Lorand Soares Szasz is a reference name in entrepreneurial education in Romania, with over 17 years of experience in entrepreneurship, consulting, and SME development. Lorand is an expert in business acceleration, having inspired and educated over 200,000 participants through his in-person courses and hundreds of thousands more online.

Throughout his career, he has transformed numerous lives and businesses, becoming one of the most followed Romanian entrepreneurs on social media. Lorand is known for his practical, results-oriented approach and his bold mission to grow entire nations by developing entrepreneurs.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to pique the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?

Lorand: I am the person who teaches entrepreneurs how to escape daily chaos, increase sales and profits, and take their company to the next level so that the business can operate without their constant intervention.

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

Lorand: My professional life had several turning points. The first was when I left Portugal, where I worked as a gardener. Physical labor was hard, but there I realized I didn’t want to live my whole life on the edge of survival. I was fortunate to be hired by the largest business coaching firm in the world and to see how small businesses grow globally using the same system and methodology. That’s when I feel I was born a second time.

The second moment was the first training I held in Romania. I saw how what I was teaching completely changed the way entrepreneurs worked and helped them achieve results. That’s when I realized I had found my purpose and vocation.

The third moment was more recent, when I created the in-person Immersions for entrepreneurs. That’s when I saw that it wasn’t just about inspiration and education anymore, but about real, measurable transformations in people’s businesses.

That’s where I witnessed the greatest impact of our work on the entrepreneur’s life, their company, and society.

C&B: What were the main challenges in the early stages of developing the company?

Lorand: Like any early-stage entrepreneur, I ran into many obstacles. One of the biggest challenges was the lack of a system. Everything depended on me—from sales to delivery, invoicing, and solving client problems. I was a one-man show. Everything revolved around me, and I was involved in every aspect. Ego-wise, it was great—I felt important and valuable—but in terms of profit, scalability, and health, I was heading for disaster.

Then came the challenges with people. I hired hastily, didn’t fire when I should have, placed people in the wrong positions, and paid the price. I built teams, lost people, promoted the wrong individuals, had to return to operational work, and rebuild everything better.

And, of course, cash flow was an issue—running an entrepreneurial education company in Romania isn’t simple. Less than 1% of the active population in Romania engages in lifelong learning. We’re not a nation that craves education; we prefer entertainment and gossip.

Building a high-performing, profitable company without loans, investors, or debt was a real challenge.

But the hardest lesson was learning that I don’t have to do everything myself. If I want to build something serious, I need a strong team, not just personal “superpowers.”

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

Lorand: Yes. To create a global educational ecosystem for entrepreneurs—a place where they can learn to become free, to have money, time, and energy. I dream that one day, whether in Romania, Portugal, or Indonesia, entrepreneurs will know there’s a place where they can learn to take their business from survival to excellence.

Every time I faced challenges in business or difficult periods, I reconnected with this vision.

C&B: How did you look at the start of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed up to now?

Lorand: Full of enthusiasm, convinced I would change Romania and eventually the world. Extremely confident in my own abilities. Sometimes even arrogant.

I had no real business experience, and what I had learned in theory sounded good, but when I faced the market, I got a hard slap that woke me up to reality.

After six months of business, I hadn’t signed a single contract, hadn’t convinced any client to work with me, and had lost all the money I had. Not much, but it was all mine.

Life and business taught me to be more humble, to rely more on the power of my team rather than my own strength, and to learn that alone I can go fast, but together with them, I can go far.

I learned to accept that I’m not perfect and that being vulnerable doesn’t mean I’m unworthy of teaching others. On the contrary, I can offer more valuable lessons from blows, mistakes, and failures than from success.

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

Lorand: It depends on who.

I know I have people in my team who admire me, and it’s an honor for them to work with me. Most of the time, they are blinded by this admiration.

I have colleagues who see who I am, warts and all. They see my strengths and weaknesses. They accept me as I am and push me to become better.

I also have colleagues who see more negative than positive in me but stay in the company because the negatives aren’t painful enough to make a difference.

