Adrian Ambrose is an entrepreneur and the founder of Fabricat în RO, one of Romania’s largest communities dedicated to promoting Romanian manufacturers, a platform he has been developing since 2014. After spending more than 15 years in multinational technology companies, where he led and developed complex teams and projects, he decided to focus his energy on building initiatives that create long-term value for the Romanian business environment. Today, he is developing an ecosystem that brings together the largest database of Romanian manufacturers, a marketplace, educational content, entrepreneur podcasts, and national media partnerships, with the goal of increasing the visibility, competitiveness, and collaboration of Romanian companies.

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

Adrian: I build ecosystems that help entrepreneurs become more visible, more competitive, and better connected.

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

Adrian: Looking back, I realize that all my decisions have shared the same denominator: building.

The first stage of my career was in multinational companies, where I led complex teams and projects. That experience taught me that well-designed processes, discipline, and people are the foundation of any organization that wants to grow in a healthy and sustainable way.

At the same time, I started developing Fabricat în RO, driven by the belief that a strong economy begins with supporting local manufacturers. I believe it is important to buy products made in Romania whenever possible and, at the same time, to have access to complete and trustworthy information about the manufacturers and products available nearby. Romanian-made products bring economic, social, and environmental benefits, but in order to be chosen, they first need to be discovered.

That is why I set out to build an ecosystem that gives Romanian manufacturers greater visibility through a dedicated database, a marketplace, search engine optimization and AI-powered platform optimization, social media promotion, educational content, podcasts, and media partnerships.

Looking back, I realize that financial results alone have never been my main motivation. What has always driven me is the desire to leave behind something valuable and lasting. I want Fabricat în RO to continue growing for decades to come, regardless of who leads it in the future. A database of verified Romanian manufacturers, a community of tens of thousands of people who support local consumption, a marketplace, thousands of articles about the benefits of Romanian-made products, and a strong digital presence represent, in my view, a legacy built in support of Romanian manufacturers. I hope this ecosystem will contribute to the long-term development of Romania’s economy, inspire more people to choose products made in Romania, and provide future generations with a reliable starting point when searching for trusted local manufacturers.

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

Adrian: One of the hardest lessons I learned was that having a great idea and working hard are not enough to build a project with real impact. You also need people who believe in the same mission and enough time to earn the market’s trust.

During the early years of Fabricat în RO, I tried to involve more people in the project, but it wasn’t easy to find individuals who shared the same vision and values and who were willing to build something for the long term. Many people seek quick results, while I was convinced that a project like this requires years to generate meaningful impact.

At the same time, I realized that the market tends to trust well-established organizations more easily. When you are just starting out, even if you have a strong idea and promising results, you have to work several times harder to prove that you deserve people’s attention and trust. Credibility is not earned through statements—it is built through consistency and results delivered over time.

These experiences changed me profoundly. They taught me that patience, perseverance, and building a strong reputation are just as important as the idea itself. Today, I no longer try to convince everyone. Instead, I prefer to keep building every single day, let the results speak for themselves, and attract people and partners who share the same mission: contributing to the growth of Romanian manufacturers and entrepreneurs.

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

Adrian: One of our boldest decisions was to expand Fabricat în RO into podcasts dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurs. It was a counterintuitive choice in an already highly competitive field, where many experienced content creators and media professionals are active.

However, we started from a simple belief: people don’t just buy products or services—they also buy the story, the values, and the people behind them. I felt that Romanian entrepreneurs needed a space where they could openly talk about their journey, the challenges they had faced, and the value of the products and services they create.

The risk was that we were investing time and resources into a format that wouldn’t deliver overnight results and had no guarantee of market adoption. We could have continued investing exclusively in traditional promotion and services, but instead, we chose to build a new communication channel designed for long-term impact.

The feedback we received from entrepreneurs confirmed that we had made the right decision. They want to tell their stories, share the lessons they have learned, and better explain the value behind the products and services they develop.

One tangible outcome of this decision is our partnership with A7TV, where Fabricat în RO podcasts will be broadcast as part of a TV show dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurs. For us, this is an important validation and, above all, an opportunity to increase the visibility of Romanian entrepreneurs and manufacturers before an even wider audience.

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

Adrian: My professional development began in multinational companies, where I had the opportunity to work alongside people with decades of experience in management, leadership, and business. That is where I learned organizational discipline, the importance of well-defined processes, and the fact that decisions should be based on data and performance indicators.

For years, I analyzed charts, reports, and KPIs, and I became accustomed to making decisions almost exclusively based on numbers. It was an extraordinary learning experience that shaped the way I think.

Today, as an entrepreneur, I have discovered that numbers tell only part of the story. They show you what has happened so far, but they do not always tell you what comes next. That is why, after years of experience and hundreds of conversations with entrepreneurs, I have started paying much greater attention to intuition, experience, and people. Today, I make important decisions by combining data analysis with the instincts I have developed over time.

Another major change is that I no longer try to control every detail. At the beginning, I believed that a leader had to have all the answers. Today, I believe a leader’s role is to set the direction, bring the right people together, and create an environment where they can perform at their best.

I have also learned to evaluate decisions over a much longer time horizon. I no longer ask myself only what result a decision will produce next month, but what impact it will have five or even ten years from now. I believe this shift in perspective has helped me build stronger projects and remain consistent with the mission I have embraced.

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

Adrian: I believe this question should really be answered by my colleagues, but I can share the feedback I have received over the years.

At the moment, the Fabricat în RO team is still relatively small, but we want to grow and bring in people who share the same mission so that we can invest even more energy in developing the project.

Ioana, the colleague who has been with me the longest, often tells me that she appreciates my consistency and the fact that I always try to find solutions, regardless of the challenges. Beyond that close working relationship, the feedback I receive most often is that people appreciate my logical thinking, creativity, professionalism, and reliability. I believe these qualities have helped me build long-lasting relationships based on trust and strong partnerships.

At the same time, I am fully aware that there is always room for improvement. One area I continuously work on is communication. Sometimes, because I am highly focused on goals and on the pace at which I want projects to move forward, I assume that others have the same context or perspective that I do. Experience has taught me that a leader should not only have a clear direction but should also communicate that direction effectively, so that the entire team understands not only what we need to do, but also why we are doing it.

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

Adrian: I believe what sets me apart is the way I approach building projects. I do not try to develop isolated services. Instead, I focus on creating an ecosystem in which every component complements another, like pieces of a puzzle that become increasingly valuable as new elements are added.

Whenever we identify a need among Romanian manufacturers, we try to find a solution that complements what we have already built. That is how our database of Romanian manufacturers, the marketplace, SEO-optimized and AI-optimized articles, social media promotion, podcasts, media partnerships, and, more recently, our television show dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurs have all emerged over time. Every new project does not replace the previous one—it increases its value.

Another differentiator is that we have never limited ourselves to a single industry. The platform brings together manufacturers from almost every field of activity, as well as service providers and guesthouses across Romania. Our goal is for anyone looking for a Romanian product, service, or experience to find relevant and trustworthy information in one place.

I also believe that our long-term perspective makes a difference. From the very beginning, I told my colleagues that Fabricat în RO is not a project we build today and abandon tomorrow. It is a project we intend to develop over the coming decades. This vision provides stability, builds trust, and motivates those who join us to create something truly lasting.

Ultimately, I believe leaders are not defined only by what they build, but by their ability to continuously create value. For me, every new idea must answer one simple question: How does it concretely help Romanian manufacturers and entrepreneurs? If the answer is clear, then that piece deserves its place in the puzzle we have been building for more than a decade.

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

Adrian: Technology and artificial intelligence have fundamentally transformed the way I work. In the past, many decisions required days of research, analysis, and consultation. Today, we can evaluate scenarios much faster, analyze large volumes of information, and make better-informed decisions.

At Fabricat în RO, we use artificial intelligence across numerous activities: research, market analysis, content strategy development, search engine and AI platform optimization, digital promotion, and information structuring. On the technical side, AI helps us identify code issues more quickly, streamline debugging processes, and develop new features in significantly less time than before.

Perhaps the greatest benefit is not just reduced costs, but the time we have gained. The hours we saved by automating and optimizing SEO and software development activities have been reinvested in producing video podcasts and creating content for Romanian entrepreneurs. In practice, we have been able to launch this new direction without expanding our team, simply by using technology to work smarter and more efficiently.

For me, this is one of the best examples of how artificial intelligence can create a competitive advantage. We have not used technology to replace people, but to eliminate repetitive tasks and allow our team to focus on projects that require creativity, added value, and meaningful human interaction.

I believe that in the years ahead, the competitive advantage will not belong to companies that simply use artificial intelligence, but to those that integrate it intelligently into their processes and turn the time they save into innovation, better products, and stronger customer relationships.

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

Adrian: One of the rules I have set for myself is to introduce Fabricat în RO and the solutions we develop to at least one new entrepreneur or potential partner every day.

I do not see these conversations merely as a sales process. For me, they are the best way to stay continuously connected to the market. Every conversation helps me better understand the real challenges entrepreneurs face, which solutions are truly useful, what objections arise, and perhaps most importantly, whether people are willing to pay for the value we provide.

I believe the market is the most honest consultant an entrepreneur can have. If an idea does not spark interest or solve a sufficiently important problem, you find out very quickly. On the other hand, when you see that people respond positively and are willing to invest in your solution, you receive one of the most valuable forms of validation.

This habit has helped me continuously improve the services and projects we develop, identify opportunities more quickly, and adapt Fabricat în RO to the real needs of Romanian entrepreneurs and manufacturers. I believe a leader should never become so busy that they lose direct contact with the market and with the people they are building for.

I have learned that the market always tells you the truth. The important thing is to be willing to listen, learn from feedback, and have the courage to adjust your direction whenever necessary.

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

Adrian: Whenever I make an important decision, I almost always ask myself three questions.

