The Demolition Man: From Finance to Construction to Finance Again

Today, we speak to Vinicius Peta, a native of São Paolo who moved to Sydney back in 2019 and now runs his own financial consultancy business.

"My second advice is to not get stuck in your comfort zone. Always try to improve yourself on a daily basis. Life here in Australia may be better than back home, but it can always be better. "

Since he moved to Sydney, Vinicius Peta has had multiple near brushes with death.

There was that time when after an epic lost in translation, he took a sledgehammer to a load bearing wall in a construction project, and was one blow away from taking down the whole thing which would have certainly crushed him. There was also the accident with a car while he was riding his electric bicycle delivering for UberEats, which left him traumatised (and out of pocket by thousands of dollars).

The fact that these incidents happened within the span of a week didn’t help.

Others would have taken it as a sign from the universe to pack up and go home but not Vini. In fact, the way he tells the stories with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes you would have thought he relished these experiences as they gave him funny anecdotes to entertain his friends with. But if you were to pull him aside, this affable, Brazilian-born Financial Analyst would look you in the eyes, and with the most earnestness, say these are the things that helps a person grow. Growth is an important focus of his life.

Born in São Paulo in the early 90's, Vini grew up in a suburban area 2 hours away from the city. As a child, Vini grew up in a loving home under the care and guidance of his mother and his grandmother. It was an idyllic childhood, one where a child could run freely in the streets playing football, or race bicycles up and down the road, surrounded by neighbours who were more like family.

These days, instead of kicking a ball down the dusty backstreets of São Paulo, you can find him plying his skills in an indoor soccer field in Sydney. Vini also runs his own personal finance consultancy, sharing his financial and investment knowledge with his clients.

We caught up with Vini right before he starts his busy day, to find out why he moved to Australia, his experience in the gig economy, getting that important first step into the Australian working world, and what advice he has for those who are planning to migrate.

SCC: What were you doing back in Brazil?

Vini: Right before I moved to Sydney, I was working in Banco Itaú as a Relationship Manager, managing up to R$100,000,000 of customer’s money. Prior to that I was working in Santander Bank. All in all, I spent close to a decade working Santander and Banco Itaú.

What made you decide to pursue a career in Finance and the Banking industry?

Growing up in São Paulo, we did not have much of money or material comforts, or in fact, many opportunities. For me, the only way to improve my family and my life was to stick my head in books and study hard. After I got a degree in Accounting and Finance, I was able to find a job in Santander bank and worked my way up. I firmly believe I am where I am today because of my Catholic upbringing, and two of the most important women in my life: my Mum and my Avó (grandmother). Because of them, I steered clear from other paths which would have brought nothing but trouble.

Was there a risk that you could have chosen the wrong path?

Oh yes! I remember clearly that point in my life when I knew how important it was to make the right decisions, and how sometimes the wrong ones can lead to tragedy. Not just for yourself but those around you.

When I was around ten, an older cousin, barely into his 20s, was gunned down in a drug-related incident. My uncle, his father, was inconsolable and unfortunately passed away shortly after as well. Since then, I promised myself that I would not do the same to my mother and my grandmother.

I’m sorry to hear that.

Thanks. It’s been years but as a child these things leave a deep…impression on you. In a way, it set me off on this trajectory that I’m on.

What made you decide to leave Brazil and move to Australia?

To be honest, I moved here because of a broken heart! A relationship with an ex had just reached its nadir, but that wasn’t the end of the story. Before I even had time to mourn, she starting seeing another friend of mine! Even in a city of 12 million people, I felt there was no where to hide my grief!

There were other reasons of course. After working for years in the corporate sector, I felt that I needed a change. I was getting too comfortable, and it came to a point where I was ready for an adventure. The fact that the money earned overseas would be many times better than what I was earning in Brazil as a mid-level manager was also an important driver to leave.

Why Australia?

I did consider other places. I thought California would be a good option before finding out how expensive cost of living is there. I also considered Ireland but - THE WEATHER! In the end, Australia was the best option. Given that Australia has a similar land mass to Brazil but less than 15% of Brazil’s population, I figured there’s an opportunity there. Less competition for scarce resources.

Did you know anyone living in Australia before you decided to move here?

No. No one that I was close to anyways. No family and no close friends.

Was it hard to adjust to the move?

Absolutely. There was definitely a language barrier when I first got here, and my working experiences and qualifications from back home were not recognised and so it made finding work a nightmare. After months of rejection, I finally found a job in a demolition company.

How did you manage that?

