Stadio Café Popular: SHC Transforms Stadio Unirii into a New Urban Concept Inspired by the Atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s

Stadio Hospitality Concepts (SHC) announces the rebranding of its Stadio Unirii location, which will now operate under the name Stadio Café Popular. The new all-day concept marks a strategic repositioning within the group’s portfolio, responding to consumers’ growing preference for accessible, relaxed spaces that fit today’s urban lifestyle.

Inspired by the familiar atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s, Stadio Café Popular blends retro touches, urban design, and a creative menu, complemented by subtle humor that defines the identity of the new space. The concept aims to recreate the feeling of comfort and being at home in a contemporary setting designed for socializing.

According to Radu Dumitrescu, Founder and CEO of SHC, the transformation is part of a broader process of refining and redefining several locations within the group’s portfolio: “With Stadio Café Popular, we wanted to create a place that feels closer to the way people experience the city today, as well as to how they want to feel when they visit a restaurant: relaxed and welcome at any time.”

The new restaurant is designed as an all-day destination, ideal for breakfast and morning coffee, as well as lunches, dinners, or relaxed weekend get-togethers. The concept emphasizes flexibility and a casual dining experience, while maintaining the attention to design, atmosphere, and service that defines the Stadio brand.

The rebranding is part of SHC’s broader strategy to develop concepts with distinct identities and clearly defined roles within its portfolio. Through this approach, the group aims to respond more effectively to market changes and the preferences of an urban audience that increasingly values authenticity, accessibility, and meaningful experiences.

Located at 1 Unirii Boulevard, directly opposite the Palace of Parliament, Stadio Café Popular welcomes guests with a completely redesigned space and a menu tailored to its new concept, created to encourage more frequent and flexible dining experiences.

With the launch of Stadio Café Popular, Stadio Hospitality Concepts continues to diversify its portfolio and adapt to evolving consumer habits. The new concept combines the nostalgic atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s with the expectations of today’s urban audience, creating a space where design, gastronomy, and socializing come together in an accessible and relaxed experience.

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Morgan Housel, the renowned author of the bestseller The Psychology of Money, returns with a new book, The Art of Spending Your Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life, recently published by ap! (ACT and Politon), in which he teaches readers how to better understand their emotions in relation to money in order to make sound financial decisions.

In the excerpt below, presented exclusively for Careers&Business, the author shows that the most important things for happiness are peace of mind and freedom, both of which money can help preserve. While The Psychology of Money focused on building wealth, in The Art of Spending Your Money, Housel shows that it is equally important to consider how money is spent and how wealth is managed.

Exclusive Excerpt:

When I wrote The Psychology of Money, I wanted to explore the way we think about wealth and investing—how emotions and social pressures influence decisions that we like to believe are purely rational.

This book, The Art of Spending Your Money, is a natural continuation.

While The Psychology of Money focused on how we build wealth, The Art of Spending Your Money focuses on how we use it.

Neither book tells you what to do with your money, because everyone is different. But both seek to understand what happens in our minds when we use it. In that respect, we are far more alike.

The same central idea applies to both books: when it comes to money, numbers matter less than the stories we tell ourselves about what matters, what makes us happy, and how we measure success.

Spending money is more of an art than a science. There is no universal formula and no fixed set of rules. What brings joy to one person may leave another completely indifferent. Just as with investing, if we understand our emotions—our biases, hopes, and fears—we can make wiser choices. Choices that reflect who we are, what we value, and how we want to live.

If The Psychology of Money taught us how to earn our freedom, this book is about how to make the most of it.

Let’s begin.

With The Art of Spending Your Money, Morgan Housel continues the conversation about people’s relationship with money from a deeply human perspective. The book does not promise universal solutions but encourages readers to look beyond the numbers and make financial decisions that reflect their own values and the way they want to live.

ap! (ACT and Politon) is one of the leading players in Romania’s book market. Specializing in high-quality nonfiction, the publishing house has introduced to the local market a number of internationally acclaimed authors, including Tim Ferriss, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Steve Harvey, Gino Wickman, and many others. At the same time, ap! (ACT and Politon) is the Romanian publisher under whose imprint the largest number of audiobooks has been released locally. Since its launch in 2014, the publishing house has brought more than 300 audiobook titles to Romania, many of them international bestsellers that have reached readers around the world and transformed thousands of lives.

ap! (ACT and Politon) believes in continuous development and brings Romanian readers titles covering a wide range of subjects, including personal and professional development, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and wellbeing. The publisher’s titles are available in print as well as in eBook, MP3, and audiobook formats, allowing readers to enjoy them at any moment in their lives.

The post The Art of Spending Your Money, a Book About Everyday Financial Decisions appeared first on careers-business.com.

The sixth edition of Eforie Colorat kicks off on July 4, transforming Cinemascop Garden in Eforie Sud into a vibrant venue for film, music, contemporary art, and family-friendly activities through August 23. Admission to all events is free.

This summer’s program features film screenings, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, community gatherings, and activities for children. This year’s theme, Connections, highlights the relationships built around Cinemascop Garden between local residents, tourists, artists, and the town itself.

In addition to two new contemporary art exhibitions, visitors will be able to explore the Eforie Unframed and The City with Four Names installations, attend special film screenings, and take part in events organized in partnership with organizations such as One World Romania, Cărturești, and Short Film Breaks. Activities for children are scheduled every Thursday, and the venue now also features an accessibility ramp for visitors with reduced mobility.

The official opening takes place on July 4 at 7:00 PM and features exhibition openings, a participatory workshop, a community dinner, a live concert, and a prize raffle. The ninth edition of the Cinemascop Festival will also take place from August 14 to 20, marking one of the highlights of Eforie Sud’s cultural season.

