The hardworking and capable person does not wait for things to be handed to them, but manages on their own

Introduce yourself with a few words..

Elitsa Serafimova, GM, Instinkt - agency for strategic brand, marketing communication and outsourced brand management 

Tell us what are the philosophy and values of the company you represent at the moment? 

Our agency is based on three main values that reflect our philosophy - openness, transparency, reliability. We believe that long-term partnerships are built on mutual trust and the responsibility to be an open and reliable partner. These are not just beautiful promises and to prove them, actions are required.  

How long have you been developing your current company? What are the most valuable lessons that the current situation has taught you during this period? Share interesting stories with us. 

I have been developing the current company for several years, but I have been involved in our core activity for nearly 20 years, and before taking the entrepreneurial step, I went through a long career path from intern to director in the marketing field. I have also worked from the agency side, for me there is no unknown side of the “coin”. Each of my employers over the years knew my goal - to one day have my own agency. This experience, as well as the freelance work I did over the years, allowed me to build a portfolio and recommendations. 

The last major projects, before I decided to leave the corporation, I realized during maternity leave with my second daughter, when she was only a few months old, with a designer colleague from Vienna. I have always been productive and motivated by my work… a little later I led a strategic workshop for Recolorezzo company just 3 days after a very complex and rare knee surgery. 

In recent years, in the role of an entrepreneur, I have definitely learned new things about myself. I realized that I am ready to completely set aside my pride and ego for the sake of the team and the company. I am willing to pay in every sense for my professional freedom and the opportunities before me, as well as that I am not afraid to be direct and honest, even if it is not appreciated by the other side accordingly. Most of all, I learned that until the end I must try to do it “nicely”, even if I am hitting a wall. 

I will summarize the life lessons, even if in a business sense: 

“A good horse earns its own feed.” In other words — the hardworking and capable person does not wait for things to be handed to them, but manages on their own.

“Gentle rain wets better.” That is — not always strength and noise lead to results. Patience and persistence achieve more.

If you personally had to write a job advertisement, how would you attract the attention of a future employee?

The environment we offer - an environment of openness, freedom of expression of opinion and a sense of lack of strict hierarchy. Development: personal and professional through practice in an extremely diverse range of industries and business models, with a leader with a proven long-term expertise in the field.  

What makes your company capable of organizing a constructive and beneficial work environment for all? Should people in the team be friends?

Of course, they do not have to be friends, but since we are a small team, the feeling is “friends & family”. The most valuable thing again is that cases are discussed and all viewpoints are heard. As their leader, literally for every important decision, I first open the topic for discussion to everyone and listen to every viewpoint. I am ready to make important decisions for the company when I know that the team will support it.

What makes you look forward to going to work? How do you deal with difficult and stressful moments?

I look forward to going to work because I believe in what I do, and I see meaning in my efforts. I take difficult moments as an opportunity to grow — I breathe deeply, focus on the solution, not the problem, and remind myself that every challenge passes.

What do you think about the possibility of offering flexible working hours, within which employees have greater freedom to balance their personal and work commitments? 

Yes, there is such a possibility and I have never refused an employee to work from home, distanced or if needed, to leave earlier, come later or take leave. However, it should not be abused with the trust given by the employer. 

How do the continuous technological changes on a global scale affect your business?

Technological changes are a valuable tool for optimization and development for me. I see them as a possibility, not a threat — they help us work more efficiently and create better solutions for the business. We test every AI novelty in our field, we even work with software startups that use us to be their product designers and based on our feedback at every stage of their solution development, they improve their service. We are already partnering with two such startups - one in Bulgaria and one in Serbia. 

How important is hierarchy and what does it mean to you? What kind of communication do you advocate in your company? 

I am a “fan” of the horizontal hierarchical model and I believe in it. The horizontal model encourages open communication, quick decision-making, and greater engagement of the team. Unlike the pyramidal model, it does not create unnecessary distance and control, but builds trust, flexibility, and collaboration.

What is your career advice for all people who are building a strategy for their professional development?

Gain authentic practical experience and build your LinkedIn profile with real achievements. Exaggerated expertise undermines trust. In the real work environment, discrepancies become evident very quickly and the losses from this will be solely at your expense.