Adrian Cursaru is an entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Envi Group, a Romanian company specializing in HVAC-R solutions and energy efficiency. With more than two decades of experience in the installations and management industry, he has built his career around the belief that sustainable performance is based on competence, ethics, and the continuous development of people. Under his leadership, Envi Group has evolved into a trusted partner for complex projects in the commercial, industrial, and medical sectors, promoting innovative, sustainable, and energy-efficient solutions. Through his entrepreneurial vision, he creates long-term value for clients, partners, his team, and the community, demonstrating that a company’s success is measured not only by its results, but also by the positive impact it generates in society.

C&B: What is the mission you have committed to through your work?

Adrian: Through every project and solution we implement, we generate long-term value for our clients. We offer more than HVAC equipment, energy solutions, or software solutions; we offer trust, expertise, and real solutions that generate measurable results, efficiency, and reduced energy consumption, with a minimum lifespan of 10 years from the time of investment. We have implemented solutions at Tulcea, Baia Mare, and Timisoara Airports, as well as at shopping malls such as Moldova Mall and Arena Mall, for which we have provided warranties of at least 5 to 10 years, further strengthening the quality of the solutions implemented with us.

We continuously invest in technology, process optimization, people development, and relationships built on integrity, because true success is based on responsibility and respect for the client. We have created our own environment in which people can work efficiently and remain motivated with clarity through the Hubeez application, a solution available for any type of business that contains all the core functions of a business.

C&B: What is the most important problem you currently see in the field you operate in, and how do you think it can be solved?

Adrian: One of the greatest challenges is the lack of professionalism and ethics in certain segments of the market. We sometimes encounter incomplete or insufficiently substantiated technical documentation, as well as a shortage of specialists with practical experience. At the same time, finding reliable partners is becoming increasingly difficult.

The solution cannot come overnight. However, I believe that consistent investment in education, professional training, and the promotion of a culture based on responsibility and integrity will, over time, lead to a more mature market. I am optimistic that organizations and professionals who choose to remain committed to these values will make a decisive contribution to this change.

Another serious challenge is creating a system and convincing people that there is always another way to act, not just the simple, repetitive approach that has no real impact on personal growth and development. By creating this system, we constantly educate ourselves and become more efficient.

C&B: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned throughout your experience, and that you believe is worth passing on?

Adrian: The most important lesson is that people are a company’s most valuable asset. They can accelerate the development of a business, just as, if they do not share the same values and behaviors, they can slow its progress or even bring it down. Building a strong team is a continuous process that requires patience, trust, and ongoing investment in people. Over time, those who share the same vision and principles stay and build together.

C&B: If you had the opportunity to change one single thing in Romania, what would it be and why?

Adrian: I would change the relationship between entrepreneurs and the Romanian state. I would like to see an authentic partnership between the entrepreneurial environment and state institutions. Entrepreneurs constantly invest in education, people, technology, and economic development, and this effort should be supported through a predictable legislative framework, reduced bureaucracy, and public policies focused on development.

I believe Romania has extraordinary potential, and if the public and private sectors collaborated more effectively, the results would benefit society as a whole, creating real impact and a decent standard of living for all parties involved.

C&B: How can we work together to help people, companies, and communities develop more effectively?

Adrian: Education is undoubtedly the foundation of development. Throughout my more than 20 years of professional experience and entrepreneurial journey, I have participated in numerous courses and development programs. Some of them profoundly changed the way I think and had a direct impact on the results I achieved. This confirmed to me that investing in education produces the most valuable long-term effects.

Equally important is the courage to take action. I believe Romanians possess this quality, but in recent years we have become more cautious when faced with change and the assumption of risks. Every form of progress begins with action, while experience, success, and even mistakes become the best sources of learning.

Sustainable performance is built through a balance between technology, well-defined processes, and the continuous development of people. We place particular emphasis on making the way we work more efficient and creating an environment in which every member of the team has clarity, autonomy, and the motivation to perform, while the Hubeez platform developed by us is genuinely driving this measurable change.

In entrepreneurship, there are no universal recipes. Every field has its own challenges, and the most complex of them remains working with people. That is precisely why I believe success is built through continuous education, courage, responsibility, and the ability to constantly learn from every experience.

Through his entrepreneurial vision, Adrian Cursaru promotes a development model built around technology, energy efficiency, continuous education, and skilled people. His experience in the HVAC-R industry and management highlights the importance of sustainable solutions, efficient processes, and an organizational culture based on responsibility, integrity, and performance.

The post Adrian Cursaru, Founder & CEO of Envi Group: The vision behind a business built for performance and impact appeared first on careers-business.com.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence that would capture the attention of someone who doesn’t know you?

Gheorghe Piperea: I am less interested in capturing someone’s attention in the moment. What truly matters to me is being able to leave a lasting impression in people’s memory. I am deeply inspired by an ancient Egyptian saying: “Remember me, and I shall live.”

C&B: Looking back, what has been the common thread guiding your professional journey?

Gheorghe Piperea: To rise above my circumstances, to be able to carry, with humility, the burdens of those I care about. Never to forget the past, never to miss the present, and never to give up on the future.

C&B: What was a difficult moment or failure that truly changed you?

Gheorghe Piperea: At the beginning of the collective lawsuits against banks (2010), I lost a series of five injunction proceedings. It took more than two years before I eventually won the cases on their merits. (An injunction is an emergency legal procedure in which the judge only assesses the appearance of the case rather than the facts themselves—a mechanism intended for situations that cannot tolerate delay.)

At that time, many people lost what little trust they had in me (and, more broadly, in the courts), while those paid by the banks to demonize their opponents happily collected their money.

What went wrong? Probably my excessive confidence back then in the emotional impact that collective lawsuits could have.

More than ten years later, the Court of Justice of the European Union proved me right: those emergency procedures would actually have benefited the banks as well. The amounts banks eventually had to pay their clients, along with the wave of collective lawsuits that followed, would have been significantly smaller, and public trust in the banking system would not have evaporated.

How did that failure affect me? Everyone around me was discouraged and intimidated. I had no choice but to become even more determined. I became public enemy number one for the banks—and I still am today—but I defeated an army of tanks with nothing but a sword in my hand.

C&B: What is one courageous—or perhaps counterintuitive—decision that significantly shaped your career?

Gheorghe Piperea: My decision in 1998 to pursue a joint PhD at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the University of Bucharest. It took six years longer than I had expected, but it proved decisive both for my academic career and for my professional life.

In 2005, when I earned my doctorate in Paris, I also became an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bucharest. By the age of 39, in 2009, I was already a full professor and a PhD supervisor.

C&B: How have you changed over time as a leader and as a professional?

Gheorghe Piperea: I believe I have become more reserved, perhaps stricter, certainly more intimidating. Yet I have never wanted to stop being an ordinary person. That is why some people say things like, “Look at him—who does he think he is, criticizing Isărescu, wanting to bring Ursula down, telling us what the law is?” Perhaps, within their own bubble, nobody has that kind of courage.

The wrinkles on my forehead come from the constant pressure every Monday brings—the responsibility of providing work and livelihoods for a large number of people.

You know, it’s like the myth of Sisyphus: the gods condemned him to climb a mountain carrying an enormous boulder on his shoulders, only for it to roll back down every time he reached the summit, forcing him to begin again. Imagine that, sooner or later, all of us reach that summit and are condemned to start over with that same boulder on our backs. What do you think we would look like in an unedited photograph taken in those moments of astonishment followed by resignation?

C&B: What do you think the people who work closely with you say about you—beyond your public image?

Gheorghe Piperea: Some of the younger ones probably see me as rather intimidating at first, but they eventually get used to me. Those who have known me for a long time trust me—or at least I believe they do, judging by the way they behave.

As Gheorghe Hagi once said: “I wasn’t born simply to live; I was born to be a winner.” If there’s one thing I’d like the younger generation to learn from me, perhaps that’s it.

C&B: What genuinely sets you apart in the way you build or lead?

Gheorghe Piperea: I never make promises I don’t intend to keep, and I do not lie. I don’t choose only the tasks that are easy or virtually guaranteed to succeed. If I had done that, I would never have become a law professor, I would never have taken on collective lawsuits against banks, and I would never have become a Member of the European Parliament.

In my relationships with others—especially with friends and allies—I choose to trust first. It is true, however, that very few people who betray my trust ever become my friends or allies again.

The way I build or lead is neither a formula nor a model. I simply prefer to act more like an older brother than an authoritarian boss obsessed with control and afraid that someone might replace him.

The kind of competition I believe in is cooperative, a win-win approach, rather than a zero-sum game where one person’s gain means everyone else’s loss. I apply the same philosophy in my academic work, in teaching, and in politics as well.

C&B: How has today’s context—technology, AI, and the economy—changed the way you work?

Gheorghe Piperea: Other than the fact that I write by hand less and less—and with increasingly poor handwriting—it hasn’t changed me much at all. I see technology, including digital tools and AI, as just that: tools, nothing more. (Although I would say that AI could soon evolve from being a tool into becoming the master, but that’s a different discussion.)

The current context, including the economy, should not alter our condition as God’s creation—as free human beings made in His image and likeness. Nor should it make us less humble, more arrogant, or more inclined toward hedonism and cynicism.

The comfort I have enjoyed over the past 26 years, since becoming a lawyer with many collaborators and a certain level of public recognition, has not made me complacent or self-indulgent. I am exactly the same person I was in 1989, when I was serving in the military, witnessing the Revolution firsthand, and dreaming of… rotisserie chicken.

