culture. Like we we meet another Brazilian and we are best friends in like 3 hours.

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Samuel Howe

Yeah, yeah.

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Gustavo Couto

It doesn't take that long.

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Samuel Howe

And.

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Marina Couto

Only takes one barbecue.

00:17:01:12 - 00:17:25:15

Samuel Howe

That's right. So this is something that, that, that I've been thinking about a lot spending the last few days with you guys, as well as the idea of leadership and about the importance of choosing the right leaders, right. You know, I was I was speaking earlier with with well, actually, even before that, Beatrice and Philippe. And, you know, they have the leaders and Rickson and Bianca and they have the leaders.

00:17:25:15 - 00:17:55:22

Samuel Howe

And you guys and you guys have Mike Wilk. It's something that I think five rings is very rich with you guys. Areyou guys are rich in in leadership. And and you do a great job of passing the tradition of leadership and the responsibility. Now you have to help other people up. And so you're building these layers of of leadership talk about how important it is to to choose the right mentor in this industry and how important it is to have a mentor, somebody you can look up to.

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Marina Couto

I think having a mentor is important in in every business, but especially when you're training people with zero experience in a career, I think the first obstacle they have is confidence. It's confidence in themselves. They don't know anything about this. It's it's intimidating because it's money. It's dealing with people's money. So it's very intimidating. And people they come especially, I think in our community, people sometimes have their confidence broken down even more because they used to have a career or a business or a profession in Brazil when they came here.

00:18:36:10 - 00:18:56:03

Marina Couto

And for whatever reason, they couldn't do that. So they they had to do whatever they needed to do to make money. And that breaks down their confidence a little bit as a profession, I'm sure. And having someone that believes in them before they can believe in themselves is the most important thing. Most more important, then let me speak to the product.

00:18:56:20 - 00:19:12:22

Marina Couto

It's just like I, I was just we were, you know, I just also went through this. And because of this system and this step by step, I'm only here because I follow the steps. Let me show youthe steps and do it with me. I'll be right next to you. Yeah. And that is essential.

00:19:12:22 - 00:19:32:08

Gustavo Couto

Yeah. And if I can add, I thinkit is a lead by example. I mean you don't lead by telling people what you do,you lead by doing it and let them observe it. I as you were talking about the leadership that we had, it doesn't stop with Mike. I mean, Mike has the Alliance group has leadership and national life with me, Ron and others.

00:19:32:08 - 00:19:55:18

Gustavo Couto

I mean, all of those people areworking to set the example. So I'll give you one example. In the beginning when I was starting, I didn't know anything about the Alliance group. I didn't know anything about the other images that we have. It's a great organization, right? All I knew was firing Financial Mike Wilk and the very first workshop that we did, Money 101, Mike Wilk came to Florida and he invited us.

00:19:55:22 - 00:19:56:06

Samuel Howe

Into.

00:19:56:07 - 00:20:14:14

Gustavo Couto

Your life. My ideas. And Mario comes in and Mike introduces me to him and and I'm thinking, what the heck? It's a competitor. Right? Right. And he's like, no, he's a friend of ours. Weare partners, we work together. The worry is going to be of support. And Mario is first time I've met him. He has all these experience, great guy.

00:20:14:14 - 00:20:31:06

Gustavo Couto

And he shook my hands. And everytime you need here's my number. I picked him up on that because I was trying to learn. He said, come to lunch. So I had lunch with him. And not once the conversation came up about, Hey, should, you should work for me because I'm here, never it was always Mike is the greatest.

00:20:31:14 - 00:20:43:11

Gustavo Couto

You're in a great organization, the Alliance Group. It's amazing. If you need anything, I'm here, but you have all the support you need and it's good to know you and that kind of behavior just sets the tone for everything. Right?

00:20:43:12 - 00:20:44:07

Samuel Howe

It's amazing, isn't it?

00:20:44:07 - 00:21:04:23

Gustavo Couto

Didn't have to do that goes down.Mike didn't have to do that. But it just happened because they because of what you guys facilitate with the conventions, with the meetings and the images coming together, it's a fellowship. I mean, of course, we work different markets. One could think we are all competitors, but we're not. I mean, we we don't have to I don't have to take your clients to be successful.

00:21:04:23 - 00:21:21:18

Gustavo Couto

Exactly. I'm going to be getting my clients. You're going to get your clients. If we cross lap, we can talk and figure it out. Right. So that was the tone in the beginning. And I think that speaks volumes to what the Alliance group does together. We're better is not just a phrase. I'm here as a true testament to that.

