Alexandru Ion is an entrepreneur whose skin is hard to wear. On one hand, you have the business you’ve always wanted. On the other hand, you have to make it work.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to make people who don’t know you yet curious?

Alexandru Ion: “It’s very hard to be Alexandru Ion.”
I am a person for whom mistakes have mattered far more than success. I don’t consider that I’ve reached the threshold of “success” yet, but I believe I’ve made many mistakes along the way. I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment where I could say, “I’ve made it, I’m successful,” but I have had many moments where both I and the business had to evolve, adapt, and learn from certain situations.

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

Alexandru Ion: The difficult moments in this journey have defined me far more than the good ones. The first key moment was on May 1, 2015, when I acquired Nexus Gamer’s Pub and officially became an entrepreneur. The second remarkable moment was in August 2015, when we opened the gaming hall on the upper floor of Nexus and shifted from HORECA towards other recreational activities. The third remarkable moment was sometime between the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 when we founded the esports team Nexus Gaming for the games Counter Strike GO and League of Legends, initially as a marketing engine for the physical location on Regina Elisabeta street.

Afterwards, there were almost three years of trial and error in which we tried to build a sustainable business under the Nexus umbrella. We hadn’t managed to stabilize or create a profitable business and were caught off guard by another crucial moment in Nexus’s history in 2018, when we had to leave the University location and move to the new headquarters in Tudor Vladimirescu, where we had to start over in August.

At the new location, we experienced slightly more stability, from August 2018 until March 2020, when the pandemic hit and we had to stop all offline activity. Shortly before, I had pitched the video production business on Imperiul Leilor, a televised moment where I think we received some sympathy from the business community.

The most defining recent moments for Nexus were in 2020 when we clarified the business direction as an influencer agency, event organizers, and broadcasting company. For the past five years, we have only been scaling and refining what we started during the pandemic.

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

Alexandru Ion: Definitely the pandemic. It was a difficult moment for pubs as well as gaming halls, so you can imagine how challenging it was for a hybrid of the two. We overcame it through a moment of “we have to do something because we won’t survive otherwise.” That’s when we opened the business lines for video production and event organization, focused on gaming. We observed the general trend that people were spending more time on online streaming platforms, and we took that risk. We retrained people, bought the necessary equipment, and the Nexus Gamers Pub space became a hub/studio for online events during that period.

C&B: When did you realize that esports could become a serious career, not just a passion?

Alexandru Ion: Like any video game enthusiast, I discovered this by seeing what was happening abroad toward the end of the 2000s. Even back then, there were competitions, large events, and fans of the phenomenon. For me, the most important thing was the idea that I could do what I love—play games—at work. That’s what drew me in and still attracts me to this field.

C&B: If you could change one thing in the Romanian gaming ecosystem, what would it be?

Alexandru Ion: I would like brands and commercial entities to understand that the gaming space is no longer a niche. It has an impressive fanbase, even in Romania, and a return on investment in terms of marketing that is better than traditional media.
Properly done gaming can be an aspirational activity, not just a way to “waste time.” It can be a driving force for the development of tomorrow’s youth.

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

Alexandru Ion: Probably that I like to “troll” or they might even criticize me for “trolling too much.” In front of collaborators, I think I have a more serious image, but whether they are fully satisfied with working with me or not, I would like them to give me feedback, even negative, because we always want to progress with every action we take.

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

Alexandru Ion: I oscillate between two very important decisions: 1. the initial investment was very hard, to start this whole madness and risk a fairly large amount of money. 2. the decision not to go alone as a sole partner, the decision to dilute myself and go forward in a team, with the risk of divergent visions that could jeopardize the business.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or the way you make decisions? Was it a natural process or learned?

Alexandru Ion: It was a combination of my personality, which some might call “eccentric,” and the knowledge I accumulated by studying and working in multinational companies. My leadership style is unconventional and disruptive, as anyone who has worked with me can confirm. On one hand, there’s Alexandru Ion, the troll under the bridge, with humor and a laissez-faire attitude; on the other hand, there’s Alexandru Ion, the businessman who studied the market, the phenomenon, and the gaming industry for years. You never know which one you’ll get—it depends on the gravity of the situation.