C&B: Is there a habit or routine that has significantly influenced your performance?

Gheorghe Piperea: Yes—unfortunately, I write on social media far too often.

Between 6:30 and 7:30 every morning, I have developed a real ritual: over a cup of coffee, which I drink alone because no one else at home wakes up that early, I write long—and often rather tedious—posts.

The positive side is that writing posts is a lot like playing chess. It trains your mind, disciplines your emotions, helps organize your days and weeks, and even brings a certain order—or disorder—to your business affairs.

C&B: What principles guide your most important decisions?

Gheorghe Piperea: Don’t be afraid of failure—be bold. Trust in God, but don’t forget to tie up your horse. Don’t let trolls discourage you, and don’t let praise intoxicate you. Never give up. Leave no one behind.

C&B: How do you see your field evolving over the next three to five years?

Gheorghe Piperea: I have only one real concern: that our profession—a profession that has accompanied ordinary people and society’s elites for thousands of years—might one day be abandoned in favor of artificial intelligence.

Yet in the medium and long term, the world will always need lawyers, because it will always need justice and the rule of law as the foundation and safeguard of social peace.

C&B: What role do you intend to play in that evolution?

Gheorghe Piperea: I will remain the professor and lawyer I have always been, but also a voice—hopefully not one crying in the wilderness—against the dangers of technological totalitarianism and social polarization, which inevitably leads to war. Humanity never seems to learn from history, and that is why it remains condemned to repeat it.

C&B: What genuine advice would you give to someone who wants to build something meaningful today?

Gheorghe Piperea: Always seek the meaning of life in the world around you. Stay grounded in your own time and your own people. Don’t waste too much energy trying to attract attention or satisfy your immediate physical needs. Instead, strive to live in the memory of those you care about, and you will find favor in the eyes of God.

C&B: What is an uncomfortable truth about your field that very few people are willing to say out loud?

Gheorghe Piperea: Money is the devil’s eye. It is the price of injustice and of the Faustian bargain—especially within the justice system. Too often, people today forget that the most valuable things in life cannot be bought at any price.

This interview with Gheorghe Piperea provides valuable insights into leadership, the legal profession, entrepreneurship, decision-making and the impact of artificial intelligence on the future. From collective lawsuits against banks and career-defining challenges to education, values and social responsibility, the conversation offers practical lessons for entrepreneurs, business leaders, legal professionals and anyone interested in the future of business, law and society.

The post Gheorghe Piperea on leadership, justice and Artificial Intelligence: “Don’t be afraid of failure—be bold.” appeared first on careers-business.com.

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.

The post Ana Maria Ruiu on entrepreneurship without a safety net: Lessons from building a business before turning 30 appeared first on careers-business.com.

Carmen Mihalache began her career in recruitment at the largest real estate company in northern Bucharest, North Bucharest Investments, and currently owns PRO HR, her own recruitment company. Her greatest mentor and leader is Vlad Musteata, whose dedication and professionalism gave her the courage to start her own company and strive for more. It takes courage and the desire to aim higher.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence that would capture the attention of someone who doesn’t know you?

Carmen: A problem solver.

C&B: Looking back, what has been the “common thread” guiding your professional journey?

Carmen: Looking back, the common thread throughout my professional journey has been the desire to build trusting relationships and generate results through impactful projects. Regardless of the role or industry, I have consistently focused on identifying opportunities, finding the right candidates, developing partnerships, and turning challenges into practical solutions.

One defining moment was choosing to get involved in projects that required direct interaction with partners and clients, a decision that strengthened my communication, negotiation, and business development skills.

The second key moment was taking on responsibilities in large-scale projects, where I understood the importance of collaboration, efficient coordination, and a results-oriented approach. This experience confirmed that sustainable performance is built through consistency, adaptability, and strong relationships.

What has remained constant throughout all my choices is the desire to keep learning, create value for the organizations and people I work with, and contribute to the development of meaningful projects based on professionalism, trust, and a long-term vision.

C&B: What was a difficult moment or a failure that truly changed you?

Carmen: One of the moments that truly changed me was managing a period in which an important project did not develop as expected, despite the team’s dedication and hard work. It was an experience that forced me out of my comfort zone and helped me understand that success depends not only on competence and effort, but also on context, timing, and the ability to adapt.

C&B: What is a bold (or counterintuitive) decision that significantly influenced your career path?

Carmen: One of the boldest decisions I made was choosing projects with long-term development potential instead of opportunities that offered immediate benefits but limited future prospects. It was a counterintuitive decision because it involved greater responsibility, a higher degree of uncertainty, and results that would only become visible over time.

I carefully assessed the risks—from taking on ambitious goals to the possibility that the investment of time and resources might not produce immediate results. At the same time, I rejected the alternative of a comfortable but predictable career path because I believe that real growth happens when you choose challenges that expand your skills and perspective.

The result was accelerated professional growth, the strengthening of valuable partnerships, and involvement in impactful projects that gave me the opportunity to contribute strategically while developing both my leadership skills and my ability to make decisions in a dynamic environment. This experience confirmed that the most important opportunities often arise from decisions that require courage and confidence in your own vision.

C&B: How have you changed over time as a leader and professional?

Carmen: My transformation as a leader came when I learned to understand that we are all different, that everyone has their own potential and limitations—whether they choose to overcome them or not—and to accept other people’s limitations or even their lack of desire to strive for more.

C&B: What do you think people who work closely with you say about you—beyond your public image?

Carmen: I believe that people who work directly with me would describe me as someone committed, results-oriented, and reliable. I place great value on professionalism, honoring commitments, and building relationships based on trust and collaboration. I enjoy creating an environment where everyone can express their ideas and contribute meaningful value.

At the same time, I know that I can be demanding, both with myself and with those around me. When I commit to a goal, I have high expectations regarding quality and accountability, which may sometimes be perceived as perfectionism, a very intense work pace, or occasional criticism.

C&B: What truly differentiates you in the way you build or lead?

Carmen: I believe what truly sets me apart is the way I turn relationships and ideas into tangible results. To me, leadership is not just about coordination—it is about creating a framework in which people, partnerships, and objectives converge around a shared vision.

In every project I lead, I start with a clear understanding of the objectives and build processes based on communication, accountability, and transparency. I prefer making decisions grounded in data and context, while giving equal importance to intuition developed through experience and continuous dialogue with my team and partners.

One defining characteristic of mine is being solution-oriented. Whenever obstacles arise, my first step is not to identify who is to blame, but to understand the root cause and find the most effective way forward.

C&B: How has the current landscape (technology, AI, the economy) changed the way you work?

Carmen: The current landscape has significantly changed the way we approach recruitment. Artificial intelligence and digitalization have streamlined many operational stages, while also making it even more evident that recruitment remains, at its core, a people-centered process based on understanding the business context.

We have integrated digital tools and AI solutions into activities such as writing and optimizing job descriptions, market analysis, candidate sourcing, and automating administrative processes. This allows us to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks and devote more energy to interacting with people, assessing the compatibility between candidates and organizations, and delivering a high-quality recruitment experience.

At the same time, the economic environment has changed the way we advise companies. The focus is no longer solely on filling positions quickly, but on sustainable recruitment, talent retention, and identifying candidates who are the right fit both in terms of skills and organizational culture. Today, the success of a recruitment process is measured not only by making a hire but by the candidate’s long-term integration and performance.

I believe technology and artificial intelligence will continue to transform the recruitment industry, but they will not replace the elements that truly make the difference: empathy, judgment, experience, and the ability to build trusted relationships with both employers and the professionals we represent.

C&B: Is there a habit or routine that has had a significant impact on your performance?

Carmen: It’s very simple—for me, there is no such thing as “it can’t be done.” Discipline is extremely important, as is perseverance.

C&B: What principles guide your most important decisions?

Carmen: In recruitment, important decisions must combine objectivity with an understanding of the human context. The principles that guide me are transparency, integrity, accountability, and a focus on sustainable results. I believe that a good decision is one that creates value for both the company and the candidate, not just one that solves an immediate need.

One principle I never compromise on is the genuine fit between the candidate and the organization. Over the years, there have been situations where I advised a client not to finalize a hire, even though the recruitment process was at an advanced stage and there was pressure to fill the position quickly. Our assessment showed that, beyond professional competencies, there were significant differences between the candidate’s values and the organization’s culture, which would have negatively affected long-term integration and retention.

Although this decision meant restarting the recruitment process and making an additional effort, the outcome was finding a candidate who successfully integrated into the organization and contributed to the team’s long-term development. To me, this is a clear example that the right decisions are not always the fastest ones, but those that create lasting impact and are built on trust, professionalism, and responsibility.

C&B: How do you see your industry evolving over the next three to five years?

Carmen: Over the next three to five years, I believe recruitment will become increasingly strategic and more heavily influenced by technology, without diminishing the importance of the human factor. Artificial intelligence will automate a significant portion of administrative and sourcing activities, but decisions related to candidate selection, compatibility assessment, and relationship building will continue to rely on the experience and judgment of recruitment professionals.

C&B: What role do you aim to play in this evolution?

Carmen: I would be tempted to say that I want PRO HR to become the largest recruitment company in Romania, but let me correct that—I want PRO HR to become the best recruitment company in Romania.

C&B: What genuine advice would you give to someone who wants to build something meaningful today?

Carmen: My first piece of advice would be to invest time in truly understanding the market’s needs before investing in solutions. Very often, the enthusiasm of building something new leads entrepreneurs to focus on what they believe is valuable rather than on what customers genuinely need. In my opinion, listening to the market is one of the greatest competitive advantages.

