Laura Sardescu, Founder of Neakaisa.ro: “Authentic Leadership Begins with Vulnerability and Is Built as a Team”

Interview with Laura Sardescu, founder of Neakaisa.ro – on vulnerable leadership, balance, burnout, and how to build a meaningful business with human impact.

Laura Sardescu is an entrepreneur, coach, and the founder of Neakaisa.ro, an e-commerce business specialized in interior design, which she has been leading for over 10 years. She’s a leader who combines strategic vision with authentic vulnerability, and she believes that business can be a space for growth — not just for numbers, but for people too.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Laura Sardescu: A pragmatic dreamer – I love growing ideas in Excel and people in real conversations.

C&B: Looking back at your personal growth journey, what were the key moments that defined you?
Laura Sardescu: The first defining moment was when I decided to turn my frustration as a customer into a real solution – and that’s how Neakaisa.ro was born. The second was when I chose to let go of complete control and build an autonomous team. And perhaps the most important – after experiencing burnout, I learned that healthy boundaries are superpowers, not weaknesses.

C&B: Speaking of moments, what has been the most difficult one so far in your journey, and how did you overcome it?
Laura Sardescu: Burnout. For months, I was completely disconnected from anything related to work. I had to take off the “do-it-all” entrepreneur armor and learn to ask for help. It was painful but transformative. I overcame that period not through force, but through kindness.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, no matter the obstacles?
Laura Sardescu: Yes, I’ve always had a dream that has stayed with me beyond strategies, targets, or tough times: to create a space — whether we’re talking about a team, a business, or relationships — where people can show up whole, not just in their roles. A space where performance isn’t separated from care, where we can ask hard questions without fear, and be authentic even when it’s uncomfortable.
This dream guided me even when the market seemed to demand the opposite: to go faster, harder, do more. It helped me choose not just what’s efficient, but what’s sustainable. Not just what sells, but what matters.
And I believe this consistency — of putting the human aspect at the center — has been the red thread running through all the decisions that truly mattered in the long run.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed over time?
Laura Sardescu: At the beginning, I was a high-energy but fearful entrepreneur. I wanted to prove that I deserved my place in the business world, that I could build something meaningful from scratch, even without investors or extensive experience. I was a one-woman show: doing marketing, taking orders, packing boxes, negotiating with suppliers, and learning every day from mistakes.
Looking back, I think I was a mix of courage and perfectionism, constantly seeking validation through results.
Today, things look a bit different. I no longer chase “doing everything right,” but rather “doing what matters with meaning and balance.”
I’ve learned to delegate, to trust, to give my team space to grow, and most importantly, not to define myself solely through the business. I’ve reconnected with myself. Now I’m a person no longer driven by the need to please everyone, but embracing a rounder, kinder, and more coherent form of leadership and presence.

