They left prominent careers – one as an international model and the other in a major multinational company – to pursue the dream of entrepreneurship. In 2021, Paula Kodama and Aline Kalinoski decided to found a marketing agency, Nowa, with a clear purpose: to boost the outcomes of freelancers and small businesses.
In practice, they help their clients stand out and achieve a competitive image in the market, especially through social media-focused marketing. With focus and meticulous preparation, they not only launched a business but also embarked on a personal empowerment mission, turning ambitious goals into tangible reality.
The agency is based in Curitiba but serves clients in various parts of Brazil and has already carried out projects abroad. “We have also completed a project in New York,” the partners say. The client portfolio includes professionals like doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, and small businesses in the service, product, and even industrial sectors. As a result of this work, Nowa saw a 230% revenue growth from 2022 to 2023.
Now they want to go further. They also wish to expand the range of services offered by the agency. Currently, Nowa Marketing manages social media (digital social media management), branding and visual identity (brand creation and strengthening), photo and video production, internet traffic management, landing page (web page design and development), and consulting. The goal is to start offering training services to female entrepreneurs for their business management. ‘We realize that often there is a lack of this training, it is one of the main pain points,’ points out Paula. ‘We want to expand Nowa Marketing into this educational management aspect,’ reinforces Aline. The partners have a strong personal mission to promote female entrepreneurship in the country.
The duo of partners realizes that many entrepreneurs, in general, are experts in their fields of expertise. However, they do not learn how to be entrepreneurs in college and struggle with managing their businesses. ‘They do not know, for example, how to price [their product or service],’ explains Aline.
Journey
Before founding Nowa Marketing, Aline and Paula had different backgrounds and trajectories. Graduated in Business Administration and with specializations in Finance and Marketing, Aline worked for years in a multinational company, ExxonMobil. She started there as an intern, moved up in the company, but at a certain point, she felt the desire to further develop professionally.
Paula, who studied Interior Design, was a model for over ten years, between 2009 and 2020, doing various jobs in Asia. She ventured into entrepreneurship, developing her own bikini brand. She studied Branding at a college in London. She returned to Brazil in 2021 when she was introduced to Aline.
Aline was starting her career as a financial consultant. The contact with Paula was precisely to assist in marketing strategies. They both realized that demand was actually the demand of many people who aimed to undertake. ‘We identified a business opportunity,’ recalls Aline. And so, Nowa Marketing was born.
In addition to the agency’s growth, personally, they are also establishing themselves as references. They were even hired by Sebrae as influencers to speak at events focused on micro and small businesses. Last June, they had their first experience in that role. ‘We really want to promote female entrepreneurship,’ they emphasize.