My second piece of advice is to build relationships before chasing results. In recruitment, as in business in general, trust is earned over time and becomes a true differentiator. The most valuable collaborations and opportunities come from relationships built on consistency, professionalism, and mutual respect—not from short-term objectives.

Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is not to confuse speed with progress. There were times when I tried to do too many things at once, and experience taught me that sustainable results come from prioritization, discipline, and consistent execution. Today, I prefer building step by step, with clear objectives and well-founded decisions, rather than pursuing rapid growth that cannot be sustained over the long term.

C&B: What is an uncomfortable truth about your industry that few people talk about?

Carmen: An uncomfortable truth about recruitment is that, more often than not, the problem is not the lack of candidates, but the lack of a clear definition of what the employer is actually looking for. Many recruitment processes are prolonged not because of the market, but because the candidate profile changes throughout the process, the decision-makers are not aligned on the selection criteria, or expectations are not consistent with market realities.

Another aspect that is rarely discussed is that recruitment cannot compensate for an organization’s internal problems. Neither the best recruiter nor the most suitable candidate can succeed in an environment where clarity, leadership, or a healthy organizational culture are missing. Recruitment can bring the right people to the table, but retention and performance depend on what they find after joining the company.

That is why I believe the future of recruitment is not only about identifying talent but also about playing an increasingly important role as a strategic consultant, capable of providing organizations with a realistic perspective on the market, candidate expectations, and the conditions required to build high-performing teams for the long term.

Carmen Mihalache’s interview provides an authentic perspective on the future of recruitment, the role of artificial intelligence in HR, trust-based leadership, and the importance of aligning people with organizational culture.

The post Carmen Mihalache, founder of PRO HR: “The future of recruitment is driven by technology and built on trust” appeared first on careers-business.com.

Fabian Scholtes is a Brand Creator, Business Coach, Personal Branding Strategist with over 15 years of experience, and the CEO of SCHOLTES.STUDIO. He is a multidisciplinary professional whose career has evolved organically across the visual arts, from fashion design and interior design to branding consultancy, publishing, and business mentoring. Throughout his career, Fabian has transformed his passion for aesthetics and structure into a tool for reshaping business mindsets, working directly with leaders and entrepreneurs to translate conceptual visions into powerful brand identities that create real market impact.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to capture the attention of someone who has never met you?

Fabian: I am a translator of visions: I use the power of design and brand strategy to transform a leader’s abstract ideas into visual identities and business structures that generate impact, value, and loyalty.

C&B: Looking back, what has been the “common thread” guiding your professional journey?

Fabian: My common thread has always been an obsession with beauty, driven by a deep desire to create value for the people around me. My journey has been defined by three major turning points:

At 18 (Fashion & Empirical Branding): I started designing clothing without financial resources, yet presented everything as a premium product. That was when I realized that perception creates value. My inspiration came from perfume bottles and packaging that I had collected since childhood.

The Interior Design Years (4–5 Years): This was a period during which I excelled at translating clients’ personalities into physical spaces. It became an exceptional school of proportions, project management, and client psychology.

The Transition to Branding and Writing: I realized that beyond clothes or walls, what truly defines me is my ability to solve identity and mindset challenges. The one constant has always been my refusal to deliver aesthetics without substance.

C&B: What was a difficult moment or failure that truly changed you?

Fabian: The year 2020 and the pandemic abruptly froze the interior design market where I was active. Material costs increased dramatically, demand declined, and construction projects came to a standstill. It was a period of enormous uncertainty that forced me to reinvent myself. The immediate financial impact was a 45% decline in revenue from physical projects during those first months.

I then made a radical shift, moving my focus from external spaces to the inner world. I began writing, publishing books such as The 90 Second Discipline Journal / 90 Days and The 4-Hour Discipline (available on Amazon), exploring personal development and mental clarity in business. What initially seemed like an external failure ultimately opened the path toward consultancy and integrated branding, proving to me that the most stable structure you can ever build is a person’s mindset.

C&B: What is one bold or counterintuitive decision that significantly influenced your career?

Fabian: I decided not to specialize in a single niche within the visual industry, even though every “expert” recommended hyper-specialization. I deliberately chose to explore fashion, painting, interior design, and graphic design, accepting the risk of appearing to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I also turned down secure employment opportunities and rigid partnerships in traditional design.

The tangible result was the creation of SCHOLTES STUDIO, where this multidisciplinary background became my greatest competitive advantage. Today, I don’t simply design a logo; I understand volume, space, tactile experience, and consumer psychology as one integrated system, enabling me to deliver true 360-degree solutions for clients.

C&B: How have you evolved over time as a leader and professional?

Fabian: At the beginning, between the ages of 18 and 20, I made decisions almost entirely based on intuition, artistic instinct, and speed. Today, as CEO, I combine intuition with data-driven strategy, mental clarity, and behavioral analysis.

Where I once managed pressure by overworking, I now manage it through effective delegation and by protecting my mental space. I’ve learned that a leader doesn’t need to have all the answers; they need to ask the right questions that unlock the potential of both their team and their clients.

C&B: What do you think people who work closely with you say about you beyond your public image?

Fabian: My team members and one-on-one clients would probably say that I have exceptionally high standards when it comes to vision and execution, with zero tolerance for superficiality or half-measures. The feedback I receive most often is that I’m a catalyst. I have a direct, sometimes uncomfortable way of bringing clarity where there is chaos. My greatest strength is strategic empathy, while the most challenging aspect of working with me is the fast pace at which I want change to happen.

C&B: What truly sets you apart in the way you build or lead?

Fabian: What sets me apart is my philosophy of indirect transformation. I’ve learned that if you want to save a business or a leader from failure, simply telling them what to do rarely works. Real change happens indirectly, through the people around them. One individual with a transformed mindset can reshape the culture of an entire organization faster than any external consultant.

At SCHOLTES STUDIO, our branding process doesn’t begin with colors or design elements. It starts with deep one-on-one mental clarity sessions with founders. We build brands from the inside out.

C&B: How has today’s landscape—technology, AI, and the economy—changed the way you work?

Fabian: The AI-driven landscape has eliminated much of the routine execution work and forced us to move entirely toward high-level strategy and authentic human connection. Specifically, we’ve integrated AI tools into our brainstorming and moodboarding processes, reducing research time by approximately 75% while optimizing early-stage production costs. Our strategy has shifted aggressively toward hyper-personalization and premium consulting services, where technology simply cannot replace the emotional intuition of a brand creator.

C&B: Is there a habit or routine that has significantly improved your performance?

Fabian: My daily writing practice and mental clarity exercise, which I’ve maintained every morning for over eight years. I dedicate the first 30 minutes of every day to being completely disconnected from technology while organizing my thoughts on paper. This habit has structured my mind in the same way design structures a space, greatly improving my focus during strategic sessions and substantially reducing decision-making errors under pressure.

C&B: What principles guide your most important decisions?

Fabian: My core principle is: Value through people, for people. I don’t accept projects that are driven solely by financial gain if they fail to create genuine value for the community or if the founder’s mindset is fundamentally toxic.

A real example was when I turned down a €150,000 branding contract with a large company because its leadership refused to implement the internal cultural changes that were clearly needed. Instead, I chose to protect the integrity of my studio and my team’s energy by working with a smaller business that genuinely wanted transformation. That company eventually tripled its revenue.

C&B: How do you see your industry evolving over the next three to five years?

Fabian: Purely aesthetic branding—the kind that simply delivers “a beautiful logo”—will disappear entirely as AI democratizes and automates it. The greatest risk is a marketplace flooded with generic visual identities that lack soul.

The greatest opportunity, and the area where we’ll see exponential growth, belongs to deep branding and community-driven personal branding. The brands of the future will function as systems of beliefs and values, capable of bringing people together around a meaningful vision.

C&B: What role do you hope to play in that evolution?

Fabian: Through SCHOLTES STUDIO, I want us to become architects of this transition from empty visuals to visuals with substance. I’m developing an integrated methodology that combines behavioral psychology, premium design, and mindset consulting. My goal over the next three years is to help leaders redefine their business identities, proving that the strongest brands are not those that shout the loudest, but those that resonate most deeply with human values.

C&B: What genuine advice would you give to someone trying to build something meaningful today?

Fabian: First, don’t wait until you have a huge budget before presenting yourself as premium. Package your idea with genuine respect for your customer and make the smartest possible use of the limited resources you have—just as I did when I was 18.

Second, don’t try to change markets before you’ve clarified your own mind. The greatest enemy of any startup is the chaos inside its founder’s head.

Finally, invest in the people around you. They are the true multipliers of your vision.

C&B: What is an uncomfortable truth about your industry that few people are willing to admit?

Fabian: The uncomfortable truth is that more than 80% of rebranding projects are nothing more than cosmetic makeovers designed to hide serious management issues, weak products, or toxic organizational cultures. Agencies happily accept massive budgets to create beautiful facades while fully aware that the foundation of the business is rotten.

Great design cannot save a poorly built business. Authentic branding requires, above all else, the courage to face the truth and change the mindset at the very top.

Fabian Scholtes’ interview provides valuable insights into how branding, leadership, and strategic clarity can transform a business into an authentic and relevant brand. From design and personal branding to the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry, his experience demonstrates that sustainable success begins with a clear vision, a strong mindset, and solid values.

The post Fabian Scholtes, CEO of SCHOLTES.STUDIO: “Strong brands don’t shout louder—they resonate more deeply with human values.” appeared first on careers-business.com.

