Adina China-Birta is a psychologist and the founder of Anfold, a space dedicated to emotional health, personal development, and conscious leadership. After a solid career of over 20 years in finance and business, where she held top management positions and led complex teams, Adina chose a deeply intentional professional reconversion: a shift from financial performance to human performance. The experience she gained in the corporate environment — the pressure of decision-making, the responsibility of leadership, and the impact of chronic stress — became the foundation of her approach as a psychologist. At Anfold, Adina works with entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals in high-demand environments, supporting them in processes of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and rebuilding balance between personal and professional life.

Her vision combines the strategic rigor of the business environment with the empathy and depth of psychology, promoting a model of healthy, authentic, and sustainable leadership. Through Anfold, Adina China-Birta builds bridges between results and meaning, between external success and inner clarity.

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

Adina China-Birta: Looking back, the narrative thread of my career is not about roles or titles, but about the moments when I needed to realign with myself. A first defining moment was entering the financial sector, an extremely competitive industry that taught me discipline, decision-making rigor, and the responsibility of leadership. It was a period of intense building, centered around performance and results, around which I built my professional identity. Another key moment was taking on top management positions: from the outside, it was the “peak” of my career; from the inside, it was my first serious confrontation with the limits of this model of success. The constant pressure, fast pace, and need to always be available began to raise uncomfortable questions about the personal costs of performance. The turning point was the decision to study psychology. It was not a break from the past, but a natural continuation: the desire to understand people beyond KPIs, to work with motivation, emotions, and meaning. This transition completely redefined how I relate to work, success, and impact. Founding Anfold is perhaps the synthesis of all these stages. It is the place where my business experience meets psychology, and where my work becomes one of integration: performance without self-exhaustion and a career that is not built at the expense of health.

C&B: What was the biggest challenge in turning the Anfold concept into a functional and impactful center?

Adina China-Birta: A major challenge was building Anfold by taking what is valuable from the corporate environment, such as clear processes, while maintaining enough flexibility to respect the human, emotional rhythm of the people who enter this space. Another major challenge was aligning the team around a shared vision, in a field where each professional comes with their own style, values, and clinical practice. Anfold is not just a place where psychological services are offered, but a framework that requires coherence, ethics, and a culture of real collaboration — and building this culture required time, dialogue, and a great deal of clarity. Perhaps the most difficult challenge was assuming visibility, having a public voice in a field that was new to me, psychology, given that people associated me with the financial industry.

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

Adina China-Birta: I don’t think I’ve had a single dream or vision that guided me throughout my entire professional journey; rather, my visions evolved with age and with the professional and personal stage I was in. I think it’s beautiful to have such a constant vision, but I didn’t.

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

Adina China-Birta: If at its launch in 2025 Anfold was like a newborn that needed to be “fed” by its parents, now the child is one year old, has started to walk, and has become curious and interactive. I am extremely eager and curious about its future evolution.

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

Adina China-Birta: I think they would say I am demanding, but people-oriented. That I care about the quality of the work, but also about ethics and meaning. I believe they would also say that I offer space, not control. They would probably add that I am consistent: the values I talk about — respect, healthy boundaries, authenticity, humor — are also reflected in how I build professional relationships.

C&B: In what way has your professional experience influenced the most important decision in developing this project?

Adina China-Birta: I think that, for the Anfold project, the most important decision was choosing who to start this journey with. Dana Zeicu, my partner, is a highly experienced psychologist and also has extensive experience in business, through multiple strategic HR consulting projects in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, as well as through Chief People Officer roles at both national and international levels. I have seen both in my experience as a banker and top manager, and in my personal life, how important the choice of partners is, how risky a poor choice can be, and how many advantages a well-made choice brings.

C&B: How would you define, in a few words, the Anfold philosophy: a “safe zone” where mind, emotions, and body are harmonized?

Adina China-Birta: For me, the Anfold philosophy means a space of real psychological safety, where a person does not have to perform, prove, or defend themselves. Only when our nervous system feels safe can we authentically access emotions, thoughts, and inner resources. The harmonization of mind, emotions, and body means moving out of fragmentation — from living only in analysis, only in reaction, or only in survival — and returning to a form of integration. At Anfold, we work with this integration: cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and bodily awareness, so that change is not just intellectual, but lived and stable. Integration also refers to our multiple roles: partners, parents, children, employees, managers, artists, friends — so that we can make space for each of these roles in our lives.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?

Adina China-Birta: Of course, there are many things that differentiate us, but also many things we have in common. Among the common elements, I would like to believe we share the lived values of the profession, peer consultations, and intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration. Anfold is not just an office or a service center, but a space built on clear values: safety, ethics, collaboration, and professional responsibility. We are interested in long-term impact, not quick fixes. We also have a strong interest in integrating technology into psychotherapy, such as using virtual reality to treat phobias or to teach clients relaxation techniques. As a personal differentiator, it would be the fact that I come from a professional background in business and top management, and this experience gives me a direct understanding of the real pressures in entrepreneurial and corporate environments — fast pace, financial responsibility, difficult decisions, constant exposure. I don’t speak about these from theory, but from lived experience. That allows me to better understand clients coming from such environments.