The first is: Does it create real value for people? If a project does not solve a problem or bring a tangible benefit to Romanian entrepreneurs and manufacturers, I prefer not to invest time and resources in it.

The second question is: Does it have the potential to remain relevant and continue creating value over time? I strive to build projects and services that do not lose their usefulness after a few months but continue helping people and evolving as the market changes.

The third question is: What does the market say? No matter how good an idea may seem to me, I always try to validate it through direct conversations with entrepreneurs, partners, and customers. I have learned that the market is the most objective test for any project.

A very good example is our decision to invest in video content and build Fabricat în RO’s YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts channels from scratch. It was a difficult decision because we already maintained an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, and X. Adding three more channels means much more than simply publishing the same content—it requires strategy, adapting materials for each platform, time, resources, and consistency.

Even so, we believed Romanian entrepreneurs needed a space where they could tell their stories in depth, and video content is one of the most effective ways to build trust and credibility. We chose to invest in these channels without any guarantee of immediate results, fully aware that communities and media channels are built over time through consistency and high-quality content.

Today, we can already see that this decision is producing results. Our community continues to grow steadily, entrepreneurs have given us excellent feedback, and our investment in content has opened new collaboration opportunities, including our partnership with A7TV, where Fabricat în RO podcasts will be broadcast as part of a television program dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurs.

I believe the best decisions are not always those that generate the fastest profit, but those that build trust, create communities, and generate long-term value.

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

Adrian: I believe the coming years will bring major changes in the way manufacturers and entrepreneurs promote their businesses and build relationships with customers.

I am noticing an interesting trend: after years in which globalization dominated commerce, more and more consumers are looking for locally made products, while major retail chains are paying increasing attention to nearby manufacturers and developing dedicated campaigns to support them. I am pleased to see this evolution because I believe a healthy economy depends on strong local manufacturers and consumers who understand the story behind the products they choose.

At the same time, I believe having a great product is no longer enough. Entrepreneurs need to step forward, tell their stories, talk about the values and principles that guide their businesses, and be transparent. More and more, people buy from people they trust, and that trust is built through authentic communication.

Another important shift is the way people search for information. The online industry and search engine optimization are undergoing a major transformation. It is no longer enough to rank well only in traditional search engines. More and more users are relying on AI-powered platforms to discover products, services, and recommendations, which means websites will also need to be optimized for these systems. I believe this will become one of the most significant competitive advantages in the years ahead.

I also believe entrepreneurs will benefit increasingly from becoming part of business communities and ecosystems. Collaboration between communities, the exchange of experience, and the development of strong partnerships will matter more than isolated competition. In an increasingly complex economy, no one can build alone at the same speed as a collaborative community.

I am optimistic. I believe technology will continue to reshape the rules of the game, but the values that truly make the difference will remain the same: trust, transparency, collaboration, and the ability to create genuine value for people.

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

Adrian: My goal is for Fabricat în RO to become one of the leading trusted sources whenever Romanians search for information about Romanian products, services, and manufacturers.

Our vision is that whenever a Romanian searches through search engines or AI-powered applications to discover a product or manufacturer, Fabricat în RO will be among the top recommendations. To achieve this, we continuously create high-quality content, develop the platform, and invest in technologies that reflect the way people search for information today.

We want Fabricat în RO to become the place where Romanians find Romanian solutions—from food products and furniture to services, guesthouses, and other local businesses. We aim to be the answer to what Romanians are looking for, and whenever possible, we want the solutions they find to be Romanian.

At the same time, we want the platform to strengthen collaboration between manufacturers, between manufacturers and distributors, and among entrepreneurs from different industries. I believe a strong local economy is built when companies collaborate, recommend one another’s products and services, and develop long-term partnerships.

We are also looking beyond Romania’s borders. The platform is available in English, and one of our objectives is to increase the visibility of Romanian manufacturers in international markets. We want more companies to receive inquiries from abroad, establish commercial partnerships, and increase their exports. I believe Romanian products have the quality needed to compete internationally—they simply need greater visibility and easier access to potential buyers and distributors.

In the long run, I hope more and more Romanians will choose products made in Romania, not only out of patriotism, but because they know their quality, their story, and the people behind them. If we can contribute to this change in mindset and help thousands of Romanian manufacturers and entrepreneurs become more visible, collaborate more easily, and grow their businesses both in Romania and internationally, I will consider our mission accomplished.

I do not believe success should be measured only by the number of visitors or products listed on the platform. For me, success means that Fabricat în RO becomes a trusted benchmark for consumers and a genuine partner for Romanian entrepreneurs, contributing to the development of a stronger Romanian economy.

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

Adrian: My first piece of advice would be to talk to the market as early as possible. Many entrepreneurs spend months or even years perfecting a product or service without validating it with the people who are supposed to buy it. I have learned that real feedback is far more valuable than our own assumptions. If the market does not confirm that you are solving an important problem, it is much better to find that out early and adjust your direction.

My second piece of advice is to build something in Romania and for Romania. We have courageous entrepreneurs, responsible people, highly skilled professionals, and outstanding human talent. I believe we have every reason to develop competitive Romanian products, services, and brands that create value here while successfully representing Romania in international markets. The more strong businesses we build in Romania, the stronger our economy will become.

My third piece of advice is to invest in trust, not just promotion. More and more, people buy from individuals and brands they know and trust. High-quality content, transparency, and consistency build relationships that stand the test of time and are worth far more than any short-term advertising campaign.

At the same time, do not ignore technology. Artificial intelligence can dramatically accelerate business growth and provide access to knowledge and tools that, just a few years ago, were available only to large companies. Used wisely, it can help entrepreneurs save time, make better decisions, and remain competitive.

If I had to summarize everything in a single idea, it would be this: build something that solves a real problem, validate it continuously with the market, and have the courage to build in Romania. I truly believe we have talented people, valuable products, and all the resources needed to create businesses that are appreciated both at home and abroad.

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

Adrian: I believe one of the biggest uncomfortable truths is that having a great product does not guarantee success. In the digital economy, if people cannot find you, it is as if you do not exist.

Romania has many manufacturers producing outstanding products, yet many of them invest years in product development while investing very little in visibility, brand building, and communicating the values that set them apart. At the same time, I have noticed that we still find it easier to compete than to collaborate. I believe the next stage of Romanian entrepreneurship will be driven by communities, partnerships, and projects built together.

Another truth is that technology cannot compensate for the lack of a strategy. Artificial intelligence can accelerate business growth, but it cannot replace a great idea, a committed team, or relationships built over time.

I believe the future will favor entrepreneurs who have the courage to be more transparent, collaborate more, and invest continuously in visibility and trust. Because before people buy a product, they always choose the brand and the people behind it.

In the digital economy, if people cannot find you, it is as if you do not exist.

Adrian Ambrose’s interview highlights how a long-term vision, supported by technology, artificial intelligence, SEO, and strategic partnerships, can help strengthen Romanian manufacturers and contribute to the growth of the local economy. Through Fabricat în RO, he is building an ecosystem that promotes visibility, collaboration, and business competitiveness, demonstrating that sustainable success is driven by trust, consistency, and the ability to create real value for the community.

The post Adrian Ambrose: How Fabricat în RO is building an ecosystem that empowers romanian manufacturers through SEO, AI and collaboration appeared first on careers-business.com.

Alexandru Răzvan Neacșu is an entrepreneur and SEO and online marketing specialist involved in developing digital projects, advertorial platforms, and organic growth strategies for businesses looking to increase sales through visibility, content, and automation.

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

Alexandru: I’m someone who realized that the internet is not just a place where you “have a website,” but a place where you can build a real business, work from home, and create value—if you know how to combine SEO, content, technology, AI, and a great deal of consistency.

For me, online marketing has never been just about traffic or Google rankings. It has always been about a simple question: How do you turn people’s attention into trust, and trust into sales?

C&B: Looking back, what is the common thread that has guided your professional journey?

Alexandru: I believe the common thread has been my desire to build online projects that work in the real world, not just look good on paper. I’ve always been drawn to the digital space because it offers something incredibly valuable: the ability to test, learn quickly, and turn an idea into a real business.

One of the first defining moments was when I started in affiliate marketing. I worked with affiliate programs for eMAG and Altex, and that was the first time I truly understood how powerful the internet could be when you know how to drive relevant traffic to a product. It wasn’t just about placing a link in an article—it was about understanding what people are searching for, how they make purchasing decisions, and how to create content that genuinely delivers results.

The second major milestone came in 2014, when I decided to build my first serious business in this field: SEOAgency.ro. It was an important decision because I moved from experimentation and individual projects to building something with a long-term vision. I’m still involved in this project today, and over the years I’ve learned that SEO is not just about Google rankings—it is about strategy, content, authority, technology, and patience.

At the same time, I was involved in other online projects, such as contract-auto.ro, as well as the development of news websites. Every project taught me something different. Some emphasized automation, others highlighted the importance of content, others the speed of publishing, and some showed me how important it is to quickly identify what the audience is actually looking for.

The third defining moment is the current AI-driven era. This has completely changed the game. Those who know how to use AI properly can produce faster, test more ideas, and build businesses with lower costs. However, AI doesn’t replace thinking, strategy, or experience—it amplifies them. And in SEO and online marketing, I believe that’s exactly where the opportunity lies: combining real-world experience with new technologies.

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

Alexandru: There have been several difficult moments, but one of the most significant was the sharp decline in affiliate marketing results. In the beginning, affiliate marketing worked extremely well, especially for products promoted through articles and paid campaigns. Over time, however, the conditions changed: commissions that were once around 3% dropped to 1%, the cookie duration decreased from 30 days to just 3 days, and eventually to only one day, while conversions became increasingly difficult to achieve.

It was a difficult period because the business model I relied on was no longer as profitable. I found myself investing money in content, promotion, and traffic without generating enough return to justify the effort.

