Host Entrepreneur: Domingos Guimarães
Company: Live Content SA
www.livecontent.pt
Sector: Advertising, promotion, printing, media and related products and services
New Entrepreneur: Lea Goričan Pavlovič
Country: Slovenia
Sector: Social media agency
My Erasmus Experience – Lea Goričan Pavlovič
My Erasmus exchange was a transformative five-month journey that took me from Slovenia to Lisbon, where I immersed myself in social media marketing to lay the foundation for my business, Let’s Talk, a modern social media and event management agency focused on helping brands boost their online visibility, engage their audience, and strengthen their identity. Through the EYE program, I had the incredible opportunity to work alongside Domingos, a seasoned entrepreneur who launched his first advertising agency, Live Content, in 2009 and has since expanded his portfolio to five companies. Collaborating with him across his diverse ventures gave me hands-on marketing experience while inspiring fresh, creative approaches for my own business.
One of the most valuable aspects of my time there was contributing to the launch of Extracore, a new umbrella company designed to unite Domingos’ existing businesses. This project allowed me to apply my skills in real time, from crafting a detailed communication strategy and conducting audience research to developing a social media plan aimed at increasing engagement and visibility. Beyond the technical side, Domingos introduced me to Homelore, a women-led collective that celebrates diasporic cultures through art. Working with them opened my eyes to cultural marketing and the power of digital platforms in amplifying marginalized voices. This experience reshaped my understanding of marketing’s higher purpose. Similarly, helping with the social media channels for BOIL, a climate change festival, showed me how event promotion could drive meaningful change, shifting my perspective from purely commercial goals to purpose-driven communication.
A standout moment was attending the ICON conference, where I gained insights into influencer marketing and had the thrill of seeing industry icons like Simon Cowell and Loren Gray. The conference deepened my expertise in social media while reinforcing the dynamic, fast-evolving nature of the field. But some of my most unexpected lessons came from tasks that diverged from traditional marketing roles, like sourcing a neon sign for the office building or developing a restaurant sales pitch. What began as a simple presentation evolved into a full-on business development experience, teaching me negotiation, sales, and operational agility.
Beyond professional growth, the Portuguese work culture profoundly influenced me. The stereotype of a laid-back, friendly atmosphere wasn’t just true outside the office—it was embedded in the workplace itself. The
relaxed yet productive environment, where colleagues genuinely supported one another, rewired my understanding of work relationships and efficiency. It showed me how a positive, collaborative space can elevate both creativity and results, a lesson I’ll carry forward as I build my agency.
5 benefits for your business or career
- Strategic marketing skills: I developed hands-on expertise in social media strategy, audience research, and brand positioning through real projects like Extracore’s launch, directly applicable to growing my agency.
- Cultural and purpose-driven marketing insight: Working with Homelore and BOIL taught me how to blend commerce with activism, a unique selling point for attracting socially conscious clients.
- Entrepreneurial mentorship: Learning from Domingos’ scaling journey (one agency to five companies) provided practical lessons in business expansion and operational agility.
- Versatile problem-solving: The unexpected tasks like sales pitches and office branding, sharpened my adaptability, proving I can navigate both creative and operational challenges.
- Office management competence: I developed strong administrative skills by handling various backend operations, making me more well-rounded, enabling me to manage all aspects of a business.
5 personal benefits:
- It made me redefine productivity: The Portuguese work rhythm taught me that efficiency doesn’t require burnout or being hard on yourself or others.
- I got cross-cultural confidence: Navigating a foreign work environment alone strengthened my independence and self-assuredness.
- It gave me negotiation and sales skills: Pitching a restaurant deal and sourcing suppliers improved my confidence in pitching and business talk abilities beyond marketing.
- I gained a global perspective: Exposure to Lisbon’s diaspora communities and startup scene broadened my worldview.
- I became more confident in my assertiveness: Learned to communicate my goals and priorities for how I wanted to spend my time and contribute during the exchange.
Mission or why you went abroad? (problem? solution? process?)
After completing my bachelor’s degree, I knew I wanted two things: real work experience and another adventure abroad. So, when I discovered the EYE program, I applied immediately, and within three weeks of finding the opportunity, I had arranged everything, driven by a sense that this was exactly what I needed. The opportunity aligned perfectly with my aspirations: I had always dreamed of visiting Portugal, and as someone who had already experienced life abroad, I was eager to do it again. My thirst for knowledge and growth made the decision easy. I said yes without hesitation.
My dream of launching my own venture, Let’s Talk, felt distant before finding the program. But this exchange offered a solution: a chance to gain
practical insights into business development while getting to move abroad again.
What began as professional curiosity evolved into transformative clarity. Each project, from developing ExtraCore’s social strategy to unexpected office management tasks, took away my doubts, replacing them with practical knowledge and confidence that I can start my business one day.
ONE QUOTE: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky’s iconic hockey wisdom is something I try to live by.
Erasmus isn’t just an exchange program; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You’re only young once. Alive once. Why confine yourself to the familiar when the world offers so much more? New cultures and friendships, professional growth – yes, all of it is terrifying, but completely worth it. Gretzky’s quote reminds me that even if you fail, at least you tried and gave it your best shot. Which is something not a lot of people can say. And if you are scared? Do it scared. Do it uncertain. Just do it. Because even if things don’t work out perfectly, trying and failing teaches you more than never trying at all. Most people let fear decide for them, but the ones who push forward are the ones who grow.
During my exchange, my mentor Domingos showed me that progress comes from focusing on what’s ahead, not what’s behind. His favourite quote is: “Only remember the future.” While he runs a network of multiple successful companies, he embodies balance, working with purpose but never as a machine. His approach balanced ambition with humanity, working with purpose while staying grounded in what matters. Domingos showed me that success comes from moving forward with clarity, not just speed.