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

Adina China-Birta: One of the major changes in my new career is that I no longer have days that look the same. I have days when I see clients in the morning, and others when this happens at noon or in the evening, while the rest of the time is dedicated to growing Anfold. I make space in my schedule, even if not always as often as I would like, for sports, going to the theater, or attending concerts.

C&B: What impact have you most often observed in clients’ lives — whether in individual therapy, couples therapy, or company programs?

Adina China-Birta: The situations clients are in when they seek help are very diverse, which means the impact of what we do is also varied. However, there are a few common outcomes of therapy, such as developing assertiveness, increasing awareness of emotions and bodily sensations, and improving the ability to identify cognitive distortions — all of which translate into better relationships with others and with oneself. At the same time, we must acknowledge that we do not have a magic wand, and that each person evolves at their own pace, faster or slower, and that is perfectly okay.

C&B: How did Anfold come to life, and what motivated you to build a psychology center that integrates both classical therapy and modern technologies?

Adina China-Birta: Anfold emerged from a need I experienced personally and often observed around me: high-performing, responsible people who appear “in control” but are disconnected from their own emotions and internally exhausted. In the business environment, psychological health is most often approached reactively, when a crisis arises. I wanted to create a space that normalizes prevention, self-regulation, and conscious development, not just intervention at moments of blockage. The integration of classical therapy with modern technologies came naturally. I believe in the rigor of scientifically validated methods and in authentic therapeutic relationships, but I equally believe that technology can increase accessibility, continuity, and efficiency of intervention. Anfold was thus born at the intersection of tradition and innovation, out of respect for the classical foundations of psychology and psychotherapy, but also with openness to modern solutions that make emotional health more accessible, more integrated, and better adapted to today’s pace of life.

C&B: How do you integrate traditional psychotherapy approaches with innovative tools so that the process remains personalized and effective for the client?

Adina China-Birta: Integration begins with a very clear principle: the therapeutic relationship, the alliance between client and therapist in achieving the client’s goals, remains the core of the intervention. No matter how innovative a tool is, it does not replace the clinical framework, proper case conceptualization, and the personalized process built together with the client. At Anfold, we work with validated approaches such as CBT, integrative methods, and interventions focused on emotional regulation and bodily awareness, while technology — in our case, virtual reality (VR) — is a complementary tool, not a substitute for classical therapy. We primarily use VR in interventions involving controlled exposure, anxiety management, or working with certain phobias. The advantage is that we can create a safe, predictable, and gradual environment where clients can activate and regulate their emotional responses in a much more structured way than through imagination or direct real-life exposure. Personalization remains essential, meaning that VR is not applied as a standard, but only when case analysis indicates that technology can accelerate or support the process. The pace of exposure, intensity of stimuli, and integration of the experience are calibrated according to each client’s emotional profile and objectives. Essentially, technology helps us be more precise and efficient, but real change happens through integrating the experience — cognitively, emotionally, and physically — within the therapeutic relationship. VR is a catalyst, not the center of the process.

C&B: What plans do you have for Anfold — expanding services, new technologies, collaborations, or educational projects?

Adina China-Birta: Plans for Anfold are built around the idea of sustainable growth, not rapid expansion. I want development to remain aligned with our values and with our real capacity to maintain the quality of our professional work. In the medium term, we aim to expand services in prevention and psychoeducation through programs dedicated to burnout, stress regulation, and conscious leadership, addressing both individuals and organizations, to support early intervention in practice, not just working with established symptoms. Regarding technology, we will continue developing the use of virtual reality (VR) in interventions for anxiety and stress, maintaining a rigorous framework with constant evaluation of effectiveness. Another important pillar is the educational area. We want Anfold to become a space for professional training and dialogue through workshops, thematic groups, and possibly even academic partnerships, because the development of emotional health requires community, not just individual interventions. In the long term, I see Anfold as a center that combines clinical practice, education, and innovation, built around the idea that performance and balance do not exclude each other, but support one another.

Adina China-Birta’s story is one of courage. The courage to redefine success and build a professional path aligned with personal values. Through Anfold, she brings together the rigor of business and the depth of psychology, creating a space where performance no longer comes at the cost of burnout, but becomes sustainable and authentic.

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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.

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In a context where leadership is often associated with fast decisions and spectacular results, Diana Mladin proposes a different perspective: real performance does not come from exceptional moments, but from consistency, clarity, and the ability to build, day by day.

