Ana Barbosa, Co-CEO of Blessed Leaf - “[…]Blessed Leaf endeavours to take a 360-degree approach to the business[…]”

Exclusivity, discretion and confidentiality are core values underpinning the Blessed Leaf concept, which operates from a 360-degree business approach. Ana Barbosa, the company’s Co-CEO, spoke to Villas&Golfe about the project, which is already well established on the national and international scene, and which is preparing to launch Lusitano, a brand that promises to take luxury to its very pinnacle.

Ana, tell us how Blessed Leaf came about and what gap in the market you identified that led to the creation of this company.
Above all else, we saw a need in the market to do something different from what everyone else is doing. We operate in a luxury sector that is growing increasingly demanding and which, above all, values privacy and confidentiality. We have experienced this gap first-hand: as clients and consumers ourselves, we realised there was a great deal of exposure and a limited supply of truly discreet and private services. Blessed Leaf came into being as a business management firm in response to this need. As we were developing our business, we also came to realise that our network of contacts and the relationship of trust we had built with clients were naturally leading us into other areas. Blessed Leaf began with its roots in real estate, but we quickly realised it made sense to expand our portfolio and adopt a broader approach to the business. This is also how Blessed Leaf Art came into being, dedicated to the world of art and positioned within the same high-end, luxury and distinctive segment, working with works by important and renowned national and international artists. We subsequently also developed an area focused on commodities. We later developed a division specialising in commodities as well. Ultimately, Blessed Leaf endeavours to take a 360-degree approach to the business, always built on foundations of confidentiality, discretion, exclusivity and personalisation. We look for items that are not mass-produced on the market and aim to provide our clients and partners with a truly distinctive service. We consider each business transaction not as an isolated operation, but as part of an ongoing relationship.

How might you describe the brand concept? What are the different business areas that make up Blessed Leaf?
Blessed Leaf essentially operates in three main areas: real estate – through the luxury property segment – art, and business management, which takes a broader approach and also includes products and commodities. Although these are distinctly different areas, there is one principle that runs through them all: we operate in the luxury sector and always aim to do so with discretion and confidentiality. That is our founding principle. We have clients who come to us both to buy and to sell, and this is true across our various business areas. But often, the request goes far beyond a purchase or a sale. There are clients who come to us simply to have a particular asset managed or to find a solution that meets their needs at that particular moment. This is precisely where Blessed Leaf’s 360-degree approach comes into its own. If we are dealing with a work of art, our art department will take care of it; if it is a property, a plot of land or a hotel, our real estate department will handle the process. But these areas often overlap. A client might come to us to buy a house and, during that process, require art, interior design or other services. We are able to guide them through the entire journey, because these areas complement one another very naturally. This need arose long before Blessed Leaf was even created. Clients would often ask us: “Do you know anyone? Who do you trust to do the interior design for my home?” And that question carried great significance: they were putting their faith in us to recommend someone. It was this trust, built up over the course of our professional journey, that showed us there was room for a project based on this approach.

“Exclusivity, discretion, confidentiality and constant support are fundamental to us.”

Nowadays, wellbeing is a priority that wasn’t given much consideration before. What is Blessed Leaf’s interpretation of this concept, and how does it transform it into a tangible experience, combining exclusivity, personalisation and discretion?
Exclusivity, discretion, confidentiality and constant support are fundamental to us. Our aim is to build lasting relationships and offer a premium, personalised service, where each client finds the solution best suited to their needs. We often say that we practically provide a concierge service. In each of our areas of expertise, we look to understand what the client really needs and advise them in the best possible way. And this support doesn’t end once we’ve found a property or completed a particular transaction. A very good example is international clients coming to Portugal. They may purchase a property, but then need support with interior design, art or many other aspects related to their move. Sometimes, even before we find the house, there might be other priorities we need to address. If a family is moving to Portugal and has children, for example, it can be really important to know which are the best international schools and where they are located. This information might actually determine the area where it makes sense to look for a property. That’s why we don’t just show clients a property. We strive to understand the full picture and support the client with the various needs that arise throughout the process. We can provide consultancy services, legal support or research and analysis into different services, while always making use of the specialist staff and expertise available within our organisation. This is what we mean by a truly personalised service: being right there alongside the client not just at a specific moment, but throughout the entire journey.

What kind of client does Blessed Leaf attract?
First and foremost, a demanding client, because we are that too. If I had to choose just one word to describe them, it would be just that: demanding. They are demanding when it comes to confidentiality, which is increasingly difficult to guarantee in such a transparent world. They are clients who know what they want. They are well-informed, scrupulous and looking for an exclusive, distinctive and discreet form of luxury. They are looking for quality without fanfare and place value precisely on what is not mass-produced. We have different client profiles, of course, but our clients are primarily found within this demographic because we have this mutual affinity. We share the same values and the same view of luxury, exclusivity and the importance of discretion.

“[our clients] are clients who know what they want. They are well-informed, scrupulous and looking for an exclusive, distinctive and discreet form of luxury.”

What can we expect from Blessed Leaf in the near future?
Our intention is to be increasingly aware of market needs, innovation and the creation of new experiences. We want to provide added value and offer our clients products and experiences that are harder to get hold of, always within the same framework of exclusivity and excellence. We are constantly looking to further improve our work, gain a better understanding of what our clients are looking for, and to create new projects that meet those needs. One such project is Lusitano, which has been developed in partnership with another company and which perfectly represents this desire to innovate and create something different. Lusitano comes precisely from this vision of the future we have for Blessed Leaf: to keep innovating, doing things differently and bringing new ideas to the market, while always upholding the same values of exclusivity, quality and discretion. This is a new project from Blessed Leaf that will be unveiled to mark Villas&Golfe’s 25th anniversary. Lusitano will take luxury to its very pinnacle through products, services and experiences. One example is Mocuba, a cigar brand that will be showcased at the event. We will have representatives arriving from Equatorial Guinea to present the brand, tell its story and demonstrate the production process. Guests will have the opportunity to watch the pure cigars being made on site, learn more about the product and, of course, sample it. This is precisely what we are aiming to do: take a top-quality product and add another layer of experience to it. It is not simply a matter of supplying a luxury product, rather it is about creating a whole context around it, making it more exclusive, more memorable and harder to find elsewhere.

«Lusitano will take luxury to its very pinnacle[...]»

LUSITANO: LUXURY AS AN EXPERIENCE
Among Blessed Leaf’s new projects is Lusitano, a brand developed in partnership with another company that reflects a forward-looking vision rooted in innovation and the creation of distinctive offerings. It will be unveiled as part of the celebration of Villas&Golfe’s 25th anniversary, introducing an approach to luxury that brings together products, services and experiences, always guided by the values of exclusivity, quality and discretion.
One example will be the presence of MOKUBA, a cigar brand from Equatorial Guinea, which will share its history and artisanal production process, allowing guests to witness the making of the cigars and savour them.
More than simply offering exceptional products, Lusitano aims to create exclusive and memorable experiences around them, adding a sensory dimension to luxury that is difficult to find elsewhere.

Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Ana Nogueira