Rodrigo Terpins

Study hard. Keep yourself up to date to what’s going on in the world.

 

Rodrigo Terpins is a popular and well known Brazilian rally car driver. He is both a member and a rider in the prestiged Bull Sertoes rally team, along with his brother Michel Terpins. Both brothers compete in professional circuit racing. The Sertoes Rally is one of the most challenging and difficult circuits in all of Brazilian rally racing. It features various types of terrain – all difficult in their own right – that a two-man team must complete with the best time. Rallies are a complex sport that not only demands skill and calm under pressure, but also the ability to work as a team and have the kind of chemistry that allows the pair to work well together and maintain consistent chemistry.

Terpins and his partner managed to finish the first leg of the difficult race in about than 2 hours, which guaranteed at least a top ten finish, which was far greater than what had been expected as there had been questions about the configuration of the suspension of the rally car the pair were driving. The team managed the varied terrain of the 2,500-km, seven stage race, with skill and calm, ultimately finishing in 8th place out of 40 pairs of drivers. The pair placed in 3rd place within their category, the T1 prototype class.

Terpins has a family history in sports. As noted earlier, his brother is also a rally car driver and their father, Jack Terpins, was once a famous Brazilian basketball player who still plays a role in the sport, as well as being a highly successful businessman and entrepreneur. Rodrigo Terpins displayed an aptitude for sports and physical activity from a young age, in large part due to the important role sports played in his childhood, preparing him well for a career in the complex and difficult Brazilian rally circuit.

Where did the idea for Floresvale come from?

Floresvale was created from the idea and will of having a business involving environment and sustainability. In Brazil, a big part of the wood that is extracted from the nature has no certification. So, my partners and I wanted to have an ethically driven business that helped the environment and, at the same time, increased the supply by certified wood.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Very busy. I try to divide myself between the countryside and the city. I try to be connected 24/7 so I can use my commute time to keep the business going.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I discuss with my partners the most effective and inexpensive ways of investment return.

What’s one trend that excites you?

In the past few years, an environmental conscience began to be developed. People are increasingly worried about where the raw material for their furnitures come from. This behavior is increasingly natural and undoubtedly reflects on our business.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I try to keep myself connected and aware of what is happening all over the world, specially regarding consumer trends. That way I feel more agile in the answers and decision making.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Study hard. Keep yourself up to date to what’s going on in the world.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Again, we return to the need to be up to date to with the best practices in the market in which we operate, by analyzing the big players, the international market and our closest competitors.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Acquisitions. Instead of planting forests from scratch, we bought forests already planted which gave us a good starting point.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

We got this specific farm that wasn’t a good business. It took us a lot of energy and work. We are currently trying to sell it.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

My personal perception is that investing in cannabis is the business of the future. Both for recreational use and for the medicinal use. Science is advancing and investing more and more in research that only shows how much this business has to grow.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

An afternoon I spent with my son in the barber shop and then we went to get some World Cup stickers. Enjoying moments with your kids is priceless. They grow so fast!
If we are too busy thinking of work, we miss precious moments that will never come back.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

I personally use Waze a lot as I’m in constant commute. It helps me finding the best and fastest routes. Also, at Floresvale, we use Google Maps and Google Earth a lot in order to locate our forests.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind“. It’s a great way to get to know our origins as well as have a better understanding of our behavior through the scientific and the historical points of view.

What is your favorite quote?

“If you can dream it, you can do it.“- Walt Disney

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