The Yorkshire Mafia

Gabriela Castro-Fontoura

Q: If you could improve anything in the region what would it be?

A: One close to my heart: the willingness of Yorkshire businesses to go for overseas markets. While some are going for it and succeeding by any standards, others just don’t consider it as part of their growth. Lots of missed opportunities that just require a bit more confidence, sometimes.

Q: Who or what has most influenced you in your career?

A: Living abroad (in Britain! I am originally from Uruguay) for nearly 12 years has really shaped up my career and made me a more enterprising go-getter. I guess I always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, I remember making my own fresh pasta when I was a little girl and selling it at the gates of my grandmother’s house in Montevideo…

Q: What are the best and worst pieces of advice you’ve ever been given?

A: A former boss once told me: “pick your battles carefully”. I use that principle every day, both in my business and in my personal life. The worst piece of advice, yet from another boss, was “don’t aim too high, keep it real” – looking back, it is really a contradiction, isn’t it? You can keep it very real and aim very high – that high aim can become your reality if you believe in it strongly enough!

Q: What do you most enjoy about your work?

A: What I enjoy most about my work is the sparkle in the eye of someone who by talking to me just realises what doors could open to them, seeing that instant when they very first thought “hang on, we could that!”.

Q: What’s been your biggest achievement/biggest business mistake?

A: My biggest achievement in business has been winning a customer I was so keen to work with, in my third month of trade, an iconic British brand that I can’t wait to see in Latin America. My biggest business mistake has been to undervalue myself in terms of pricing – but I have good mentors who have made me realise that people are willing to pay for the solutions that I offer.

Q: How do you relax?

A: I have embraced the Yorkshire tradition of going for a curry with friends – I also love just wondering around the beautiful towns and villages in Yorkshire (I live in Skipton, so spoilt for beautiful scenery!).

Q: What’s on your ipod?

A: I don’t have an ipod – I am so last decade, aren’t I? In my rather primitive (nearly vintage) CD case, you can find anything from Beatles to salsa, from tango to pop, acoustic guitar to classical music, in probably about ten different languages.

The Yorkshire Mafia is a well-coordinated group that has already proven of great value to my business due to contacts generated, not just potential clients but savvy business people who are there to ask questions to and bounce ideas off each other. The atmosphere is one of genuine interest and support, with no arrogance and lots of meaningful discussions. I am really looking to the Conference next year, what a great chance to do some serious proper no-nonsense networking!

Gabriela Castro-Fontoura