by Sara Vicente Barreto
This is the blog for Make Space for Growth. Here you will find topics around business growth and leadership, personal growth and family as well as growth in your community.
What if “good enough” was the smartest, bravest choice you could make? I used to believe perfection was the goal. But leading through constraint—at work and in the charity—taught me that doing fewer things, better, might just be the way forward.
In this light-hearted episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto shares how a Chinese-language book about robots turned into an unexpected evening of discovery, curiosity, and bonding with her son. Using ChatGPT’s Lens and Voice Mode, Sara was able to translate, explore, and learn alongside her child—culminating in fun facts, a quiz, and a bedtime story. A beautiful example of how AI can bridge gaps, fuel exploration, and make tech a tool for connection.
What can Roger Federer’s Dartmouth speech teach us about life, parenting, and sports? A journey through tennis courts, childhood failures, and parenting moments—where losing a point is just part of showing up.
In this episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto explores how AI—this time Gemini, not ChatGPT—became her partner in curiosity. After finishing the book May Contain Lies, Sara turned to AI to help her not only summarize the content but to push further: turning highlights into checklists, generating follow-up reading lists, and even mapping resources for her upcoming critical thinking workshop. What started as a recap turned into a full research trail—layered, tailored, and thought-provoking. A perfect episode for curious minds, readers, and anyone building learning tools with AI.
Before you rush into Q2, take a breath. In this post, I share how I review each month and quarter with purpose—what it looks like, why it matters, and how it changed the way I see progress.
In this episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI transformed a surprise campervan trip to Serra da Estrela into an immersive, engaging, and culturally rich experience. From helping her choose the destination, planning logistics, and surfacing hidden murals to turning a simple walk into a storytelling adventure for her kids, AI proved to be the ultimate travel companion. Whether you’re looking for ways AI can enhance your trips or curious about how it can uncover cultural gems and history on the go, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration for your next journey.
Sales is often seen as a necessary evil—but what if we changed the narrative? In this blog, I share my personal journey with sales and how entrepreneurs can turn fear into fuel and purpose.
From marketing at Coca-Cola to helping build Spotify in its early days, and now launching an AI-powered content marketing tool—Katia Yakovleva’s journey is a masterclass in execution. In this episode, she shares how ContentRadar.ai is revolutionizing content creation, the role of AI in marketing, and why execution matters more than just having a great idea.
Is ambition a double-edged sword? From entrepreneurs to politicians and corporate leaders, the perception of ambition varies. In this piece, I explore its true meaning and why it’s time to redefine it.
In this episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI transformed a surprise campervan trip to Serra da Estrela into an immersive, engaging, and culturally rich experience. From helping her choose the destination, planning logistics, and surfacing hidden murals to turning a simple walk into a storytelling adventure for her kids, AI proved to be the ultimate travel companion. Whether you’re looking for ways AI can enhance your trips or curious about how it can uncover cultural gems and history on the go, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration for your next journey.
Last week, I spoke with a client launching her business amid moves and legal hurdles, overflowing with creativity yet stalled by inaction. Our conversation reaffirmed that turning potential into progress depends on a trusted network of accountability partners. Accountability, rooted in ancient traditions, thrives in modern peer groups. Whether a like-minded friend, a business network, or an online community, these alliances truly transform efforts into collaborative progress using public commitment, regular feedback, and clear goals to bridge vision and achievement.
In this episode of Make Space for Growth, I sit down with Marta Palmeiro, co-founder of Student Finance, to discuss her journey from investment banking to impact-driven fintech. We dive into scaling a mission-driven business, embracing an AI-first mindset, and balancing profit with social impact.
Marta shares how she overcame the challenges of launching an innovative funding model for upskilling, her approach to leadership and flexibility, and why her word of the year is ‘Freedom’.
🎧 Listen now and join the conversation!
Metrics help steer the ship, but they shouldn’t drown you. Learn how to define meaningful KPIs, balance measurement with execution, and track success without getting lost in the numbers
In this episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI became her secret tool for transforming handwritten notes into structured, actionable content. From meeting notes to book summaries, she discusses how AI helped her transcribe, organize, and refine her ideas—turning scattered thoughts into structured insights.
Sara dives into real-life experiments, using AI to:
If you’ve ever stared at pages of notes, wondering what to do with them, this episode is for you. Tune in to discover how AI can help bring clarity, efficiency, and structure to your notes—saving hours of work!
🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform!
Vision Boards vs. SMART Goals—why choose? In my latest blog, I share how I use both to fuel personal growth, shape meaningful goals, and create a structured action plan.
