Why I Believe in Superman: Atiba de Souza
I haven’t given my friend Atiba de Souza as much love as I could have over the years. His company bio calls him “CEO & Superman.” He’s been Superman to me, too.
The credit goes to John Jonas
Years ago, Atiba told me about hiring virtual assistants from the Philippines. He gave me credit for showing him that path.
The funny part is that John Jonas, the creator, built the OnlineJobs.ph hiring platform. John deserves the credit for making those connections possible.
I remember sending Atiba’s story to John. John shared it, and I sent it back to Atiba saying, “Look.”
There we were, passing the story around and giving each other credit.
You can see that spirit in John’s article about Atiba. In the 2023 video, Atiba credits my advice about hiring great people around the world. Before he finishes, he thanks John for building OnlineJobs.ph, too.
OnlineJobs.ph published this conversation with Atiba. He explains what his team’s work means to their families and thanks the people who helped him.
Atiba remembers who helped him. Then he uses what he learned to help someone else.
A refrigerator and school for the family
When Atiba talks about his Filipino team, he talks about their families.
In that same video, he describes team members helping relatives go to school, buying a refrigerator, and moving into a better home. These are the changes he says he has seen through their work together.
A refrigerator. School for someone in the family. Think about what those things mean in a household.
I care about helping people get paid for useful work. So when Atiba tells those stories, I pay attention. He sees the people doing the work, and he wants them to grow.
Our years of conversations
I’ve been on Atiba’s podcast. I’ve interviewed him, and he’s interviewed me. We’ve met around the world and spent time together at Traffic & Conversion Summit, which we usually call T&C.
That friendship has grown through years of conversations. We get to trade ideas and see what the other person does with them.
In the Build Your Team interview below, Atiba and I talk about hiring and managing international workers. It gives you a full conversation with both of us, beyond a short clip or a headline.
I’ve written about building relationships one at a time. Atiba is someone I’ve shared that time with, over and over.
As I thank Atiba, I’m also thanking Joshua Goh for Hypergrowth for bringing our T&C friends together in Singapore.
Indian food and cooking
Atiba has a lot of interests. Cooking is one of them. His Cooking With Atiba recipes range from sourdough bread to Caribbean dishes.
One of my memories with him is sharing Indian food. Those meals count, too. You get to spend time with your friend without making the whole conversation about work.
The interviews are worth watching. I also value the time we’ve spent together between them.
Thank you, Atiba
So, Atiba, thank you. For the conversations, the friendship, and the way you keep helping people while remembering who helped you.
I’ve written about the value of saying thank you. Here’s someone I want to thank by name.
If a friend came to mind while you read this, tell them what they’ve done for you. Name the thing you remember. And when you can, pass their help along.