That experience forced me to look at business more maturely. I realized it’s unhealthy to depend on a single channel, a single affiliate program, or rules that you don’t control. From that point on, I focused much more on my own projects, services, platforms, long-term valuable content, and businesses where I could have greater control over both direction and revenue.

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

Alexandru: One of the boldest decisions I made was leaving my job to work full-time from home on my own online projects. It wasn’t an easy choice because I was giving up the security of a stable income and entering a field where the results depended entirely on me.

The risk was obvious: if my projects didn’t generate enough income, I had no safety net. But I felt that if I truly wanted to build something meaningful in SEO and online marketing, I had to dedicate all my time to it.

Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because it gave me the freedom to experiment, build platforms, develop my own projects, and grow much faster than I ever could have if I had continued splitting my time between a job and my business.

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

Alexandru: At the beginning, I was much more execution-oriented. I wanted to move fast, test ideas, launch projects, and see results. That mindset helped me a lot because speed is essential in the digital world. However, over time I realized that speed without structure can easily create chaos.

Today, I make decisions much more carefully. I evaluate costs, time, risks, what can be automated, and what is actually worth doing manually. In the past, whenever I had an idea, my first instinct was to test it immediately.

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

Alexandru: I believe they would say that I’m highly committed and that I genuinely care about the outcome. I’m not the kind of person who delivers something just to check a task off the list. If I see that a piece of content, a campaign, or a landing page has little chance of succeeding, I say so.

There were months when some of my clients didn’t have a marketing budget. I didn’t abandon them. Instead, I always tried to find solutions that would allow them to continue working with me, help them through difficult times, and make sure they could still afford my services.

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

Alexandru: I believe the difference comes from the fact that I don’t look at SEO in isolation. I don’t see it as just a list of keywords or a Google ranking technique. I see it as the intersection of business, psychology, content, technology, and sales.

For example, when I analyze a project, I don’t just check whether it has a good meta title or enough backlinks. I look at whether the page inspires trust, whether it answers the customer’s real questions, whether it provides proof, whether it has a clear structure, loads quickly, and includes a strong call to action.

I also enjoy building systems. If something has to be done a hundred times, I don’t want to repeat it manually a hundred times. I’d rather create a process, an automation, a template, or a platform that saves time and increases efficiency.

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

Alexandru: AI has fundamentally transformed the way we work, especially in SEO and online marketing. Today, you can generate ideas faster, analyze more content, create multiple versions of articles, headlines, descriptions, campaigns, and strategies in a fraction of the time.

However, I’ve also noticed a major trap: many people believe AI does everything. That’s simply not true. AI produces content quickly, but it doesn’t guarantee quality, strategy, or results. Without experience, you risk publishing a lot of weak content. And both Google and users are beginning to recognize that.

Personally, I use AI as an accelerator, not as a replacement. It helps me brainstorm, structure articles, generate campaign ideas, conduct research, and create multiple content variations. But the final direction must always come from a human.

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

Alexandru: I wouldn’t say there’s a spectacular habit or a special routine that completely changed my performance. In my case, it’s been more about hard work, perseverance, and the ability to keep going even when results don’t appear immediately.

There have been countless sleepless nights, many failed tests, campaigns that didn’t perform, and projects where I invested a great deal of time without seeing immediate returns. But I believe that’s exactly where the difference is made. In the online world, many people give up far too soon.

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

Alexandru: The first principle is usefulness: Does this solve a real problem? If it doesn’t solve a genuine problem, the chances of generating revenue are very small.

The second principle is scalability: Can I grow this without increasing manual work proportionally? If every new client requires the same amount of manual effort, the business eventually becomes difficult to scale.

The third principle is risk management. I don’t believe in making decisions based solely on enthusiasm. You can be bold, but you have to understand exactly what you’re risking.

A good example is my decision to invest in platforms and processes for advertorials and SEO. I could have remained focused solely on one-off services, but instead I chose to build something that provides clients with faster and clearer access to these services. It was a decision that required organization, investment, and continuous adaptation, but one that proved itself over time.

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

Alexandru: I believe traditional, mechanical SEO will continue to decline. By that, I mean SEO based solely on mass-produced articles, random paid backlinks, and superficial optimization. That model is becoming increasingly ineffective.

Instead, SEO integrated with branding, authority, expert content, AI, and data will continue to grow. Google, social platforms, and AI-powered search engines will increasingly favor content that demonstrates trustworthiness and real expertise.

Another major shift will be the rise of AI-powered search. People won’t simply search for “laptop repair Bucharest” or “used car dealer.” Instead, they’ll ask questions like, “What’s the safest option for me?” That means businesses will need content that is clearer, better structured, and more credible.

I see tremendous opportunities for people who learn AI, SEO, copywriting, automation, and data analysis. Honestly, if someone asked me today which field I’d recommend for making money online, I’d say SEO and online marketing—but combined with AI. Pressing a button isn’t enough. You need real skills: understanding the market, writing effectively, analyzing, testing, and selling.

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

Alexandru: I want to build practical solutions for companies that need greater visibility but don’t know where to start or don’t have large marketing budgets. I believe there’s a significant gap between expensive agencies and improvised, trial-and-error solutions. That’s where I want to make a difference.

More specifically, I’m interested in expanding the areas of platforms, content, advertorials, automation, and hands-on consulting. I don’t just want to tell people they need SEO—I want to provide them with the tools that make it easier to get started.

The impact I’m aiming for is simple: helping small and medium-sized businesses gain access to online marketing solutions that are clearer, faster, and more effective. Not everyone has a corporate-sized budget, but many businesses can grow remarkably when they have the right direction.

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

Alexandru: My first piece of advice is not to start with the logo, the colors, or visual perfection. Start with the problem you’re solving. Too many people spend months perfecting their brand image without ever testing whether customers actually want their product or service.

My second piece of advice is to learn online marketing and AI, regardless of your industry. Whether you run a restaurant, an auto repair shop, a private kindergarten, a retail store, or a B2B business, you need to understand how online visibility works. You don’t have to become an expert in everything, but you do need to understand the fundamentals.

Third, don’t blindly copy your competitors. Your competitors can be wrong. Instead, focus on your customers: What questions do they ask? What are they afraid of? What don’t they understand? What ultimately convinces them to buy? That’s where the best ideas for content and marketing come from.

And there’s one more thing I’d like to add: don’t believe in getting rich quickly without putting in the work. Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make money through SEO, AI, and online marketing. I genuinely believe it’s one of the best opportunities available today. But it requires patience, discipline, continuous testing, and a solid set of practical skills.

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

Alexandru: One uncomfortable truth is that not every business deserves to be promoted in its current form. Sometimes the problem isn’t SEO, the campaign, or the article. The real issue is the product, the offer, the pricing, the lack of trust, or the way the company communicates.

You can drive traffic to a website, but if that website doesn’t inspire confidence, if the offer is unclear, if there’s no differentiation, or if visitors don’t understand why they should buy from you instead of someone else, that traffic won’t generate revenue.

Another uncomfortable truth is that SEO takes time. Many people expect results within two weeks, but serious SEO is built over months and years. While you can sometimes achieve quick wins, genuine authority is earned through consistency.

There’s also another reality: AI will replace some of the people who have been doing superficial marketing. However, it will be an extraordinary advantage for those who truly know what they’re doing. The real difference won’t be between people who use AI and those who don’t. It will be between those who use it intelligently and strategically, and those who use it simply to produce a large amount of low-quality content.

Alexandru Răzvan Neacșu’s interview highlights how SEO, artificial intelligence, and automation are reshaping digital marketing. From building sustainable online businesses to developing strategies based on content, authority, and technology, his experience provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs, marketers, and companies looking to strengthen their online presence.

The post Alexandru Răzvan Neacșu: How SEO, AI and automation drive business growth appeared first on careers-business.com.

Andrei Georgescu is a Romanian entrepreneur and digital marketing specialist, best known as the co-founder and Managing Partner of White Image, the first email marketing agency in Romania, launched nearly two decades ago. Over the years, he has contributed to the development of the direct marketing industry and to the professionalization of data-driven communication in the digital environment.

Under his leadership, White Image has evolved from a project that started almost as a hobby into a company recognized for its expertise in email marketing, loyalty solutions, and data-driven, personalized communication strategies. In recent years, the company has also integrated new communication channels, such as WhatsApp, into modern automated marketing ecosystems.

Andrei Georgescu is considered one of the few globally certified specialists in email deliverability, a field essential to the performance of digital marketing campaigns. His expertise is frequently sought by companies looking to optimize their customer relationships through relevant and efficient communication.

In addition to his entrepreneurial work, he has been involved for over a decade in educating new generations of marketing professionals. Within the International Advertising Association, through the IAA School program, he teaches email marketing courses and shares his industry experience.

He is also a frequent speaker at major e-commerce and digital marketing events, such as GPeC Summit, Trade Marketing Congress, or ZF Events, where he discusses customer loyalty, smart data usage, and the role of new technologies—including artificial intelligence—in transforming modern marketing.

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

Andrei: If I were to look at my career as a narrative thread, I think there are a few moments that defined the direction I took.

The first was the very beginning. After graduating from the first class of the Advertising Master’s program at SNSPA, I really wanted to work in the communications industry. The problem was that no one was hiring me. In that context, a former university colleague, who was more attentive to industry news, told me about something that was just starting to be mentioned at the time: email marketing. The idea seemed interesting to me and, in a way, it was the spark that led to the creation of White Image. It was more of an experimental beginning, without guarantees, but with a lot of enthusiasm and the desire to build something in a field that was almost unknown at the time.

A second important moment came a few years later, when we made a major shift in perspective. At first, our activity was very execution-oriented: we sent campaigns, optimized delivery, and implemented client requests. At some point, however, we started analyzing data much more closely—campaign results, user behavior, and real performance feedback. Integrating this data into the way we think about and execute campaigns fundamentally changed our approach.