With its latest edition, Eforie Colorat continues to bring together culture, community, and tourism, offering both locals and visitors a diverse program of free events throughout the summer.

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In Search of God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World by Stephen Mansfield, published by Corola, an imprint of ap! (ACT and Politon), is not merely a book about beer or the history of a brand. It is also a lesson in how profit should go hand in hand with care for employees, their well-being, and their development.

In the excerpt below, published exclusively by Careers&Business, Stephen Mansfield arrives at the Guinness brewery in Ireland, St. James’s Gate, to consult the company archives. He reconstructs in his mind the image of Ireland during an era when craftsmanship was passed down from one generation to the next, imagining the lives of the people who worked tirelessly at the brewery.

The author also highlights the many benefits enjoyed by workers as early as the 1900s. They received privileges that were virtually unheard of at the time and that, even today, would surpass those offered by major companies such as Google or Microsoft.

Exclusive Excerpt:

I should mention that it was not the Guinness brand of today that first captured my imagination, however brilliant, high-tech, and impressive it may be. No, my historical imagination took flight, and I could see this pure and cherished craft of brewing beer being passed down through generations. I saw barley, water, hops, and yeast transformed by skilled craftsmen into a drink that kept men away from the madness caused by alcohol while revitalizing them and making them whole. I saw well-cared-for and beloved horses pulling beer barrels, and I watched coopers teaching their trade to awkward young apprentices. I saw ships crossing the seas, their decks loaded with dark beer, and men on the docks eagerly unloading what they hoped they would soon have the chance to taste. I saw workers gathering after a day’s labor and raising a glass of their national beer. And I heard men in pubs laughing with relief that the day had finally ended, while entire families toasted with a Guinness to the blessings God had brought into their lives.

I knew I had found that earthly, human, and sacred story of a people perfecting their craft over time and of a family seeking to do good in the world for the glory of God. It was exactly what my weary soul needed: a story as rich as the scent of barley at the St. James’s Gate brewery and as full of bitterness and sweetness as any story passed down from generation to generation.

Thus, my weariness brought me to Guinness.

But so did hope.

During the months I spent researching and writing this book, the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression began to unfold. It started with the collapse of the U.S. housing market and spread to Wall Street, where aggressive lending practices, reckless borrowing, and secondary bets on those loans—known as “swaps”—worsened an already serious situation. Shortly afterward, some of America’s most important financial institutions collapsed, while most of those that survived did so only through federal assistance.

The situation grew worse, and greed seemed to be spreading everywhere.

Overwhelmed by the greed and suffering that played out daily on the television in my office, I turned gratefully to the Guinness story. In it, I found an antidote—a dose of the spirit of a bygone era—that revived me and gave me hope.

From the very beginning of the corporation’s and the family’s history, Guinness embraced a responsibility toward those in need. It all began at home, with its own employees. Edward Cecil Guinness, great-grandson of founder Arthur Guinness, expressed a fundamental company belief when he said: “You cannot make money from people unless you are willing for them to make money from you.” Accordingly, the Guinness brewery typically paid wages that were 10 to 20 percent above average, enjoyed a reputation as the best workplace in Ireland, and, just as importantly to many employees, provided them with two pints a day of its famous stout.

Moreover, the benefits offered by the company exceeded even those imagined by modern corporations such as Google and Microsoft. Consider the picture presented in a Guinness company report from 1928, a period not particularly enlightened regarding the treatment of workers. Guinness employees at the Dublin brewery had access to two fully qualified physicians working in an on-site clinic, where any employee, spouse, or child could receive treatment. These privileges extended to widows and retirees as well. The doctors were available day and night, made house calls, and consulted specialists on behalf of their patients whenever necessary.

Employees also had access to two dentists, two pharmacists, two nurses, a “visiting lady”—a social worker who ensured that workers’ homes met proper hygiene standards—and a masseuse. Hospital beds were available both at the Guinness brewery and at a countryside sanatorium for patients recovering from tuberculosis.

This was only the beginning. Retirees received pensions granted “at the discretion of the board,” without having been required to contribute from their own pockets. This benefit extended to widows as well. If an employee or a family member died, the company covered most funeral expenses.

To improve employees’ quality of life, the company established an on-site savings bank and contributed to a fund from which workers could borrow money to purchase homes. To ensure that life in those homes was as pleasant as possible, the company also sponsored competitions that encouraged domestic skills, offering cash prizes for sewing, cooking, decorating, gardening, and hat-making. Concerts and lectures were organized for workers’ wives, based on the belief that the moral and intellectual level of a household would rise no higher than that of the mother or wife who lived within it.

The same philosophy led the company to sponsor guilds and associations of all kinds. There was an association dedicated to the breeding and care of “dogs, poultry, pigeons, and cage birds,” another for growing vegetables and flowers, and one for “encouraging home industries.” A sports association was founded to sponsor competitions in Gaelic football, cricket, cycling, boxing, swimming, hurling, and tug-of-war. In addition, nearly every essential skill involved in brewing was represented by a guild or professional development association sponsored by the company.

Educational benefits were also more generous than those offered by most modern corporations. Guinness paid for all employees between the ages of 14 and 30 to attend technical schools in Dublin and even financed higher education for qualified individuals. The brewery maintained a library, a musical society, and “Workers’ Rooms”—lounges where employees could read, reflect, or focus on interests beyond their daily work. Courses were also available in woodcarving, cage making, weaving, drawing, photography, carpentry, calligraphy, music, singing, and dance.

