In Profit CNN #35: from Capricho eye drops to “Jade’s brother”, Leo Picon tells how he learned to earn and manage his money

On a normal school day, when he was 13 years old, Leo Picon came home and a “generous” box of Adidas was waiting for him. At the time he thought: “What am I doing at school? I am a star!”.

On the 35th episode of the podcast No Profit CNN, a project by CNN Brasil Soft, Leo says that he started to market his image without having any idea of ​​what would come ahead. At a time when no one imagined what a “digital influencer” meant, he took advantage of the gap and soon brands started looking for him.

A few years later, he opened his clothing brand, Approve. Then a production company. Then a hamburger. Then came a ballad. And so she built a range of diversified ventures.

However, he also faced challenges: he even lost half a million reais in a wrong investment, for example. In the conversation led by Leandro Munhós, the influencer said that he had to learn to deal with the ups and downs of ventures, especially in the pandemic: “You have to take risks. If reinventing hurts, the brain wants the comfort zone”.

That’s when diversification saved his skin. While all of his businesses lost huge sums in revenue, his online clothing store took off.

In this environment, many artists have years of high revenue and then disappear. I work to make sure that doesn’t happen. I manage this risk

Leo Picon

relationship with money

In a let’s say – well – comfortable financial situation, Leo says he prefers to enter into businesses where he feels a connection and where he sees a possible positive impact on society. Starting young, he had to learn to deal with pressure and the power of money: “The idea is to build financial strength. Money is freedom, but it can also imprison you.” Today he balances his intense work with guilt-free spending on clothes, travel, food and cars.

Fear of cancellation and future

Leo acknowledges that his sister Jade Picon’s move to the BBB boosted his image and leveraged his work, so he has no problem being seen as “Jade’s brother”. With almost six million followers on Instagram alone, he also says that he learned to deal early on with the repercussions of what he says and what he does and how it can directly affect his business.

CNN In Profit Podcast

The No Profit podcast is available in video on Youtube by CNN Brasil Soft and on the main audio platforms, with new episodes every Thursday, starting at 7 pm. The “No Profit CNN” profile is also live on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Fleeing from the technical language and jargon of the economics area, popularly called “economês”, the program will not be restricted to specialists, as it will also receive celebrities, influencers and people who are behind successful businesses in the most diverse areas. The idea is to show different points of view on entrepreneurship, personal finance, management, investments and economics.

The videocast is part of the “No Profit by CNN Soft” platform, launched in March, the result of a strategic partnership between CNN Brasil and Banco Santander.