I’m not a perfect leader nor an exceptional manager. I try to respect my colleagues, but I admit that my behavior doesn’t always reflect the appreciation I feel for them.

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

Lorand: To do what I want, not what others want for me.

C&B: What are Upriserz’s medium- and long-term development and expansion plans?

Our dream is to become a global platform for entrepreneurs and contribute to the growth of the economies of the countries we enter. We want to see more entrepreneurs running profitable businesses that also give them more freedom.

We don’t want to talk about plans; we prefer to show.

C&B: What is Upriserz’s mission, and what differentiates the company from other digital projects in Romania and internationally?

Lorand: Our mission is to grow entire nations by developing entrepreneurs. We believe a country’s prosperity depends on the health of its small and medium-sized businesses.

Upriserz stands out through personalized, practical learning that can be immediately applied in the company, a strong community of entrepreneurs, and the credibility of demonstrated results. We don’t sell theory; we provide tools and processes that transform businesses step by step.

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

Lorand: I usually wake up at 5:40. Until 6:00, it’s time for love :)—staying in bed with my wife and sometimes just hugging for minutes at a time. It’s a way for me to recharge.

From 6:00 to 7:00, I read, study scripture, pray, and write a short message to my clients who follow me online.

At 7:00, I wake our daughter, and we have breakfast together. At 7:30, she gets ready for school, and my wife and I get ready to go to the gym.

From 8:00 to 9:00, gym—training the body so it can carry the mind.

From 9:00 to 10:00, hygiene and preparation for the workday. From 10:00 to 12:30, I’m in the office—meetings, responding to messages and emails, making decisions, involved in operations, and working on business growth.

Later, I have lunch with my wife, and from 14:00 to 18:00, I work again. Often creating free content for courses, other times working with clients and the team. I juggle roles of entrepreneur, salesperson, marketer, educator, and author.

The greatest satisfaction comes from interacting with my audience through social media and courses.

C&B: How did Upriserz come to be, and what inspired you to found this company?

Lorand: Upriserz was born out of a desire and frustration. The desire to help more entrepreneurs and the frustration of not having time for family. I traveled across the country, gave dozens of conferences annually, and spent 160 nights a year in hotels.

I realized that if I wanted to reach even more entrepreneurs, I couldn’t do it with the same system and business model.

That’s how the idea of creating an online platform to serve entrepreneurs worldwide, not just in Romania, was born.

C&B: What advice would you give to young digital entrepreneurs who want to build scalable and innovative companies?

Lorand: First advice: don’t fall in love with your idea, fall in love with the client’s problem. If the problem is real and important, your solution will have a market. Second: build a system, not just a product. A good product can die quickly, but a good system endures and grows. Third: don’t chase shortcuts. Entrepreneurship isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Discipline and consistency beat momentary enthusiasm.

And last but not least, get a mentor! They will help you save time, money, and energy.

Lorand shows us that success in entrepreneurship is not just about big ideas, but about deliberate decisions, discipline, and strong teams. Through Upriserz, his vision of growing entrepreneurs and entire economies takes shape every single day.

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With more than 15 years of experience in finance, Ioana Stroica, founder of MiniCFO, belongs to the generation of professionals who adopted the fractional work model long before it became a popular concept in the business environment. Today, she helps entrepreneurs transform financial chaos into structure, clarity, and strategic decisions based on data.

Her role goes far beyond accounting or financial reporting. For Ioana, a Fractional CFO is a strategic partner to the entrepreneur — a professional who brings order to a company’s numbers and creates the financial framework necessary for growth.

The founding of MiniCFO was, in many ways, the natural result of a professional journey built around consulting and working directly with multiple organizations.

A model practiced before it had a name

Looking back, Ioana says the transition to the fractional model was not a sudden moment but rather an organic evolution.

During the first ten years of her career, she worked as a dedicated consultant for the clients of the firm where she was employed. That period naturally became a true professional school: entering different organizations, understanding their financial mechanisms, and providing solutions tailored to each context.

