In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews risk management specialist Gisele Lopez. Lopez shares a personal story of growing up in the countryside, working from age 16, funding her university education, and climbing the corporate ladder at firms like PwC and IBM while balancing motherhood. She emphasizes that risk management succeeds when every employee considers the risks inherent in their daily tasks, highlighting culture as the key driver. Lopez offers broader business advice to make work enjoyable for motivation, advises her younger self to understand people’s interests to foster collaboration, and defines happiness as a healthy mind‑body state. She cites the childhood book Poliana as her favorite, noting its lesson that focusing on the good attracts good outcomes. Lopez also shares a favorite quote from Women Who Run with the Wolves—“A woman must be able to stand in the face of power because ultimately some part of that power will become hers”—linking it to women’s leadership potential. The episode concludes with her LinkedIn profile (Giselle A. Barbosa Lopez) as the best way to connect.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Giselle Lopez with us. She's a risk management specialist, so welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me here, Tyler.
Of course. We'll dive in. The first question I have for you is, what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Well, Tyler Wagner Wagner, nothing in my life was given to me. I had to go and fight for it. I worked since I was 16 years old. I've had to leave the countryside so I could go to the university, and to pay for the university, I have to work a lot during the day to study at night. I had to fight to have a great job at PwC, IBM, and so on. But mostly now, after having my two kids, I'm still fighting, fighting to arrange the routine between my kids, husband, job, and home. And it's not a piece of cake equation. And all that taught the countryside little girl to never give up on her dreams. And if you get knocked out, stand up, review your path, and keep moving.
And what's the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
We see a lot of things about risk management, governance, and compliance, but the real deal is when everyone on their daily tasks think about the risks implied to what they are doing. And I believe that it's about culture at the end.
And what is your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily industry-specific.
Hmm. I would say try to get some fun doing your job. It may give you the motivation to go wherever you need to to get things done.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
It would be to, to see people from whom they are and what they are and what are they interested in. So we could join efforts to get what we believe.
And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
I see happiness as a state of mind. Try to keep your mind and your body healthy, and the other things in life is going to be a little bit easier.
And what is the best book that you've read, and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
Um, the best book was Poliana, It's a childhood book and the message was clear to me at that time as it is now. When you look for the bad expecting it, you will get it. When you know you will find the good, good things will happen. So I keep trying to always look for the good things.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
It's from the book "Women Who Run with the Wolves" from— it was written by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. It says, "A woman must be able to stand in the face of power because ultimately some part of that power will become hers." And that is because I believe women's leadership potential sometimes is shown in less conventional ways, like being responsive to clients' needs, for example, rather than boldly asserting a point of view. And sometimes it takes a powerful woman to recognize that potential, but powerful women are scared. So the quote is, "Stand in the face of power." Thank you so much for coming on.
The last question I have for you before we let you go is, where is the best place for people to find and/or connect with you online?
People can connect with me online at my LinkedIn profile. Giselle A. Barbosa Lopez.
Perfect. Thanks again for hopping on. We appreciate it.
Thank you. Thank you.
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