C&B: If we were to meet with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Laura Sardescu: Probably each person would say something different — and that makes me happy because I try to connect authentically with each individual, not just “manage” a team. Those who have known me for a long time would say I’m demanding, that I don’t settle for superficiality, and that I always ask, “Why are we doing this, and what’s the purpose?” The newer ones might mention my patience and the way I create space for reflection and dialogue.
I’m the kind of leader who challenges but also supports. I believe people don’t come to work just to deliver tasks but to find meaning, trust, and belonging.
I think they would also say I’m engaged, that I don’t hide in my office when things get tough, and that I sense things beyond the data. And maybe that sometimes I come up with too many ideas — but I always listen to theirs too.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Laura Sardescu: Letting go of the idea that I have to do everything myself. That was a turning point. In the early years of the business, I believed that if I didn’t control every detail, something essential would be lost. But that “control” became a form of self-sabotage: I got exhausted, processes became rigid, and without realizing it, I blocked the team’s potential.
The decision to build a team with real ownership — where people make decisions, make mistakes, and learn — was hard to make. Because it meant redefining my identity as a leader. But it was transformative. Not only for the business — which grew healthy and sustainable — but also for me as a person. It allowed me to breathe, take care of myself, explore coaching, and grow beyond KPIs.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural process or learned?
Laura Sardescu: I think it was a combination of instinct and conscious learning. At first, I made decisions by gut feeling — based on intuition and values I already had: honesty, efficiency, respect for people. But as the business grew, I realized intuition needed to be backed up by structure, strategy, and self-reflection.
I invested a lot in my personal development: I took courses, had mentors, trained as a team coach, and learned how to listen actively, how to ask questions, not just give answers. Today, my leadership style is deeply collaborative. I don’t make decisions in isolation but in conversation with the team. And I always ask myself: “What’s the long-term impact?”, “What are we learning from this?”, “How does this feel for people, not just for the business?”
For me, leadership is no longer about knowing everything, but knowing who to listen to and what questions to ask.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or your professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Laura Sardescu: In an industry often technical and product-focused, Neakaisa.ro came with a deeply human and aesthetic approach. We didn’t just want to sell faucets, bathtubs, or sanitary items — we wanted to contribute to the process by which a house becomes a home. We chose to translate specifications into stories, to put design and user experience at the center, to speak the language of the person, not just the plumber.
We are differentiated by commercial empathy: we understand the real needs of our customers and build around them, not around stock. We’re also differentiated by transparency — we grew without gimmicks, false discounts, or empty promises.
And perhaps most of all, we stand out because we care about our team as much as we care about the business. For me, a happy customer starts with a balanced employee.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?
Laura Sardescu: A typical day starts early, with quiet, a hot coffee, and a few pages of reading — it’s my anchoring ritual. Then I move into a continuous dance between strategy meetings, team sessions, data analysis, creative brainstorming, and sometimes one-on-one coaching with colleagues or students at EA.
But the most satisfying moments aren’t the “spectacular” ones. They are the small but deep ones — when someone on the team overcomes a fear and says “I did it,” when a client writes that their bathroom looks better than they imagined, or when I feel that a “no” said today creates space for a meaningful “yes” tomorrow.
I’ve learned to leave room for spontaneity, reflection, and breaks. I don’t believe in “perfect days” anymore, but I believe in days lived with intention.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Laura Sardescu: My core values are: authenticity, integrity, balance, and continuous evolution.
Authenticity means being myself in all roles — entrepreneur, mother, coach, leader — without wearing a mask depending on the context. This translates into transparent decisions, clear communication, and the ability to say “I don’t know yet” when needed.
Integrity means telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable, not sacrificing short-term values for numbers.
Balance is the compass that saved me from burnout: I seek it in my schedule, decisions, and organizational culture.
And continuous evolution — perhaps the strongest — makes me never settle for “good enough.” I like learning, testing, reflecting, and growing. Not from pressure, but from curiosity.
Every day, I apply my values in the way I listen, in strategic choices, in how I build relationships, and how I navigate between performance and humanity.

C&B: How did the idea to start this business and choose its name come about?
Laura Sardescu: As I said, the idea came from a personal frustration: I was searching and couldn’t find the products I needed, but especially the much-needed consulting. The market was dominated by cold websites, without stories, clear filters, or empathy for the end customer. And then I thought, “If I can’t find what I’m looking for, maybe I should create it.”
That’s how Neakaisa.ro appeared — first as a dream, then as an evening project, and finally as a real business.
The name? It was playful. I was looking for something that wouldn’t sound generic or “technical,” but not pretentious either. “Neakaisa” is an expression, it represents someone warm, friendly, and, not least, it’s easy to remember. It doesn’t directly say what you sell, but it creates a feeling. And that’s what I wanted: not just to sell products, but to create a mood. An energy. A relationship.

C&B: If you could send a message to people who follow your example, what would it be?
Laura Sardescu: Don’t be afraid of mistakes — be afraid of living a life according to rules that don’t belong to you. Entrepreneurship isn’t about always succeeding, but about continuously learning. And about staying true to your own voice, even when it seems like the world is shouting something else.