Cristiano Piquet has embraced fear as his teacher for life.
Education has long battled to find solutions that motivate and hold the attention of students in the classroom. Often teachers face mixed environments with underachievers and overachievers caught in the throes of both fear of failure and success. Regardless of the circumstance, fear is the common denominator that has a way of silently affecting learning.
“An early established fear of failure at school can influence students' motivation to learn,” cites a Science Daily study from the British Psychological Society (BPS). The study points to parents and educators being sensitive to allowing children to improve their skills for their own development and enjoyment while remaining mindful of criticism.
According to an article in the National Society of High School Scholars, failure in small doses is crucial to learning. By developing a resilient mindset, students can not only overcome the fear at the root of the issue but find resolve in learning from mistakes. Without resilience early in life, students can risk a carryover effect into professional pursuits.
Few professional endeavors have as much failure attached as the entrepreneurial journey. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 75% of all startup ventures fail in the first 10 years. Harvard Business Review expands on the concept of fear of failure. “Fear is a natural state for an entrepreneur,” conclude authors James Hayton and Gabriella Cacciotti, but it takes the courage to anticipate and manage that remains key.
Cristiano Piquet is an entrepreneur that not only found the courage to tackle his fear but chose to dive head first quite literally out of an airplane into them. Not only is he the founder and president of the prominent real estate company Piquet Realty, but he has established himself as an extreme sports connoisseur. He is a skydiver, triathlete, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, and award-winning auto racer, all wrapped into a highly successful businessman.
This reporter had the unique opportunity to interview Piquet, focusing on how he overcame fear to rise to the heights he enjoys today. The following excerpts offer enjoyable, lighthearted takeaways to benefit any aspiring entrepreneur or person wishing to rethink how fear might be holding them back.
On Skydiving
Rod Berger: Please discuss your skydiving experience and how it changed your mindset on fear.
Cristiano Piquet: People tried to get me to go skydiving for years, and I was always terrified. Finally, one day, I decided to give it a go. When I landed and disconnected with the instructor, I remember how he quickly shifted to the next jump. He must have done it over 30 times a day.
Cristiano Piquet takes one foot in front of the other to the extreme.
I remember looking at him and saying, “Man, I was so afraid of something that was not a big deal. What else in life am I not doing because of fear?” The dive worked out. At that moment, something changed in my mind. I realized that we often stop doing things because of fear when those things can have a positive impact. I bring that takeaway into business.
Why Not Ironman
Berger: You are also a triathlete and Ironman. How did that experience add to your relationship with fear?
Piquet: Many times, people told me, “Cristiano, doing the Ironman is not going to work out; you’re not a professional athlete. You can’t do an Ironman.” But it’s all a mental frame of mind. I thought of my skydiving experience and completed it with a mental commitment to finish. I remember seeing people in worse shape than me with strong mindsets also completing the competition.
I like to ask people in business and other situations: “If I asked you today, are you able to do an Ironman right now, out of shape, what would you say?” Most people respond, “No way, I can’t swim all those kilometers, bike all those miles, and run a marathon.” Then I ask, “What if everybody you love will die if you don't finish the Ironman? Would you finish that Ironman?” Most everyone says, “Yeah, I would finish.” Everything's in your mind. If you really want to do something, you will do it.
Family Influences
Berger: Do you feel that your early childhood and family life shaped your inner makeup, or did you learn mostly through your adult journey?
Piquet: It happened later in life because I knew I needed to change. I decided that I would not live with fear in my heart. I was in my 30s and wanted to get married and start a family, but I was afraid. I had heard all the bad tales. I knew I had to do something drastic to change my mindset, so I started to skydive. It helped remove the fear and actually helped open myself up to not fearing marriage.
Cristiano Piquet embraces the Ironman mentality running his multinational business.
Now I have a beautiful family and I love my wife and kids. When our mind expands to a new dimension, it will never return to its original size or format. That's what happened. I had a breakthrough.
Extreme Sports in Business
Berger: How did all your extreme sports activities lend themselves to business? Did you find a direct correlation between overcoming fear in sport to overcoming it as an entrepreneur?
Piquet: I believe extreme sports tested me not to fear business. Nothing feels difficult for me in business in comparison. Recession, crisis, no money, time management. Everything.
I cannot die if I lose a deal. But I can die when I jump out of a plane because it risks my life without 100% focus. As a result, business becomes easier. For instance, opening an office in another country, as I have done, is not a big deal because I see what is truly difficult, such as finishing an Ironman.
People ask me about the stresses of the real estate market and all the ups and downs. But I see it as a process. I tell others, “Go try something that tests your inner resolve in a challenging way and you will see what difficult means.”
Covid-19 closed my business for almost a year. We couldn't visit properties, and there was no income, but I kept paying everybody in my office. I didn't miss a single month. I wanted to keep my team. I now realize everything's connected—our personal life, pursuits, and business.
By the way, racing cars is at the top of my list.
Berger: Expand on your auto racing and how it relates to sharpening your business mindset and approach.
Piquet: I excel in the racing environment and have raced for a long time. Last year we came in second place in the biggest championship with Porsche GT. Our team has three titles in South America. I perform in 12 races a year.
Racing taught me a lot that I apply to business. My racing coach has always said, “Don't look back, don't look at your mirrors, focus on your driving and your breaking point.”
Cristiano Piquet, the number 19 car, continues to push himself to extremes across the world.
He explained that you lose the point you need to break if you look back to see who's behind you. So don't look back, don't look at the other drivers, and stay away from your mirrors. It’s helped me with business. I don't spend any time looking at my competitors. Zero. I wish others well, but I'm doing my thing.
Educating Away From Fear
Berger: How can we do a better job in education to tackle the mindset and the power of not living a fear-based life? We teach almost everything else in education, but what mechanisms do you feel directly help one to overcome fear?
Piquet: I’m aware of the responsibility of raising kids to address fear. Jiu Jitsu, the Brazilian martial arts, gave me confidence. While most kids start at the age of four or five, my child is starting at three. I want to give him the gift of self-confidence. Knowing you can defend yourself in any situation becomes a skill that will actually make you a more peaceful person.
It provides confidence without even fighting. It's anti-bullying and allows any kid to know how to position themselves and face a challenge.
Overcoming fear to tackle life's challenges comes with a mindset that develops with each new encounter. Knowing that failure and perseverance are part of the picture can help kids inside school expand past their fears to a world filled with opportunity. Like most things worthwhile, it often starts with small steps that lead to greater exploration.
Going to extremes may not be the answer for a vast majority, but for some, it provides the adrenaline that sparks the knowledge. For Piquet, the slightest hint of fear has him sniffing out opportunities to bend the realities of playing it safe to lean more vigorously into all pursuits.
Ultimately, Piquet uses his fear to expose opportunities for learning that not only enhance his life but the lives of those around him.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