Teodor Ivașcu is the founder of Kloth Invest, one of Romania’s most dynamic consulting firms specializing in non-reimbursable funding. He founded the company in April 2022, at just 20 years old, while still a law student, with no prior experience but a clear mission: to bring tangible value to a market often characterized by skepticism and a lack of transparency through a different approach. Four years later, Kloth Invest manages projects worth more than €33 million for entrepreneurs, companies, and public authorities, guided by a commitment they have publicly embraced: “We Dare to Succeed”—from the initial assessment to the final document.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to capture the attention of someone who doesn’t know you?

Teodor: I am the entrepreneur who started from failure: my own non-reimbursable funding project did not succeed, and instead of stopping there, I turned that experience into a business that today helps entrepreneurs and public institution representatives navigate grant funding correctly and secure the financing they need for growth—with transparency, professionalism, and determination.

C&B: Looking back, what has been the “common thread” guiding your professional journey?

Teodor: That common thread begins with that very failure and what it triggered. Frustration led me to research, research revealed how poorly understood this market truly is, and the desire to change the experience I had personally gone through became my first step into entrepreneurship. That is how Kloth Invest was born.

Since then, one principle has remained constant in every important decision: refusing to accept that “this is how things are done in the market” is a valid argument. Every time I had to choose between the easy path and the right path, I tried to choose the right one, even when it came at a higher short-term cost. I believe that consistently making this kind of choice is what separates a business that endures from one that merely gets started.

C&B: What was a difficult moment or failure that truly changed you?

Teodor: You might expect me to say “the initial failure,” but the truth is that it was only the catalyst. The truly difficult moments came afterward, from within the business itself. Grant consulting is an extremely competitive field where cash flow is difficult to manage, skilled professionals are even harder to find, and the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful project often comes down to a single detail. During these four years of activity, I have experienced challenges with a much greater impact than that first failed project.

What has never changed is my refusal to give up. In every difficult situation, I focused on solutions, results, opportunities, and building something that would work and stand the test of time. I learned to draw lessons from every experience, good or bad, to surround myself with the right people, and to part ways with those who held us back. Real growth comes from continuous learning, perseverance, and hard work, while always keeping the mission, vision, and long-term goals in sight.

C&B: What is one bold—or perhaps counterintuitive—decision that significantly influenced your career path?

Teodor: Taking out financing and redefining our business model during a period when things were not going according to plan or expectations.

Conventional wisdom says that when times get tough, you should cut back, scale down, and wait. I did the opposite: I invested and rebuilt because an objective assessment of the situation showed that the greatest risk was not taking on financing—it was remaining trapped in a business model that no longer worked.

It was not an isolated episode. There were several key moments when, instead of giving up, we looked for ways to adapt, reshape our direction, and test solutions until we found the right path. The result of those decisions is the company we have today: a business that has grown organically while taking on increasingly large-scale projects.

C&B: How have you evolved over time as a leader and as a professional?

Teodor: Every challenge has gradually transformed me into a more resilient version of myself—better prepared for the future and even more determined to pursue the vision we established from the very beginning.

In the period immediately after launching Kloth Invest, I made decisions quickly, on my own, and often based on instinct. That was simply the survival mode of a startup. Today, I make decisions differently: I rely much more on my team, on ongoing discussions, on carefully analyzing every situation, and on structures that do not depend on a single person.

The pressure has not disappeared. In fact, the size and complexity of our projects have only increased it. However, I have learned to manage that pressure through clarity of direction and by surrounding myself with the right people, rather than simply working longer hours.

Perhaps the most important change is that I replaced the need to solve everything myself with the responsibility of creating an environment where others can perform at their best.

C&B: What do you think the people who work closely with you would say about you beyond your public image?

Teodor: Based on the frequent and very open conversations I have with my team, I believe people have experienced my constant presence—as a source of support, leadership, problem-solving, and someone who keeps moving forward together with the team, regardless of the circumstances.

I always strive to remain approachable and balanced, to make the necessary decisions while continuing to learn from every experience and interaction. I certainly do not have all the answers, and there have undoubtedly been situations I did not handle perfectly.

At Kloth Invest, however, I believe we have built a team in the truest sense of the word. Everyone contributes where and when they are needed, and during difficult times we have always found solutions together. There is mutual respect, appreciation, and professionalism among us—exactly the kind of culture Kloth Invest needs to achieve outstanding results.

C&B: What truly sets you apart in the way you build and lead?

Teodor: I believe the difference begins with the fact that I was once sitting on the other side of the table.

I was the entrepreneur who was given high expectations but very little value in return, who did not understand the process and ultimately paid the price for it. That experience shaped the way I build and lead. I have never forgotten what it feels like to face a lack of transparency and support, so I made humanity, authenticity, and professionalism not just marketing messages but a personal way of working—one that I later embedded throughout the entire company.

C&B: How has today’s context—technology, AI, and the economy—changed the way you work?

Teodor: Technology has helped us address one of the industry’s real challenges: communication and process transparency. A funding project spans several years and involves dozens of deadlines, documents, and clarification requests. Among the most common causes of delays are seemingly simple situations: the client was unaware of a deadline, missed an email, or did not fully understand what was required and by when.

That is precisely why we developed our own client portal and a mobile application through which beneficiaries can monitor their projects, documents, and deadlines in real time. For us, digitalization has had one clear purpose: eliminating exactly those situations that, in practice, lead to missed deadlines and compromised projects, while also standardizing the consultant-beneficiary collaboration.

As for artificial intelligence, our approach is very clear: our consultants work with AI, not instead of AI. Whenever a new funding guide or a corrigendum containing hundreds of pages is published, our team uses AI tools to quickly identify changes and critical points. However, the analysis, interpretation, and decisions made for each client remain entirely the responsibility of our consultants.

Technology gives us speed, but it cannot replace professional judgment. Anyone who believes business plans and funding applications can simply be generated automatically overlooks what truly matters: these documents must reflect real data, solid economic justification, and the beneficiary’s specific circumstances. Evaluators can easily recognize generic AI-generated content.

As for the current economic environment, part of the market is still attracted to grants by the idea of “free money.” However, the direction is becoming increasingly clear: regulations are growing more transparent and more stringent, and the funding system is increasingly distinguishing and prioritizing well-founded, serious projects, including those that combine grants with financial instruments and co-financing.

For us, this evolution is welcome. As standards continue to rise, it becomes even more important for beneficiaries to work with a partner capable of building strong, sustainable projects.

C&B: Is there a habit or routine that has had a significant impact on your performance?

Teodor: I wouldn’t necessarily call it a routine, but there is one habit that has changed my trajectory: I constantly seek organic mentorship from people I genuinely admire—people with proven results who are willing to share their experience.

From time to time, I deliberately step away from day-to-day operations and meet with these individuals. I am fortunate to have many of them in my network, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of them. Very often, a piece of advice received at the right moment, a helping hand, or simply a course correction has been worth far more than weeks of additional work.

It is a gradual transition from the way I approached things in the beginning, when I tried to do almost everything on my own. Over time, I realized that success is always about people—it is about moving forward together. That is the only way to grow in a healthy and sustainable manner.

C&B: What principles guide your most important decisions?

Teodor: On a personal level, I filter every major decision through several principles: being honest, even when the truth is uncomfortable; never committing to something I cannot deliver; and evaluating every choice from a long-term perspective rather than focusing on immediate gains.

These principles were shaped by my own experiences, including my failures, and they have protected me from many decisions that initially seemed convenient but ultimately would have been the wrong ones.

We have embedded these same principles into Kloth Invest, where they have become selectivity, transparency, and continuity. We do not take on a project if we do not believe in its chances of success, we tell clients the truth from the very beginning, and our commitment does not end once the application has been submitted.

C&B: How do you see your industry evolving over the next three to five years?

Teodor: I hope—and I believe—we will see a natural filtering of consulting firms along with proper market standardization. Beneficiaries will increasingly ask for evidence, verifiable portfolios, references, and measurable results, while those who have relied on unrealistic promises will naturally disappear from the market.

At the same time, projects will become more complex. Funding will continue to be available, but primarily for those who are prepared—for those who understand trends, priorities, and real financing and development needs, such as renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, and the proper modernization of factories and production facilities.

As these changes unfold, value will shift away from simply obtaining grants toward structuring financing solutions. Non-reimbursable funding will increasingly become one component of a broader financing mix that includes bank loans, financial instruments, and equity.

The consultant of the future will not be the person who simply writes funding applications, but the one who knows how to structure the entire financing strategy behind an investment.

C&B: What role do you aim to play in that evolution?

Teodor: Our goal is to become an essential partner for companies and public authorities throughout Romania. We know—and have already demonstrated—that we can support any type of project, from investments worth tens of thousands of euros to multi-million-euro initiatives, provided that the beneficiary is fully prepared to access and successfully implement non-reimbursable funding.

To those who do not yet know us or have not placed their trust in us, I would like to extend an open invitation: dare to take the next step. Dare to develop impactful projects, explore opportunities for scaling your business, and discover the right way to access non-reimbursable funding.

The impact we seek is easy to measure: European funds that are put to work in the real economy—in production facilities, technology, and job creation.

C&B: What genuine advice would you give someone who wants to build something meaningful today?

Teodor: I would start with the foundation: define your long-term objectives and mission with absolute clarity. A clear sense of direction is the only thing that keeps you moving forward during difficult times—and those moments always come.

From there, everything comes down to attitude: ambition, patience, and courage, combined with a continuous investment in your own development. Projects and businesses that create real impact require hard work, sacrifice, and resilience.