00:21:21:18 - 00:21:43:01

Gustavo Couto

That story was my very first example of that, and it happens a lot with Mike. Mike and Monica are great andall of the other leaders at five rings. I mean, we're only here because of Lyall and Tina, Andre, Mara, Mary. They were all helping us in the knees. And Chris and all of those people that were there before.

00:21:43:02 - 00:22:00:07

Gustavo Couto

Yeah, they embraced us in andthey helped us. So now we can help them kind of a paying forward of paying back kind of deal, you know. Yeah. And that's the culture of the leadership that you were talking about that makes a huge difference. At the end of the day, it'snot about the extra 5%, 10% from other organizations.

00:22:00:07 - 00:22:15:21

Gustavo Couto

It's about who are you following, where are you connecting your career for the rest of your life? Where are you plugging in? Yeah, I feel like. Are you hooking your way to who you're connecting to? It's not just about the money. It's about the whole purpose in life, right? It's to have a good life and help others.

00:22:15:21 - 00:22:35:13

Samuel Howe

Yeah, that's amazing. You know, I mean, you hear a lot about other organizations. You know, I'm in different groups, you know, where, you know, people talk about other groups in the industry. I do believe that we have something truly, truly special here where people like Mario, he had no no benefit of that.

00:22:35:13 - 00:22:38:23

Gustavo Couto

That lunch could be seen. And there's a waste of his time, right? He's a busy guy.

00:22:39:00 - 00:22:56:00

Samuel Howe

Yeah, his time is worth a lot. But when you like you were saying when you come to our conferences, you see these competitors, you know, hugging each other and chat and catching up and asking about each other's kids. And it it is a it is a special a special atmosphere. And you guys are continuing that tradition. Yeah. At the Brazilian.

00:22:56:03 - 00:23:16:11

Samuel Howe

I think that's I think it's fantastic and I'm, I'm so happy for everyone that's coming up in that organization that they get to be a part of this with us. Right. Right. So you guys, every team, you guys are very much a team. You guys are a superstar team. Everygood team kind of plays off each other's strengths and has roles to play.

00:23:16:11 - 00:23:29:00

Samuel Howe

You guys complement each other really, really well. So what are your roles in this team of two and what you guys have been able to build? Tell us kind of about the roles that you play within this team.

00:23:30:00 - 00:23:30:18

Gustavo Couto

I work for her.

00:23:32:05 - 00:23:33:00

Marina Couto

As summed it up.

00:23:34:11 - 00:23:37:15

Samuel Howe

The CEO and the grunt. That's the muscle.

00:23:39:11 - 00:24:05:03

Marina Couto

I think as team we started, obviously just the two of us trying to be build a business that could replace his income and my income so that we are our source. And in the beginning we tried to both do everything thinking that that's how we would leverage more our time. And we were quick to realize that that was not the way to go.

00:24:05:09 - 00:24:32:03

Marina Couto

The way to go was you really have to divide and conquer and have each one working. Their genius is what I call it, you know, really do what you're really good at. So I was mostly like in the beginning, inviting to events, promoting events, creating events, doing relationships with, you know, influential people in the community, inviting them to the event so that we could get the right coverage, the right word out about what we were doing.

00:24:32:03 - 00:24:46:03

Marina Couto

And we started to get press coverage because of that. And we started to get partners and and just good workout there in the community about what we were doing. Obviously from that also came clients and came our first few recruits, and we didn't even know what we were doing about that.

00:24:46:10 - 00:24:46:15

Samuel Howe

Right.

00:24:47:07 - 00:24:59:13

Marina Couto

And he was actually dealing witha client in person. Yeah, I probably sat in front of maybe four clients who actually sell a policy. So he was he became.

00:24:59:18 - 00:25:01:02

Samuel Howe

You set them up, he knocks them down.

00:25:01:03 - 00:25:31:04

Marina Couto

Is that they'll that that was how we did it. And then afterwards, as we started training people and building a team and building the agency and I became more with the recruits, like recruiting the new people, like explaining what his career was all about, giving them the first steps starting to develop our training program like now we have like an app, you know, we have a Brazilian, an app with all our training and it's a lot of what needs to go in there.

00:25:31:04 - 00:25:44:18

Marina Couto

We start building it. So like more things related to recruiting and training than you agents, especially in the first few steps like before they get their license so soon after our invite for the events because I wouldn't do like full training and the technical stuff of.