The generosity of the Guinness family seemed limitless. Each year, every employee was paid to spend a day in the countryside with their family on “Excursion Day.” Train tickets, meals, and entertainment were all covered. Single men were permitted to bring a companion, and once again the company paid the bill. To mark Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, Guinness granted every employee an additional week’s wages.

Immersing myself in this culture of generosity provided a welcome respite from the times in which I lived, when greed and unjustified privilege were daily destroying so many lives. It was not difficult to see how the Guinness story could bring balance, calm, and a measure of grace to our harsh age. Once again, I found myself drawn to the Guinness legacy—for the lessons it might offer and for what it could mean to corporations seeking to rise from the ruins and build a different model from the one that had led us so far astray. The hope that Guinness might teach us something guided my work and lightened my spirit.

It was a hope that kept me firmly attached to the Guinness story.

And then there was the beer.

I must admit that I approached the subject of beer as something of an outsider. I had never been a beer drinker and did not feel deprived because of it. Yet the culture that had grown around beer and the sense of community it seemed to inspire fascinated me. Looking at the world of beer, I felt exactly like a little boy with his face pressed against the window of a candy shop.

The Guinness story demonstrates that long-term success is built not only through financial performance but also through continuous investment in people. The benefits offered to employees, support for education, and commitment to community well-being transformed the company into a model of responsible leadership. The excerpt presented by Stephen Mansfield offers valuable insight into how authentic values can contribute to building a sustainable and respected organization.

ap! (ACT and Politon) is one of the leading players in Romania’s book market. Specializing in high-quality nonfiction, the publishing house has introduced Romanian readers to internationally acclaimed authors such as Tim Ferriss, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Steve Harvey, Gino Wickman, and many others. At the same time, ap! (ACT and Politon) is the Romanian publisher responsible for releasing the largest number of audiobooks on the local market. Since its launch in 2014, the publishing house has brought more than 300 audiobook titles to Romania, many of them international bestsellers that have inspired and transformed thousands of lives around the world.

ap! (ACT and Politon) believes in continuous development and offers Romanian readers titles covering a wide range of subjects, including personal and professional development, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and wellbeing. Its publications are available in multiple formats, including print, eBook, MP3, and audiobook, allowing readers to enjoy them anytime and anywhere.

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Excerpt from Money Habit: Financial Habits – A Worry-Free Path to Financial Independence

Money Habit: Financial Habits – A Worry-Free Path to Financial Independence by Mike Michalowicz, recently published by ap! (ACT and Politon), is a book that aims to change the way financial security is perceived, as well as the way readers think about luck when it comes to money. In the exclusive excerpt below, published for Careers&Business, the author explains that financial stability is the result of healthy decisions and habits, and that it can be achieved over time through disciplined choices.

Exclusive excerpt:

I dedicate this book to your wallet.

Applying the Money Habit system, my wife and I had set aside $50,000 for each of our three children’s weddings. And because Tyler and Cora spent only $14,000 on their big day, we gave them a check for the remaining balance from the wedding fund ($36,000) to use however they wished — as an emergency fund, a down payment on a house, or for any other dream they wanted to pursue.

A few weeks later, I had to encourage Cora to deposit the check into her account; she had kept it aside because she wasn’t sure her bank would even accept such a large amount. She had never seen that much money before, and I had never given away such a large sum. Ten years earlier, I would never have been able to write that check. We might have given them a nice wedding gift — perhaps a reasonably priced dinner set or a pasta maker. But paying for the wedding? A full $50,000? The thought that we could help our children in such a way would never even have crossed our minds, unless we had won the lottery.

After convincing Cora to deposit the money, something became clear to me: we really had won the lottery.

And so have you.

You just may not realize it yet.

People dream of checks filled with zeros. Some play the lottery hoping to hit the jackpot. Others keep an eye on the will of a wealthy, elderly uncle in poor health. Why? Because they want financial security and a life free of worries, and money falling from the sky seems like the fastest path to get there. And understandably so.

But the odds of winning the lottery are incredibly small. More precisely, incredibly, incredibly small. Even if luck happens to be on your side, typical jackpot prizes range from one to three million dollars, usually awarded through state lotteries or more common secondary prizes. The chances of winning more than a million dollars? Roughly one in 12.5 million. Those are terrible odds.

To put that into perspective: if you played the lottery every single day for 23,942 years — yes, that is not a typo — you would only have a 50% chance of winning. At two dollars per ticket, you would spend $730 a year. Over 24,000 years, you would have paid $17.5 million just for the chance to maybe win $2 million. In other words, the lottery empties your pockets and steals your time. Don’t play its game. And hoping that a rich uncle will leave you his fortune instead of giving it to the 25-year-old he recently “fell in love with,” while perhaps slightly more likely, is still entirely out of your control.

You don’t need to rely on impossible odds or place your hopes in someone else’s decisions, because you have already won. And I mean that seriously.

Let me explain. What would you do if you won $2 million in the lottery today? That would certainly be an amazing day. The lottery gives you two options: receive the money in monthly installments over 30 years or take the cash upfront — about $1 million immediately. Let’s say you choose the installment plan so you don’t blow through the money all at once.

Now, what if you realized that you have already won exactly that amount — perhaps even more? And that you wisely chose a structured payment plan that naturally puts healthy limits on your spending?

On average, an American or a European earns around $2 million (or euros) in salary throughout their lifetime. So your main concern should not be how to make more money right now, but how to manage more effectively the money already flowing into your life, starting today.