Most importantly, I would recommend avoiding opportunism in favor of building solid business models that create genuine value. What is gained quickly through shortcuts often comes at a much higher cost later. A business built on authentic value may grow more slowly, but it endures.

C&B: What is an uncomfortable truth about your industry that very few people talk about?

Teodor: The uncomfortable truth is that in Romania, nearly twenty years after joining the European Union, the mechanisms and opportunities related to non-reimbursable funding are still not properly understood or fully utilized. This is not a funding problem—it is an education and trust problem.

What we truly need is a nationwide effort focused on awareness, education, and transparency, for the benefit of everyone: ensuring the full absorption of the European funds allocated to Romania across all funding programs and priorities.

There is another uncomfortable truth that is equally rarely discussed: not every business deserves funding, and an honest consultant must have the courage to say so openly.

Sometimes, the most valuable thing you can offer an entrepreneur is not a submitted funding application, but a well-reasoned “no”—one that saves them from years of pursuing the wrong direction or becoming trapped in an unviable project.

This interview with Teodor Ivașcu, founder of Kloth Invest, provides an authentic perspective on modern entrepreneurship, leadership, and the role of European funding in supporting the growth of businesses and public institutions.

The post Teodor Ivașcu, Kloth Invest: “I turned failure into a company managing projects worth over €33 Million” appeared first on careers-business.com.

Eugen Cojocaru is a serial entrepreneur (with over 20 years of experience as a technology expert) who, over the past 13 years, has built several companies in fields such as technology, marketing, investments, media, and business consulting.

His declared mission is to support, through everything he does, the development of a world shaped by authentic leaders who create environments where people grow together, excel, and prosper.

He is the organizer of the Transylvania Meets Business People event and has participated as both a speaker and moderator at numerous business and personal development events. In addition, Eugen supports entrepreneurs through one-on-one consulting, leadership courses, and business strategy programs.

C&B: If we were to look at the narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Eugen: You’re inviting me to take a wonderful trip down memory lane. I’ll start with the moment when, after my first three months at university, I sought and received support from two professors to study beyond the curriculum and the standard coursework. Later, at the end of my first year, I decided to get a job so I could learn real things from the industry, complementing what I was studying at university. I didn’t care how much I would be paid—I was actually willing to pay for the opportunity to access environments where I could interact with professionals developing technology. I had the privilege of meeting people who trusted me, were patient with me, and guided me through my first steps in the field. That encouraged me to keep growing, realizing that personal development is a never-ending journey that I can enjoy throughout my entire life.

Another defining moment was the experience I gained while working as an employee in a multinational organization, where I came to understand the importance of systems and the fact that, within a company, people are a form of capital rather than merely a resource.

In 2013, together with an exceptional person who became my business partner, I founded my first company—a technology company. Over the next four to five years, we built a team of passionate professionals around us, all engaged in a continuous development process. However, I eventually realized that everything revolved around me. I was an excellent leader and a very good manager, but I also realized that business is about much more than that.

The next step involved educating myself in entrepreneurship while deepening my self-awareness. During that journey, I met extraordinary people who became true mentors. I enjoyed this growth process so much that I became involved far beyond simply learning concepts. The results quickly became visible in my business, and those who noticed the transformation began asking me for consulting. That is how both the desire and the personal fulfillment of helping others grow came into my life.

From there, things expanded further. I founded and developed other companies while simultaneously helping dozens of entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Yet, directly or indirectly, everything intersects with what will soon become as commonplace as electricity is today: technology and artificial intelligence.

I then became involved in business communities, created events designed to make a positive impact on society, and taught at university. I’ve managed to accomplish many of the things I once only dreamed about, and the story continues. Over time, I’ve learned that one of the most important abilities a person can develop is the ability to reinvent themselves, and that becomes possible by creating a vision with genuine purpose for the next stage of growth.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?

Eugen: I gave this question a lot of thought, and I realized it’s difficult for me to choose a specific moment simply because I don’t really perceive any experience as a burden. Early on, I understood that every challenge I encounter is an opportunity for growth and that, as long as I don’t give up searching for solutions, I will become stronger. I’ve learned to appreciate challenges when they arise and even to seek them out by placing myself in situations where they are inevitable. I’ve faced many challenges, and I’m certain there will be many more because I have no intention of stopping.

To answer your question more directly, I believe my greatest challenge was understanding that nobody owes me anything and that everything ultimately depends on me. That realization gave birth to a level of responsibility that freed me from expectations and empowered me to act with confidence.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of the obstacles?

Eugen: I don’t believe there’s a single thing that has had that effect, but it’s certainly not ambition—it’s commitment. Commitment to excellence. I want to dedicate myself to things that honor who I am because life is too short to play small. The difference between who I am today and who I can become lies in what I do every single day, and that occupies all of my time.

C&B: Which professional experiences shaped you the most before launching Universum?

Eugen: Beyond my career as an employee, where I learned a great deal about work ethic and professionalism, I also had the opportunity to build at least one company beforehand. That allowed me to approach consulting, media, and marketing with maturity and confidence, as they all became part of the Universum group.

Before developing this group of companies, I had recruited hundreds of people, built high-performing teams, worked with international clients, and understood that every successful business is built upon an inspiring vision, a strategy firmly rooted in market realities, exceptional people, and effective systems.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Eugen: Some time ago, I read something that completely changed the way I approach life. To paraphrase it, it goes something like this: “I don’t know the secret to success, but I certainly know the secret to failure: trying to please everyone.”

Some people might say that I turned them down, but it’s important to be selective about whom we dedicate our limited energy to and why. Others might say that I could have done better—and they would be right. That mindset pushes me to continuously learn from every experience and keep evolving. Perfection doesn’t exist, but I am fully committed to excellence.

The vast majority of my collaborators would probably say that I am a man of principles (although that doesn’t necessarily mean they always appreciate it! ). They would also say that whenever things don’t go according to plan, I’m there to look for solutions—and we always find them.

I’m a loyal person who values long-term relationships built on mutual trust and on the idea of creating situations where three parties benefit: myself, my collaborator, and society. We all need people we can rely on, and we all need to surround ourselves with individuals we trust. I constantly strive to choose such people to be around me while also being that kind of person for them.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve ever made—the one that changed your trajectory?

Eugen: Choosing, with confidence and pragmatism, the right people to accompany me on a journey that would ultimately impact many others. Refusing to compromise just to keep close those who were unwilling to do what we had agreed upon.

In business, emotional attachments and excessive emotional involvement undermine performance and the ability to build something solid and scalable. I’ve concluded that true success requires harmony between the passion and spirit of a people-oriented culture and the pragmatism of systems focused on delivering excellent results.

C&B: How did you develop your leadership style and your approach to decision-making? Was it something natural or something you learned?

Eugen: The answer is actually in your question—I built it.

From an early age, I paid close attention to the small details that make a difference, and I’ve always loved people. That naturally helped me do many things in ways that now feel instinctive. However, over time I realized that everything is actually the result of thorough preparation—initially unconscious and later intentional—which gave me the privilege of knowing how to choose valuable people to have by my side and how to filter those who had already passed the initial selection.

The easiest problems to solve are the ones we never have because we’ve anticipated them and elegantly avoided them.

From my perspective, every organization relies on two essential forms of capital without which it cannot perform: financial capital and human capital.

I genuinely love people, and it brings me great satisfaction to identify those with whom I can share different stages of our journey. Leadership has become one of the central areas of everything I do because, in reality, abstract leadership principles lie at the root of most of our successes and challenges, whether we’re talking about our professional or personal lives.

Over the years, I’ve learned that one of the most valuable abilities a person can develop is self-awareness. The better you know yourself, the better you are able to understand others.

For me, an authentic leader isn’t someone who has followers, but someone who creates other authentic leaders.

C&B: What differentiates Universum Media from other agencies or media projects on the market?

Eugen: We chose to enter the marketing and media industry because this is where we can create meaningful impact for both businesses and society. There are many aspects that make us different, but I’ll mention just a few.

We operate at the intersection of marketing expertise and business consulting—an essential combination that allows us to understand much more than traditional marketing expressed through social media posts, articles, or other execution-focused activities. We begin by understanding the company’s objectives and then reflect them in measurable strategies and implementation.

We’ve also developed our own proprietary framework, ValueDrive, which enables us to work in a structured and transparent way, starting from the real needs of the business and implementing concrete actions that generate equally concrete and measurable results.

The media landscape is essential for visibility and social impact. We live in a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on authentic and valuable information, and that comes with great responsibility.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments of the day bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Eugen: My day starts early, before sunrise, with exercise and time spent with my family. It continues with activities that provide direction and support for the companies I’m involved in, and it ends with quality family time, reading, and rest.

The moments that bring me the greatest satisfaction are those spent with my family and those in which the people I work with succeed. It’s easy to feel good when you’re surrounded by people who are doing well.

C&B: How do you manage the challenge of creating content that remains authentic while also delivering results for your clients?

Eugen: Authenticity is an essential ingredient of great content, but it’s amplified by the ability to truly understand clients’ real needs—beyond what they initially express during the first conversations.

It’s a process of discovery. Clients gradually open up, we explore together, and together we uncover deeper levels of need and the reasons behind them. Once we’ve reached that point, it becomes much easier to identify exactly what best fits each unique situation.

At the same time, we benefit from technology that enables us to significantly accelerate many stages of implementation and delivery. The real key lies at the intersection between the human element and technology.

C&B: How did the idea for Universum Media come about, and what motivated you to start your own business in the media industry?

Eugen: Universum Media emerged from a personal need that I identified within the other businesses I already owned: the need to approach brand exposure and promotion in a structured, measurable way, at the intersection of business and marketing.

