Ana Maria Ruiu is the Founder and Creative Owner of Savelli Communication, as well as an Associate Lecturer at SNSPA, where she shares her experience in strategic communication with students. Savelli Communication represents the culmination of her professional growth: an agency founded out of the desire to create an honest space where ideas have depth and brands take shape through strategies tailored to their unique identity.

C&B: You chose entrepreneurship at an age when many young people are still searching for their professional direction. How did it all begin?

Ana: It wasn’t a romantic decision, nor an impulsive one. I didn’t wake up one morning and decide I wanted to become an entrepreneur. I simply started building organically, beginning with myself and a continuous learning process across several advertising agencies. I wanted to understand the industry from the inside, to observe, make mistakes, and learn before claiming I was ready to build something of my own. So, I started with patience and consistency.

I’ve always wanted to focus on long-term results rather than immediate financial gains. I made choices that, from the outside, may have looked like compromises. I sacrificed a large part of my university years, constantly moving between the classroom and the office.

Looking back, I realize that my entrepreneurial journey began long before this business existed. I strengthened it with every decision to invest in myself, every project I accepted for the experience it offered, and every day I chose to get out of bed, even when I was tired, sad, or disappointed.

C&B: You built your business without investors or external financial support. What did that actually mean in practice?

Ana: It means that every step is taken with your own resources, and every mistake is paid for by you. I started with the savings from my previous salary, enough to cover the initial administrative expenses: setting up the company and everything required to run a business from day one.

When you have no investment and no safety net, you quickly learn to distinguish between what is spectacular and what is sustainable. As we all know, there are very good months and there are months when you ask yourself uncomfortable questions. Especially because there’s no one else to take responsibility for your decisions, and there’s no reset button. That’s exactly why you end up building with much more discipline, getting lost in spreadsheets over even the smallest costs.

I believe one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to respect money for what it truly represents: a client’s trust, the time invested in a project, and the responsibility you have toward the people who choose to work with you.

C&B: You started at a very young age. How can you earn the trust of clients who have much more experience?

Ana: At first, I thought I would have to compensate for my age by working twice as hard. Over time, I realized that beyond titles and company sizes, there are people who all want the same thing: someone who genuinely understands their challenges and whom they can trust to deliver solutions with professionalism, maturity, and consistency.

Of course, there were moments when I felt I was being judged through the lens of my age or because I am a woman. Sometimes, before people evaluate your skills, they evaluate your appearance. But I chose not to turn that into frustration; instead, I turned it into motivation. I realized that perceptions are the hardest to change through arguments and the easiest to change through results.

C&B: What is the biggest myth about becoming an entrepreneur before the age of 30?

Ana: The idea that success is built quickly and that enthusiasm can compensate for any lack of experience. In reality, enthusiasm is only the spark. It helps you take the first step, but discipline is what carries you through all the days when motivation is missing, results are delayed, and responsibilities keep growing.

C&B: Was there a moment when you felt your business had started to mature?

Ana: Yes. I felt that I was growing alongside the business, at the same pace, and many times it felt like we were holding each other’s hand. Whenever one of us needed to evolve, the other had no choice but to evolve as well.

In the beginning, Savelli was a reflection of my enthusiasm. Today, it is a reflection of my values. It has grown with every client who placed their trust in me, every mistake that taught me humility, and every achievement that taught me gratitude.

At first, I believed I was the one guiding the business. Now I realize it was the business that guided me. It taught me patience when I wanted immediate results, balance when I demanded too much from myself, and confidence when I questioned my own decisions.

I believe a business matures when it begins to resemble the person building it. And I hope that years from now, people will find in Savelli the same qualities I strive to cultivate within myself: kindness, professionalism, respect, and genuine care.

I think the greatest gift entrepreneurship has given me is the privilege of growing alongside it. And if today I feel that both of us are stronger, it’s because neither of us has ever moved forward without the other.

C&B: Alongside entrepreneurship, you also work in academia. How do these two worlds complement each other?

Ana: To me, they aren’t two different worlds. The university challenges me to remain curious and keep asking questions, while business challenges me to find the answers. At the same time, my practical experience allows me to bring real-life examples into the classroom, not just theory. I believe these two roles balance each other and help me see communication from both an academic and a practical perspective.

One of the most valuable educational initiatives I’ve organized at the university is Pitch Lab, a creative project born from the desire to bring students closer to the reality of the communication industry. The project gave 70 students the opportunity to work on real briefs provided directly by brands such as Lavazza, Gradena, Expert Cosmetics, and Gerlinéa. Throughout an entire semester, we worked together as one team, discovering what meaningful insights, the right influencers, consumer barriers, and coherent campaign development truly mean. The students presented their ideas to industry professionals and received practical feedback, but I believe the real value was in the process itself: every student was heard, encouraged, and appreciated. I strongly believe that real learning happens in a safe environment where ideas gain the confidence to grow. Pitch Lab is not just an academic exercise; it is a space where we build confidence, competence, and the future of a new generation.

C&B: What would you say to a young person who dreams of building their own company?

Ana: I would love for them to understand that they are not competing with anyone. Each of us starts from a different place, with different resources, different fears, and different lessons to learn. One thing I often tell my students is that the only difference between them and older professionals is that the Earth has simply completed more rotations for those who are older. They have had more time to make mistakes, learn, and get back up.

I also hope they never lose their sensitivity in an attempt to appear strong. Business conversations often revolve around results, numbers, and performance, but behind all of those are people. We are all sensitive, vulnerable, and much deeper than we usually allow others to see. It is precisely this side of us that enables us to build genuine relationships, practice empathy, understand other people’s needs, and make decisions guided by values.

I like to believe that each of us has an inner spark: curiosity, kindness, the desire to do good, the ability to be moved. In the pursuit of performance, the greatest risk is allowing that spark to fade. True success is keeping it alive, no matter how far we go, because it reminds us that before we are entrepreneurs, managers, or leaders, we are human beings and there is something truly beautiful about that.

Entrepreneurship is about far more than numbers, strategy and performance. It is about having the courage to build patiently, learning from every challenge and staying true to your values. Ana Maria Ruiu’s story shows that lasting success is built through discipline, authenticity and trust earned one step at a time.

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