00:25:45:00 - 00:25:46:12

Samuel Howe

Kind of roadmap to follow. Yeah.

00:25:46:15 - 00:25:47:01

Marina Couto

Yeah.

00:25:47:10 - 00:26:11:02

Gustavo Couto

So and then I kind of pick it up from there, you know, if, if, when, when people are up and running, I will do the training and the mentorship and helping them develop their career. So we do a lot of trainings on mindset development. We have a program called the $20,000 Club, which is a mindset training that I do for about eight weeks with our team, and that creates a lot of momentum.

00:26:11:02 - 00:26:27:02

Gustavo Couto

And it's amazing because you put that number in there, people will start producing 20,000 either a week or month, four in three months, right? So we kind of create those different roles and that evolved on, okay, what is that I like doing and what is that she likes to do? We don't actually.

00:26:27:02 - 00:26:28:10

Samuel Howe

What you're good at writing. Ilike doing.

00:26:28:15 - 00:26:47:06

Gustavo Couto

That. So and that's why we have been doing this is kind of divide and conquer the process and it evolves. You know, as as we grow, as the organization grows, these roles are going to shift a little bit. Right before it was all about she's going to find the client and I'm going to finish the the financial planning and create the plans.

00:26:47:08 - 00:27:11:17

Gustavo Couto

Right now it's like, okay, we are building a team. So she's helping find people who want to be in the career and I'm helping mentor and how do you do your planning for your clients? That kind of process. Yeah, so it evolves, but it's the key thing is that we don't overstep our boundaries and even coming here we were discussing, okay, here's what we need to do next year, here's how let's think about how we're going todivide that process and what how we move forward.

00:27:11:20 - 00:27:32:00

Samuel Howe

That's amazing. So but you guys, it must be a trip for you to look around at one of these events. I was in Palm Beach recently. Yeah. You guys had 600 people  that came from indirectly or directly second, third and fourth degree, whatever. It came from you two, right? Right. This is your work.

00:27:32:00 - 00:27:32:18

Gustavo Couto

That's crazy.

00:27:33:01 - 00:27:40:03

Samuel Howe

That's what is that like? What is that like to look around? I mean, how long did it take you guys to build this? You've been doing this. How long?

00:27:40:04 - 00:27:41:02

Gustavo Couto

It's our ninth year

00:27:41:02 - 00:27:46:07

Marina Couto

Year is like it's eight years. So the first event was in beginning of 2014.

00:27:46:23 - 00:27:56:21

Samuel Howe

Is there is there a sense of I mean, you look around, is it almost scary to see that many people like theseare these people are our responsibility. I mean, we have created this look whatwe've done, right?

00:27:57:04 - 00:28:29:11

Marina Couto

I'll tell you that for most ofthat big event, you know, the the training camp that we just had, I was maybebecause a plant, I was really involved with the planning of the whole thing.And I had a surreal kind of feeling throughout most of it. But this week duringthe the party that that we had I was it's funny like the most unlikely moment Iwas watching people dance in the dance floor and I had such a moment, I gotemotional.

00:28:29:11 - 00:28:30:19

Marina Couto

I was like, Oh my God.

00:28:31:04 - 00:28:32:11

Samuel Howe

These people.

00:28:32:23 - 00:28:38:13

Marina Couto

Are choosing a business for the rest of their lives because of.

00:28:38:23 - 00:28:41:04

Samuel Howe

Started because of that. Yeah.

00:28:41:22 - 00:28:45:16

Marina Couto

It was. It's scary and exhilarating all the same time.

00:28:45:18 - 00:28:51:11

Samuel Howe

Yeah. I mean, it's a lot, it's alot less scary when they're there because they're celebrating because they're having so much success. That's right.

00:28:52:17 - 00:29:12:06

Marina Couto

Danielle Yeah, but it was like all these people and I know all of them, some more than others, but I, I really know all of them. And I think that this week I think I had the I, I held on tothis, that feeling the longest ever of like really feeling it and really like I'm having a moment here.

00:29:12:09 - 00:29:12:13

Samuel Howe

Yeah.

00:29:13:10 - 00:29:18:01

Marina Couto

I'll see what, what we are building, not what we build because we're definitely not done.

00:29:18:03 - 00:29:19:17

Samuel Howe

Not done. It's just not done.

00:29:19:23 - 00:29:40:06

Gustavo Couto

Yeah. I think for me is these every moment that we hear somebody saying what their life was before the career in the profession and what it is now, it's another you know, it's not a drop that keeps you going for another year or two. I don't know. It just recharges. It'salmost like you're addicted to that feeling of, my God, one more person, you know?