We quickly realized that marketing and media are industries with tremendous future potential and a significant impact on both business and society. Our main motivation was to contribute to the evolution of this industry while also benefiting from that evolution ourselves.

C&B: What strategic directions will Universum Media explore over the next two to five years?

Eugen: Our focus will be on helping brands benefit from the intersection of promotion, visibility, and trust-building.

Additionally, we will continue to adapt to the constant changes taking place in this dynamic industry. We are currently developing an online platform that will allow not only us but also other agencies in the field to intelligently automate both marketing strategy development and implementation.

This will enable professionals to focus on what people will increasingly be expected to do in the future: build authentic relationships with clients, guide them through meaningful questions to uncover relevant answers, and master the ability to truly understand their needs so they can provide solutions that make a real difference.

It sounds great in theory, but putting it into practice is an art—and that’s exactly what we do every single day.

Eugen Cojocaru’s interview highlights how authentic leadership, innovation, technology, and continuous growth can transform both businesses and people. Drawing on his extensive experience in entrepreneurship, business consulting, and media, the founder of Universum Media shares valuable insights into the future of marketing, artificial intelligence, and building high-performing organizations founded on trust, strategy, and people.

The post Eugen Cojocaru, Universum Media: “Authentic leadership means creating other leaders, not just followers” appeared first on careers-business.com.

Graduate of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Ilie Preda, founder of AdeonaCamps, is an unconventional entrepreneur fascinated by mountains, karate, people, and the philosophy behind every kind of ascent. At just 19 years old, he founded the Ochiul Muntelui Mountain Tourism Student Club. He never practiced in the field he originally studied, choosing instead to build his own vision of mountain tourism from a young age while continuing to climb some of the world’s great mountain ranges: the Tatras, the Alps, the Andes, and the Himalayas. Yet the ascent that matters most is undoubtedly AdeonaCamps. Even today, after 25 years, he remains actively involved in organizing mountain camps and excursions for children, playing a significant role in the development of adventure tourism in Romania.

He believes entrepreneurship is much like high-altitude expeditions. There are no guaranteed recipes for success, no certainties—perhaps only the beauty of each unique story. Attitude determines altitude!

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence that would capture the attention of someone who doesn’t know you?

Ilie: In the autumn of 2016, I decided to share lesser-known aspects of my life with people. Four years later, after repeatedly revisiting and rewriting entire chapters, a book emerged about a man who is always climbing, searching for a summit that does not exist—a Sisyphean effort whose ending remains uncertain.

On the Other Side brings together the years spent in the karate dojo, the mountains I have climbed, the entrepreneurial projects I have built, and the people who, in one way or another, influenced my transformation.

Even today, I firmly believe these worlds complement one another naturally because, at their core, they all require hard work, humility, determination, and respect.

C&B: Looking back, what has been the “red thread” guiding your professional journey?

Ilie: Avoiding a theoretical answer, I would rather highlight five personal moments that significantly contributed to my professional path and likely shaped me into who I am today:

1. Founding a karate club for children at just 18 years old, together with a close friend who was equally fearless.
2. Deciding to establish the Ochiul Muntelui Mountain Tourism Student Club in Cluj. It was an extraordinary opportunity and my first encounter with what I would later understand as leadership.
3. Choosing to resign from what was then a very well-paid job after learning the basics of sales and deciding to follow my own dream.
4. Signing the first long-term contract and building the first dedicated location for AdeonaCamps camps.
5. Stepping away from the operational side of the business and delegating decision-making.

If I were to draw a common thread, I would say: vision, motivation, attitude, learning, values, and hard work.

Exactly in that order.

C&B: What was a difficult moment or failure that truly changed you?

Ilie: I believe people stubbornly refuse to learn much in the absence of pain.

Each of us evolves through the accumulation of experiences over time, but meaningful change only occurs when we are pushed beyond our limits.

For me, the critical moment came in 2021, immediately after the pandemic, when it became clear that my heart condition was far more complex than I had believed. Three medical interventions quickly pulled me into a new reality that was difficult to accept.

I was forced to understand that the mountains would remain the same without me and that the only true profit is life itself and my family. No one can stay at the summit forever.

C&B: What courageous—or counterintuitive—decision significantly influenced your trajectory?

Ilie: It happened in 2009, the year my daughter was born and also the year the global economic crisis was causing dramatic effects across every industry.

At that time, I signed a 15-year contract for a mountain lodge in the Retezat Mountains, a property requiring extensive renovations and a substantial budget.

It seemed crazy, but I took the risk and borrowed the money needed to start the investment, surprising everyone around me—including my own family.

It worked. From that year on, AdeonaCamps began a steadily upward journey.

There was very little time before the start of the summer season, and what followed felt worthy of a Hollywood movie. I described the episode in detail in the book I mentioned earlier. In short, our first guests had already left Timișoara while we were still landscaping the property.

Romania’s road infrastructure unexpectedly helped us. The group was delayed, and the extra two hours we gained before their arrival meant flowers throughout the courtyard and the smell of fresh paint everywhere.

Today, I remember those times fondly, especially since Lolaia remains part of the Adeona portfolio—a place very close to my heart.

C&B: How have you changed over time as a leader and professional?

Ilie: I believe the passing years and especially the health issues I mentioned earlier taught me to slow down.

Deadline-driven projects and an endless list of achievements—if I may put quotation marks around the word—come with a price, one paid first by the leader and later by the team.

I have come to the conclusion that the process is more important than the numbers, even if this somehow contradicts entrepreneurial thinking and is therefore difficult to accept.

It wasn’t easy for me, but I believe I eventually understood that in life—and therefore in business—everything should be measured, yet time is the most important resource. All other resources will naturally align afterward.

C&B: What do you think the people who work closely with you would say about you beyond your public image?

Ilie: I don’t have a professionally crafted public image. Some say that is not something to be proud of and that an entrepreneur or leader should embody the image of their business.

I don’t feel the need to be at the center of attention, although I have often found myself in that position and managed reasonably well.

In fact, I do not believe I deliver what is popular today—inflated numbers, clichés, and glitter—but rather a certain spirit of humility, perhaps even an excessive one, which I cultivated through mountain climbing and years spent in the dojo.

To answer the question, I would like to believe that I inspire the people around me, even if I am often challenging.

C&B: What truly differentiates the way you build or lead?

Ilie: I believe there have been two completely different stages in my evolution.

The first was before the age of 45, when deadline-driven projects were the norm. The second began with my health issues.

As I mentioned earlier, every action comes with a cost. When that cost is no longer measured in money but in days spent in a hospital, decisions become self-evident.

As for my leadership style, I genuinely believe organizational culture is what people do when the leader is not present—not what they say they do, but what they actually do.

For this reason, I have avoided controlling people and invested heavily in trust. The real battle was against inherited prejudices and my own fears.

Sometimes I was wrong. Sometimes I made poor choices. But that is part of the game.

I do not hide the fact that there were occasions—few, fortunately—when my perspective was completely mistaken and I treated valuable people unfairly. That too is part of my evolution, even if it is less comfortable to acknowledge.

C&B: How has the current context—technology, AI, and the economy—changed the way you work?

Ilie: A large part of AdeonaCamps’ activity takes place in nature, in the mountains, or on sports fields.

Apart from the inevitable business tools used for communication, promotion, and marketing, we are only minimally affected by technological transformations.

I could say that the current context dramatically influences the behavior of our customers, and that behavior, in turn, transforms us and the way we operate. However, that is a much broader discussion than the space here allows.

C&B: Is there a habit or routine that has significantly influenced your performance?

Ilie: First of all, I believe I should define what performance means to me in business: I managed to build a model organization in a niche field without resources, relevant information, or established examples to follow.

Today, Adeona’s impact is significant, confirmed by the tens of thousands of students who have participated in our programs over the years. For most entrepreneurs, performance is measured through revenue, number of employees, or profit.

My main routine is organization. I do not start projects until I know exactly what steps need to be taken and what scenarios might arise.

At the beginning of each year, I create a rigorous plan that includes personal goals, new projects, ongoing projects, development initiatives, and investments.

All of these are anchored in a calendar and supported by separate budgets.

This does not mean such planning guarantees success, but it certainly provides a mirror that accurately reflects reality.

It helps that I can break down long-term objectives into smaller ones and track their achievement in detail without excessive effort.

I believe we should make a habit of taking one small step every day toward the summit we are trying to reach.

Long-term results do not come from spectacular leaps but from small, consistent, repeated achievements that accumulate quietly until they become a difficult-to-match advantage.

Real progress appears when you do those “small things” even on the days when you don’t feel like it.

Rhythm beats intensity, and consistency becomes a multiplier of results.

This is the formula through which strong careers, resilient businesses, and highly capable people are built.

C&B: What principles guide your most important decisions?

Ilie: It is a complex question with many possible answers. I will try to limit myself to five principles derived from five questions that I consider essential:

1. Why am I doing this? Is it important for me or for the business? How clear is the objective?
2. What resources does the project require? Time, energy, and money—in that order.
3. What are the possible scenarios? What is the downside risk for me or for potential partners?
4. Who are the partners and people involved? Do we share the same values, standards, and expectations?
5. Have enough days passed since I formulated my answers? Are those answers still valid? If yes, the project is probably viable.

I can honestly say that whenever I failed to answer one of these questions rationally and allowed emotions to dominate the analysis process—or avoided or vaguely answered one of them—I encountered problems in managing the project, some of them quite serious.

C&B: How do you see your industry evolving over the next three to five years?