C&B: What does “professional gaming” mean to you, and how have you redefined it in Romania?

Alexandru Ion: Professional gaming is a complex phenomenon with very specific characteristics. I don’t think I’ve redefined much; I haven’t reinvented the wheel. What we did instead was realize that a round wheel was needed in an industry where most wheels were square or completely missing. Of course, we drew inspiration from best practices abroad, studied events and campaigns that worked there, and then adapted them to the Romanian market as best as we could.

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

Alexandru Ion: When you’re Alexandru Ion, days are anything but ordinary.
From Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., I hold a Senior Leadership role at a renowned delivery company. I wake up at 8:55 a.m. to catch the 9:00 a.m. daily call with my boss (I sleep until the last moment because the night before I was gaming like a true gamer until 2 a.m., sometimes 3). In 5 minutes, I brush my teeth, get dressed, and teleport into my car to reach the office by 10:00 a.m., though I don’t always make it, much to my shame. Often, unforeseen situations arise: files to complete, emails to send, urgent calls, or my 3-year-old daughter wants to play a bit before I leave for work.

Then calls, meetings, lunch, calls, more meetings, and around 6:00 p.m. I leave Promenada for Nexus, as 9 hours of work is never enough. If you want to succeed, you have to work at least twice as much, so I prefer to go to Nexus to handle something for the company or, in the worst case, play for my own enjoyment. Some days I go to the gym at 8:30 p.m. for a one-hour workout, but most days I stay at Nexus until midnight or later, either in meetings or gaming.

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

Alexandru Ion: I’ve always appreciated smart, hard-working people with a touch of madness. I like to think I fit this pattern myself, but more importantly, I’m confident that I’ve managed to surround myself with such people.

C&B: How did the idea of starting this business come to you, and why did you choose its name?

Alexandru Ion: The initial idea was simple: I wanted to be able to play at work. I wanted my business to be a playground, both for me and for clients. I didn’t choose the name, but whoever did probably drew inspiration from a very popular game in 2013 called League of Legends.

C&B: How do you see the evolution of the esports scene in Romania over the next five years?

Alexandru Ion: We’ve started having increasingly large events for some games, which excites me. The next step for us, as well as for the domestic competitive scene, is international events. At these events, the best teams in the country will compete against internationally renowned teams, with hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans.

C&B: If you were to give a message to people following your example, what would it be?

Alexandru Ion: Don’t risk more than you can afford to lose and understand that when you most likely will lose, it’s an expensive lesson to be learned, then move on. Do research, educate yourself, don’t blindly trust your own beliefs or ideas, and surround yourself with people who can give constructive criticism and offer a fresh perspective.

Alexandru Ion shows us that success in esports and business doesn’t happen overnight. It requires passion, adaptability, learning from mistakes, and a constant drive to grow.

The post Alexandru Ion – Passion, Mistakes, and Success in Esports and Business appeared first on careers-business.com.

Mirela Solomon is the founder of Amaze, an end-to-end podcast studio revolutionizing video content production. Amaze aims to make premium content creation accessible to brands of all sizes and to empower meaningful voices to create positive impact in the world through high-quality, scalable content. Mirela’s entrepreneurial journey is closely tied to a deeper personal exploration of purpose and authenticity. She strongly believes that for entrepreneurs, their personal “why” is the same as their business “why.” Thus, Amaze is not just a production studio, but an extension of a broader vision of how we can create meaningful and intentional impact.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in one sentence to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Mirela Solomon: I’m a communication enthusiast who, through perseverance, opened a new direction in digital communication with an innovative space that provides any brand—regardless of size—or personal brand with access to high-quality video content through a simplified, plug-and-play solution.

C&B: Looking at the narrative arc of your career or business, what were the key defining moments?
Mirela Solomon: I’ve been in communications for as long as I can remember. For over 15 years, I’ve worked across all areas of the industry—from advertising to BTL and content. Looking back, I realize the starting point of my career was in my teenage years when I worked part-time on BTL projects. That was my first direct contact with the world of brands and consumers—on the ground, where interactions are honest and immediate. Without realizing it at the time, that experience laid the foundation that would later guide me: a sort of “induction” into how a brand communicates with its audience, in relation to its personality.

