Richard Batista: From Textile Design to Psychology
Batista explains how physical injuries and the study of human behavior redefined his approach to marketing.
In an interview with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast, Richard Batista shares his career transition from textile design to psychology. He explains how physical injuries, ADHD, and a focus on human connections shaped his strategic approach to performance marketing.
In a conversation with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast, Richard Batista, Head of Performance & GTM at Camesa, discussed his professional journey, the transition from design to psychology, and the application of human behavior to business strategy.
Raised in rural São Paulo, Batista began his career in graphic and textile design. During this period, he developed licensed products for major global brands in the home textiles and bedding segment.
From Textile Design Creations to Physical Limitations
His career in design spanned over a decade and included projects for internationally recognized retail brands. "So, I worked for 12 years as a designer—textile designer, graphic designer—and I worked on Angry Birds, Disney, UFC, CBF, that entire creative side for the bed, table, and bath segment," Batista shares.
His career path shifted due to physical issues caused by repetitive strain in visual design work. Batista began experiencing tremors and hand injuries, signaling that remaining in hands-on design production would not be sustainable in the long term.
In the video above, Batista details realizing he needed to reposition his career and explains how exploring professional alternatives led him to reassess his core skills.
The Turning Point: Psychology and Marketing
While exploring a new field, Batista recalled a podcast interview featuring neuroscientist André Souza, who discussed the role of mental health professionals in tech companies like Google and Facebook. That account served as the catalyst for enrolling in a psychology degree program.
"So I decided to study Psychology, but with that specific focus in mind. Focused on working with human behavior, working with people, translating marketing—to understand that performance marketing wasn't just about numbers, but that I could incorporate human behavior," Batista says of his academic choice.
This integration of human behavior insights and marketing tools guided the development of his performance methodologies, shifting the focus from an exclusively quantitative approach to a human-centric model.
ADHD, Empathy, and Building a Legacy
Batista also addresses his ADHD diagnosis and his relationship with purely numerical analysis, highlighting how he turned cognitive traits into a methodology driven by empathy and interpersonal connection.
"So, basically, professionally, Richard is a guy who likes people, has ADHD, struggles with numbers, and manages to use empathy to understand others," explains Batista.
Beyond his corporate career, Batista emphasizes the importance of family relationships and building ventures like Quitanda de Negócios, co-founded with his business partner Marcos Visuti. "Our legacy—especially for those of us working with services rather than products—our legacy is our behavior," Batista concludes.