Ilie: I believe there will be substantial transformations.

I expect a restructuring and resizing of the market, a clearer specialization by activity type—mountain camps, seaside camps, educational camps, sports camps, and so on—and, not least, a forced professionalization of the sector.

By that, I mean well-defined processes and standards established by the key players in the market.

C&B: What role do you intend to play in that evolution?

Ilie: AdeonaCamps is approaching the end of a stage marked by numerous organizational transformations.

It is time to consolidate the final conclusions and balance the elements that still do not function exactly as we would like within the systems we have built.

Once this process is completed, we will move toward an accelerated franchising strategy.

Franchising itself requires professionalism, processes, standards, evaluation methods, and more.

C&B: What practical advice would you give someone who wants to build something meaningful today?

Ilie: I will be as concise as possible and limit myself to five essential questions:

1. Are you sure your dream or project is not just a passing trend or temporary whim? What will it look like years from now?
2. Can you create transformation, progress, or meaningful impact in your chosen field?
3. Do you have the necessary resources? What is their source?
4. Who will accompany you on this journey?
5. Who do you want to become by the end of it?

If the answers satisfy you, it is time to act.

If, after many years, you remain relevant, you probably answered those questions correctly.

If you need to constantly praise yourself on social media, you may be making money—I cannot say—but it is certain that you have not built anything truly meaningful.

C&B: What is an uncomfortable truth about your industry that few people talk about?

Ilie: Unfortunately, the children’s camp market—the market in which we also operate—is undergoing continuous transformation, and not necessarily in a positive direction. This is only my personal opinion and should be treated as such.

Behavioral patterns are changing at an astonishing speed from one generation to the next.

Social media and the isolation of young people are part of this irreversible process. The confusion between reality and the virtual world seems to be becoming acceptable.

Mountains, nature, and sports of any kind all require a certain level of physical effort.

What is sad is that fewer and fewer children are willing to make the effort necessary to experience the joy of a hike in nature or a ball game with friends. Instant gratification is only one click away.

The real issue is this: parents are part of this transformation as well.

The mountains are a way of life, and I believe each of us has a responsibility to bring them, in one form or another, into our children’s lives.

But perhaps that is a conversation for another time.

Ilie Preda’s story proves that authentic performance is built over time through discipline, patience, and the ability to remain true to one’s values. From mountain expeditions to the development of AdeonaCamps, every stage of his journey reflects the power of consistency and trust-based leadership.

The post Ilie Preda, AdeonaCamps: “Attitude determines altitude. In business, just like in the mountains, every summit has its lessons” appeared first on careers-business.com.

Cosmin Dărăban is the CEO & Co-Founder of Gomag, one of Romania’s leading eCommerce platforms, which he built based on the belief that every Romanian entrepreneur deserves access to high-quality technology, regardless of budget or technical experience.

C&B: If you were to look at the narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Cosmin Dărăban: My career has never followed a linear plan; rather, it has been a series of moments when I chose to take calculated risks.

It all started in 2005, when I founded SilkWeb, a digital agency. At a time when the Romanian internet landscape was still in its infancy, the idea of building a business exclusively online seemed, to many, like something out of a fantasy story. I saw something different: an enormous opportunity and a market that was about to explode.

Working closely with clients who wanted to sell online, I quickly realized that their problem wasn’t a lack of ambition; they lacked the right tools.

Existing platforms were either too expensive, too complex, or simply unsuitable for the realities of the Romanian market. That’s how the idea emerged to build our own platform from scratch, right within the agency.

It was a long process filled with testing and adjustments. It wasn’t until 2016 that the platform received the name it still carries today—Gomag—with a distinct identity. That moment represented a public commitment that we were no longer building an internal tool, but a standalone product with a clear vision and a market we wanted to serve.

It was a strategic pivot that permanently differentiated us from the competition and brought us to where we are today.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?

Cosmin Dărăban: The first thing that comes to mind is the period when I had to balance the platform’s growth with the resources available.

From what I’ve seen, every startup reaches a stage where pressure comes from all directions at once: customers demand more, the team needs clear direction, the market evolves rapidly, and you find yourself in the middle of the storm carrying the responsibility of staying on course.

I got through that period through a combination of discipline, accountability, and honest communication with the team. I never pretended to have all the answers. I involved the people around me in finding solutions, prioritized realistically, and accepted that you can’t do everything perfectly at the same time.

In practical terms, that translated into 12 years during which I personally worked without a salary.

The lesson I carry with me from that period is that resilience doesn’t mean never falling; it means having reasons to get back up every time you do.

C&B: How does Gomag contribute to the development of the eCommerce ecosystem in Romania and the region?

Cosmin Dărăban: Today, Gomag is essentially a driver of online commerce democratization, not just an eCommerce platform. We contribute to the ecosystem on several levels.

First, we reduce entry barriers. Anyone—from a craftsman in Transylvania selling handmade products to an entrepreneur with an established distribution network—can quickly launch a functional online store without needing an IT department.

Second, we constantly educate the market. Through content, webinars, events, guides, and community-building initiatives, we actively contribute to improving the digital competence of Romanian entrepreneurs. Why? Because we don’t want customers who depend on us; we want a community of entrepreneurs who understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Third, we are building an ecosystem of partners—agencies, freelancers, and consultants—who work with Gomag and, in turn, serve hundreds of businesses. That’s how impact multiplies.

At a regional level, we are already present in other markets, and our model—a SaaS platform with local support and features adapted to each market’s specifics—has proven to be a real competitive advantage over global solutions that treat all markets the same.

C&B: What does it mean, in practical terms, for an entrepreneur to “reach their potential” through a platform like Gomag?

Cosmin Dărăban: In short, it means selling more with less manual effort and being able to make decisions based on real data.

Let me be specific. An entrepreneur who joins Gomag can launch a fully functional online store within a few hours—with integrated payments, inventory management, automatic invoicing, and courier synchronization. No coding, no agency contracts, and no waiting months for implementation. This means they can test a business idea quickly and validate the market before investing significant resources.

As the business grows, the platform grows with it. Gomag offers over 400 native features, including GoBots for task automation within the platform, dozens of customizable themes, loyalty programs, customer segmentation, automated upsell and cross-sell tools, marketplace integrations, Facebook Ads and multichannel feeds, as well as a dedicated Google Shopping Ads automation service.

All of this is available without requiring external developers or customization budgets worth tens of thousands of euros.

For example, a merchant who activates native abandoned cart recovery can recover between 10% and 15% of lost sales automatically, without manual intervention. One who uses segmentation and automated post-purchase emails will see significantly higher retention rates. Another who integrates all sales channels into a single dashboard can save hours every week and invest that time elsewhere.

The combinations of possibilities offered by the platform are virtually limitless and can be adapted to the specific needs of each entrepreneur.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Cosmin Dărăban: Honestly? I think they would say I’m demanding but fair. My vision requires setting high standards consistently—for myself and for those around me—but one of my personal principles is never to ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do first myself.

They might also say that I’m direct, sometimes uncomfortably direct, but that I never have a hidden agenda.

They would probably add that I’m deeply involved in the product, that I have an almost obsessive curiosity for details, that I ask a lot of questions, and that I never accept a “good enough” mentality. But I hope they would also say that I give people room to grow, that I listen to their ideas, and that I recognize everyone’s contribution when we celebrate company victories.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?

Cosmin Dărăban: Without a doubt, the decision to transform an internal agency tool into a standalone product.

We initially built the platform to better serve SilkWeb clients because it was a practical solution to a real problem. But at one point, I realized it had outgrown the boundaries of an internal tool and that its potential was much greater.

Giving a project its own identity—a new name, a dedicated team, and a separate strategy—means taking a double risk: you risk the agency’s resources and you risk the possibility that the product won’t be adopted at the scale you envision. In 2016, when we decided to focus on Gomag as a SaaS solution, we had no guarantees. We only had the conviction that the market needed what we were building and that we understood that market better than anyone else.

An equally important decision was staying focused—not getting distracted by premature diversification, but striving to become the smartest eCommerce choice for Romanian and regional merchants.

C&B: How did you develop your leadership style and decision-making approach? Was it natural or learned?

Cosmin Dărăban: It was both natural and forged through experience. I believe I came with certain traits already in place: curiosity, pragmatism, and energy. But my leadership style was largely shaped by difficult experiences, mistakes, and the people I worked alongside.

I learned that a good leader is someone who asks the right questions, not someone who has all the answers. I also learned that decision-making speed matters just as much as accuracy: a perfect decision made too late can cause more damage than an imperfect one made at the right moment.

And I learned something else: people don’t follow visions—they follow people. If you’re not authentic, you won’t build anything that lasts.

C&B: How does your impact translate into numbers and tangible results for clients?

Cosmin Dărăban: Today, there are over 5,000 online stores built on Gomag, which collectively generated more than €500 million in sales during 2025.

Those figures speak for themselves, but beyond the aggregates, I’m interested in individual stories: the entrepreneur who grew from 50 to 500 orders per month during their first year on the platform; the store that automated post-purchase interactions and increased retention rates by two or three times; the business that achieved in three months after switching to Gomag what it had failed to accomplish in an entire year on another platform.

Operational efficiency is actually one of the most underrated indicators. When an entrepreneur gains 10 hours per week through a well-implemented automation process, those are 10 hours they can reinvest into growing the business. That’s real impact, and it’s what our technology delivers.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Cosmin Dărăban: My mornings are dedicated to sports and exercise. It’s a ritual I try hard to protect. Beyond physical health, I believe it’s essential for the mental clarity it provides. Many of my best decisions have taken shape during a workout rather than in front of a screen.

