Helena Guardans is an entrepreneur in the broadest sense of the word. Hers is a family of lawyers and she studied Business Administration and Management at Esade, without thinking about it too much. New York marked a turning point. Thirty years ago, she decided to start a business. A call changed her life.
Her distinguished career includes the presidency of WebHelp and the patronage council of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, as well as being part of the boards of trustees of the UOC and Grup Sifu, the governing council of APD, and the boards of directors of Fira de Barcelona and TravelPerk. She has no role models, but she does have children who have taught her to prioritize and simplify. She wants to keep learning and discovering every day. A dream? To keep dreaming of a better world.
— Hers is a family of lawyers.
— Parents and siblings are lawyers. I was the first to study at Esade.
— Why did you study Business Administration and Management?
— By chance. I was interested in mathematics and didn't think about it too much.
— You lived in New York, where you also worked as a waitress.
— It was a turning point in my life. New York was a great experience because it was the first time I lived alone, I had finished my studies and only had one complementary course left.
"New York was a turning point in my life"
— What do you remember?
— The first job, the first company, a very different lifestyle, not having the support of the ecosystem... I loved it and it gave me a lot of energy.
— To return to change.
— I didn't have much money and I often changed apartments. I lived in about ten different places and neighborhoods in New York in a few years. I know almost all of it.
— The city that never sleeps.
— I lived there in the mid-90s, which was a pretty tough time in New York. It was the beginning of AIDS, there was a lot of anguish and a lot of drugs. I lived in troubled neighborhoods that are now trendy.
— Your first job was at the Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas.
— My father had a relationship with the company and suggested I return to Barcelona. I joined as foreign trade coordinator for a company that bought and sold more than just tobacco. I was in charge of finding products that did not yet exist in our country.
— You also worked at Tocs, Vizeversa, and Grey.
— My world was advertising. I had studied international marketing and advertising when I was in New York. I worked with the Spanish commercial office to introduce wine or fashion in the United States.
"In Catalonia, we always have a problem with business size"
— You created a fashion company.
— I imported Catalan fashion into the United States and represented different designers of the time. We closed the company due to success.
— Close due to success.
— We represented a brand called Estrella G, and they were very well-made leather jackets and coats from Girona. We couldn't handle all the orders (laughs).
— And what happened?
— The designers asked me to return to Barcelona and help them grow. In Catalonia, we always have a size problem. I tried to start my own project after Vizeversa and Grey.
— In 1994, you founded Singular, a telemarketing call center for businesses and customer service.
— It was the beginning of contact centers. Back then, they were called answering services. Nothing like it existed here yet, but everyone in New York was waiting for a call that would change their life.
— A call.
— I worked as a waitress, and all my colleagues were actors and musicians waiting for a call for an audition or a concert. There was no mobile phone or Internet.
"Ideas can change as much as needed. The contact is more important than the call"
— And what did they do?
— We had people divert calls from their phone to our number. We answered as if we were the representatives of the actors or musicians. I started this same service in 1994 in Barcelona and made an unforgivable mistake.
— Which one?
— Doing a copy-paste of the United States model. In Barcelona, we didn't care about losing a call, and I learned that the most important thing for companies is not just the idea, but the desire to have a project.
— Have you changed your mind many times?
— Ideas can change as much as needed. I pivoted the idea to create a customer service that could resolve any query at any time without the need for pilgrimage.
— Without pilgrimage.
— You call, and I solve it for you. It was a differential service from Barcelona in Europe and the world, and we added technology to serve in 26 different languages. The contact is more important than the call.
"You don't have to wait for the best moment to create a company. A good idea is worth nothing without a good team that is committed and wants it to really work"
— At what point did you decide to undertake?
— I had always wanted to do things my way. I wanted to do something different that would add value. I have been learning and undertaking. I like people to consider themselves entrepreneurs of the company I have created.
— Learning and undertaking.
— It was the right time. I had money saved and I could do it. I had no commitments, but I got pregnant after a year. If I had had a child a little earlier, I probably would not have undertaken.
— A vital decision.
— You don't have to wait for the best moment to create a company. Either all moments are good or perhaps none are.
— Does the perfect moment exist?
— The moment can stop being ideal in just two seconds. Now you don't have children and when you do, you adapt. Priorities change. Ideas are good depending on the moment or the market, but there is nothing that is good per se.
— People make ideas.
— Absolutely! From the ICF Holding board, we analyzed venture capital investment proposals and I always made mistakes the first few times. A good idea is worth nothing without a good team that is committed and wants it to really work. You have to change your idea if it's not the right time.
— Victor Hugo wrote that there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.
— I have thought about how to improve the service at all times and especially, with technological changes. You can no longer offer it as before, but you have to offer it in some way.
"Companies and entrepreneurs have to flow and know how to adapt"
— Technology as an ally.