00:29:40:07 - 00:30:01:22

Gustavo Couto

Yeah. Because I was in that position where, you know, I didn't have a bad job or a hard job by any means, but I didn't have job satisfaction in purpose in life. And I think if you work for too long in a place where you're not fulfilling your purpose, sooner or later that beer will come. You know, it's a midlife crisis or depression and whatever it is, it's a it's a big bill to pay for it.

00:30:01:22 - 00:30:19:00

Gustavo Couto

You don't want to pay for it.Right. Better to change it now. So what I see more and more with these, youknow, 600 people in there are all all all of them are looking for more in theirlives, right? Yeah. Some will get it right away. Some will find that in findinganother career. It doesn't matter what it is.

00:30:19:00 - 00:30:25:06

Gustavo Couto

I think Mike says it the best. Weare a personal development company that sells life insurance to pay the bills.

00:30:25:07 - 00:30:25:17

Samuel Howe

Yeah.

00:30:26:03 - 00:30:45:09

Gustavo Couto

And I will say this sometimes it's not even people who find their career passion with five rings. I mean, I, I was out tell you the story. I, we, we had this lady that we brought in to our national training camp for failing financial, so we worked really hard to bringher in. She was all excited, it was very motivated and she then disappeared.

00:30:46:08 - 00:31:04:19

Gustavo Couto

Last year I went to visit one ofmy clients in his business and there she is sitting in that in that business place and she's like, See? Her face lit up. Oh, you're here. Oh, my God, that's so great. I never had a chance to thank you. After that convention, my mind was completely changed and I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

00:31:04:19 - 00:31:23:10

Gustavo Couto

And I found this job that tracks back to my career in architecture. And I'm so grateful because I was not in ain a good moment when I met you guys, I was in a very bad moment in my life,and my life was falling apart and you guys helped me rebuild it. And I got so excited in the national training camp that I attracted this job and here I am.

00:31:23:10 - 00:31:23:23

Samuel Howe

Wow.

00:31:24:05 - 00:31:51:15

Gustavo Couto

So sometimes it's not about all in the career. It sometimes is about just giving people hope. Yeah. And they will get that hope and they will find their path somewhere out, you know, somewhere else or with us. It's all with us. Right. But I think it's the key inin what we do and not just us. I mean, what you guys do when you come here every day and you do these videos and this podcast and you tell a story, maybe there's another agent somewhere out there that's just about to give up.

00:31:51:15 - 00:32:12:07

Gustavo Couto

Right. And he sees one more video, one more, take five, one more testimonial. And he's like, I'm going to stick it up in. And then later his life or her life changed completely because of that one decision that they made of not giving up. So that's what it is. Imean, the 600 people in there, it's surreal to see so many people, but at the same time, it's my it's so exciting.

00:32:12:07 - 00:32:22:07

Gustavo Couto

And yeah, I just I just want tokeep on doing and repeating the process because every single person that changes, it's there. There's no price to it, I guess. You know, it's very cool.

00:32:22:10 - 00:32:40:19

Samuel Howe

Yeah. You guys are you guys are absolutely changing lives and it's been it's been amazing to see. It's been amazing to witness. I cannot wait to see what you guys do in the next couple of years. You guys have some some really big goals as well. Make it official. Let's let's hear the goals. You guys just just minted a new set of them.

00:32:41:00 - 00:33:03:07

Marina Couto

Yes. So the theme of this academy that we had with five rings, you know, the theme that Mike brought was creating the impossible and a goal to for five needs to reach 75 million in production in 1254 days as of a couple of days ago. So 250 do I know.

00:33:03:12 - 00:33:03:22

Samuel Howe

Second.

00:33:04:07 - 00:33:08:16

Marina Couto

Sticking. And we as the Brazilians claimed 50 million of that.

00:33:08:16 - 00:33:10:00

Samuel Howe

Oh, my goodness.

00:33:10:08 - 00:33:11:08

Marina Couto

So it's open.

00:33:11:19 - 00:33:12:01

Samuel Howe

So we're.

00:33:12:03 - 00:33:12:15

Marina Couto

Going to.

00:33:12:22 - 00:33:13:21

Samuel Howe

Go in and out.

00:33:14:05 - 00:33:15:14

Marina Couto

Yeah, let's make it.

