We’ve all met people with stories that captivate and leave a mark on our perception of success. South Africa-born Tony De Gouveia is one such individual. A seasoned entrepreneur with decades of experience, De Gouveia’s journey involves transitioning from a traditional retail career to becoming a disruptor in the network marketing space. His is more than a feel-good story about a self-made man in a competitive industry; it’s a testament to the power of investing from within, embracing servant leadership and forging a path of success marked by humility and mentorship.
Born to a Portuguese family in South Africa, De Gouveia’s journey was far from privileged. His story began with hard work at a young age, balancing school while working at a family café. When the time came for college, his dad convinced him to become a chartered accountant, but De Gouveia soon discovered he wasn’t cut out to be a number cruncher. His heart wasn’t in his desk-bound life; he craved interaction with people.
Returning to his roots, De Gouveia says he entered the family business at 22. Soon after, he joined forces with nine other budding Portuguese entrepreneurs and co-founded a buying group. This venture grew into the well-known brand, RightValue, later acquired by Pick and Pay.
Over the next two decades, De Gouveia immersed himself in the retail industry, managing multiple Pick and Pay outlets, SPAR retail outlets, and Blockbusters. However, as the market landscape shifted, so did his perspective. De Gouveia changed track at 40 when he took a sabbatical and decided to explore new horizons. That’s how he arrived in the network marketing space in 2010.
Despite his experience with traditional commerce, moving into the online business world was a daunting experience for De Gouveia as he realized that network marketing required skills that were about building a team rather than giving orders. “In network marketing, nobody works for you,” De Gouveia reflects. “You have a volunteer army that goes with you to the battlefield.”
That discovery forced De Gouveia to shed the mindset of being the “superstar” and embrace a different leadership style: Servant Leadership. This transformative process involved trial and error, attending seminars and developing the ability to influence others positively. However, he finally cracked it and made it a cornerstone of his business model.
“I had to learn to become a softer, more humble and compassionate leader,” De Gouveia explains. “It’s about helping others, empowering them and not doing things for them but with them.” The shift in his leadership style enabled him to create a strong team of 100,000 people by 2018, a testament to the effectiveness of his leadership approach. The ultimate goal is to help the team achieve a seven-figure monthly income in the dollar-based industry, which De Gouveia believes requires finding and nurturing leaders who share his vision of freedom and success.
De Gouveia has branded his approach to network marketing as The Ultimate Business, or TUB, focusing on freedom of choice, time, and income. His journey serves as a reminder that success in this industry comes from investing in people and empowering them to become the best versions of themselves. He says he aims to help thousands achieve the same level of freedom and success he found in network marketing.
