Tony De Gouveia’s entrepreneurial journey, embodied in his brainchild The Ultimate Business (TUB), is a remarkable story of transformation and resilience. This blueprint for business breakthroughs goes beyond conventional business strategies, offering a unique blend of disruptive entrepreneurship and servant leadership.
Starting as a network marketer in 2010, Tony transitioned from his 22-year stint in retail. This shift was more than a career change; it was a complete overhaul of his leadership style. Authority and direction were the norms in retail, but network marketing required a collaborative, inspiring approach. The initial years in this new arena were challenging as Tony grappled with the nuances of network marketing, realizing that success here was less about directing and more about leading by influence and example.
Tony’s evolution into a network marketing expert was marked by a significant shift in his leadership approach. He embraced servant leadership, a style that resonated with his personality and the demands of his new venture. This approach, focusing on empathy and leading from within the team, contrasted his previous directive style.
The journey was fraught with challenges. Building a team and developing leaders within it proved difficult initially. Tony’s early attempts, influenced by his retail background, were centered on being the primary achiever. This approach soon proved unsustainable, and he learned the importance of collective success and shared growth. Moving away from a one-man-show mentality, he adopted a more inclusive, empathetic leadership style.
By 2017, the impact of these changes became evident. His team, starting with Carrot Bars in 2014, grew exponentially, reaching 130,000 members by 2020. This growth was a testament to Tony’s new leadership style, focusing on empowering others and fostering independent leadership within his team.
Tony’s success story is rich with insights. A key aspect of his strategy was identifying and nurturing co-leaders and empowering them to develop their leadership styles. He focused on enabling others to be self-reliant, creating a culture of empowerment rather than dependency. This approach extended beyond business tactics to building a legacy of leaders who shared his servant leadership ethos.
He coined his approach as TUB: The Ultimate Business. Two of the pillars are disruptive entrepreneurship and servant leadership. He focuses on adding value to his team and increasing productivity and effectiveness. Tony believes in leveraging each person’s strengths for the greater good. After years of feeling like he had to control everything, Tony now embraces delegating to others. This has allowed him to reclaim freedom and fulfillment.
Tony’s blueprint appeals especially to young entrepreneurs in Asia who are interested in online business and mentorship. His journey demonstrates that effective leadership empowers and values every team member. TUB is not just a pathway to business success; it’s a guide to personal fulfillment and collective prosperity.
While Tony De Gouveia has come far, he maintains that same fire that sparked this journey 13 years ago. He’s still the same average kid from a middle-class Portuguese family in South Africa, seeking significance and fulfillment. Tony’s blueprint promises to deliver breakthroughs as individuals transform and communities flourish. When people unite around a shared purpose and values, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.
Published by: Martin De Juan