This shift influenced not only how we work, but also how we relate to clients. It led to a transformation in our sales process: from a more technical or service-oriented approach to a much more consultative one. We began discussing clients’ business objectives, user behavior, and how data could be used to optimize communication and results. Over time, this consultative approach became an essential part of how we build client relationships.

Looking back, I believe these moments—the entrepreneurial beginning born from an unexpected opportunity and the transition to a data-driven culture that later evolved into a consultative approach—have most defined my professional journey.

C&B: What was the biggest obstacle in White Image’s early years and how did you overcome it?

Andrei: In the early years, the biggest obstacle wasn’t competition, but explanation.

In 2003, when we started White Image, email marketing was almost unknown in Romania. In many meetings with potential clients, when we told them we could send emails to their customers on behalf of their company, the reaction was sometimes very simple: “We also have Outlook.”

For many companies, it was difficult to understand the difference between manually sending a few emails and having a structured communication channel capable of reaching thousands of customers simultaneously, with relevant messages and measurable results. In addition, databases were rarely well organized, and the idea that customer relationships could be managed through digital communication was still in its early stages.

How did we overcome this obstacle? First of all, through a lot of market education. We explained, showed examples, ran pilot projects, and demonstrated through results that email could become an extremely effective communication channel.

Interestingly, a few years later, when the market began to understand email marketing, we faced a very similar challenge when introducing communication automation scenarios. This also required a shift in mindset: automation meant collecting and structuring data so that certain user actions or behaviors could trigger communication. Once again, it required explanations, examples, and proving the value in practice.

Looking back, I think an important part of White Image’s growth was precisely this role—not just as a service provider, but also as a market educator in a field that has evolved tremendously over the past 20 years.

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

Andrei: Yes, I think the ambition that has always guided me is very simple: to be the best in our field.

Not necessarily the biggest, but the best in the true sense of the word—to understand this channel better than anyone else, to use data intelligently, and to help clients achieve real results from their communication.

In a field that has evolved so rapidly, this goal has actually meant a continuous process of learning and adaptation. From the early days of email marketing, when the market was just discovering this channel, to complex automation and data-driven communication, the ambition has remained the same: to better understand how it works and how it can create value for clients.

I believe this desire to do things as well as possible—not just to do them—has guided us through all stages of White Image’s development.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed over time?

Andrei: At the beginning, like many entrepreneurs, I was in an exploratory phase. I didn’t have all the answers and, honestly, many things started from a simple question: “Let’s see what happens if we try this too.”

We tested ideas, implemented them, then analyzed the results. If it worked, we moved forward and developed it further. If not, we tried to understand what we could learn from that experiment and restarted the process from a different angle.

Over time, I realized that this approach is very similar to what Adam Grant describes in his book Think Again: the idea of thinking more like a scientist than like a defender of your own ideas. That is, treating beliefs as hypotheses to be tested, not as absolute truths.

Today, we may be more structured and more mature as an organization, but the core philosophy has remained the same: to experiment, analyze results, and always be willing to rethink our own conclusions when data points us in a better direction.

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

Andrei: If you asked my colleagues or collaborators, the first thing they would probably say is that I can be quite stubborn when I believe in an idea. I often challenge them to do things we haven’t done before, which isn’t always comfortable for everyone.

They would probably also say that sometimes I can seem impatient or that I get frustrated quickly when things don’t go in the direction I believe is right. But I think they would also add that I’ve always tried to be fair in my relationships with the team and partners, and to stand by the ideas I believe in.

And looking back, I think they would also say one more thing: that we’ve often done certain things long before they became industry trends. Sometimes it was difficult at the beginning because it felt like we were moving in a direction few people saw at the time. But over time, many of those ideas became standard in the market.

So, if I were to summarize what they might say about me, it would probably be this: that I’m stubborn, that I push people out of their comfort zones, and that ideas that seem unusual at first often become standard a few years later.

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

Andrei: I wouldn’t say there was a single decision that suddenly changed my trajectory overnight. For me, changes have been more gradual and almost unnoticeable, built step by step through what I chose to do every day.

Each decision—whether it was about which projects to take on, how to approach a client, or how to introduce a new way of working—gradually contributed to the direction we followed. And looking back, I realize that these small decisions, accumulated over time, are what defined our evolution as an organization.

I think the lesson here is that major transformations don’t always come from a single moment of inspiration; sometimes, they are the result of consistent choices, experimentation, and the desire to continuously learn.

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

Andrei: I think my leadership style developed more as a natural process. As I grew alongside White Image, I learned from experiences, challenges, and interactions with the team.

At the same time, I always try to learn new things—whether through reading, observation, or conversations with people in the industry. I believe a good leader is not just someone who makes decisions, but someone who can motivate people to do what needs to be done and inspire them to give their best.

For me, leadership is not about imposing, but about creating the context in which the team can perform, experiment, and grow, even when the path is not clear from the beginning.

C&B: What differentiates White Image from other agencies in Romania?

Andrei: I think the first differentiator is experience. White Image was the first email marketing agency in Romania and, over nearly 20 years, we’ve had the opportunity to see how this channel evolves and how the relationship between brands and customers transforms. This experience helps us deeply understand not just the technology, but also user behavior.

Another important element is specialization. While many agencies treat email marketing as a complementary service, for us it has always been a core pillar. We have invested heavily in data, personalization, automation, and especially deliverability—an essential factor for campaign performance.

In recent years, we’ve expanded our approach beyond email, integrating channels like WhatsApp and other messaging solutions into communication and loyalty strategies. Essentially, we aim to build communication ecosystems that use data intelligently and maintain long-term relationships between brands and customers.

And perhaps most importantly: we enjoy working very closely with our clients. We don’t see projects as simple campaign executions, but as partnerships where we constantly test, optimize, and find more effective ways to communicate.

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

Andrei: A typical workday for me almost always starts at 9:30—never earlier.

There’s no fixed end time, though: the day ends only when all important things are done. And honestly, that’s one of the aspects that makes the job both challenging and rewarding.

The greatest satisfaction comes when a happy client gives us feedback like:

“Fast and good—it’s something rare in the agency world, but with you, it really happens.”

These moments show that the team’s work truly matters and that the effort translates into concrete results.

C&B: What lessons have you learned about leading a creative team and managing complex projects?

Andrei: I’ve learned that in a creative team, it’s very important to give every idea a chance to develop. Often, ideas that seem unusual or even crazy at first end up generating the best results—either in client relationships or in how messages reach the audience.

At the same time, I don’t think it’s healthy to classify or reject ideas too quickly without truly analyzing them. The key is to remain open and willing to rethink our own assumptions.

When it comes to projects, I’ve come to the conclusion that there aren’t necessarily “complex” projects, but rather projects that haven’t yet been analyzed clearly enough. When you break a project down into stages and clarify all aspects, it becomes much easier to manage. Sometimes implementation may take longer or require more resources, but that doesn’t mean the project is inherently complicated—it just needs more careful planning.

C&B: Was there a difficult project or period that tested your patience and resilience? How did you overcome it?

Andrei: Yes, there have definitely been moments that tested my patience. Working with multiple corporate clients, I’ve noticed that many things move more slowly because they involve numerous discussions and approval stages. It’s a normal process, but it can sometimes become frustrating—especially when you come up with new ideas you’re excited about, and their approval takes much longer than you’d like. Still, the satisfaction is much greater when the idea is finally approved and implemented.

There have also been situations where certain tenders lasted more than two years. It’s the kind of process where you’re told multiple times that “this is the final set of questions,” and then another one comes… and another one.

In such situations, what helped me most was maintaining a positive mindset and a bit of humor. Energy often comes from other projects that are moving forward in parallel and, especially, from the reactions of satisfied clients when they see the results of your work.

Andrei Georgescu’s story is, at its core, about the courage to start in an unknown field, the patience to build step by step, and the discipline to keep learning.

The post Andrei Georgescu & White Image: The story of pioneering email marketing in Romania appeared first on careers-business.com.

Tatiana Tuhan has been the Social Media Manager at the company Leonidas Romania since 2019. Tatiana has over 10 years of experience in the online environment, and before working in several digital agencies in Romania, she graduated from a Master’s program in Social Media and Online Marketing. While working in Digital Marketing agencies, she collaborated with more than 35 brands, including major brands in the beauty, food, and automotive industries. Currently, she manages the digital campaigns of the brand Leonidas Romania – Belgian Chocolate.

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

Tatiana Tuhan: The key moments in my career have been the many brands and campaigns I have managed over time, as well as the diversity of brands I have collaborated with. Having experience working in an agency, where the pace is fast and brands come from very different industries, you accumulate a lot of information from various fields.

I have run campaigns for both B2B and B2C brands, in areas such as IT courses, real estate, automotive, food, beauty, baby products, and many others. This allowed me to gather extensive knowledge from different niches and learn how to manage efficiently all the challenges that the online environment brings.

Then, of course, a very representative key moment came in 2019, when I transitioned from working in an agency to joining the internal team of the Leonidas brand, where I continue to work today.

C&B: What challenges do you encounter most often when managing online communities for a premium brand like Leonidas?

Tatiana Tuhan: Among the challenges for the Leonidas brand we can mention educating and informing the audience, maintaining the perception of a premium product, as well as balancing exclusivity with accessibility.

Since 2009, one of the main objectives has been to inform and educate the public about the importance of ingredients and the impact that the quality of raw materials has on Leonidas products. Therefore, we emphasize the real benefits of Leonidas products, such as being made with 100% cocoa butter, without palm oil, and with fresh ingredients, in order to guarantee the freshness and refinement of every praline.

When it comes to managing online communities, social networks tend to favor speed and trends. We try to adapt to these dynamics while always preserving values such as standards, quality, and the refinement specific to the Leonidas brand and its products.

