What the Corporate World taught me to build a stronger Entrepreneurial Journey
Before starting my path in the world of entrepreneurship, I worked for 7 years in the corporate environment. I began at an advertising agency, McCann, in Caracas, and after a year I moved to FCB, Foote, Cone & Belding. Both were multinational companies, headquartered in the U.S. and with offices on every continent.
My career in that corporate world started at the very bottom, as an Assistant in the Market Research Department, but after 7 years I was Director of Consumer Insights, leading my own department.
Over time, I made the decision to emigrate and leave that corporate environment to join my husband’s entrepreneurial venture, also in the field of Market Research. And although that leap felt like stepping into a completely different world, the truth is that many of the tools that have supported me in my entrepreneurial journey were acquired during those early corporate years.
Today I want to share with you some of the most valuable lessons I took from that stage. If you're thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, or if you already are but come from a traditional work background, you may find yourself reflected in some of these.
“Company culture is the backbone of any successful organization.”
1. The Value of Structure
The corporate environment is often criticized for being rigid: defined procedures, hierarchies, predetermined formats, processes that seem never-ending. But the truth is that structure serves a purpose. And when you become an entrepreneur, you may find yourself grateful for having learned it.
Working with formats and processes forces you to organize information, think logically, and anticipate needs. You learn to plan with deadlines, deliver reports, and systematize tasks. All of that is extremely useful when you’re running your own business—because chaos is a constant risk.
In my case, having worked with structured formats allowed me to create new templates for my own business processes as an entrepreneur: from Excel spreadsheets for budgets to templates for preparing service proposals. I didn’t have to start from scratch, because I already knew many tools.
What did I learn about structure? Structure doesn’t limit creativity—it channels it. A good format can help you save time, make better decisions, and bring professionalism to your business.
2. Teamwork and People Management
In organizations, I learned how to work with others. To share responsibilities, coordinate tasks, ask for help, and listen to opinions different from my own. I also learned that you can’t always do everything alone. When you work at a multinational company, you’re not just interacting with your local team—you’re working with people who, although part of the same company, come from very different cultural backgrounds and live in very different realities. And you have to learn how to be part of a team with them.
As entrepreneurs, we tend to believe we have to master every area: marketing, sales, finance, operations. But this is neither realistic nor healthy. Sooner or later, you need to build a team—even a small one. And if you already know how to collaborate, how to delegate, how to give and receive feedback, that step becomes much easier.
I also learned how to manage emotions within a team: conflicts, frustrations, excitement. All of that returns in the entrepreneurial world, when you work with freelancers, strategic partners, or your own employees.
What did I learn about teamwork? Learning to work in a team is just as important as knowing how to work on your own. And in entrepreneurship, you’ll need both skills.
3. Accepting Decisions You Don’t Control
One of the hardest things when working at a company is having to execute decisions you don’t fully agree with. Sometimes you have to follow strategies defined by others, even if you don’t share the vision. You have to accept and implement decisions that come from “above” and aren’t open for debate.
At the time, that was frustrating. But over time, I understood it was also an exercise in humility, focus, and professional maturity. It taught me to separate the personal from the professional and to move forward even when I wasn’t in full control.
As an entrepreneur, that skill has been useful more than once. Because even though I became “my own boss,” that didn’t mean I had absolute control. There are always decisions made by the market, by clients, or by the economic or legal context that are beyond your reach. And I learned to accept what wasn’t in my control and respond quickly and flexibly to what I could manage, instead of reacting with complaints.
What did I learn from decisions beyond my control? Not having full control isn’t a weakness. It’s part of any process. Being able to adapt to that—without becoming paralyzed—makes you more resilient.
4. Using Established Methodologies
In the corporate world, we often work with fixed methodologies: management models, strategic planning, CRMs, customer service protocols. Sometimes they feel bureaucratic. But in many cases, they work. These are processes and tools that have been tested—and across many markets. They also make it easier to compare results across different geographies.
When I joined my husband’s entrepreneurial venture and became an entrepreneur myself, this learning served me in two ways. On the one hand, it inspired me to create our own methodologies—solid, tested ones that could be used again and again across different environments and moments, even with different clients. Comparative analysis became much easier.
On the other hand, even as an entrepreneur, I often had to apply my clients’ methodologies, since they needed their research results to be comparable across markets. Even if we had a different way of doing things, we adapted and applied their questionnaires and analysis models exactly as requested.
Not everything has to be about innovation. Sometimes, applying what’s already been tested is the smartest approach—as long as you adapt it to your own reality.
What did I learn from standardized methodologies? Standardized methodology is not the enemy of freedom. It’s a framework that helps you make better decisions and conserve mental energy.
5. Presenting, Communicating, and Being Accountable
One of the skills I developed the most during my corporate years was communication: from writing reports to presenting projects in boardrooms full of executives. I learned to synthesize, to prioritize what’s important, to speak clearly and with focus.
That skill has saved me many times as an entrepreneur. Whether for presenting a proposal to a client, writing a persuasive email, or leading a meeting, clear communication is an indispensable tool.
I also learned how to be accountable: to show results, track metrics, follow up. As an entrepreneur, this helped me maintain discipline and measurement. Even when no one is “demanding” a report, having the discipline to prepare one for ourselves gives us a clear view of where we stand in relation to our goals—and helps us make course corrections.
What did I learn from communication? Clear communication and the ability to be accountable earn you respect. And that’s vital when you’re building your personal and professional brand.
That’s Why I’m Grateful for My Corporate Years
For a long time, I thought the corporate world and entrepreneurship were opposites. Today, I believe they’re not. They’re different experiences—but we learn lessons that will be very useful during our journey.
Working in organizations gave me a solid foundation to start my business with a clear head, with tools, and with discipline. Of course, the entrepreneurial path also demands flexibility, intuition, creativity, resilience—and a much higher tolerance to risks. But we can’t overlook the value of prior experience.
If you’re considering leaving the corporate world to start your own business, don’t think you’re starting from zero. You’re starting from a different place, with a new perspective—and with a backpack full of valuable lessons. The key is to use them to your advantage.
What did your previous work experience teach You?
If you come from the corporate world and now you’re an entrepreneur, I’d love for you to share your experience. What tools have been most useful to you? What habits or learnings have you transferred to your own business?
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