You have probably heard that most lottery winners lose everything within a few years and end up more miserable than before they became rich. A famous example is Jack Whittaker, who won more than $300 million in the Powerball lottery and whose story has been told endlessly. What began as “the happiest day of his life” spiraled into lawsuits, gambling addiction, the loss of family members to drugs, the destruction of his uninsured home in a fire, and total financial ruin. Still, he is the exception.

What you may not know is that the theory claiming lottery winnings make people unhappy has been disproven. Research has shown that lottery winners are generally quite happy — when they manage their winnings wisely. This perspective also explains Whittaker’s case. Although he was already a multimillionaire before the record-breaking win, it was not the money that destroyed him, but the way he handled it. Shortly after winning, he bought a Lamborghini and drove around his neighborhood throwing money out the window. Not long after, thieves stole over $500,000 in cash that he inexplicably kept in the car, inside a silver suitcase, while he was visiting a strip club. When asked why he made such reckless decisions, his answer was: “Because I can.”

Financial success has nothing to do with what you can do — it has everything to do with what you should do.

That brings me back to the moment we gave money to our son and his wife. You might assume that the $50,000 we saved for our children’s weddings was possible because of my income. That is only part of the story. The real reason we managed to save that money was because we created a system that helped me manage my income and automatically save for fifteen years for their weddings. The system assigned a purpose to every dollar, ensuring that every aspect of life — including Tyler and Cora’s wedding — was taken into account. The Money Habit system guided me toward what I needed to do and, most importantly, it handled the discipline for me.

The odds of winning the lottery are tiny, but the odds of a wedding happening in your family are quite high. If you have children, chances are they will eventually get married, so I choose to bet on those probabilities. And when it comes to managing money, if you bet on life’s likely events, you will gain far more in the long run.

“Money Habit” delivers an essential message: financial security does not happen overnight and does not depend on luck, but on the consistent choices we make every day. Through discipline, planning, and healthy financial habits, anyone can gradually build financial balance and the freedom to support the goals that matter most in life.

ap! (ACT and Politon) is one of the leading players in Romania’s publishing market. Specializing in high-quality nonfiction, the publishing house has introduced Romanian readers to internationally acclaimed authors such as Tim Ferriss, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Steve Harvey, Gino Wickman, and many others. At the same time, ap! (ACT and Politon) is the Romanian publishing house under which the largest number of audiobooks has been released locally. Since its launch in 2014, the publisher has brought more than 300 audiobook titles to Romania, many of them international bestsellers that have transformed thousands of lives.

ap! (ACT and Politon) believes in continuous development and offers Romanian readers titles covering a wide range of subjects, including personal and professional development, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and wellbeing. The publisher’s titles are available in print, eBook, MP3, and audiobook formats, allowing readers to enjoy learning and reading at any moment in their lives.

The post Money Habit: How to Build Financial Security Through Healthy Habits appeared first on careers-business.com.

As emotional wellbeing becomes an increasingly important priority, the Romanian platform Inner Maps introduces an innovative concept: the first pre-therapeutic digital space designed for emotional clarification through visual metaphors. Officially launched on May 14, 2026, the platform was created by therapists and behavioral science specialists for adults, parents, and children aged 3 to 10.

The concept of a “pre-therapeutic space” represents a digital antechamber to psychotherapy, offering users access to self-reflection and emotional understanding tools in a safe, anonymous, and permanently accessible environment.

How the Inner Maps platform works

Inner Maps transforms complex psychological theories into intuitive and easy-to-understand visual experiences. The platform uses metaphorical imagery and visual storytelling to help users move beyond rational barriers and better understand their emotions and behavioral patterns.

The project was developed over more than a year of research and development, bringing together expertise in psychotherapy, graphic design, visual storytelling, and AI technology. Artificial intelligence was used as an accelerated illustration tool to generate metaphorical images with deep psychological precision, supporting emotional connection and self-awareness.

According to Inner Maps founder and humanistic-experiential psychotherapist Dan Dițoiu, the method avoids excessive intellectualization of pain and instead focuses on emotionally engaging visual scenarios.

Programs designed for adults, parents, and children

The platform includes two main directions tailored for individual users.

“Hats Off” – a digital retreat for adults

The “Hats Off” program is designed as a 7-day autonomous digital retreat where users explore five thematic galleries featuring more than 70 metaphorical images. The experience is complemented by introspective exercises and audio guidance provided by therapists.

Within the symbolic universe of Inner Maps, the “hat” becomes a metaphor for the inner world, reflecting emotions, vulnerabilities, and personal resources.

“Step Together” – emotional support for parent-child relationships

For parents and children, the platform offers the “Step Together” program, which addresses the most common emotions and emotional challenges within family dynamics, such as separation anxiety, shame, or anger.

These themes are transformed into animated stories and complemented by psychological explanations, connection-building questions, and practical exercises designed to help parents manage difficult moments more effectively.

Benefits for companies and burnout prevention

Inner Maps also targets the corporate environment, offering digital solutions for burnout prevention and employee wellbeing.

The platform provides a fully confidential, asynchronous, and anonymous space, removing barriers such as fear of stigma or “Zoom fatigue.” By offering accessible emotional clarification tools, companies can help reduce “emotional absenteeism” and improve team agility, retention, and collaboration.

According to the developers, employees who are better equipped to manage stress and personal challenges become more balanced, focused, and receptive to feedback and teamwork.

A new perspective on emotional hygiene

Inner Maps aims to democratize access to emotional clarification and provide scientifically validated tools in an accessible and intuitive format. The platform is based on theories developed by specialists such as D. Siegel, D. Winnicott, and J. Bowlby, adapted into a modern digital experience.