We also place major importance on the experience customers have with the brand, from the first interaction, whether online or offline, all the way to opening a box of pralines. We put a strong emphasis on the relationship with the customer, empathy, and maintaining premium standards in communication, just as we do with Leonidas products and services.

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

Tatiana Tuhan: When working in the online environment, obstacles can always arise because the speed at which this field evolves is very high and sometimes overwhelming.

The creativity that I can explore in the digital environment was one of the things that attracted me from the very beginning. Ever since I studied this field, I knew I wanted to work online and create campaigns that help both brands and customers, building a real connection between them.

Of course, every brand has its own particularities, and precisely this challenge of developing communication strategies based on each brand’s specific characteristics has helped me push my limits and express my creative side.

One of my ambitions has been to help brands and constantly find new ways to manage communication strategies and campaigns in the most creative ways possible, while also delivering strong results.

C&B: What did you look like at the beginning of your journey and how do you feel you have transformed up to the present?

Tatiana Tuhan: The beginning of my journey in marketing started during my university years. I studied Communication and Public Relations, and during that time I completed internships at digital agencies, including one very well-known agency.

That’s where I discovered this creative world and, although the pace of work and information was overwhelming, I loved the freedom to experiment with new ideas. At that moment, I realized that this would be my path, and since then I have followed this professional direction.

I have been working in online marketing since 2015, and every agency and brand I have worked with has contributed to my professional growth.

However, today managing communication in the online environment is even more challenging. Platforms, trends, and user expectations evolve constantly, and in order to remain visible and relevant you must keep up with these changes and adapt strategies in real time.

Currently, we are starting to develop strategies that include elements dedicated to content optimization for AI and LLMs. In such a constantly transforming digital landscape, these changes bring new challenges, and constant adaptation becomes essential.

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

Tatiana Tuhan: In the digital department, I manage most of the activities as a “one-woman show” however, I work closely with Ion Codreanu – the importer of Leonidas Romania – in order to make the best decisions regarding communication strategies and the online campaigns we run.

Having a close relationship both with the team and with external partners, I believe they would say that I am dedicated, responsible, sometimes even a “workaholic”, but at the same time that I have a sense of humor and enjoy bringing a good mood into the team.

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

Tatiana Tuhan: The most important decision professionally was moving from agency work to working directly for a brand. The pace of work, the mindset, and the focus changed, and the strategy shifted toward strengthening the brand’s presence in the online environment.

For me, this was one of the best decisions I have made, and I still truly enjoy what I do. The role is challenging because it requires constantly finding tactics and strategies to remain relevant in the online environment. At the same time, it motivates you to stay updated with new developments, use your creativity constantly, and stay focused on growing the brand.

C&B: What qualities do you look for in an influencer or creator when evaluating a potential collaboration?

Tatiana Tuhan: First of all, we must ensure that the values of the content creators we collaborate with are aligned with the brand’s values. It is important for us to work with influencers who share respect for quality, attention to detail, and appreciation for premium experiences.

Authenticity, naturalness, and credibility are also essential so that the collaboration remains relevant both for the creator’s community and for Leonidas.

We try to stay active within the communities of content creators who share the same values as we do. In addition, we have noticed increasing interest from content creators from Generation Z, who are curious to experiment and discover the Leonidas product experience.

C&B: How would you describe your role as Social Media Manager in the success of Leonidas Romania’s digital communication?

Tatiana Tuhan: The role of Social Media Manager for a brand like Leonidas Romania comes with challenges specific to the niche and to the way customers perceive premium brands.

In online communication for such a brand, it is important to emphasize the real benefits of the product and what differentiates it, so that the audience understands the value and quality we offer.

In order to remain present and relevant, we are active on social networks and post daily on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, following communication pillars, and we place strong emphasis on User-Generated Content. We always appreciate when customers send us photos and share their experiences with us. We are also present and active on TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Social networks act as a bridge between the brand and the customer, both in the case of online orders and purchases made in physical chocolate shops. There are many cases where customers visit the physical chocolate stores with a photo of a product they saw in our posts, purchasing it after being influenced by social media.

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

Tatiana Tuhan: A typical day starts with a coffee, reading emails, and checking messages received from the community on social media. I also try to make time to regularly read blogs from online platforms to see what’s new, and after that the day’s activities vary depending on the tasks scheduled.

The moments that bring me the most professional satisfaction are when we receive positive feedback messages from customers, five-star reviews, and the moments when I see that a campaign performs well and generates very good results.

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

Tatiana Tuhan: The values that guide me are quality, attention to detail, and responsibility. Every day I try to apply them through the attention I give both to our community and to the campaigns and strategies we run. Creativity is also very important for finding innovative solutions to keep the brand relevant in the online environment.

Collaboration with the team is very important in order to make correct and efficient decisions. Any idea or campaign that involves the entire operational flow must also be approved by the rest of the colleagues. These principles are reflected in every project and interaction, both personal and professional.

C&B: How do you adapt content for special occasions (holidays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.), and which campaign had the biggest impact?

Tatiana Tuhan: The content we communicate online is always updated and adapted to special seasonal collections. In order to maintain premium standards in the online environment as well, the photo and video content we create for each collection is produced with the help of professional photographers and videographers.

For every campaign we create dedicated messages and visuals and integrate special thematic offers to strengthen the customer experience with the brand. The campaigns with the biggest impact are those for March 1–8, Christmas, and Easter. During these periods, email marketing campaigns generate very strong results.

We also place strong emphasis on customer loyalty campaigns, since a large portion of those who purchase our products return consistently. These campaigns allow us to maintain close relationships with loyal customers, offer them personalized experiences and offers, and show appreciation for their loyalty, strengthening the long-term relationship.

One of the campaigns with the biggest impact was the “How it’s made Coeur Framboise” campaign, organized around the time of Mărțișor. During the campaign we hosted live sessions in the largest Leonidas chocolate shop in Romania, the Leonidas Dorobanti Chocolate Shop, together with the Leonidas Belgium Master Chocolatier, who prepared the Coeur Framboise praline step by step.

The campaign had a major impact online, generating a high level of awareness thanks to influencers and customers who created and shared numerous photo and video materials on social networks.

C&B: What was a campaign or viral moment that exceeded your expectations and what lessons did you learn from that experience?

Tatiana Tuhan: “Chocolate for the Soul” Campaign

One of the campaigns that was both successful and had a strong emotional and social impact was the “Chocolate for the Soul” campaign, where we organized live mental relaxation sessions together with a psychologist and psychotherapist.

The initiative started from the uncertainty and stress people felt during the COVID period, with the aim of offering moments of relaxation and calm, combining the psychological benefits of chocolate consumed in moderation with online live sessions focused on mental health and emotional balance.

The number of registrations was limited, but we had to extend the campaign period because it had an impressive impact among participants.

“My Sweet Moment Leonidas” Campaign

Another impactful campaign was “My Sweet Moment Leonidas”, aimed especially at a younger audience. During the campaign, 30 selected participants received a Leonidas Ballotin as a gift and had to integrate it into an Instagram Reel capturing their own Leonidas moment.

Participants posted the Reels on their Instagram accounts, tagging our account @leonidas.romania, using the campaign hashtag #MySweetMoment and the “Invite collaborator” feature so we could manage and track all the Reels. Participants who accumulated the highest number of views won one of the three prizes: a Leonidas Ballotin Classique offered monthly for three months, six months, and one year.

Viral ASMR Leonidas Praline Reel

We also had a viral Reel that reached over two million views on Facebook organically. It was an ASMR-style video in which we rated Leonidas pralines while cutting them in half, creating a satisfying moment that stimulates craving.

From all these campaigns we try to learn what resonates most with customers and shape our communication messages and strategy based on the most successful projects.

Tatiana Tuhan’s professional journey reflects the fast evolution of the digital environment and the importance of continuous adaptation in a field where trends, platforms, and consumer behavior are constantly changing. Through creativity, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of online communities, she contributes to strengthening the digital presence of the Leonidas brand in Romania.

The post Tatiana Tuhan, Social Media Manager at Leonidas Romania: Building digital communication for a premium chocolate brand appeared first on careers-business.com.

“The funnel is becoming conversational. We have moved from an attention economy to an intention economy. It’s no longer about being first in 10% of searches, but about being present in 80% of relevant conversations and guiding them toward the right outcomes,” said Andrei Pitiș, co-founder & CEO of Genezio.

According to Genezio, 77% of American ChatGPT users already use it as a search engine, and the technology has spread rapidly, reaching over 700 million users worldwide.

Read full article here: turnovernews.com

Read also: HP Launches AI WXP Platform in Romania to Enhance Employee Experience

Photo: freepik.com

The post Genezio Unveils a Tool to Analyze How AI Describes Brands appeared first on careers-business.com.

Ionuț Radu Munteanu is an entrepreneur, professor, and investor, with over 15 years of experience in digital marketing. He is the founder of WebDigital and Reefkig, mentor to hundreds of entrepreneurs, and trainer for nearly 1,000 businesses and brands. He teaches at SNSPA and NewTech Academy and holds board positions at IAB Romania (Education) and CEE Digital Alliance (People & Culture).

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence, so as to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: I’m the kind of person who seems to have all the answers at hand, but in reality, I’m always searching. I ask questions often, read, test, make mistakes, and learn.
I’m naturally curious and try to optimize everything I can—from how I think and work, to how I live. I don’t claim to be an example, but I embrace the role of someone who evolves consciously. I firmly believe that what defines us is not what happens to us, but how we respond.
This is what I try to apply daily: choosing the better response, even if it’s not the easiest. Sometimes I talk a lot, sometimes I listen in silence, but I never stop searching.