Later, she continued to provide external consulting while also holding a full-time role in the financial field. This intense period confirmed that she could deliver real value to companies even from outside a traditional organizational structure.

“In practice, I was doing fractional CFO work before the term became a trend,” she says.

MiniCFO emerged as the crystallization of this experience. Not as a break from the traditional work model, but as the assumption of a different role: building financial structures for multiple entrepreneurs simultaneously.

The diversity that keeps the mind moving

One of the most attractive aspects of the fractional model is the constant dynamic of projects.

In a classic corporate role, Ioana says, there is a risk of entering a routine where the same problems reappear cyclically. Working with multiple companies, however, brings a continuous variety of challenges.

“Every day is a different puzzle,” she explains.

Working with entrepreneurs from various industries keeps the level of intellectual energy high and creates the opportunity to apply financial solutions in very different contexts.

At the same time, there are real challenges. Rapidly switching contexts between clients and maintaining a high level of involvement in each project requires mental discipline and rigorous organization.

At the beginning, another challenge was educating the market.

Many entrepreneurs believed that in order to have financial clarity they needed a CFO permanently present in the company. In reality, many SMEs need strategic expertise delivered efficiently rather than forty hours of weekly presence.

For Ioana Stroica, choosing projects is not based only on a company’s financial potential, but especially on the relationship with the founder.

“I don’t sell financial services. We enter into a partnership built on trust.”

She looks for entrepreneurs who are open to transparency and who truly want to build a solid business, not simply tick the box of financial reporting.

MiniCFO is not suitable for companies that are only looking for operational support for entering data. Instead, it is the right place for entrepreneurs who say: “We have sales, but we don’t know where the money goes,” or “We want to grow, but we’re afraid we’re losing control.” In such situations, the role of a Fractional CFO becomes essential.

The moment when clarity changes the direction of a business

One of the moments that confirmed the impact of the fractional model was the collaboration with a service company that constantly struggled with liquidity problems.

Although the company had a high turnover, it was living in a permanent state of financial pressure. The founder was convinced that the business was not profitable.

A deeper analysis, however, revealed a different reality. The issue was not profitability, but the way collections and payments were managed.

By rebuilding the cost structure and implementing a 13-week cash flow forecasting system, the company began to gain visibility over its own finances.

Renegotiating terms with suppliers and enforcing more disciplined invoicing completely changed the company’s financial dynamics. In just three months, the business moved from survival mode to generating cash reserves. “The calm I saw on the entrepreneur’s face was priceless,” Ioana says.

The difference between an internal CFO and a fractional one

The role of a full-time financial executive often comes with complex internal dynamics: organizational politics, endless meetings, and the administration of operational details.

In the fractional model, the perspective is different.

A Fractional CFO enters the organization with objectivity and clarity, focusing exclusively on results. “I’m not there for internal politics. I’m there for results.”

Time is limited and valuable, which means every intervention is oriented toward real impact. This positioning also offers an important professional freedom: the ability to tell the truth directly and remain objective.

How to explain the value of a Fractional CFO

For skeptical CEOs, Ioana often uses a simple analogy. “Why buy the entire airplane if you only need a ticket to your destination?”

Many SMEs need the expertise of a senior CFO but do not have the operational complexity that would justify a permanent role. Through the fractional model, companies can access the same strategic experience at a fraction of the cost. When entrepreneurs compare the potential cost of financial mistakes with the investment in a Fractional CFO, the value becomes obvious.

Common mistakes companies make

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when working with fractional leaders is treating them as distant external providers.

For the model to work, a Fractional CFO must be integrated into the management team and have access to real data and decision-making processes.

Another mistake is attempting micromanagement. The value of a fractional leader comes precisely from the autonomy and strategic perspective they bring.

The future of work for senior experts

Ioana is convinced that the fractional model will continue to grow in relevance. Companies are becoming increasingly agile and are realizing that it is not efficient to keep all strategic resources permanently within the organization.

At the same time, senior professionals increasingly seek the freedom to work with multiple organizations and generate impact in diverse contexts.