By combining psychology, visual metaphors, and AI technology, the project opens a new direction in Romania’s digital emotional health landscape.

In a society where fast-paced lifestyles and constant pressure increasingly affect emotional balance, Inner Maps offers a modern and accessible alternative for self-understanding. The platform does not replace therapy, but rather creates a first space for authentic emotional connection, helping users build healthier relationships with themselves, their families, and their professional environment.

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In this article, Mihaela Sandu-Scarlat, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, coach, and career counselor, shares insights about the difference between a career lived with purpose and one built solely around performance and external validation. Drawing from her 16+ years of experience in corporations and therapeutic practice, she explains how the Japanese concept of IKIGAI can influence career choices, emotional balance, and the risk of burnout.

„During my 16 years of working in organizations across various industries, I have met hundreds of people who came to and left the company smiling, but also hundreds of people who got bored quickly, who were constantly frustrated, demotivated, sad, and some of whom eventually broke down.

The difference between them was always represented by the meaning they gave to their work, whether their job was an endless routine or, on the contrary, no two days were alike. These people embraced both recurring activities and unexpected challenges with openness, celebrated both small achievements and major victories, and started and ended their workdays with a sense of gratitude.

The second category focused excessively on the half-empty side of the glass, frequently compared themselves to colleagues, and constantly aimed for higher positions, hoping for professional fulfillment that faded away relatively quickly.
Even salary increases satisfied them, on average, for only four months; their lifestyle would receive a new upgrade, and then dissatisfaction would return. This led to the endless pursuit of another objective that they believed could bring them satisfaction. They overlooked small victories, considering them natural and unworthy of praise, while major achievements were celebrated occasionally, quarterly, in a corporate setting, sometimes in a state of exhaustion, displaying a formal smile while thinking about the upcoming weekend, when they could simply lie on the couch.

Unfortunately, I listened to many colleagues who confessed that they were waiting for the weekend just to lie down and recover, even though they were under 40 years old. They had given up all their hobbies because they no longer had the energy, nor the desire to spend the money they had worked so hard for. Again and again.
Many of them were actually saving that money for difficult times, in case something happened to the company or they could no longer keep up with the overly demanding lifestyle.
The weekend was too short to help them recover from exhaustion, and then they would start all over again, waiting for the next weekend.

Burnout does not only settle into the lives of those who are not living their IKIGAI and who work exclusively for the organization’s goals and profit. It can also insidiously affect entrepreneurs who fully live their IKIGAI and immerse themselves completely in work. In their case, it becomes a fire that consumes them, one they cannot, or do not want to, extinguish.

We also often see cases of professionals in the medical system, people who do what they love, who are role models in their field, who contribute to the well-being of society, yet still fall into the abyss of burnout, even while fully living their IKIGAI.

Gallup studies from recent years report alarming figures: 76% of employees say they have experienced burnout “sometimes,” while 28% say they feel it “very often” or “always.”
Living your IKIGAI does not protect you from burnout if you do not slow down at the right moment, nor does it protect you from impostor syndrome if it is not understood, accepted, and managed.

Living your IKIGAI starts with a talent, but it also requires cultivating it, perseverance, and continuous training in order to achieve exceptional results in a field.

In their book The Ikigai Journey, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles mention four key questions that contribute to identifying one’s IKIGAI. These are: What do you love to do? What are you good at? What can you be paid for? What does the world need?

The order of these questions is very important because if you start with what you love to do and continuously improve your level of competence, you may eventually earn a great deal of money. Conversely, if your motivation is predominantly financial, we are talking about an attraction that may be temporary and can lead to a lack of meaning or to an exhausting Sisyphean labor, where work is not aligned with your values and goals.
These essential questions, together with the question “What makes you feel alive?”, are addressed in career counseling and coaching sessions.

Various saboteurs can interfere with discovering or living one’s IKIGAI, among the most evident being perfectionism, impostor syndrome, victimization, or people-pleasing behavior.
Here, I recommend a useful tool for identifying these saboteurs, which you can access for free here: https://positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/

I further recommend working with a coach to help adjust the intensity of these inner saboteur voices and to gradually build a career that truly represents who you are.”

Mihaela Sandu-Scarlat is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, coach, and career counselor with more than 16 years of experience in corporations across various industries, as well as relevant experience in private practice.
She has helped numerous employees and entrepreneurs find the right path for themselves, whether they were at the beginning of their careers, going through transitions, or pursuing professional reconversion.

A career built in alignment with your values, talents, and inner needs can become an authentic source of energy and fulfillment. However, even when we live our IKIGAI, balance remains essential. Becoming aware of personal limits, managing inner saboteurs, and cultivating gratitude are important steps toward a healthy and sustainable professional life.

The post Personal IKIGAI in Choosing and Building a Career appeared first on careers-business.com.

Ray Dalio, author of the bestselling book Principles and founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, introduces in his new book, How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle, published by ap! (ACT and Politon), a new perspective on how the rise and decline of nations should be understood.

The excerpt below, published exclusively for Careers&Business, explains the need to look beyond current events and understand the recurring patterns that drive major transformations. Debt dynamics, the way supply and demand truly function, and the political or geopolitical shifts that reshape the world are just some of the ideas explored by the author in his latest book.