C&B: If we were to look at the narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: There were three major turning points:
• Around 2006, when I co-founded a digital marketing agency, at a time when people referred to their websites as “virtual business cards,” and SEO was mostly about web directories and link-building with high PR.
• In 2009, when I began building the core client base of WebDigital, against the backdrop of a financial crisis, without external investments, as an after-hours project, just with the belief that the future would be digital, specialized, and “Google-first.”
• In 2017, when I officially started teaching, when education became not just a channel of impact, but also a way to clarify ideas and learn.
• In 2021, when I began transforming WebDigital’s software solutions into a platform, not just an agency, giving birth to Reefkig Solutions as a SaaS spin-off.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: Paradoxically, it wasn’t the beginning that was hardest, but the moment when everything was going well, yet I felt I wasn’t growing anymore. I overcame that block by taking a pause: a step back, a reset of priorities, and a redefinition of how I allocate my time.
The phrase “what worked until now won’t necessarily work going forward” resonated strongly in my mind. At that moment, I almost resigned from the agency and made way for my successor, younger and better suited for the growth stage.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: To prove that you can live a good life without compromising your values.
I cannot truly control the environment in which my children will grow, but I can influence what they see in me: how I learn, how I adapt, how I maintain balance in chaos. So I choose to cultivate curiosity through my own discipline and growth.
I believe that personal example outweighs any preaching, and that a child who sees you learning, making mistakes, and starting over with dignity will have a clearer compass than one who only receives rules.

C&B: What did you look like at the start of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed up to now?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: At first, I was a fast, impulsive executor, always with solutions. Now, I am a process architect, calmer, more context-aware, and more comfortable with uncertainty.
More concretely, at the beginning I weighed 105 kg, smoked, drank alcohol almost daily, stayed up late, worked constantly, was anxious and nearly paranoid; health was more a frustrating obstacle than a priority, and I was absent even on vacations.
Today, I weigh 85 kg, have been a non-smoker for about 15 years, haven’t consumed alcohol for 3 years, wake up at 5:30 a.m., go to the gym at 6:00 a.m. twice a week, swim 1,000m, do sauna, appreciate food, have been riding a motorcycle for about 4 years, and in the next few days I’ll sign up for my first 20 flight hours as a student pilot. I’ve also added an MBA, many hours as a speaker, and last but not least, I’m a father twice over, and my children don’t have as much time with me as I have with them.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: That I am demanding but fair. That I don’t let things go unnoticed, but I also don’t impose anything I wouldn’t follow myself. That I ask questions that can be uncomfortable, but which change perspectives.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: To take on the role of educator, even though it wasn’t planned. That decision made me clearer in thinking, more patient in dialogue, and more aware of what I leave behind.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural process or learned?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: Initially, I relied on instinct and made impulsive decisions, believing I had to invent everything from scratch.
It worked for a while but also brought many costly mistakes. Over time, I became more introspective and informed; I no longer feel the need to reinvent the wheel with every step, but rather to understand where I am, learn from others, and adapt what works.
Today, decisions go through my own filter—a model that starts with the question, “What is actually happening here?” and ends with, “Can we improve?” I don’t improvise, but I don’t stifle initiative either. I maintain flexibility while increasingly relying on tested principles and processes.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: I combine performance marketing with education and technology. We don’t just sell campaigns; we provide understanding. Our clients grow not only in conversions but also in autonomy.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments of the day bring you the most satisfaction?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: Mornings start early with gym, swimming, and sauna. Then I work on strategic projects, and in the evening I focus on family or teaching.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: Integrity – I don’t promise what I can’t deliver. Courage – I don’t shy away from difficult topics.
Wisdom – I seek context, not just solutions. Justice – I treat people fairly, not equally. Resilience – when I fall, I get back up.

C&B: How did the idea of starting this business come to you, and how did you choose its name?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: WebDigital started as a code name for “what we actually do”—performance media, initially with Google Adwords (as Google Ads was called for younger Gen Z).
The name was generic but effective. Today, I feel we need to reframe it, maybe even change it. Reefkig, on the other hand, is an invented name; a reef you look over.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people following your example, what would it be?
Ionuț Radu Munteanu: Live intentionally. Not to impress, but to understand what truly matters to you. You can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you respond. And the response is rarely an impulse; it’s usually a conscious choice, repeated despite emotion or fatigue. Find your rhythm, not perfect balance. Life doesn’t fall into place on its own; we build it step by step, based on the values we nurture, not just the ones we declare.

Ionuț Radu Munteanu shows us that success is not just about results, but about how we choose to grow, learn, and inspire those around us.

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Ioan Mihai is a specialist in marketing and web development, with extensive experience in project management and entrepreneurship, known for his initiatives in creating digital content and promoting local communities.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Ioan Mihai: I am a self-taught entrepreneur who has turned failures into lessons and who understands that the true value of digitalization lies in connecting people and building something lasting, whether it’s a business or a community.

C&B: If we were to look at the narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Ioan Mihai: If we were to look at the narrative thread of my career, I would identify three key moments that defined me:

• Launching my personal blog (2006–2008): It was my decision to enter the digital world at the early stages of blogging in Romania. Here, I learned the basics of content writing, SEO, and marketing, laying the foundation for everything that followed.
• Role as a digital content creator at PC Garage (2014): This was an essential experience in which I learned how to interact with a large community of clients and fans, understanding their needs and adapting content to provide them value.
• Relaunching eComplex.ro (2022): This represented my entrepreneurial maturation, being the culmination of accumulated experience. I managed to transform an online business idea into a viable and successful project, which is exactly what eComplex.ro represents today.

C&B: What is the main mission of the Brezoaele.ro platform, and what needs of the local community does it aim to address?
Ioan Mihai: The main mission of Brezoaele.ro is to be a digital voice for the Brezoaele community. Its goal is to transform the locality from a simple point on the map into a vibrant and relevant digital entity. Through this project, we aim to address three essential needs:

• Information need: local news, events, and important announcements, providing residents with a reliable source of information.
• Connection need: an online space where citizens, authorities, and local businesses can interact and collaborate.
• Development need: promoting cultural events, civic initiatives, and local businesses, thus contributing to the visibility and economic growth of the community.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Ioan Mihai: The dream or ambition that has always guided me was to use the power of digital tools to create a positive and visible impact in communities. I have always believed that technology should not be just a business or an entertainment tool, but a driver of development and a means to connect people. Regardless of obstacles, I have remained faithful to this idea, from my first blog to community development projects like Brezoaele.ro.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed until now?
Ioan Mihai: At the beginning of my journey, I was a technology enthusiast, full of energy and eager to learn. I was self-taught, ready to experiment and make mistakes to find my path.
Today, I feel that I have transformed into a professional with strategic vision. I have learned how to combine creativity with pragmatism. The experience I’ve gained has given me the ability to see the big picture of a project, from idea to implementation, and to ensure that each stage leads to a concrete and successful final result.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Ioan Mihai: I believe my former collaborators would say that I am a self-taught and solution-oriented person. They would probably mention that, even though I work independently, I am very open to learning from others’ experiences and contributing to common goals. I think they would appreciate my proactivity and perseverance, especially in moments when I overcame technical or logistical challenges.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Ioan Mihai: The most important decision was to take an independent entrepreneurial path, leaving a stable job. It was a risky leap, but it allowed me to fully develop my project management skills, learn to take full responsibility for the success or failure of my projects, and build a diversified portfolio.

C&B: How do you see the role of digitalization and online platforms in the development of local communities in Romania?
Ioan Mihai: I see digitalization and online platforms as essential catalysts for the development of local communities. They can transform a locality from a point on the map into a vibrant and connected digital entity. Through digitalization, communities can facilitate access to information, promote small businesses and local artisans, and increase civic participation.

C&B: How do you manage to combine local information, news, and business promotion in a useful and attractive way?
Ioan Mihai: I manage this by balancing useful content with content that provides value. Every post is designed to provide value to the reader, whether it’s important news, a local success story, or subtle but strategic promotion. The key is not to turn the platform into an advertising board but into a trusted resource for the community.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments of the day give you the most satisfaction?
Ioan Mihai: A typical day for me is a mix of planning, management, and technical work. I handle website updates, content creation, and respond to partner requests. I feel the greatest satisfaction when I see that my work has a real and tangible impact, whether it’s increased traffic or positive feedback from the community.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them day by day?
Ioan Mihai: The principles that guide me are integrity, proactivity, and perseverance. I apply them daily by being transparent in collaborations, anticipating problems and seeking solutions, and never giving up on a project, even when major obstacles arise. I firmly believe that these values are essential to building sustainable and trustworthy projects.

C&B: How was the Brezoaele.ro project born, and what was the motivation behind it?
Ioan Mihai: The Brezoaele.ro project was born out of the personal need to create a digital platform for my hometown after seeing the potential of such an initiative. The motivation was simple but powerful: I wanted to provide residents with a modern tool for communication, promoting culture, and attracting investments, to contribute to the development of the place where I grew up.

C&B: What development plans do you have for Brezoaele.ro in the coming years?
Ioan Mihai: The development plans for Brezoaele.ro include expanding the news section with a focus on video reports, implementing a local volunteer platform to facilitate citizen involvement, and developing a mobile app that centralizes all important information for the community. We aim to continue being a driver of innovation and connection at the local level.

Digitalization can be a real driver of development when it is used to connect people and communities. Projects like Brezoaele.ro demonstrate that technology, combined with passion and local engagement, can turn ideas into tangible and lasting results.

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Radu Dascălul has been active in the marketing space since 2011. He is the co-founder of DAR Media, the digital marketing agency that helps online shops and service businesses attract new clients, offer them the best possible buying experience, and profitably turn them into loyal customers. In the 8+ years of the agency, he has worked with over 300 businesses from multiple niches, mainly in Romania but also abroad.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence, to spark curiosity among those who don’t know you yet?
Radu Dascălul: I am a former police officer who resigned on my very first day of work to do something I enjoyed more: marketing and business. From 2011 until now, marketing has been a constant in my professional life – from affiliate marketing, network marketing, marketing for NGOs, and most importantly, running my own online marketing agency.