Working at the intersection of operational leadership and digital product development, Diana constantly navigates between two different worlds: one grounded in processes, people, and immediate reality, and the other oriented toward building, experimentation, and the future.

For her, strategy is only valuable to the extent that it can be transformed into execution.

From understanding systems to building them

Her path was not the result of a single decision, but a natural evolution. Operational leadership gave her a deep understanding of how organizations function, while working on digital products created the space needed to test, build, and adjust.

“One shows you reality, the other allows you to shape it.”

This combination allows her to see beyond the surface: not just what isn’t working, but how it can be rebuilt better.

Decision-making in uncertainty: direction, not perfection

One of the most important lessons she has learned is related to decision-making.

In reality, leaders never have all the information. Waiting for the “perfect moment” can become more costly than making an imperfect but assumed decision.

Instead of seeking absolute certainty, Diana prefers to define clear directions and create space for adjustment along the way.

This approach reduces bottlenecks and allows organizations to keep moving, even in ambiguous contexts.

Clarity comes from less, not more

In busy periods, when responsibilities overlap, the natural instinct is accumulation: more tasks, more control, more effort.

For Diana, clarity works the opposite way. “I don’t confuse being busy with making progress.”

Her approach is based on structure and personal boundaries. She works sequentially, not simultaneously, and constantly returns to simple questions: what truly matters now? This discipline reduces noise and allows for real focus.

Impact built over time, not delivered instantly

A relevant example from her experience is not related to a spectacular transformation, but to an apparently minor adjustment.

An operational issue, ignored because it did not seem critical, was generating constant friction within the team. Instead of treating it superficially, she chose to build a solution. The results were not immediate, but over time they became visible: less stress, more coherence, a healthier work rhythm. It is the type of impact that does not appear in headlines, but fundamentally changes how an organization functions.

Two types of leadership: optimization vs. building

Her leadership style adapts depending on the context. In existing systems, the focus is on listening, understanding the history, and fine-tuning. In building from scratch, more ownership, clarity, and decision-making are required. Both demand patience, but in different forms.

This flexibility becomes essential in an environment where organizations are either in optimization processes or in accelerated building phases.

Fractional leadership as a form of focus

In a traditional executive context, the idea of fractional leadership is often misinterpreted as reduced involvement. For Diana, it is exactly the opposite. It is a form of focus: being present where decisions matter most, without burdening the organization with rigid structures or unnecessary dependencies.

Value does not come from time spent, but from the clarity and direction brought in critical moments.

Meaning in work: beyond objectives

Even in the most operational periods, Diana keeps a simple principle: not to lose connection with meaning. She does not look for it in big milestones, but in the connection between small actions and their real impact. Recalibration comes from reflection and authentic conversations with people.

For her, leadership is not only about decision-making, but also about being present in one’s own process. A journey that is built, not rushed. For those who feel that traditional roles no longer allow them to contribute at the level they know they can, her advice is not radical. She does not recommend abrupt changes, but clarity.

Start with a simple question: where do I bring real value? Professional growth is not a sprint, but a daily practice. A process of continuous adjustment, where progress matters more than speed.

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

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C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence, so as to spark curiosity in those who don’t know you yet?
Florin Cioc: The ambition and energy that dance has given me for so many years!

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Florin Cioc: The power of movement through dance to keep moving forward!

C&B: What were the first challenges when you started the project The 1 Dance by Cioc?
Florin Cioc: To be able to move forward with what I created, and only I created!

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Florin Cioc: No, the dream that became reality and the ambition to show what dance really means.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed up to now?
Florin Cioc: At first, I was self-taught and eager to learn…that transformed me, and I still have a lot to learn!

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Florin Cioc: Honestly, I don’t know what they would say about me… I would really like to meet them.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Florin Cioc: To follow this path and create this project.

C&B: How would you describe the philosophy of The 1 Dance by Cioc to those who don’t know you yet?
Florin Cioc: They just need to want to learn and come to us.

C&B: What has been the most memorable moment or performance that has marked you so far?
Florin Cioc: Saying “present” when you’ve already signed a small 3-day contract, even when you’ve broken your ankle and still dancing four dances with it broken.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments of the day bring you the greatest satisfaction?
Florin Cioc: A typical day is when I manage to relax more… And a moment of satisfaction is when I finish a choreography exactly as I envision it!

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them day by day?
Florin Cioc: There is always a small solution somewhere, even when it’s tough! Look for a solution, especially in this field!

C&B: How did the idea of founding The 1 Dance by Cioc come about, and what inspired you to dedicate yourself to dance?
Florin Cioc: For about 2 years I wondered if it was the right thing! And through dance, I liked that no day is the same and I don’t have a boss! Every day is different!

C&B: Where do you see The 1 Dance by Cioc in five years?
Florin Cioc: At a fairly high or good level to keep moving forward!

