Building a Business Isn’t Freedom, Says Marília Carvalhinha

Another topic discussed was the gap between the image of success and what actually happens behind the scenes of companies. Marília pointed out that many brands appear extremely healthy from the outside while hiding founders who are exhausted, pressured, and emotionally drained.

According to her, there is a constant effort to maintain an image of growth and stability, especially in an environment where image, validation, and perception carry so much value.

“There are companies that seem extremely successful from the outside. Beautiful office, strong brand, growth. But when you look behind the scenes, the founder is exhausted, pressured, and completely lost.”

The conversation also explored the impact of social media and performance culture. According to Marília, people today are constantly managing perception — whether at work, in fashion, or in their personal lives.

During the episode, Marília also reflected on ambition, ego, and the emptiness that often comes with the pursuit of success. In her view, many entrepreneurs believe building something big will solve internal issues, but end up simply filling the void with more work, pressure, and responsibility.

“Business is also a way of filling an existential void. Because it occupies your mind all the time, even when it causes you anguish.”

Despite its critical tone, the conversation does not portray entrepreneurship as something negative. Instead, the focus is on awareness throughout the process — understanding the emotional costs of building a company and recognizing when work stops being a tool and starts consuming someone’s entire life.