In this sense, the fractional model is not just a career alternative but a natural evolution in the way expertise is delivered in the modern economy.

Building a reputation, not just a career

For professionals considering this transition, Ioana offers clear advice: do not wait for the perfect moment. Real expertise is in demand on the market, but success in the fractional model requires more than technical competence.

Personal branding and networking become essential, because opportunities most often arise through recommendations and professional reputation. It is equally important to define a clear niche. “You can’t be everything to everyone.”

Through MiniCFO, Ioana Stroica has built her mission around a simple objective: helping entrepreneurs see beyond the numbers and use financial information as a strategic tool.

Her journey demonstrates that the financial role in a modern company goes far beyond accounting. A Fractional CFO can become an essential partner within the management team, bringing clarity, financial discipline, and strategic direction to entrepreneurs’ business decisions.

This material is an original editorial feature created based on an interview previously published in our niche publication, Fractional. The full interview is available here.

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FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners, the festival dedicated to entrepreneurs, creatives, and freelancers, returns in 2026 with its second edition, taking place in Bucharest between May 20–24, 2026. Following the success of its first edition, FOMO continues to strengthen its position as a regional benchmark for contemporary entrepreneurship, offering a format that goes beyond the boundaries of a classic business conference.

Over the course of five days, FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners will bring together small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, startup founders, freelancers, creatives, and professionals in liberal professions, creating an experience that blends relevant business content across multiple fields—from finance, marketing, AI, content creation, and remote work—with authentic networking, inspiration, and urban cultural exploration.

The festival will take place across several iconic venues in Bucharest, with Sala Palatului serving as the central hub for conferences and keynote presentations, complemented by satellite events, working sessions, cultural activities, sports, parties, and wellbeing experiences.

International speakers confirmed for FOMO 2026

The first names announced for the 2026 edition confirm the festival’s international ambition and the diversity of perspectives brought to the stage:

• Mika Häkkinen – Two-time Formula 1 World Champion and McLaren Brand Ambassador, offering a unique perspective on performance, discipline, and the mindset of a Formula 1 driver
• Chris Do – Founder of The Futur, Emmy Award–winning designer and director, and one of the most influential global voices in branding, design, and creative entrepreneurship
• Codie Sanchez – Founder of Contrarian Thinking, author of the bestseller Main Street Millionaire, expert in investments and financial education
• Vishen Lakhiani – Founder and CEO of Mindvalley, New York Times bestselling author, global leader in alternative education and personal development
• Jack Delosa – Founder and CEO of The Entourage, one of Australia’s largest business growth agencies
• Julie Smith – Clinical psychologist and author of the international bestseller Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, known for her practical approach to mental health
• Tonya Mas – Entrepreneur and creative marketing strategist, specializing in building cultural brands for Gen Z

Many more international and local speakers, entrepreneurs, and experts will be announced in the coming period.

A festival about entrepreneurship as a lifestyle

FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners promotes an integrated approach to entrepreneurship, where business, personal life, creativity, and wellbeing are seen as parts of the same ecosystem. Participants will gain access to actionable ideas, relevant case studies, real contexts for dialogue, and opportunities to build meaningful connections with people who think and build in similar ways.

“FOMO continues to respond to a real need: bringing entrepreneurs and professionals together on the same stage to share their experiences. Through FOMO, we aim to create a context where participants can be curious and learn, in a safe environment, with a strong sense of community—and, yes, with real meaning. The second edition takes this vision further, while preserving the festival’s urban, open, and relevant DNA,”
says Robert Graur, Co-Founder & Creative Director, MO – Modern Owners

Early Bird tickets

Early Bird tickets for FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners 2026 are now available in limited numbers on the platform www.modernowners.com.

FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners is presented by George, the first intelligent banking platform, an innovation by BCR.

About FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners

FOMO – The Festival Of Modern Owners is organized by MO – Modern Owners, a 100% Romanian initiative dedicated to the new generation of entrepreneurs and freelancers. MO aims to build a community of over 100,000 entrepreneurs by providing ongoing access to practical education, relevant resources, and collaboration opportunities through events, workshops, educational programs, and large-scale conferences.