— We incorporate artificial intelligence to provide better customer service. Companies and entrepreneurs have to flow and know how to adapt.
— Tell me about a call that changed your life.
— The call from Esade to tell me I could go to New York. Or every time a client calls to confirm a business, but sometimes we get confused...
— What do you mean?
— It's absurd that you invest, it doesn't work, and you continue investing because you think about everything you have invested and not about everything you could invest elsewhere.
— The opportunity cost.
— You have to consider whether it makes sense or not to continue investing, but you don't do it because of the money, efforts, and resources you have already put in.
— You advise learning to say no.
— It is important to know how to say no when it comes to continuing with an investment that makes no sense or with a difficult client. In fact, no client has left after we said we could not provide a service by adjusting the price even further.
"Learning to manage from a distance. Empowering and giving responsibility. You don't have to say what needs to be done, but what objectives need to be met"
— The client is sovereign.
— Others don't have to know what we think or what is happening to us. And vice versa.
— Information asymmetry.
— And ignorance. The client above all wants their consumers to be well attended. Do it however you want!
— You started in 1994.
— As you grow, you learn to do things differently and you think about what needs to be maintained or is relevant, about values and people management, or the importance of service and attention. It makes no sense for everyone to depend on me.
— Learning to delegate.
— It's incredibly complicated! Learning to manage from a distance. Empowering and giving responsibility. You don't have to say what needs to be done, but what objectives need to be met.
— You founded WebHelp, specialized in marketing and outsourcing services.
— From the beginning, we had to invest a lot in technology. WebHelp bought Sellbytell, and Concentrix has bought WebHelp.
"Here everything is designed to be small and it's almost sickening, even the aid. The laws, supports, or tax breaks are mainly designed for companies with fewer than fifty employees"
— You overcame the size problem and digested growth.
— Here everything is designed to be small and it's almost sickening, even the aid. Barcelona Activa does an extraordinary job for those starting out, but we have to unite people and projects. This costs us a lot and we still don't know how to do it. The laws, supports, or tax breaks are mainly designed for companies with fewer than fifty employees.
— Is this not a country for large companies?
— The world is against it. And so we go... We have fantastic people and very good projects, but we still lack the size to be relevant. The most important thing is that the service works and to unite if necessary.
— Unity is strength.
— I don't need to own 100% of a company. In fact, I prefer a small part of a large company rather than absolute control of a small company.
— What mistakes have allowed you to advance?
— Customers who complain are better than those who don't. Why? Those who don't complain leave without saying why. On the other hand, those who complain give you an opportunity to do better. In the United States, they say a complaint is a gift.
"Customers who complain are better than those who don't. It is very important to make the effort to listen and lose fear. Give the opportunity for another not to boycott you for fear of losing"
— A constructive complaint is a gift.
— An opportunity to do better. Here we don't complain too much and people then think that the other person won't solve their problem. I complain out of professional training and I give the opportunity to rectify.
— Complaint is not the same as criticism.
— The vast majority of people don't give a new opportunity and don't come back. I have learned a lot from customer complaints and from provoking them to explain themselves. Sometimes we don't listen enough.
"Companies don't exist. I don't ask for support or talk to Mr. NIF, always with people"
— Listen.
— It is very important to make the effort to listen and lose fear. Give the opportunity for another not to boycott you for fear of losing. Fears go beyond thoughts and everyone should try to know their why. A possible reaction from people is to deny the truth.
— Are you wrong?
— The customer is not always right, but they must understand why they think they are. What have we done to give them this perspective?
— Understand and listen to the complaint.
— It allows us to improve. At the Liceu we talk about the difference between benefactors (people) and patrons (companies). Companies don't exist. I don't ask for support or talk to Mr. NIF, but with the director of communication, marketing or human resources. We always talk to people.
— What is leadership? Human talent, quality, innovation and efficiency.
— Leadership before was very focused on men. It was expected that there would be someone who would say where to go and how things should be done. Leadership requires commitment and involvement with a project.
— Commitment and involvement.
— More dialogue, more listening, and more leadership. Involve people. More feminine leadership breaks with egos. Decide and explain yourself. Parity is not just about 50% or women, but about equality. Society works better with more parity.
— That's right.
— Neither men nor women. Everything works better when companies are more egalitarian and diverse.
— What have you learned from your children?
— I am against superwomen as a formula for developing a professional career. We don't have to be superwomen!
— What is your recipe?
— To have a quality life, take care of yourself, have family, partner, friends, and love. All this helps you manage work and does not harm you. The more culture, the better for everyone.
— Culture makes us better.
— If someone takes care of themselves, they will manage the company better. With my children, I have learned what is and what is not important. It re-situates you on an absolute scale of priorities. If you have a sick child...
— Work stops being so important.
— Children teach you and help you. I have shared things with them since they were very young. They have taught me to simplify adult experiences and thus discover things I had not seen before. I realized that I was contaminating the narrative of events with my personal stories.