Exclusive excerpt:

“I believe that, placed in the hands of policymakers and investors, the concepts I explain can help the world function better. Above all, I hope that reading this book will give you:

1. A complete and practical understanding of the Big Debt Cycle. If you want a very concise summary of it, read Part I, and for a deeper understanding, read Part II.
2. A far more practical understanding of how supply and demand actually work compared to the conventional economic view. This topic is covered in detail in Chapter 2, but it is present throughout the entire book.
3. A complete and practical understanding of the Big Cycle as a whole, which is driven by the Big Debt Cycle and other major cycles, including the major internal political cycle that changes the political order within countries, and the major geopolitical cycle that changes the world order. One of the main objectives of this book is to help you understand how the Big Cycle drives these major changes, because I believe we are currently on the brink of such a transformative period. If you were to read only one chapter of this book, Chapter 8 would be the most important.”

A book that provides an essential perspective on how major economic and political cycles shape today’s world and influence the global future.

ap! (ACT and Politon) is one of the most important players on the Romanian book market. Specializing in high-quality nonfiction, the publishing house has introduced local readers to internationally acclaimed authors such as Tim Ferriss, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Steve Harvey, Gino Wickman, and many others. At the same time, ap! (ACT and Politon) is the Romanian publishing house under whose imprint the largest number of audiobooks has been published locally. Launched in 2014, the publisher has brought more than 300 audiobook titles to Romania, many of them global bestsellers that have changed thousands of lives.

ap! (ACT and Politon) believes in continuous development and offers Romanian readers titles covering a wide range of topics, including personal and professional development, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and wellbeing. The publisher’s titles are available in classic print format, as well as eBook, MP3, and audiobook editions, allowing readers to enjoy books anytime, anywhere.

The post Ray Dalio’s New Book, a New Way of Understanding Major Global Crises appeared first on careers-business.com.

The book Take Control of Your Life: Unleash Influence, Prosperity, and Power by Jim Rohn, recently published by ap! (ACT and Politon), is an invitation to change through self-motivation and conscious daily choices. In the excerpt below, presented exclusively for Careers&Business, the author guides readers toward developing leadership skills and gaining control over their own lives, so they can leave a mark on those around them while also achieving their personal goals.

Exclusive excerpt:

Some people have an incredible zest for life, a strong desire to live beautifully and succeed, while others seem to adopt an apathetic attitude, letting things happen on their own, hoping that somehow everything will work out. I don’t know exactly what makes the difference between people, but I have always been fascinated by observing those who are inspired to make the most of life. Self-motivation is essential for overcoming challenges and difficulties.

It comes as no surprise to anyone that life is a challenge. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of this challenge, to recognize the pressure, the constant drive, because it exists every day. And this is precisely the meaning of life: to accept the challenge, to put down deep roots, to become as strong as possible, to accept everything that comes your way and transform every experience into what you want it to be; to give your very best, to strive with all your strength, to think deeply, to read wisely, to live beautifully, and to fight through all adversities. This is the true challenge, and this is what makes life worth living, this is where its value lies: in the struggle for high ideals, in the attempt to build something unique out of your life.

One of the most wonderful experiences a person can have is the power to influence, to convince someone of an idea, to persuade them to buy a product or consider a service, to inspire them to adopt a way of life, an idea, a company, a business, or an enterprise.

INFLUENCE

Influence is one of the most important experiences in life: the chance to influence others, their thinking, their future, perhaps even their lives. From being a manager to a chief executive and even a parent, we all have, in certain ways, the chance and the opportunity to influence someone.

You can become an influential person in an informal, unplanned, or intentional way by learning essential skills. This is the subject I address in this book: acquiring the skills needed to influence others, whether you want to change their way of thinking, sell them a product, present them with an idea, convince them to join a business, or simply help them live a better life, in other words, leadership skills.

Here is the list of the three preliminary skills that lead directly to the five pieces of the “life puzzle,” which are identified and discussed throughout the book:

1. Sincerity
2. Ideas
3. Inspiration

The first is sincerity. To achieve something important and valuable, we must begin with sincerity. I assume you are sincere in your intention to learn how to take control of your own life; otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this book. You wouldn’t have made the effort or gone through everything necessary to reach the point where you take the time to read what I have to say, and I appreciate that. So always start with sincerity. I hope you will also feel my sincerity in wanting to honor your time, effort, and consideration.

However, sincerity is not a guarantee of truth. You should not make the mistake of saying that someone is right just because they are sincere. It is possible to be sincere and still be wrong. I hope you will find me both sincere and accurate, but you will have to decide for yourself what the truth is. Here is the key: measure sincerity with the standard of sincerity, and truth with the standard of truth. Do not measure truth by the standard of sincerity.

In a world where many choose to wait, the real difference is made by those who take action. Jim Rohn’s lessons remind us that success is not accidental, but the result of conscious choices, discipline, and the desire to constantly evolve. Whether you want to become more influential, develop your leadership skills, or build a meaningful life, the first step always begins with you. Choose to take action today.

ap! (ACT and Politon) is one of the most important players in the Romanian book market. Specializing in high-quality nonfiction, the publishing house has brought to the local market a number of authors who have made a global impact, such as Tim Ferriss, Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Steve Harvey, Gino Wickman, and many others. At the same time, ap! (ACT and Politon) is the Romanian publisher under whose imprint the largest number of audiobooks have been released locally. Launched in 2014, the publishing house has introduced over 300 audiobook titles in Romania, many of them international bestsellers that have changed thousands of lives.

ap! (ACT and Politon) believes in continuous development and offers Romanian readers titles covering a wide range of subjects, including personal and professional development, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and wellbeing. The publisher’s titles are available in both traditional formats and as eBooks, MP3s, or audiobooks, allowing readers to enjoy them at any moment in their lives.

The post Successful people don’t wait, they take action!Excerpt from Take Control of Your Life: Unleash Influence, Prosperity, and Power appeared first on careers-business.com.