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Ioana Grosu is a lawyer and co-founder of Grosu & Associates, established in 2001 and strengthened through over two decades of experience in both complex litigation and international arbitration, as well as business consulting. Through clarity, dedication, and innovative solutions, she has earned the trust of clients across diverse industries, helping them turn legal challenges into growth opportunities. With determination and innovation, she continues to combine her passion for advocacy with a strategic vision, making law a true support for companies—from entrepreneurs at the start of their journey to major industry players.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence, to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Ioana Grosu: I am a curious and determined woman who experiences law as an art of discernment: balancing between the letter of the law and business reality, between the courtroom and negotiation rooms, always aiming to bring clarity, security, and courage to clients.

C&B: If we were to trace a narrative thread through your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Ioana Grosu: The first defining moment was in 1997, when I entered litigation law. I had the chance to learn from Professor Antonie Iorgovan and alongside lawyers Doru Costea and Ioan P. Vlaic. From them, I learned not only the rigor and logic of legal strategy but also the joy of meticulous research, which underpins any solid legal construction.

The second moment came in 2001, when, together with my husband, Av. Bogdan Grosu, we founded Grosu & Associates. We started with enthusiasm and the desire to transform our accumulated experience into our own project. The courts taught me to quickly identify gaps and vulnerabilities, while consulting showed me how to align legal solutions with clients’ business objectives.

This combination of litigator and consultant is now my professional signature. I have learned to spot strategic mistakes, weak links, and the ways to build sustainable projects and partnerships.

C&B: What was the first concrete step you took to turn your idea into a functional business?
Ioana Grosu: I started with enthusiasm, without a sophisticated strategy on paper. I was 27, and my first clients and initial cases I handled independently were a test of courage in a competitive market with limited resources. Looking back, our business didn’t start from zero—it started from minus. For me, the first step was to demonstrate, through realistic solutions and results, that seriousness and perseverance build trust. From that period, I carried an important lesson: law is not just about responding to a request, but about being the partner who brings clarity and direction.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has guided you throughout, regardless of obstacles?
Ioana Grosu: It wasn’t just a dream, but rather a guiding thread in my career: to build partnership relationships with clients, where legal services are a real support for their growth.

I want the law to be the foundation that provides stability and flexibility, so they can make courageous, responsible, and confident decisions. Perhaps, it also crystallizes into a dream: for law to be seen not as an inherent cost but as an investment in the future and resilience of the business.

C&B: How did you look at the start of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed since then?
Ioana Grosu: Practicing law seriously is challenging, like any profession that involves strategically assembling a whole from often incomplete pieces. At first, I lived each case with a tight heart, losing nights in the search for solutions and strategies.

Legal work is a labyrinth: you weave between rights, obligations, deadlines, evidence, and exceptions, searching for the golden key. Sometimes, clients’ hesitation or decisions pushed me to innovate and find paths where none seemed to exist.

Over time, I gained agility and the ability to connect elements quickly, like a Rubik’s Cube enthusiast. I remained attentive to details but learned to offer clarity and simplicity. I remember a CEO telling me 20 years ago that he appreciated my direct and precise responses, without needing to “translate” what I wrote. Today, many clients confirm that this clarity and pragmatism have become my professional signature.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Ioana Grosu: The team often says about me that I show “firmness with gentleness.” That my decisions and strategies are consistent, while also providing support and formative guidance. This combination creates safety and openness.

I remember two moments that marked me: when a colleague, leaving the firm, told me the hardest part was that she wouldn’t work with me anymore. And when another colleague, early in her career, after a year of collaboration, told me I was the second most important person in her life after her mother. She also said she had never met anyone who could show her mistakes in a way that she simply couldn’t get upset with me, even though she might want to, she being from Oltenia. These are the most valuable confirmations for me that professionalism requires clarity but also humanity.

