Dive into our worlds - Brenda Barboni
"Yeah, sure, I'd love to."
That’s what I said when I was asked to lead content strategy for the B20 and G20 in South Africa.
Calm. Professional.
Inside, I was screaming with happiness. I couldn't believe it was actually happening.
But that's what life at Prosus has become for me, a series of moments that once felt impossible, now unfolding as my everyday reality.
When your dreams start to grow
My name is Brenda Barboni, and I’m a Social Media Strategist supporting Prosus executives, Fabricio Bloisi (CEO) and Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa (Executive Director).
I’m from Brazil, and for most of my life, my biggest dream was visiting Disney World in Orlando.
Not moving abroad.
Not working in English.
Not traveling the world representing executives at global summits.
Just… Disney.
When I finally made that dream come true, something shifted. It showed me that if I could achieve something I had dreamed about for so long, maybe I could aim bigger.
My world expanded. And so did my expectations of what might be possible.
So when the opportunity at Prosus came up, to leave Brazil, work in English, and join a global company, people asked what made me brave enough to say yes.
But for me, the real question was: how could I possibly say no?
The leap
Before Prosus, I had spent 10 years working in social media strategy in Brazil, most recently at iFood, part of the Prosus ecosystem.
Nearly a year and a half ago, I moved to Amsterdam and stepped into a completely new environment, building content strategies for global executives, in a different language, across different cultures.
I didn’t overthink it. I just went for it.
I applied everything I knew, in English, and wasn’t afraid to ask for help. And what I found was a team that supported me every step of the way.
Language was one challenge. Culture was another.
Working across countries means learning how people communicate, give feedback, and make decisions in very different ways. What feels direct in one culture can feel abrupt in another.
Through workshops and learning experiences, including sessions based on The Culture Map book, I started to better understand how to navigate those differences.
But the real growth came from learning how to stay confident in my own perspective while remaining open to others.
What the work really takes
Building content strategies for executives isn’t just about writing posts.
My role is to translate vision into narrative. Turning business priorities, leadership perspectives, and personality into a clear and consistent voice.
That means staying close to what’s happening across the company and in the world around us, identifying where our executives should show up, and shaping content that genuinely adds value.
But the most important skills aren’t technical, they’re human.
Empathy, to understand someone else’s voice.
Active listening, to truly hear what matters.
Emotional intelligence, to navigate nuance.
And discretion, to handle sensitive topics with care.
Creating content for a person is very different from creating content for a brand.
The moment that changed everything
Then came the B20 and G20.
I was responsible for coordinating the full content strategy across both events, managing content for two executives as well as the LinkedIn channels for Naspers and Prosus.
Six events in six days.
More than 20 posts across four channels.
All during one of the most important global gatherings of the year.
It was fast-paced, high-pressure, and incredibly exciting.
I worked closely with our South African team, engaged with policymakers and global leaders, and helped shape how our executives showed up during critical global conversations.
The results exceeded expectations.
But more importantly, it changed how I saw myself.
I realised I was capable of far more than I had imagined.
The power of ownership
What makes this kind of growth possible is trust.
I have a high level of ownership in my role. The executives I support trust my expertise, my judgment, and my strategy.
We align on goals together, and I have the autonomy to decide how to bring them to life.
That trust pushes me to grow. It motivates me to keep improving and to deliver work I’m proud of.
And while there are many ways to learn at Prosus, through workshops, courses, and global resources, what has made the biggest difference for me is the people.
Being part of a connected global ecosystem means I can learn from talented colleagues across the world, every day.
A world beyond borders
Travel has become part of my reality.
London, Paris, Johannesburg, Bangalore… Each place brings new perspectives, new conversations, and new ways of thinking.
But what has stayed with me most isn’t the locations. It's learning.
Growth doesn’t just happen in meetings or inside offices. It happens when you step into unfamiliar environments, listen more than you speak, and learn to adapt without losing who you are.
Close your eyes and dive in
Looking ahead, I’m excited about scaling what I’ve learned, using AI to help leaders and teams create high-quality content, and making these tools and strategies more accessible across the wider ecosystem.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
You will never feel completely ready.
So say yes anyway.
Close your eyes and jump, and then see what happens. Because if you don’t go, you’ll never know.
If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be simple: don’t give up.
The girl who once dreamed of Disney is now working across continents, shaping global conversations, and building the future of executive communications.
What once felt out of reach is now part of my everyday life.
All because I took the leap.
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If this story resonates with you, dive into our worlds and discover opportunities to become part of the Prosus team.