"With my children, I have learned what is and what is not important with an absolute scale of priorities. Children ask questions and teach you the answers. They have taught me to simplify adult experiences"
— Management decisions with the little ones.
— Children ask questions and teach you the answers, like the story of the Emperor's New Clothes.
— What didn't they teach you in business school?
— Empathy or emotional intelligence were not taught before in business school. This is very important. Taking care of yourself and loving yourself. If you are not well, it is difficult for others to be well. This is learned, but there are people who don't do it.
— How do you see Barcelona?
— It's a wonderful city that I love! I have asked many foreigners what they liked about Barcelona and they have told me about the climate, the gastronomy, the leisure... But they stay for another reason.
"Empathy or emotional intelligence were not taught before in business school. Taking care of yourself and loving yourself"
— For what reason?
— They like city life. Barcelona is very alive and has the sea, culture, the Liceu, the Palau de la Música, the Fundació Miró, the CaixaFòrum, Sónar, Primavera Sound, Cruïlla...
— What do we have? The famous Damm advertisement used to say.
— It is a safe and attractive city for companies and business schools. We have to ensure that tourists and migrants get involved in the city. We have to welcome them and make them part of our culture.
— How?
— Let them be sponsors of the museums and everything we do. Barcelona has gone through dark times, but it has many good things and we have always been proud of our city.
— Barcelonian pride.
— I remember when I was little and the campaign Barcelona, get pretty existed. My brothers told my father that we had to clean the facade. We still have this: a feeling and pride of belonging.
— What is your vision for the city?
— Welcoming, and with important challenges such as, for example, rents or tourism. May it be for the well-being of the cities. How do we manage it so that all this is not harmful? I would like Barcelona to be an example of a welcoming and sustainable city for its people.
— The people of Barcelona.
— If one does not take care of oneself, it is difficult to take care of others. If we do not take care of the people of Barcelona, it is difficult to take care of others. This works for both the city and the company. It is not a zero-sum game, one wins and the other also wins.
"If we do not take care of the people of Barcelona, it is difficult to take care of others. And this works for both the city and the company"
— Do we lack more and better public-private collaboration?
— It exists, but it is complex to enter politics and hold positions without an exhaustive knowledge of the subject. Not everything is as agile as we would like in the private world. Fira de Barcelona is a great example of what works.
— What works.
— There is a real interest for the city to ultimately benefit from what happens at Fira. We need to explain more everything that Fira brings to the city, from the immediate economic impact to technological or social development. This is also the idea of the Mobile World Capital Foundation: the legacy that goes beyond the congress. It is a very good example of public-private collaboration.
"Not everything is as agile as we would like in the private world. We have to explain ourselves more. Culture is what differentiates us from artificial intelligence"
— "Barcelona's handicap is low self-esteem", warns Pau Relat.
— We don't explain ourselves well enough. We try to organize opera festivals to have more people and more resources for economic development. We need to explain ourselves more, especially in everything where everyone can participate.
— For example?
— I don't know to what extent everyone knows about the social work of the Liceu. Culture is what differentiates us from artificial intelligence. And we have to take very good care of it. We need to explain ourselves more.
"In politics, they still have the image of good and bad in the business world"
— Let's explain ourselves.
— In politics, they still have the image of good and bad in the business world. There are many laws that are worked on for companies, but they go against them. We consider and manage reduced working hours or find solutions to absenteeism that so much harms companies. The same ones always end up benefiting.
— What role can civil society play?
— It is important that people can be part of Barcelona and get involved to make the city better. Barcelona is not a capital and therefore, things don't just happen. We have to go look for them.
"The more artificial intelligence develops, the more we will have to reinforce humanism and culture"
— The previous interviewee David Camps asks you the following questions: What changes would you make in the education of children and young people so that they succeed in the world that awaits them?
— I would propose taking advantage of the possibilities offered by new technologies to teach young people, in an attractive way, history, literature, philosophy, and culture in general, and thus awaken their curiosity and creativity. The more artificial intelligence develops, the more we will have to reinforce humanism and culture.
— Do you believe that Barcelona would be a globally relevant city if it became the capital of a State? What would be the advantages and disadvantages?
— We are moving towards a world where cities will be increasingly important. Therefore, being the capital of a country is not what would necessarily bring more or less relevance. Being a capital has the disadvantage of needing to invest a lot in strengthening the services of the country's Administration and, on the other hand, not being one allows investing in other areas such as innovation or culture. I think, for example, of Washington and other cities like Los Angeles or New York.
LIFE SET
- Role Model: I don't have one.
- Book: Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar.
- Movie: Death in Venice.
- Song: Les sabots d'Helène and les bancs publics by Georges Brassens.
- Favorite Spot: Cala Llamp, Andratx (Mallorca).
- Life Motto: Continue learning and discovering every day.
- Dream: Continue dreaming of a better world.