The rest of the day alternates between strategic thinking, internal meetings, product analysis, conversations with partners, and sometimes direct interactions with customers or our community.

The moments that bring me the greatest satisfaction are, paradoxically, the small ones: seeing a feature we’ve discussed for months work perfectly on the platform, receiving a message from a customer who has reached an important sales milestone, or seeing a team member come up with an idea that is clearly better than what we had originally planned.

Those moments confirm that we are shaping something alive with our minds and hands—and they are invaluable.

C&B: What differentiates Gomag from other international or local eCommerce platforms?

Cosmin Dărăban: There are several structural differences.

The first is that we are built for the Romanian and regional markets, not adapted to them afterward. That means integrations with local couriers, payment processors, invoicing systems, and marketing platforms are native, not workarounds.

The second difference is the balance between complexity and accessibility. Gomag provides features usually found in enterprise-level platforms—advanced automation, customer segmentation, integrated marketing—but within an interface that entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds can easily use.

The third difference, and perhaps the most important, is support. We’re not a product you buy and then figure out on your own. We have real people who know the platform in depth and who guide customers step by step as they grow.

C&B: How do you maintain a balance between advanced functionality and ease of use for entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds?

Cosmin Dărăban: This is actually one of the fundamental challenges of our product and an ongoing discussion within the product team.

The principle we start from is that advanced functionality should be available, but not mandatory. A new entrepreneur should be able to launch a store within hours without feeling overwhelmed by options. At the same time, an experienced merchant should find the sophisticated tools they would expect from an enterprise solution.

In practice, this translates into progressive design: default settings are optimized for the most common use cases, while complexity reveals itself gradually as users need it. We constantly test with real users and listen carefully—the feedback from our community has generated some of the platform’s best features.

C&B: What are the most common obstacles entrepreneurs face when scaling an online store, and how does Gomag help them overcome them?

Cosmin Dărăban: The first obstacle is often technical: the platform can no longer keep up with growth. Performance slows down, errors appear, and integrations break. Gomag addresses this through a scalable infrastructure that grows alongside the business, without painful migrations or unexpected surprises.

The second obstacle is operational. At a certain order volume, manual processes become unsustainable. Inventory management, invoicing, and customer communication consume enormous resources if they are not automated. Our automation features are specifically designed for this stage of growth.

The third obstacle comes from marketing. Entrepreneurs often lose visibility into where customers are coming from, what is working, and how to scale further. Gomag provides analytics and integrated marketing tools—email, SMS, abandoned cart recovery, and customer segmentation—that transform data into actionable decisions.

And there is a fourth, more subtle obstacle: the entrepreneur’s sense of isolation. Scaling a business is difficult and often lonely. The Gomag community—made up of customers, partners, and educational resources—provides exactly that feeling that you are not alone in the process.

Through vision, perseverance, and a deep understanding of entrepreneurs’ needs, Cosmin Dărăban has turned Gomag into a benchmark for eCommerce in Romania. From democratizing access to technology to building an ecosystem that supports business growth, his journey demonstrates how innovation and education can create real impact in online commerce.

The post Cosmin Dărăban, CEO & Co-Founder of Gomag – about the future of eCommerce, entrepreneurship and scaling online businesses appeared first on careers-business.com.

Adrian Cadar is the founder of Bio Holistic and the Obio organic products brand, passionate about nature, music, and a healthy lifestyle. He founded the company in 2008, while the Obio brand was launched in 2012.

C&B: If you were to look at the narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Adrian Cadar: Certainly, the moment when I joined a multinational company, which gave me early access to everything related to systems and processes within a large organization. And later, of course, the moment when I decided to leave the multinational environment and embark on the entrepreneurial journey on my own. However, both moments are rooted in my self-taught mindset and my early determination, from around the age of 18–19, to know what I wanted from my career. Of course, I did not know at 18 that I would work in the organic products industry, but I knew I would be independent and that I would eventually have my own business.

C&B: Bio Holistic has grown to a portfolio of more than 2,500 products and hundreds of partners. What were the most important strategic decisions behind this growth?

Adrian Cadar: Probably the most important decision was creating our own organic products brand, Obio. Choosing suppliers is also crucial, and we were fortunate to establish partnerships with some of the most renowned European suppliers in the organic market. Another important decision was focusing our energy on the traditional trade segment, or the specialized market as we often call it.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Adrian Cadar: Yes, from a young age I had the desire and ambition to be independent and to have my own business. Around the age of 18, I came across a book called “Secrets of the Mind, Secrets of Success,” which completely changed my perspective on what is needed to succeed in life. My personal development journey started with that book. I consistently applied everything I learned from all the self-development books I read. There was no internet back then, and books were the only source of information. To this day, everything I have set out to achieve has come true, without exception.

C&B: How would you describe the evolution of the organic products market in Romania from the time you started until today?

Adrian Cadar: The market grew rapidly until after the pandemic. Over the past two or three years, growth has slowed, but not only in Romania; there has been a decline or stagnation across Europe. We know that the European economic situation has not been particularly favorable in recent years, and this is reflected in the organic products market as well. Of course, the share of organic products is still very small in Romania, which I estimate at around 1% of total products, while in developed countries it can exceed 10%. There is significant room for growth, and the market will certainly continue to expand in the coming years. In countries such as Italy, France, and Germany, there are hundreds and even thousands of specialized organic stores, whereas in Romania we cannot yet really speak of organic stores (with the exception of 3–4 stores in Bucharest), but rather organic sections or corners within larger stores.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Adrian Cadar: They would probably say that we are very serious, that we operate with a high level of professionalism, and that we are trustworthy.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made, one that changed your trajectory?

Adrian Cadar: Although I knew from a young age that I would eventually have my own business, I did not know in which field. So I would say that the decision to open a small natural products store in Oradea in 2008 was the one that ultimately introduced me to organic products and the organic products market.

C&B: In your view, what does a truly “holistic” lifestyle mean, and how do you translate it into business?

Adrian Cadar: Holistic essentially means seeing things as a whole, as I like to say. A holistic lifestyle means taking care of the body, the mind, and the soul (or spirit, if you prefer). I would say that an organization such as a company “lives” holistically when it pays equal attention to all aspects necessary for its proper functioning.

C&B: How do you select suppliers and brands for your portfolio in order to maintain quality standards?

Adrian Cadar: Of course, there is a technical selection process, so to speak. We look at certifications and product sources. But there is also the element of feeling, of value alignment with a supplier, something that cannot be translated into software. And very often, that is what makes the difference. If we do not resonate with a potential supplier, we do not start the collaboration. There are quite a few cases where we turn down partnerships. We have brands in our portfolio that we have worked with for many years, brands with which we share the same values and the same high quality standards, and which place great importance on what is called business ethics. We are proud of that and of our suppliers.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments of the day bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Adrian Cadar: In the morning, I wake up, drink one or two large glasses of water, and head to the office. I check my emails and read the business news when I arrive, then move on to the tasks for the day. Around midday, I pick up my youngest son from school and we go to the gym. Of course, he does not actually work out; he just supervises me, but I hope this routine becomes ingrained in his subconscious so that he will stay active when he grows up. After the gym, we go home for lunch, which is also my first meal of the day. I return to the office for another one or two hours, and by around 5–6 p.m. I am back home, where we have dinner together as a family. By 10 p.m. at the latest, I am in bed, as sleep is extremely important for recharging my batteries for the next day. As you can see, nothing unusual, perhaps even boring for some people. But I believe that routine and consistency produce the best results over time.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them every day?

Adrian Cadar: I try to be fair, transparent, and to encourage those around me to look at life with optimism and confidence. I strongly believe that we cannot receive unless we first give. If I can do a good deed, I do it, because I know it will come back to me in one form or another. We always receive what we give in life.

C&B: How did the Bio Holistic story begin, and what motivated you to enter the organic products and healthy lifestyle sector?

Adrian Cadar: It all started in 2008 when I opened a small natural products store in Oradea. I chose that business because I was passionate about nutrition and healthy living and had completed various complementary therapy courses at the time. Alongside the physical store, I also launched an online store. While searching for organic products, both for my family and for the store’s customers, I realized there was very little variety among suppliers at that time. So I began looking for suppliers myself. Initially, I brought products only for my own store, and in 2012 I launched the B2B distribution channel as well. That same year, we launched our first products under the Obio brand and launched the website www.obio.ro. It is a wonderful field in which I feel useful, helping people pay attention to what they eat while also protecting nature at the same time.

C&B: How do you see the evolution of this sector over the next 5–10 years, both in Romania and internationally?

Adrian Cadar: The current global context is a complicated one, and certainly the organic products market may also be affected. On one hand, we have wars that are significantly increasing energy costs, and on the other hand, Romania’s complicated situation caused by the political class. Despite this, I remain optimistic that the organic market will be less affected than other sectors. In the long term, Romania still has considerable room for growth, and opportunities lie primarily in processing, as there are currently very few organic product processors in the country. We export a great deal of raw materials and import many finished products. Within five years, we could witness a doubling of the market if both the global and national economies recover.

Adrian Cadar’s journey demonstrates how long-term vision, consistency, and a passion for healthy living can turn an idea into a leading business. Through Bio Holistic and Obio, he contributes to the development of Romania’s organic products market by promoting quality, sustainability and responsible consumption.

The post Adrian Cadar, Founder of Bio Holistic and Obio – on organic products entrepreneurship and the future of Romania’s organic market appeared first on careers-business.com.