C&B: If we were to follow a narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Radu Dascălul: I know that when we think of key moments, we imagine those major events, filled with emotion. But key moments are also those quiet ones, when it feels like “nothing wow” is happening, but which, in the bigger picture, are crucial. Like choosing to keep moving forward with discipline, day after day, without straying off the path. Or adding and removing small habits or people from your daily environment. But if we talk about the louder, more “obvious” key moments, I’d say:

• I wanted to be a police officer and was admitted to the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy.
• I no longer wanted to be a police officer after almost 2 years of studies – that’s when marketing, psychology, and personal development came into my life. After finishing the Academy, I resigned and left the system.
• I went on a two-and-a-half-year journey around Romania with an NGO that promoted tourism on one hand and inspirational people in local communities on the other. I didn’t do this alone but together with 13 co-founder friends. It was a fantastic journey filled with adventures, new skills, friendships, hundreds of places visited across 15 counties, hundreds of interviews conducted, and grassroots marketing.
• I decided to leave the NGO (initially planned to last 5 years). Together with two of its founding members, I co-founded DAR Media, a marketing agency, in January 2017.
• The 2020 pandemic made us pivot from working mainly with HoReCa and course businesses to eCommerce and service businesses.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Radu Dascălul: The hardest moment actually happened four times in my career so far: facing the disapproval of my loved ones while staying focused on the new direction and giving it my all. This happened when I left the police, when I left my job to join the NGO, and later when I started the agency.
I overcame it by learning to set healthy boundaries and reminding myself of the “why” or the “stakes” behind the new path I had chosen. It may sound easy now, but at the time, those moments were intense. During the pandemic, another tough challenge was pivoting our services to eCommerce, which also carried a heavy weight.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Radu Dascălul: Yes, I’d say there’s been a recurring theme that has taken different shapes: to use my “talents,” my abilities, to support and uplift the people around me. Whether I did it through writing, the NGO, or the agency, this theme has remained and given me energy to keep going, even when things didn’t look so bright.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed until now?
Radu Dascălul: At the start of my journey in marketing and entrepreneurship, I was more of a dreamer, more idealistic. I haven’t lost those traits, but experience has shown me the huge volume of details and skills behind successful marketing campaigns. I’ve also learned to distinguish what is truly a priority from what isn’t, and to say NO to situations, people, or collaborations that don’t align with my key directions.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Radu Dascălul: That sometimes I can be very insistent and stubborn. (laughs) But at the same time, I think they’d say I stand by them and that together we find win-win solutions, especially in tough situations.

Over time, I’ve noticed that challenges – whether external (market changes, new competitors, new technologies) or internal (role conflicts, unclear responsibilities, shifting goals and values) – can actually be opportunities to improve collaboration. But this requires embracing the discomfort of clashing opinions or values, and even the possibility of ending the collaboration.
I’ve had great working relationships where open discussions allowed colleagues to switch roles and become happier and more fulfilled. And there were also situations where parting ways amicably was the right choice for that moment.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve ever made that changed your trajectory?
Radu Dascălul: Definitely resigning from the police changed my career path completely. But beyond that, there are two less glamorous yet equally important decisions:

• First: choosing to stop looking only at isolated micro-level solutions and instead focusing on the big picture, on the numbers, and working backward to the elements that produce the client’s desired result.
• Second: committing to continuous education. And that doesn’t just mean adding new skills, but also letting go of beliefs and habits that no longer serve me… you know, those “mental gremlins” whispering that I can’t, that it’s not the right time, or that come up with endless excuses.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style and decision-making process? Was it natural or learned?
Radu Dascălul: To start with the end: it was learned over time, sometimes proactively, other times the hard way, through failure. In terms of decision-making, I prefer participatory leadership, where I collaborate with colleagues, everyone contributes perspectives, and in the end, the decision with the strongest arguments remains.
What I’ve learned through the years at the agency is to alternate leadership styles depending on the situation, role, or objective. As much as I’d like to standardize everything, people are different. Sometimes coaching is needed for the team to technically understand an activity. Other times I need to emphasize vision – where we’ll get if we do certain things. In other cases, I take a more transactional approach, like when I monitor specific projects or team workflows.

C&B: What do you think sets your business or professional approach apart from the rest of the industry?
Radu Dascălul: I can’t say my business invented a brand-new “Holy Grail.”
But there are a few things we do well and keep improving:

• First, whether we’re working only on paid ads, for example, or handling several marketing activities, we always look at the variables influencing results – the big picture. This helps us calibrate expectations and clearly outline what we can and cannot support with our services.
• Second, our services are structured to cover the entire acquisition process that our clients’ customers go through.
• Third, we document our agency’s experiences in content across different formats, and we invest continuously in education, methods, and tools that foster growth. Yes, including AI tools and automations that boost productivity and work quality.
• Lastly, we invest resources in strengthening our ecosystem of partnerships and collaborations, so that when a client has a specific need we can’t fulfill directly, we connect them with the best people or businesses who can. We aim to be true growth partners for our clients – supporting them not only with marketing but also with dedication, support, and related solutions.

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

• Professional activities: from creating content for my personal and agency brand, to managing agency operations and improving our workflows – from sales to client service to team management. Alongside calls and meetings, I also do networking in business and marketing communities and keep up with industry news.
• Personal activities: spending time with my wife and daughter, going to the gym, or reading/listening to good educational material. These moments of connection with my family give me a foundation of well-being and confidence, which I then carry into my professional life.

As for the moments that bring me the most satisfaction, I’d say there are three types:

1. When we remove an acute pain point – for example, when we take over a client and stop their massive budget losses or fix a site/ad account issue blocking their operations.
2. When we achieve or surpass a goal after months of consistent work across multiple areas, with many colleagues involved.
3. When I, my colleagues, or clients have an “AHA” moment that changes how we approach things. And it’s not just the idea itself, but the fact that in that moment the idea sinks into our “muscles,” it gets internalized. Sometimes that AHA comes after lots of effort and failures; other times it comes naturally, in a quiet moment between tasks or in a discussion with peers.

All these moments give me satisfaction and, at the same time, motivation to keep improving.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them day to day?
Radu Dascălul: I think we’ve all experienced or heard of companies where the values look nice on the wall or at the reception, but everyday reality is different. That’s something I strive for daily – to embody the things I and my colleagues declare, in concrete behaviors.

For me, these values are:

• Respect for clients and colleagues, for different perspectives and beliefs.
• Integrity, meaning the alignment between what we think, say, and do – both for clients and ourselves.
• Excellence, which is primarily an attitude. It doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly, but aiming to improve and deliver increasingly better services/experiences. To live this value, we place a big emphasis on education – investing in courses, tools, and certifications, but also offering education through our blog, client discussions, social media, and free downloadable resources.
• Care, the human side of excellence – being attentive to colleagues’ and clients’ needs, doing things with as much dedication as possible.
• Love – doing things from a good state of mind, things that we are passionate about and curious about. I don’t believe you can take things to the next level if you’re only doing them because you “have to.”

C&B: How did you come up with the idea of starting this business and giving it this name?
Radu Dascălul: It was early 2017. I had decided to leave the Romania promotion project, together with my colleagues Dumitru and Adelina. I remember we sat down and laid out all the experience we had gathered in the NGO and before. Our first thought was to open a travel agency, given our background. But then, looking at our acquired skills, the market’s needs, and the resources we had at the time, we concluded we wanted to focus on our strengths: marketing, communication, and sales. That’s how DAR Media was born – a mix between the acronym of our names (Dumitru, Adelina, Radu) and our key message: every business and every person has strengths, gifts to offer the market. Through our gift – digital marketing – we support entrepreneurs in amplifying their gifts (the products and services they offer).

Our first clients were HoReCa and service businesses we had met and promoted during the NGO journey. That was our advantage: we weren’t starting entirely from scratch, we already had many connections and understood the challenges HoReCa businesses face. Back then, far fewer companies in the industry promoted themselves online. Part of our work was also educating the market, which we took on willingly, in discussions with these businesses.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people who want to follow your example, what would it be?
Radu Dascălul: Set a meaningful direction, one that matters to you and also serves others. Take massive action in that direction. Adjust along the way – looking back, I could have acted faster instead of waiting for the “perfect moment.”
I’d also add that fulfillment doesn’t come only from achieving things but from giving… from sharing your authenticity, knowledge, and experiences. No matter what stage of your career you’re at, you’re always a few steps ahead of someone who could greatly benefit from your experience. On this note, I’ll share a book that was gifted to me and influenced my vision and way of doing things, both personally and professionally: The Go-Giver (actually a whole series) by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

Radu Dascălul’s story shows how passion, discipline, and the will to create value can transform a career and build a successful business.

The post Radu Dascălul: From Former Police Officer to Co-Founder of DAR Media appeared first on careers-business.com.

Dragoș Smeu has over 15 years of experience in digital marketing and performance media. Since 2010 and until now, he has worked in 4 digital marketing agencies, and in September 2016 he founded the digital marketing agency Mavericks. At this moment, they have a portfolio of over 100 clients from different fields of activity, ranging from e-commerce to B2B, lead generation campaigns, or start-ups. Dragoș has managed budgets of over 20 million euros for more than 500 businesses in Romania and has been involved in online promotion strategies for businesses such as Cărturești, Mobexpert, Edenred, Ceresit, Autonom, or Farmacia Tei.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Dragoș Smeu: I could even choose a single word: Aquarius. And no, I’m not a fanatic about zodiac signs, but I believe the sign I was born under describes me quite well. I’m a dreamer Aquarius who doesn’t necessarily set very high expectations but has ideals I believe in. And although some of them are counterintuitive from a business perspective, they helped me get to this point after more than 15 years since I started my career in digital marketing and almost 9 years since I founded my own agency. And here I’m talking about principles and ideals related to how the employer-employee relationship should be, about benefits and educating employees regarding the distinction between the two plans—personal and professional—as well as defining boundaries concerning industries we don’t want to work for.