After 15 years of organic growth, the BookLand Association is accelerating the development of its first Pre-University Professional Dual Campus in the Argeș village of Vulturești, a unique educational project in a rural setting, through the establishment of an Advisory Board. Composed of leaders with experience in business & entrepreneurship, diplomacy, education, technology, media, creative industries, and the non-profit sector, the board brings a comprehensive perspective, from technical skills relevant to the labor market to personal development and career guidance. Its mission is clear: to provide practical solutions and strategic directions to support dual vocational education and make quality education accessible in rural areas. A model that combines theoretical and practical training (both “book knowledge” and hands-on skills), the Campus addresses systemic challenges: social inequality, lack of real skills, limited opportunities for rural youth, recruitment difficulties, and workforce integration.

The Advisory Board includes Adrian Stanciu, Magor Csibi, Andrei Roșu, Felix Tătaru, Dragoș Lucian Dinu, Mariana Constantinescu-Brădescu, Marian Șeitan, Alexandru Dinu, George Butunoiu, Corina Neagu, Elena Ungureanu, Sorin Soroceanu, Emil Hurezeanu, Sorin Pâslaru, Hanaan Yaseen, Claudia Puiu-Barraud, and Alexandru Chirilă. The first meeting took place in March 2026 at the offices of Mușat & Asociații Law Firm in Bucharest, with Mr. Mihai Popa, Deputy Managing Partner, present.

An Education System Losing Direction

In Romania, one of the structural problems in education is irrelevance. Students spend years in school without understanding how the theoretical concepts they learn in the classroom connect to real life or their future careers. This disconnect has long-term effects, contributing directly to school dropout and absenteeism, as well as entering the labor market without real skills.

At the same time, the system almost completely ignores the development of essential adult life skills. In an increasingly complex economic context, this educational problem has direct consequences: an uneducated adult cannot make informed decisions or build a stable future. In a country where 45% of the population cannot cover a financial emergency and nearly 10% cannot handle an unexpected expense of 500 lei, the education system reveals its deficiencies.

Discussing the reality observed both in studies and on the ground, including schools involved in financial education projects, Alexandru Chirilă, CEO of Profit Point and financial education trainer, stated: “There is no space for financial education in schools. It’s a vicious cycle, and unfortunately, current generations will leave school unprepared. We see 10th or 11th graders unable to calculate simple things like compound interest, even when they have money in hand. The trajectory toward financial failure is almost certain.”

Rural Education Is Not Competitive

Romania has managed to build a competitive business environment connected to the global economy. However, social infrastructure, especially education, has not developed at the same pace. This discrepancy is especially visible in rural areas. While in large cities students may learn in three shifts due to lack of space, in village schools, classes are small with simultaneous teaching, limited access to adequate educational conditions, no extracurricular activities, or insufficiently trained teachers.

“There is a disparity: business is at a good level, but social infrastructure is far behind. If you go into a school, you immediately see the difference. And if we look at countries where the average knowledge is higher than ours, we see that there has been real and consistent investment in education there,” said Sorin Pâslaru, Editor-in-Chief of Ziarul Financiar.

Gaps between urban and rural schools form early and continue to grow, leaving rural children at a significant disadvantage. This initial difference later turns into economic and social inequality, perpetuating cycles of poverty and limiting social mobility. “In rural areas, the solution is a strong campus that attracts children from a 30–50 km radius: you bring them to school and place them in a context that elevates them. For one generation, this means progress. In other countries, children go to school at 9 am and leave at 6 pm, with access to sports, arts, and extracurricular activities in an environment that constantly develops them,” added Sorin Pâslaru.

Although there are targeted reform initiatives, the education system remains difficult to adapt to current needs, and chronic underfunding continues to be a sensitive issue. Hanaan Yaseen, Strategy and Sustainability Manager at PRO TV, an expert in business strategy, governance, and corporate responsibility, stated: “Systemic reform is needed to encourage critical and analytical thinking. This is a direction in which I believe resources should be increasingly allocated, considering the gap with European countries with the best education systems. To minimize disparities, I believe education should receive over 6% of GDP, not under 3% as it currently does.”

Current Education Does Not Prepare Students for Reality

Beyond infrastructure, the main issue remains how students are trained. The current system continues to prioritize knowledge accumulation over developing skills relevant for life and the labor market. Many young people make career choices based on external pressures, not on their skills or interests. Corina Neagu, entrepreneur & founder of DARE, trainer and career advisor, said: “Many young people choose influenced by parents or peers, without real guidance. This leads to frustration, demotivation, questions about professional direction, and burnout.”

And what options do young people consider when choosing a profession? Speaking about the new generations entering the labor market, Mariana Constantinescu-Brădescu, entrepreneur & co-founder of Piatra Online, notes a lack of interest in blue-collar jobs, even though they are well-paid: “We need a new workforce, but there is no interest in construction work, for example. These jobs are attractive, including economically. Mindset change through education must be thorough.”

Meanwhile, on the labor market, the relationship between employees and employers is becoming increasingly strained. Without real skills and clear understanding of professional roles, workplace integration is challenging, and expectations are often unrealistic on both sides. “Employees and employers no longer understand each other at all. In 35 years of work, I’ve never seen such tension, such hostility… Nothing healthy can come from a relationship built on distrust,” said George Butunoiu, entrepreneur, recruitment industry expert, and founder of Romania’s first executive search firm.

