For two decades, Martina Sgarbi worked with numbers. With a degree in accounting, she built a career as a financial executive for a chain of stores and followed a professional path far removed from food production.
Today, however, her routine is different: she produces artisanal cheeses, receives tourists on a property surrounded by Atlantic Forest and runs a cheese factory that earns around R$500,000 per year.
The entrepreneur invested around R$200,000 to transform the family farm, on the banks of a dam in the capital of São Paulo, into the business headquarters. It is there that she produces, practically alone, nine types of artisanal cheese, with the support of three employees.
From numbers to cheeses
Martina never planned to work with artisanal production. The choice for accounting was rational.
"I always liked numbers. During my academic training I could have chosen administration or accounting. I said this: an accountant can be an administrator, but an administrator cannot be an accountant. And then I went into accounting", he says.
Cheeses entered history years later, following a personal change.
"It was a dietary change, really, a health change. I was stressed and eating poorly. You know when you say: guys, I can't afford to buy medicine at the pharmacy anymore? I received the medicine, it's going to be my food", she says.
What started as a hobby came about in an unpretentious way. Martina used the barbecue on her father's farm to carry out her first experiments and distribute the products to family and friends.
“I played at making cheese”, he remembers.
The turning point came when she decided to submit one of the products to an industry award.
The initial objective was just to obtain a technical assessment. But the cheese won a bronze medal and served as market validation.
"That's when I submitted the cheese for the award. It won the bronze medal. I just wanted to know the feedback from the judges. So I said: if the world of cheese is calling me. And I decided to create a business plan", he says.
Before opening the company, the entrepreneur invested in specialization and took courses abroad to deepen her knowledge of artisanal production.
Regulatory barriers changed the project
The initial plan was to create an urban cheese factory in the city of São Paulo, but legislation forced a change in strategy.
Martina set up production in Boituva, in the interior of São Paulo, and faced commercial limitations until she obtained the Selo Arte, a certification that recognizes artisanal products.
"I went to the Ministry of Agriculture to prove that I was artisanal and got the Art Seal. Then I was able to sell all over Brazil", he says.
The certification allowed us to expand the consumer market and consolidate the business.
Although she has the capacity to produce more, Martina limits production to around 300 kilos of cheese per month.
The decision is linked to the business model adopted, focused on artisanal production and valuing the process.
"I like to get my hands dirty. I say it's my therapy to make my cheeses. So don't increase the scale", he says.
Furthermore, the entrepreneur is betting on a local production chain. The milk used in manufacturing comes from neighboring properties.
"I buy it here from my neighbor. He has an income. I give the remaining serum to the city hall. The city hall turns it into natural biofertilizer so the grass grows, the fruits continue and the Atlantic Forest doesn't die", he explains.
After adapting production to the laws in Boituva, it was awarded the Art Seal. Monthly production is limited by choice to 300 kilos.
Tourism and tasting doubled revenue
More than selling cheese, Martina started to sell an experience. Visitors arrive at the property by appointment, participate in a class on artisanal production and end the tour with a tasting.
The experience welcomes up to 25 people at a time. The boat trip costs R$80 and the tasting costs R$250 per participant.
According to the businesswoman, the strategy transformed the financial results.
"There is no advertising. The advertising is me speaking. They enter the cheese factory, I show them. I show them what is natural", he states.
“Doubled”, she responds when asked about the effect of the tourist experience on revenue.
Entrepreneurship required more than technical knowledge
Despite her corporate experience, Martina states that the biggest difficulty was not in the numbers.
"Psychology comes in a lot, your thinking comes in a lot. Your courage comes into this a lot. It's not just what you learned, your professionalism", he says.
Seven years after starting her entrepreneurial journey, she says that mistakes have turned into learning.
"You make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. There is no such thing as 100% success. Sometimes I think that mistakes are meant to show you which path you have to follow. Maybe you change your route a little, but you can't give up."