Florin Cioc and The 1 Dance by Cioc show us that passion, ambition, and perseverance can turn dreams into reality, and that dance is more than movement – it is an art that inspires and transforms lives.

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Vlad Benescu is a stage artist, specialized and experienced in dance, theatre, performance, circus, light design, and new media technologies.

C&B: If we were to follow a narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Vlad Benescu: My career has been filled with many moments that later defined my direction, and with many synchronicities that significantly influenced or changed my path. The first was during high school when someone came and said they were offering an acting course at the Ion Creangă Theatre, which I attended for two years. Then came the encounter with the unicycle, one of the talents that sets me apart in the acting and performance field. It was a coincidence — during one of my high school jobs, working as an entertainer and balloon seller on the promenade in Mamaia, someone showed up with a unicycle in the apartment I was staying in. We struggled to learn it together, but I picked it up very quickly — after four days I was riding 50 meters, then 100, then 200, and from the next day I could ride it anywhere. Then, in theatre school, someone invited me into a contemporary dance performance with Ștefan Lupu and choreography by Galea Bobeicu. From there, a fruitful dance career started to develop, in parallel with my acting path. In 2016, I went to a casting at WASP for a show by Valentina de Piante, which was later selected for the Impulstanz Festival in Vienna. That was where I experienced contemporary dance and performance at the highest level. More recently, the collaboration with Alexandra Mihaela Dancs has been very impactful — we constantly develop diverse projects that are presented in increasingly varied contexts, on important stages and cultural venues.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Vlad Benescu: There was a moment in 2016 when I didn’t get a theatre role, and it made me doubt many things. But I kept working, and then came even more important projects that I might not have been able to do fully, or with full involvement, if I had been split between too many places. Actually, difficult moments are constant — sometimes artistic, other times technical — and I always find solutions. That’s my secret: when a problem appears, my brain immediately focuses on solutions, and I go straight into action.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, no matter the obstacles?
Vlad Benescu: Yes — I love what I do, and I work constantly on that. I truly enjoy offering people experiences of joy, provoking their imagination, reasoning, and senses.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed over time?
Vlad Benescu: At the beginning, I wanted a lot and understood little. Now I still want a lot, but I understand quite a bit more.

C&B: If we were to talk to your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Vlad Benescu: They’d probably say that I’m someone it’s hard to have a conflict with. I don’t understand conflict — I don’t see its potential or purpose — and I’m almost always in a good mood. Sometimes I seem to be “all over the place,” meaning chaotic, but in fact I control that dynamic. And they’d probably wonder where I get all my energy from.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Vlad Benescu: The most important decision was to follow this path and then to keep choosing, again and again, that this is what I’m meant to do.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural process or something you learned?
Vlad Benescu: The answer is, of course, both. I’ve constantly absorbed knowledge from others in this area, but I’ve always adapted it. I can rarely align with something that’s pre-made — I need to filter it through my own lens and take it to the potential and format that satisfy me.

C&B: What do you think sets your business or professional approach apart from the rest of the industry?
Vlad Benescu: I think it’s the fact that I’m always interested in innovating and evolving in my artistic endeavors. I don’t stick to a trendy aesthetic. And I bring together a wide variety of skills. It’s rare to see acting combined with dance, circus, and technology.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which parts of your day bring the most satisfaction?
Vlad Benescu: Usually, I have to do a lot of things and find ways to make it physically feasible to achieve them. If it’s temporally possible to do something, I will always squeeze it into the schedule. I probably have an atypical way of managing my time, though to me it seems logical and natural. My days are very varied — I’m not a fan of routine. The only constant is movement. I move a lot, whether through my activities or through constant training in various movement methods. I’m passionate about somatic movement, and sometimes I practice it during other activities to overlap and optimize the learning and development process.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in your work, and how do you apply them day to day?
Vlad Benescu: You can reach anywhere, but you have to go through the process. There’s no such thing as “too hard” — especially if we can see that something similar has been done before. That means there are ways to achieve those performances or that knowledge.

C&B: How did the idea come to start this business and give it this name?
Vlad Benescu: I don’t have a business — I’m, as one of my theatre professors used to say, an employee of my own institution. I work tirelessly and diligently at the Vlad Benescu Institution. I want it to succeed and stand out in the cultural and experiential space in which it operates.

C&B: If you were to share a message with people who follow your example, what would it be?
Vlad Benescu: Work, observe, think, enjoy, and maybe get tired — but keep working or researching what interests you. If your physical energy is low, there’s still something stored cognitively. Keep going. Don’t waste time on indecision — act, and you’ll become convinced whether the imagined direction is right or not.

Vlad Benescu’s story reminds us that art knows no boundaries, and the courage to explore new forms of expression can lead to unforgettable creations. With every project, Vlad affirms his authenticity and his desire to inspire through movement, emotion, and stage presence.

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