00:33:15:19 - 00:33:31:22

Samuel Howe

That's what we would call a big, big, hairy, audacious goal. Absolutely. We I the thing is, is I know you guys are going to do it. I know you're going to do it. I have learned to never doubt the Brazilians, because if you do, they will take great pleasure in proving you wrong.

00:33:32:00 - 00:33:32:21

Gustavo Couto

Yeah, that's the way.

00:33:33:06 - 00:33:51:01

Samuel Howe

We absolutely love that about you guys. So we have a little segment that we do called Rapid Fire Questions. Andthe idea of this is, you know, don't think too hard, just spit out the first thing that comes to your mind. We try to have fun with this. We're going to let ladies go first with Marina and ask a series of questions, starting with.

00:33:51:12 - 00:33:51:23

Marina Couto

Me and that.

00:33:52:07 - 00:33:55:17

Samuel Howe

Now we're going to you answer and then he answers. Then I'll go to the next one. Yes.

00:33:56:01 - 00:33:57:02

Gustavo Couto

So gives me extra time.

00:33:57:02 - 00:34:02:07

Samuel Howe

Exactly. Yeah, a little advantage there. Yes. What's your favorite drink, Marina?

00:34:02:18 - 00:34:02:22

Marina Couto

I.

00:34:03:01 - 00:34:04:19

Gustavo Couto

Bettina Rum and Coke.

00:34:05:15 - 00:34:06:18

Samuel Howe

Very nice. What is party?

00:34:06:18 - 00:34:32:13

Marina Couto

New Caipirinha is a very Brazilian drink. It's. It can be made with vodka. Then we call the Caipirinha Oscar. But it's a special special liqueur that came from the sugarcane, comes from the sugarcane school casa. And the traditional version is with lots of lime and lime, not lemon. Very. Why your lime and sugar and ice? And that place is very citrusy, the original.

00:34:32:13 - 00:34:35:08

Marina Couto

But nowadays you can make it very different flavors.

00:34:36:10 - 00:34:37:08

Gustavo Couto

You know are you.

00:34:37:08 - 00:34:38:15

Samuel Howe

Got to be I was saying.

00:34:38:15 - 00:34:40:12

Marina Couto

I'm sure you were going to say meto.

00:34:40:19 - 00:34:41:16

Gustavo Couto

Everybody that.

00:34:41:17 - 00:34:42:05

Samuel Howe

The stick of.

00:34:42:06 - 00:34:44:06

Gustavo Couto

Brazilian. Oh I got it right.

00:34:44:06 - 00:34:51:18

Samuel Howe

I had that. I'm sorry. I actually ate so much that night that I blacked out. I think it was the eating that black me up. Yeah, for sure that be.

00:34:51:19 - 00:34:52:05

Gustavo Couto

True, man.

00:34:52:05 - 00:34:56:03

Marina Couto

You might see that my personal favorite is actually the passionfruit caipirinha.

00:34:56:10 - 00:35:03:18

Samuel Howe

Oh, yeah. Okay. All right.Passionfruit caipirinha. And that's a very specific answer to favorite drink. Morning person or night owl?

00:35:03:22 - 00:35:04:15

Marina Couto

Morning person.

00:35:04:15 - 00:35:05:00

Gustavo Couto

Morning.

00:35:05:00 - 00:35:13:05

Samuel Howe

True. I had a feeling you guys would both say that. I also knew the answer when Rickson was answering that question. What's your favorite subject in school?

00:35:13:18 - 00:35:14:02

Marina Couto

Math.

00:35:14:13 - 00:35:15:01

Gustavo Couto

Math?

00:35:15:01 - 00:35:26:22

Samuel Howe

You guys are also the first people to say that everyone else has said, which is very worrying in the life insurance industry. They've all said it was their worst subject. I was like, Oh, wow, right. Math, that's good. And what was your worst subject?

00:35:27:02 - 00:35:27:15

Marina Couto

History.

00:35:28:04 - 00:35:30:20

Gustavo Couto

Religion.

00:35:30:20 - 00:35:31:08

Samuel Howe

I just.

00:35:31:09 - 00:35:32:05

Gustavo Couto

Like, memorize this.

00:35:32:05 - 00:35:33:09

Samuel Howe

Stuff. Well, same.

00:35:33:15 - 00:35:35:18

Marina Couto

Same reason why I didn't likehistory.

00:35:36:00 - 00:35:41:06

Samuel Howe

Right? Exactly. What advice would you give your youngest self?

