House Voices: Patrícia Lemos

For this edition, we interviewed the master of hospitality. The problem solver of the afflictions that threaten everyone's Maslow Pyramid: Patrícia Lemos.


LL: Is there any memory from your childhood that you feel connected you to the more human side of things?

PL: I don't know, let me think. I am very close to my family. Maybe that's why I like people so much. I'm very caring towards everyone. It may not seem like it, but I'm very caring and I think I care too much about people. Sometimes I even forget about myself a little, but I'm aware of that - that I look out for others a lot and I've always been like that since I was little.
 

LL: How did Livraria Lello come into your life?

PL: I finished my degree (Bachelor's in Management and Human Resources Development) in 2023, here at Lusófona in Porto, and at the time my director knew a former colleague who was looking for someone for an internship. She recommended me and I ended up coming here and never left.
 

LL: But was it your first professional experience?

PL: In Human Resources, yes — I had several others, but not in this area.

LL: What has been the most special moment you've experienced at the bookshop so far?

PL: There have been so many things, let me see... I'm not going to talk about galas or anything, that's basic. So, the best moment, I don't know...

LL: Don't tell me it was the inventory.

PL: Moving was really funny. I'm still traumatised to this day. I didn't like leaving the old offices, but I think it had a lot of symbolism. As it was my first professional experience in the field, it was my first office. So I think when we left there it was a really cool moment, especially breaking down the wall. I loved it.

LL: I thought that part was missing.

PL: I loved it. It's up to you to get this right. But you have to leave my words in to be genuine.

LL: What can't someone working in Human Resources ever be without, especially in a place like this?

PL: I think they have to be someone that's... I wanted to say resourceful, but... they have to be a versatile person, because if they're not versatile, they won't be able to do it. They have to be aware and understand that they have to adapt to both the office and the shop, which is sometimes difficult. I think that's mainly it.

LL: Dealing with people is as challenging as it is rewarding. What inspires you most in what you do?

PL: I know everyone likes it, but I like to see the results happen. Especially now, it has been very difficult to work, for example, with recruitment, and I think that, from the outside, people have some idea, but they don't realise how difficult it is to find someone for a position. So when we find someone, when that person stays for a while and really adapts to the company and is happy, I think that's the most rewarding part.

LL: If you could sit down at a table with anyone (living or dead), who would it be?

PL: This is very much based on my personal tastes, you have to accept that. If I were to sit down with someone, it would be with a singer, Feid. I love him. He's awful, isn't he? But his songs are beautiful, they're fantastic, and I think that's why. I think I'd like to have dinner with him, I like his vibe.

LL: I was going to ask you which book had the biggest impact on you and why, but I can change it to music. Is there a song that has had the biggest impact on you?

PL: I love this song, El Barco, by Karol G. Because it talks about life's journey and how life is like being on a boat. In this song, she analyses her life and explains that sometimes there are more difficult situations and sometimes easier ones. And I think the song is really cute.

LL: If your life were a book, what would the title be?

PL: I think I should have a book called The Chronicles of Patrícia.

LL: Would you tell stories about your daily life?

PL: Exactly, I should have The Chronicles of Patricia so I could tell about all my days. Every day is a different adventure. My life is super interesting. The Chronicles of Patricia, I think everyone would enjoy reading it.

LL: What was the most unusual moment — if you can tell, of course — here?

PL: There was one that, to this day, I'm still traumatised by: the uniforms. It was 11 January 2024. And the uniforms that were supposed to be worn on 13 January weren't ready. They arrived at the end of that same day. People started trying them on and none of the uniforms fit, and we had one day to get the right uniforms for the anniversary.

So, it was total panic. It was funny. Now it's funny, very funny, but at the time it was panic because when I say they didn't fit, I'm talking about, for example, trousers not fitting, waistcoats not closing, and there was no more fabric. Then we went to the workshop with everyone, it was a very cool experience. For some people, they had to stretch the fabric as much as possible, leaving the garment without a seam in the middle because there wasn't enough. And even then, we had to have other uniforms made because none of them fit.

LL: But were there uniforms on the anniversary?

PL: There were uniforms, God only knows how, but there were. We worked late into the night to get the uniforms ready.