The years that followed were a constant balance between agency life and intrapreneurship. I got involved in 360 projects because I was simply fascinated by the mechanisms behind brand building—how each puzzle piece, whether ATL, BTL, digital, or content, contributes to the overall picture. I learned a lot, and that gave me the confidence to take the leap in early 2020 and start my own thing: Amaze, a modular video content production space designed to meet the needs of brands seeking both speed and quality in one place.

C&B: What has been the most challenging moment so far in your journey, and how did you overcome it?
Mirela Solomon: Ironically, very shortly after signing the lease for Amaze’s studio, the pandemic hit. Everything changed drastically: construction was halted, timelines were postponed indefinitely, and uncertainty was in the air. It was, without a doubt, the toughest moment for me as an entrepreneur because every projection I had made before the pandemic became irrelevant.

What did I do? I quickly adapted the direction. Instead of waiting for the space to be finished, we focused on what we already knew how to do very well: on-demand video productions for brands we had established relationships with since my agency days. It was an intense transition period, but it taught me something crucial about entrepreneurship: having a vision is not enough—you also need the flexibility to adjust your course when the context changes completely.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of the obstacles?
Mirela Solomon: Transitioning from services to a product was, without question, the strongest drive that helped me overcome all the challenges I faced.

I don’t believe you can change a mindset or perspective without first building a solid foundation for change—and to do that, I couldn’t remain in the service zone.

That’s exactly why I believed deeply in the direction I wanted to take, and I started to build, step by step, an ecosystem around that vision.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed since?
Mirela Solomon: At the start, I was driven by a stubborn kind of determination. I had energy, will, and ambition—but I lacked clarity and structure. I knew I wanted to get somewhere, but I didn’t yet have the map. So, inevitably, I burned a lot of fuel on detours. It was like taking out a loan without fully understanding the interest, and ten years later realizing you’re still paying for that naive enthusiasm.

Looking back, I see that the system I grew up in didn’t really prepare me for a healthy entrepreneurial journey. I was told that success meant high grades and good results in every area—that “straight A student” ideal. And I complied, learning to be “the best in school.” But entrepreneurship works differently. It’s not about always getting top marks; it’s about sometimes getting a 4, stumbling, learning from failure, and bouncing back more resilient, with more data to make better future decisions.

My transformation was a deep one. From acting out of stubbornness, I learned to act from presence. I realized that sometimes, you don’t need to move mountains—you just need to understand how to climb them. Or sometimes, have the wisdom to go around them. That’s the transformation that matters most: the one that changes not just how you work, but how you live.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they’d say about you?
Mirela Solomon: They’d probably say I’m the kind of person who gets things done. In fact, partners with whom I’ve built close relationships over time have often described me as “resolute.” It’s a term that amused me at first, but I’ve come to see it fits me well.

The truth is, I don’t easily accept a “no” as a final answer. I see it as settling to stop at the first closed door. In my mind, a quick “no” often hides a “maybe” or a “but” worth exploring. I think that’s what defines me most: the perseverance to look for the solution behind the rejection and the determination to turn it into an opportunity.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style?
Mirela Solomon: Looking back, I can see how much my decision-making and leadership style have evolved. In the past, I believed everything could be decided rationally. I genuinely thought the mind was the only filter I needed.

Now, I know things are much more nuanced. When you’re in a leadership position—especially when you aim to be a true leader, not just a manager—you realize that good decisions come from a delicate balance between reason and intuition.

People may be drawn to your strength and clarity of vision, but they stay for the humanity, authenticity, and genuine care you show. Power attracts, but empathy builds loyalty.

Today, I’d say my leadership style is assertive with a strong nurturing component. I love investing in people I see potential in—giving them space to grow, to make mistakes, to find their voice. It’s my way of giving back, because I, too, had people who saw in me things I hadn’t yet discovered myself.

Leadership isn’t something you only learn from books or training programs. It stems from who you are and how you see the world. Then come the experiences, mentors, and role models—and yes, sometimes you “borrow” an attitude that inspired you. It’s a continuous process of refinement, learning, and awareness. The kind of leadership I practice now is less about being the smartest person in the room and more about helping others realize how valuable they are. I believe only from that space can authentic and sustainable leadership emerge.