I started reconnecting with people from my college days. One friend in particular had been in Australia for around 5 years when I moved here, but we had lost contact since graduation. I found him on Facebook and saw that he was working in construction. I took a gamble and asked him if he can introduce me to the company that he was working in.

How did that first job go?

It was very different from what I was used to! From working in an office managing millions of dollars of clients’ money, to swinging a sledgehammer to take down a concrete wall. But I persevered, and worked hard, and almost killed myself many times (laughs), but eventually that job led to a higher paying job working for an electrician company.

Wait, so you went from being a banking guy to a demolition expert to an electrician?

I worked for an electrician – I wasn’t an electrician! And in between there were lots of other odd gigs.

But, as much as I appreciated the opportunities I was getting and how much I was enjoying working with my ex-colleagues, at the back of my mind I still harboured the dream of setting up my own consultancy helping others with personal finances and investment.

However, I knew I couldn’t just stop working to pursue my dreams. Bills need to be paid, my friend!

What other odd gigs did you do?

Whatever I needed to do! I picked up freelance and part-time jobs through SideKicker and PinnBook and even delivered UberEats for a while.

There was even a time during the pandemic lockdown when a friend and I bought 5 electric bicycles. The plan was to rent them to those who want to start delivering for a living but couldn’t afford to buy a bicycle outright. We saw a market for it, especially as more and more people started losing their jobs in the service industry.

Wow. Are you still doing that?

No.

Why?

We lost two bicycles.

What?! How?

One was stolen from our garage. The other was rented by someone who then disappeared without a trace. We had to visit the police station 15 times to try to recover the bicycles but it was in vain.

What happened to the other three bicycles?

They are still in the garage. Are you looking to buy an electric bicycle?

Nope.

Fine.

Fine. Moving on. So, how did you manage to now have your own consulting business advising clients on investments?

After many months and months of hard work, I finally saved enough to cut back on working for others and get serious about setting up my own business.

I started by cold calling potential clients. I wrote hundreds, if not thousands, of letters and emails in multiple languages. You cannot be afraid to put yourself out there. It has not been easy, but eventually we gained traction and we’ve now got more than 100 clients that I advise regularly.

Nowadays, I keep myself up to date with developments in major financial markets, distilling important news into easy to digest information that my clients can use to determine their best financial strategy to maximise their investments.

What is your vision for your enterprise?

To educate as many people as possible. I find that many of us do not know enough about investment to have the confidence to, for example, get into the stock market. We instead leave our hard-earned savings in a bank deposit which only helps banks to grow. With inflation the way it is, you are losing money if you are leaving it untouched in your savings account. With just a bit of education and effort, I know most people will be able to see a healthy return on their investments.

In the mid to longer term, my goal is to build up a large enough portfolio to open up offices in Sydney and Brazil. We’re not there yet, but as you can tell, nothing will stop me from achieving my dreams.

We don’t doubt that. What advice do you have for others who are new to the country, or are considering moving to Australia?

Firstly, before moving here, you need to acquire as much information as possible. As with any major change, it can get overwhelming and confusing, and sometimes there is a lack of available, structured information available. There are many who will be willing to help you for a price but even then, you’ll need to do your due diligence. Be sceptical. For example, for many who intend to come to Australia with a study visa, you have to really be certain that the field of study chosen is right for you, cost-wise and the benefits it will bring. A course in English language will be really useful, but is usually more expensive compared to a course in accounting, which may be more affordable but may be a qualification more aligned to the type of career you are pursuing. An agent may push the more expensive course for many reasons, so do your homework before you decide.

You also need to aware of the hidden cost in trying to search for a job. For example, you’ll need to complete certain basic levels of training for working in the building and construction industry, or even in the F&B industry. The cost of getting such certifications can run into the hundreds and isn’t something that is widely known until you are in the country.

My second advice is to not get stuck in your comfort zone. Always try to improve yourself on a daily basis. Life here in Australia may be better than back home, but it can always be better. I could have made a comfortable living continuing to work in construction, but I know where my passion lies, and that goal doesn’t change no matter how difficult it becomes. Building my client base from scratch was not easy, but moving São Paulo to Sydney hasn’t been easy either, but it taught me perseverance and grit.

Okay, last question. Considering how far away you are from home, I’m sure you miss the food. Where would you recommend going for good Brazilian food?

You can’t go wrong with either Braza Churrascaria in Darling Quarters, or Bronte Belo at Bronte

And the one must try dish on the menu?

Definitely feijoada, a very rich black bean and pork stew.