The family is my strongest weapon that keeps me in shape and mood

Introduce yourself in several sentences..

My name is Svetlomir Pandaziev and I am a traveler at heart, and fate has helped me to largely turn my passion into work. I am the CEO of company  ATG Lifestyle Ltd , representative of the largest brands for suitcases and travel accessories – Samsonite, American Tourister, Tumi  and Piquadro.

What did you dream of becoming in your childhood?

My dreams related to professional realization changed over the years and I can say that largely they overlap with the dreams of most boys my age. I dreamed of being a surgeon, an architect, an astronaut and I can say that although childishly I took specific steps following these aspirations – I took drawing lessons, attended an astronomy club and read medical literature. I realized that I wasn't cut out to be a surgeon at the first more serious wound and the naturalistic picture that I couldn't bear. I didn't become an architect because of geometry, which we are not on speaking terms with. I still have a chance for astronautics!

At what age did you earn your first money? Tell us an interesting story?

My parents raised me to work and to rely on myself from a young age. Of course, without their knowledge, during the summer vacations, I roamed with friends in search of work in warehouses and construction sites. Understandably, it was hard for someone to agree to take a kid of 12-13 years old, due to all the risks that this entails. My first “official” job was at a currency exchange office and coincided with hyperinflation in the country. Despite my young age, I managed quite well with any currency exchange and during my entire tenure, I allowed myself to become a victim of fraud only once, and that was when a policeman handed me a fake dollar bill. The incident had a happy ending and the law enforcer accepted the bill back shortly after, mumbling some apology.

What are the main factors and examples that shape us as individuals at an early age and form our interests? What is your recipe for curiosity, sources and wells of information and inspiration in this stage of our human development?

I believe that there are three main factors that influence a child at an early age – family, friends, and social environment. Not only upbringing, but also parental example are the things that most strongly shape our personality in the dawn of our lives. After that come the interactions and games with friends. That’s when we first encounter our worldview and upbringing received in the family – with that of others. This is the first test of the resilience of our values and understandings. If they coincide with those of our friends, to a large extent this will affirm them. However, if there are significant discrepancies, there is a chance that our worldview will largely be blended and influenced somewhat by our friends' views. In my opinion, we are born dreamers and in no way should this aspiration be extinguished in skepticism or over-satisfaction. Our “hunger” for information and natural curiosity should be maintained in moderate deficit, so that it can self-sustain. Easy and quick access to everything in modernity, combined with over-satisfaction creates a demanding, lazy, and capricious generation.

Has there been any significant change in your perceptions in more mature age regarding what motivates you to do or not do something?

To be honest, I constantly try to learn a lesson or gain experience from what everyday life offers us. Modeling perceptions, motivation, or life philosophy is a process and it has not stopped somewhere in time. However, it is a fact that in more mature age, a person tends to analyze more before acting. They are not as impulsive, and often filter through the sieve of experience. This automatically excludes from an early stage things that they consider unpromising.  

Whose decision was it where to pursue higher education and what to study? Was this decision correct, viewed from today's perspective?

Overall, I was quite confident and methodical in my choice of higher education. I made the decision myself and my parents trusted and fully supported my choice. I believe that my decision was correct and although years later I am engaged in things that are not the subject of my education, it is certainly very useful in my daily life.

Share more about your interests, knowledge, skills, and hobbies?

I notice that people's interests and hobbies do not diminish, but on the contrary - they even increase in more mature age. Besides traveling, I have a deep interest in history. Now this interest has also transferred to historical cars and recently this passion of mine prompted me to restore a true gem of the industry. It is a great emotion to bring back the life and shine of something that has its unique history and a path longer than your own at the moment.

Would you change your profession today and which areas of activity capture your interest?

At this stage, I haven't even thought about such a possibility. I am happy with what I do, with my company and my surroundings. With the opportunity to communicate with so many people from different business spheres

They say that personal branding is everything that people say about you when you are not in the same room with them. What would you like to hear today?

The greatest success is to hear the same things when you are not and when you are in the same room. This means that you are a worthy person who has achieved respect and who has direct and open communication. Who is not authoritarian and whose ego does not suppress others.

Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and flexibility, as well as our soft skills are key conditions for success in recent years. How do you cope with the daily challenges of life to stay in good shape and mood?

I have hidden weapons and they are my family – my children and the woman beside me. They quickly manage to fix any mood and at the same time take care of my condition  both physically and psychologically.

What are the most important conclusions you have made so far about maintaining proper communication considering the different characters of the people you meet daily  – colleagues, friends, relatives?

I am quite delicate in my speech. I would not insult or raise my voice in my communication. However, I understand that not every person is inclined to appreciate or even understand such type of communication. Therefore, I have learned to be much more direct than my usual style. This saves misunderstandings and time in daily communication.

What do you think about money? What is their influence on your life? What is your advice to people who often ask themselves questions related to money and how sufficient they are?

Undoubtedly, money is an important resource in everyday life, but they should not become an end in themselves. For me, they remain a means to make our lives better and more peaceful. My advice is not to become their slaves, because then they will never be enough, and we will never be completely happy.

What is the most valuable career advice you would give to people?

Be consistent and don't rush to skip steps on the career ladder. Every step has its content and lesson. If we rush headlong and impatiently, we risk not reaching where we set out to go or finding ourselves unprepared for what awaits us.