C&B: If we were to look at a storyline of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Dragoș Smeu: Most likely, the choice of my first job. At my first job, I applied thinking it was another type of agency; I was looking for a job in a political marketing agency, but during the interview, I found out that the agency I went to—Republika Interactive—was not a political marketing agency but a commercial one. That was the point where I discovered this area that, honestly, I didn’t even know existed. And if I look back now, I can say I was lucky, but in reality, it wasn’t luck. It was a decision that, although not informed, changed my entire professional trajectory. At that job, I worked for more than 4 years and managed to build a relationship with some clients that I still work with today, 15 years later. And I say this not only from the perspective of the budgets managed but especially because of this long-term relationship and the fact that we share many common values.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment so far in your journey, and how did you overcome it?
Dragoș Smeu: Probably the beginning of COVID-19. I remember I was on a short vacation in Eforie, and in just one week, we lost 30% of our client portfolio due to the lockdown. It was a shock, but I quickly realized I had to make quick and strategic decisions. I focused on retaining the remaining clients, supporting them as much as possible during that period, and at the same time, I adapted our services to the new needs that arose in the market. And surprisingly, we ended that year with one of the biggest growths in terms of revenue and profit in our 9 years of existence.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Dragoș Smeu: Try to do my best. And to do good through the actions I take. For example, when I started, I couldn’t even imagine the level I would reach now. I wouldn’t have dreamed that I would become a speaker at some of the largest digital marketing and communication events in Romania, that I would end up speaking in front of hundreds of people in a room, or that I would become an associate lecturer at the faculty I graduated from.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed since then?
Dragoș Smeu: Oh. I’m a completely different person. Sometimes when I think about how I was before Mavericks, I say it was a different life altogether. I was shy, reserved, lacking the confidence to express myself or make important decisions. Over time, I’ve learned to trust myself more, to take responsibility, and to face challenges with courage. All these things changed me… Actually, I wouldn’t say they changed me but rather led me to the point of evolution where I am now.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Dragoș Smeu: Hehe! I’ll let you ask them because sometimes there can be a big difference between perception and reality I think they would say that I am demanding but fair, that I encourage them to develop, and that I try to be there for them when they need me. At the same time, they would probably say that I am a visionary who sometimes moves too fast for everyone to keep up with me.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Dragoș Smeu: Most likely choosing the path of entrepreneurship. It was neither the safest nor the easiest decision, but it was the one that allowed me to build something of my own, according to my values and principles. And from that moment on, I no longer looked at things the same way. I no longer perceived work as a simple job but as a responsibility, a project that depends on me and the decisions I make. And I still see all the plans around me as a big strategy game where I have to arrange things and see where this whole evolution leads me.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural or learned process?
Dragoș Smeu: It was definitely a natural process. I never consciously set out to build a certain leadership style. It came from experience, from interactions with people, from mistakes and lessons learned along the way. Today, I can say I lead by example, through authenticity and openness. But I’m also aware that this style will continue to evolve. If in 5 years I completely agree with today’s version of Dragoș, it means I haven’t evolved at all. And… I wouldn’t want that to happen.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or your professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Dragoș Smeu: When I started, I had a lot of fears. A LOT. I didn’t think I could compete with the big agencies, I didn’t think I could build something stable. But what differentiated us from the beginning and continues to differentiate us today is authenticity. We don’t pretend to be what we are not, we don’t make promises we cannot keep, and we always try to bring honesty into discussions with clients. We are authentic and honest with each other, even if this doesn’t always work in our favor in a specific selection process.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments of the day bring you the most satisfaction?
Dragoș Smeu: I wake up, we wake the kids, get them ready for school/kindergarten, then I get to the office, where I spend about half of my time in meetings. The rest is divided between strategic activities, discussions with the team, or planning. In the evening, I spend time with my family, and those moments are the ones that bring me the most joy. Around 10 PM, it’s bedtime because the next day we start over.

C&B: How did the idea of starting this business and giving it this name come to you?
Dragoș Smeu: This idea grew in me during the period I was working at Kubis. I felt the need to build something of my own, to put my mark on an agency that reflects my vision. As for the name, Mavericks came naturally. It’s not just a name but also a state of mind. Mavericks are those who think differently, who challenge conventions, who aren’t afraid to take risks. And I think that describes us very well.

C&B: If you could send a message to people who want to follow your example, what would it be?
Dragoș Smeu: If you think it’s too hard to start your own business… you’re right! It’s hard, very hard. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. On the contrary, it’s one of the most beautiful and rewarding experiences you can have. And no matter how difficult it seems, if you truly believe in your dream and are willing to work for it, you will succeed. Just as I am proud and equally amazed by what I have achieved so far. DO IT!

Dragoș Smeu’s journey proves that authenticity, perseverance, and the courage to think differently can turn challenges into opportunities. His example shows that true success comes when you stay true to your principles and build your path with patience and confidence.

The post Dragoș Smeu – Authenticity that turned Mavericks into a digital marketing benchmark appeared first on careers-business.com.

With over 10 years of experience in communication, public relations, and digital marketing, Ioan Miclea has been working at the University of Bucharest for more than 7 years, where, since 2024, he coordinates the News and Events Service. Over the years, Ioan has combined academic rigor with creativity, managing campaigns, events, and image crises, as well as building strategic partnerships through authentic and relevant communication. A graduate with a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Bucharest, Ioan has been teaching seminars on marketing, event organization, and public relations at the same faculty since 2019, sharing his experience with students and encouraging them to see communication as a bridge between people, values, and opportunities.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to pique the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Ioan Miclea: Passionate about communication and creating authentic stories, always seeking new ways to connect people and organizations.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what have been the key moments that defined you?
Ioan Miclea: A key moment was defending my doctoral thesis in communication sciences, focused on crisis communication – a topic that, beyond theory, provided me with a set of extremely useful practical tools. I understood then how important preparation for unpredictable situations is and how a well-managed crisis can become an opportunity. Another defining moment was the transition from the role of specialist to coordinator of the News and Events Service at the University of Bucharest. This change brought me the responsibility of leading teams and complex projects, which challenged me to develop leadership skills and to think more strategically.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your career so far, and how did you overcome it?
Ioan Miclea: The most difficult period was when I had to manage major projects at work simultaneously with finishing my doctoral studies. The pressure was immense, and time was limited. I overcame that moment through discipline, prioritization, and learning to ask for help when needed. This experience showed me that resilience doesn’t mean doing everything alone but building support networks and staying true to your goals.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Ioan Miclea: My ambition has always been to surpass myself and grow continuously, both professionally and personally. Obstacles did not discourage me but forced me to find creative solutions and turn challenges into steps forward. I believe perseverance and adaptability are what make the difference in the long run.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed until now?
Ioan Miclea: This is one of the most interesting questions I’ve been asked because it awakens many memories. For me, the beginning of the journey was literally the start of a journey: a train trip on the Putna Seacă – București Basarab route in July 2013, with the necessary documents to enroll at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences. Ioan from 2013 was a shy but confident young man, a fresh graduate of Pedagogy, with music in his ears and a GREAT desire to write news. Ioan from 2025 still has music in his ears and managed to blend shyness and self-confidence into what today would be called “people skills,” kept his passion for news, and transformed it into a passion for communication, continuing to learn from every project he has been part of.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Ioan Miclea: I believe they would say that I am a team player, attentive to details and the needs of those around me. That I stay calm in tense situations and always try to find solutions, not blame. At the same time, they would probably mention that I emphasize creating an environment where every team member can contribute to the projects we work on. For me, leadership means building projects that remain relevant in the long term, not just achieving short-term objectives.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Ioan Miclea: I think the most important decision I made was to stay in the academic and institutional environment, rather than moving into the private sector. I made this decision because I realized I could make a real impact through education and strategic communication, helping to shape future generations and strengthen the image of a prestigious institution. This choice gave me the opportunity to work on long-term impact projects and to link communication with the educational mission.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural process or learned?
Ioan Miclea: My leadership style has formed over time through a combination of experience and continuous learning. Initially, I led instinctively, relying on empathy and the desire to help. Later, I understood the importance of structure, constant feedback, and making tough decisions. I believe in what I call “collaborative leadership,” because I concluded that people work best when they feel listened to and respected, and when goals are clear and shared.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Ioan Miclea: I believe the difference lies in how I combine the rigor of institutional communication with the authenticity of personal stories. Communication is not just about conveying information but about creating real connections and understanding the social and cultural context in which you operate. That is why I focus on crafting messages that not only inform but inspire and bring long-term value to all the audiences I address.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?
Ioan Miclea: A typical day today is completely different from the “typical day” three years ago because it involves a lot of coordination: from planning meetings and drafting administrative documents to managing events or unexpected situations. The greatest satisfaction comes when I see the results of the work reflected in public reactions or colleague feedback – whether it’s the success of an event, a successful campaign, or a simple message that reached exactly where it was supposed to.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Ioan Miclea: Transparency, respect, and perseverance are the values that guide me. I always try to be honest in communication, treat every colleague and collaborator with respect, and never lower the standards I have set, even when it might be easier to compromise.

C&B: If you were to send a message to those who follow your example, what would it be?
Ioan Miclea: I would say that success doesn’t come overnight but is built step by step. Don’t be afraid to start from the bottom, to make mistakes, and to learn. And, above all, stay curious: in communication, in life, in everything you do. Curiosity is what opens unexpected doors.

Ioan Miclea’s professional journey is a compelling example of how passion, discipline, and authentic leadership can turn challenges into opportunities. By combining academic rigor with creativity, Ioan continues to inspire and shape future generations, proving that authentic and strategic communication is essential for long-term success.

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