“I was the worst student in school. I hated studying. My dream was not to go to class.”
The phrase seems unlikely coming from a CEO who heads a company with almost 200 employees and constant growth above 30% per year. But this is how, with humor and a lot of honesty, Jeison Arenhart, founder and CEO of Forlogic, begins his story.
Born in Foz do Iguaçu and raised far from large cities, Jason says he never fit into the traditional teaching model and did not dream of being an entrepreneur. “Today, one of the things I like to do most is study. But as a child I always felt below average. My first 10 in life was only in college. That’s when I understood that I could create, invent and build things.”
The entrepreneur participated in the series From Zero to Top which has the support of , and will tell the stories of entrepreneurs who invested in transforming their business.
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Working is work
The turning point began in technology college, when he realized he was finally in the right place. From this curiosity, Forlogic was born, initially a small company incubated in the interior of Paraná. The beginning, according to him, was turbulent. “We started in a rented garage. I was six months behind on rent. But I never thought about giving up.”
Today, Forlogic is a reference in technology focused on quality management, with more than 800 customers in different sectors, from large industries to hospitals and logistics companies. The growth is solid, but Jason is keen to reinforce: “I don’t believe in companies that succeed in six months. I believe in work. Working is hard work. It seems obvious, but a lot of people try to skip that part,” says the CEO.
The businessman is known for his direct speech and for questioning the glamorization of entrepreneurship. “Entrepreneurship hurts and it’s about resisting. Every day you feel like giving up. The difference is that we don’t give up.”
For him, the secret lies in a simple and, at the same time, powerful philosophy: purpose before profit. “Profit is a condition, not a purpose. Profit is the lifeblood of the company. But the purpose is the soul.”
This mentality led him to consolidate Forlogic as a company with its own culture, focused on genuine relationships and sustainable growth. “At Forlogic, we prefer to invest in the relationship with the customer than in the fear of the competitor. If I deliver value, the customer stays. It’s that simple.”
Unhurried growth
With almost 200 employees and more than 800 customers, Forlogic has been growing at more than 30% per year for at least six years. Still, he says the pace is designed to be sustainable. For Jeison, the company grew because it put relationships above sales.
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“I don’t want to be the biggest. I want to be the best at what we do. If one day we are the biggest, great. But that’s not the goal.” Honesty remains firm when it comes to entrepreneurship.
“People want soap opera success: quick, painless. But entrepreneurship means exchanging the short term for the long term every single day. The focus has to be on the customer, not on the number. Purpose is what sustains a real company”, he concludes.
Among the CEO’s plans is the internationalization of the company, with the goal of reaching 20% of revenue outside Brazil in the coming years. But he reinforces that nothing that has been done so far applies completely in another country. “Everything is different out there. Product, process, culture. It’s like starting over. It’s uncomfortable, expensive, scary. But that’s how we grow”, reinforces Jeison.
Watch the full episode on the YouTube channel From Zero to Top or on the main podcast aggregators.
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To find out more details about the company’s history and learn about its strategy for the future, watch the full episode on . The program is available in its podcast version on the main streaming platforms such as , , , and
About From Zero to Top
The Do Zero ao Topo podcast is produced by InfoMoney and this edition, which is supported by XP Empresas, will tell the stories of entrepreneurs who invested in transforming their business.