An important perspective and example of best practices was shared by education and communication entrepreneur Felix Tătaru, President of the Institute for Visionary Cities, who has analyzed Romania’s most successful cities: “The social valuation or revaluation of trades makes a difference for community performance. And separating paths is important: are you suited for theoretical or practical/professional training? Then go to a vocational high school. There’s no shame in that.”

BookLand Campus: An Alternative Educational Model Built from Scratch

BookLand Campus is designed as a complete educational ecosystem, integrating formal education with practical experience and personal development. A private “super-school” built in a rural area, with zero tuition for students, the Campus constantly exposes children to relevant learning contexts. Everything is provided free: daily transport, two meals a day, uniforms, textbooks, school supplies, afterschool programs, and numerous extracurricular activities. Additionally, dual-track students receive professional scholarships of 1,000 lei/month, and high performers are encouraged to continue to university.

The model combines modern infrastructure with dual education, offering both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Students gain concrete understanding of how different fields work and develop applicable skills. The Campus also provides teachers who follow the official curriculum, enriched with extracurricular activities, giving students the chance to grow in the right direction. Students are trained for certifications requested by local businesses, with nine companies already joining as dual-education partners.

BookLand Campus, whose construction began in September 2024 and will continue until 2028, spans 72,000 sqm and will include over 50 buildings at completion: classrooms, modern laboratories, workshops, library, auditorium, sports fields, relaxation areas, cafeteria, café, bakery, laundry, barber shop, mini-animal farm, orchard, greenhouse, and vegetable garden. The campus partially opened in 2025, with the first 10 buildings ready to host preparatory, 5th-grade, and 9th-grade students (theoretical or dual-professional tracks). Over 1,000 students will study there at full capacity. The investment so far exceeds €7 million, 99% contributed by the private business sector, with hundreds of companies sponsoring money, products, or services, and 1% from individuals.

A Solution for Quality Rural Education

In rural areas, where access to quality education is limited, the BookLand model offers a sustainable and impactful solution. By concentrating resources in a well-organized educational space, students benefit from conditions comparable to urban areas. The concept includes modern infrastructure, well-trained teachers, and an extended educational framework where students spend more time in a safe and stimulating environment, all at no cost to their families.

“I have seen modest children and children of higher social status in Argeș villages, and parents who say they cannot help their children with school anymore. This creates a vicious cycle. BookLand solves this: an integrated system. Plus, when students wear uniforms, there is no fear or shame to answer at the board because you don’t have branded shoes or only have one pair of trousers,” said Elena Ungureanu, psychologist and psychotherapist, Vice President of the Romanian Federation of Psychotherapy.

The impact of such interventions is quickly visible in communities. Magor Csibi, partner and expert in leadership and organizational culture at Trend Consult, explained: “I’ve seen the impact education projects can have, especially in rural areas and where needs are greatest. Many children drop out because they have no way to get to school or nothing to eat. And when parents stop children from attending, it’s not out of malice, but because they see greater need at home, due to not understanding the usefulness of school. So, parents must also be engaged.”

Mihai Popa, Deputy Managing Partner at Mușat & Asociații Law Firm, believes that “an integrated society with aspirations for continuous development, ideologically, can only exist on a solid educational foundation built responsibly and persistently.”

BookLand aims to shift focus from simple information transmission to professional training and personal development, making education a factor of stability and progress: “School doesn’t just prepare you for a job; it prepares you to be a complete person. I believe in the power of TOGETHER. Education starts at home and continues in class. That’s why we need competent and well-prepared teachers for the times ahead,” added Corina Neagu.

Real Change Starts with Young Generations

The Board members agree that real change can only come through young generations, trained in a system that prepares them better for the labor market and a fulfilling life, “beyond strategies that work only on paper, programs written but without real sense or value, leaving you unprepared for the labor market,” as Mariana Constantinescu-Brădescu notes. Her personal experience motivated her to fix what didn’t work for her: “I was disappointed by the traditional education system. That’s why, when the time came, I decided to offer my children an alternative, private model.”

This reality highlights the need for educational models that respond directly to current needs and intervene early in student development. It is much easier to teach the young than to change the grown-ups. “Everything starts with people and education,” says Alexandru Dinu, entrepreneur and co-founder of The Markers. “Young people can be shaped much more easily. Non-formal education adds a huge plus: soft skills that help more than we think. Through daily practice, children develop attitudes, aptitudes, and behaviors that will help them in life.”

This change requires not just knowledge accumulation—a pillar where, at least theoretically, the education system should have good results—but also the development of healthy habits and mindsets, with respect for work, supporting long-term growth. Andrei Roșu, entrepreneur, founder of FILGUD, and endurance athlete: “From a toy to a profession, from an inspiring message to the right moment, you plant a seed. That’s the importance of education: to be a guiding light, to establish values you grow with, helping you find your way. Remember: we are the average of the five people we interact with most.”

At the same time, performance in education and how it is encouraged must be redefined. “We need to move the discussion toward healthy competition, competition with yourself. Nowadays, some children achieve performance, but the percentage isn’t high enough, and here we need to get involved, because through such projects we can make a difference,” said Sorin Soroceanu, Marketing-Sales-Commercial Manager at Agrana Romania, long-time partner of BookLand Association.

In a context where the traditional education system can no longer keep up with economic and social changes, the solution is to create new, functional, and replicable models. The BookLand Professional Campus is a different model for encouraging education in rural areas, adapted to current rural needs, and having proven its usefulness, it can be scaled and successfully implemented in other counties.

The BookLand Campus model proves that quality education in rural areas is possible through collaboration between the private sector and experts from various fields. Investing in young people and their practical and personal development can be the key to reducing disparities and building a sustainable society.

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