C&B: What do you believe sets your business or professional approach apart from the rest of the industry?
Mirela Solomon: I think the key difference lies in how we view Amaze—as a product. From the very beginning, our goal was to create a video production solution that radically simplifies the user experience. That’s how the plug-and-play video ecosystem came to life—specifically designed for entrepreneurs, niche experts, and medium to large brands looking to scale premium content creation without depending on large teams, logistical headaches, or advanced technical know-how.

Our solution integrates premium hardware and software infrastructure, automated processes, adaptable filming spaces, and strategic support in one streamlined workflow. We eliminate the classic friction points in video production—lack of know-how, fragmented teams, heavy post-production—and deliver “ready to publish” materials instantly.

We are constantly working on process automation and seamless integration between hardware, software, and AI. Ultimately, our mission is to contribute to the democratization of content creation and bring it closer to the real needs of the market by offering flexible and adaptable products.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the most satisfaction?
Mirela Solomon: My days are extremely full right now, as we’re in a stage of rapid growth. We recently launched Podspace, Romania’s first community dedicated to branded and independent podcast creators, which now needs direction and a steady growth rhythm. At the same time, we’re working intensely on a new version of our recording session booking platform, and we’re preparing for another big leap in our modular space concept.

In this kind of context, the most satisfying part of the day is when I notice the compound effect of all the effort. When working across several growth verticals at once, it’s easy to feel like you’re lost in the weeds or like progress has stalled. But then, almost imperceptibly, you place that final brick and realize you’ve reached the critical mass needed to make a big leap forward. I’m not naturally a patient person, which is why I really enjoy those moments when I realize it was worth holding back my restlessness.

C&B: Values or principles you live by?
Mirela Solomon: One of the core principles I live by is that excellence doesn’t mean perfection—it means consistency.

Over time, I’ve learned that it’s more valuable to deliver 70% consistently than 150% sporadically. Sustained rhythm is what truly builds.

I’ve come to understand that real performance doesn’t come from occasional bursts of intensity, but from the ability to deliver constantly, in a sustainable rhythm. That 1% daily improvement James Clear talks about—or, put another way, the power of the compound effect.

Another principle I strongly believe in is: “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” The way you handle small things says a lot about how you’ll act when bigger challenges arise. That’s why I value discipline, responsibility, and conscious presence—even in the smallest interactions.

I guide myself by values like balance and respect for the process. I no longer chase perfection—I seek alignment between what I do, what I believe, and what I feel.

C&B: How did you come up with the idea to start this business and name it as such?
Mirela Solomon: The idea took shape shortly before the pandemic, when I noticed a clear shift in how brands and consumers behaved. Brands were starting to feel the pressure to create educational content and build communities around their products in order to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded and competitive landscape.

With my background in marketing and communications, it was obvious that purely transactional, sales-oriented actions were becoming harder to sustain. The public had become much more demanding, and brands were being pushed to be more centered around real human needs, to offer solutions, and build authentic connections. That’s where the idea came from: a multifunctional space dedicated to podcasting, content marketing, and digital learning, designed to meet this emerging need.

As for the name, Amaze is actually a wordplay. On one hand, it comes from “to be amazed,” reflecting the innovation behind the project and our desire to surprise with our experience and service mix. On the other hand, it contains “a maze”—a labyrinth that mirrors the space’s characteristics: modularity and interchangeability so advanced that each setup can feel like a completely different universe. This continuous metamorphosis of the sets is, ultimately, part of Amaze’s DNA.

C&B: If you were to send one message to those who follow your example, what would it be?
Mirela Solomon: I don’t believe in universal formulas or one-size-fits-all advice because everyone has different circumstances and resources. But if I were to send one message to other entrepreneurs, it would be this: focus on building systems and invest in processes and structures that can sustain long-term growth. I believe that’s the key to creating real and lasting impact in entrepreneurship.

Mirela Solomon continues to inspire through innovation and perseverance, transforming how brands communicate with quality video and podcast content.

The post Mirela Solomon: Innovation and Leadership in Video Production with Amaze appeared first on careers-business.com.