00:35:42:16 - 00:35:53:06

Marina Couto

Oh. Just. Just believe in yourself. In everything. Everything passes. Nothing. No hardship, no challenge or obstacle is forever. Everything can be overcome.

00:35:54:02 - 00:35:55:20

Samuel Howe

That's wonderful. Wonderful advice.

00:35:55:20 - 00:35:57:03

Gustavo Couto

Oh, my God. Never give up.

00:35:57:16 - 00:35:58:00

Samuel Howe

Yeah.

00:35:58:11 - 00:36:00:08

Gustavo Couto

That's good enough.

00:36:00:08 - 00:36:08:17

Samuel Howe

Maybe. Don't be scared of the middle seat. There you go. Right. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

00:36:09:14 - 00:36:17:11

Marina Couto

Right where we are. I love Florida. I don't have any complaints. We've we moved around enough in our lives. I think I got that out of my system.

00:36:17:23 - 00:36:19:00

Samuel Howe

Well, you live in a beautiful part.

00:36:19:07 - 00:36:24:20

Marina Couto

Yeah, I do want to do want to live oceanfront at one point, but like stay in Florida probably.

00:36:24:23 - 00:36:25:12

Samuel Howe

Gotcha.

00:36:25:12 - 00:36:30:09

Gustavo Couto

Yeah, same thing. We traveled alot and I love being in the United States. I love being Florida.

00:36:30:09 - 00:36:36:11

Samuel Howe

So Boca. Boca is beautiful. Absolutely. Any phobias?

00:36:37:08 - 00:36:38:22

Gustavo Couto

I have enough money in the bankaccount.

00:36:40:13 - 00:36:50:17

Samuel Howe

That's probably mine, too. That's mine, too. All right. What do you believe is your best non-physical feature?

00:36:50:17 - 00:36:54:06

Marina Couto

I think communication. Good communicator. Yeah.

00:36:54:06 - 00:36:59:08

Gustavo Couto

Yeah, I think to me is my ability to teach so and inspire.

00:36:59:08 - 00:37:18:01

Samuel Howe

I love that. The ability to teach someone that you and I were talking the other day about, the best way to learn is actually to teach it. Yeah. You go it it is so true whenever I do a training like I've actually set a goal for myself. Like if there's something that I'mnot sure about that I just, I if you learn enough to teach it to other people, first of all, I can learn lot there.

00:37:18:01 - 00:37:21:18

Samuel Howe

But then when you actually do the teaching and you answer the questions people ask, that's how.

00:37:21:18 - 00:37:35:12

Marina Couto

You so many people are afraid ofthat. They think they can only teach if they are the expert. I have no doubt about subject at all. I've been doing it for a million and a half years and it's not like that. You only need to know a little bit more than the people you're teaching.

00:37:35:13 - 00:37:45:21

Samuel Howe

That's very true. That's verytrue. Okay, last one. This is a deep one. Well, what would you change about yourself?

00:37:45:21 - 00:37:48:12

Marina Couto

When I change my mind about myself.

00:37:49:23 - 00:37:56:08

Samuel Howe

I think laid out on my couch. Oh, me, put your feet up. The psychiatrist is in the office.

00:37:57:15 - 00:38:04:22

Marina Couto

I'd be a little bit more, I think, organized with my time like I can. I'm very right brain.

00:38:04:22 - 00:38:08:01

Samuel Howe

I imagine a lot of things going on at all times.

00:38:08:04 - 00:38:13:06

Marina Couto

Yeah. So, yeah, I could do sometimes a little bit of time management.

00:38:13:06 - 00:38:25:15

Gustavo Couto

Yeah, I think I would relax alittle bit more. Sometimes I don't take time, no rest doing things, but yeah, Ican. More of a five minute break on the beach. Yeah, sometimes I stay 5 minutes quietly and then I'm.

00:38:26:03 - 00:38:29:08

Samuel Howe

Like, Oh, I should make an Instagram, get a social media video. Yeah, let me.

00:38:29:08 - 00:38:30:23

Gustavo Couto

Get a break. Let me find another strategy.

00:38:31:00 - 00:38:42:06

Samuel Howe

Yeah, yeah. Well, you guys, Gustavo Marino, you guys are just unbelievable. And thank you so much for being here with us and for sharing with us. And we hope to see you guys again really, really soon.

00:38:42:09 - 00:38:43:06

Marina Couto

This was a lot of fun.

00:38:43:06 - 00:38:45:22

Gustavo Couto

It was a pleasure. Thank you very much. And thank you, guys.