C&B: What is the most important decision you made that changed your trajectory?
Ioana Grosu: The first major decision was to give up the dream of becoming a prosecutor, even though I prepared for it in college, studying criminal law and forensic science, and defending my thesis on it. In 1997, there were no positions available in Bucharest, and the idea of moving to another city for many years didn’t appeal to me. So I chose law practice—a path which, although started from a constraint, proved to be the direction that suited me best.

The second decision came after five years of teaching at the university while practicing law in parallel. Then I decided to give up my academic career and dedicate myself exclusively to the firm. I realized I couldn’t do both equally well and that I didn’t work with half measures. This choice gave me the freedom to invest all my energy in building an authentic brand in law.

C&B: What lessons have you learned as an entrepreneur in this industry, and how have they influenced your business decisions?
Ioana Grosu: I would feel hypocritical to say I have a ‘classic entrepreneurial fiber.’ I define myself more as an intrapreneur. Litigation and business law is a complex game, where the final outcome depends not only on the lawyer but also on judges, authorities, experts, or witnesses. Control is partial, but the lawyer’s role remains essential: to be the “leading master” and keep the game open until the end.

Like in a chess game, I learned not to celebrate too early and not to be discouraged after a lost round. The biggest challenge was to combine my expertise with coordinating a young team, alternating between roles as lawyer, trainer, and mentor. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that every step, including mistakes, can turn into a real growth opportunity.

C&B: What are the main services offered, and what differentiates Grosu & Associates in the Romanian legal consulting market?
Ioana Grosu: We provide legal consultancy in commercial law, corporate law, and contracts, as well as representation in complex litigation and international arbitration. Our differentiator lies not only in expertise but in the way we work: clear communication, pragmatic approach, and rigorous involvement in every case. Clients appreciate that we do not limit ourselves to the letter of the law but understand the logic of their business and offer practical solutions that truly work. We look where others don’t, see where others cannot, and thus continuously weave networks of connections and innovative legal solutions. This is the signature of Grosu & Associates.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?
Ioana Grosu: My days are intense and dynamic. I start early organizing priorities and discussing with the team, followed by court hearings, client meetings, travel, and inevitably unexpected situations that require quick solutions. Often, my schedule goes past 6 PM and doesn’t end with Friday.

What I like most is this variety: no day is the same. It gives me energy and purpose, and ensures that, regardless of challenges, I remain devoted to this profession.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in your work, and how do you apply them day-to-day?
Ioana Grosu: Integrity, professionalism, and respect for people are non-negotiable values for me. I firmly believe that ethics and empathy must go hand in hand: ethics gives firm reference points, empathy shows how to apply them in relation to others. Day by day, this means being honest while ensuring my messages are received and understood. This balance builds trust, and trust is the foundation of any lasting professional relationship.

C&B: How did Grosu & Associates come to life, and what motivated you to launch your own legal consulting firm?
Ioana Grosu: Grosu & Associates was founded in 2001, based on the decision of my husband and me to pool our experience and energy into a solid project. I brought the courtroom experience and attention to detail, he brought the entrepreneurial spirit and the confidence that we could build something lasting. This complementarity gave the firm its unique identity.

Our motivation was to create a law firm that offers clients not just legal services but a vision: consultancy and litigation done with seriousness, so that we are a true business partner. Our path was never easy, and I don’t think it is for any business, but it’s precisely the challenges that gave it consistency and value.

C&B: What are Grosu & Associates’ medium- and long-term development plans?
Ioana Grosu: Our development plans are currently in a phase of reconsideration. After years of working mostly with large firms, we believe it is time to bring our experience to small entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who need clear, accessible, “ready-to-buy” legal products.

In the medium term, we aim to adapt law practice to these realities and build services that directly meet their needs, without losing sight of the quality and clarity that define us. In the long term, the goal remains the same: to consolidate a firm recognized for professionalism and the human value brought by its team.

Ioana Grosu continues to be a reference in Romanian law, combining legal expertise with strategic vision, helping entrepreneurs and companies turn challenges into real growth opportunities.

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