The cornerstones in my life are - family, friends, work, sports, and hobbies

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

I am Dimitar Naydenov, manager of "Corporate Affairs" at JTI Bulgaria, the company for our country of the leading global manufacturer of tobacco and nicotine products JTI. I am responsible for managing the company's relationships with the operational and regulatory environment, its image and communication, as well as for investments in local communities. A team of two people takes care of these topics in Bulgaria. I am a fan of my family and friends, training, football, cycling, photography, psychology, and of course, what I work on.

What did you dream of becoming in your childhood?

I spent my summers at my grandmother's in a very charming town in Southern Bulgaria. The fire station was right across from the house, and I was constantly there watching the trucks, the equipment, and everything else. I found the work of these people very exciting and noble; I wanted to be like them. This, of course, is not unique to a little boy – wanting to operate a big machine, to do something interesting, and to serve some cause.

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

I earned my first 50 BGN as an intern in a small start-up company during my first year at university. From the perspective of today's youth, this sentence sounds ridiculous, but we are talking about a different period of economic development in our country, and we must not forget how much things have changed in the last 20 years. I felt great with my first earned money – more capable, more independent, a bit more grown-up, etc. The feeling is incredible, and I would advise everyone to enjoy it because this is the beginning of a new period in life, not just because of the money.

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 of information, and inspiration at this stage of our human development?

In my opinion, a person should be raised to walk their path with open eyes and mind to understand more about others, the world, and themselves. The more flexible we are in our minds and spirits, the more we can achieve and enjoy our experiences. If this way of thinking is encouraged in a child – to try, to be open to the world and to various ideas and experiences, they have a greater chance of becoming a more fulfilled person and a happy individual. Or at least, that’s what I hope.

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

I have always preferred to do a little more than just meet the requirements. My father used to tell me to do so and to prepare well for my tasks and challenges because results are expected from us, and no one will ask us whether we trained a lot or a little for them. What I hope I have learned better to do in the more mature phase of my life is to skip the state of frustration from problems and go directly to solving them. It’s not easy, but it’s the right way to direct our energy, achieve goals, and feel good. The tension from dissatisfaction and anxiety, even if they are fair and understandable, is useless.

Whose decision was it where to pursue higher education and what to study? Was this decision correct, looking back today?

I come from a family with niche professions and have been close to news, texts, photos, events, press conferences, etc. since childhood. To engage in public relations, reputation, and similar issues was somewhat predestined, I suppose. The idea was spontaneous, and although I wasn't super sure what exactly I would work on, I applied for this major at Sofia University and after some trials in the three exams, I was accepted. I was lucky that things developed well afterward, and I could start a professional career that I enjoy. My parents supported my choice, my friends were not very convinced at first because at that time it seemed like a very exotic and strange job.

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

I love doing things together with my wife and children, meeting friends, training, watching and playing football, cycling, traveling, and trying to analyze people. I really enjoy listening to music, drinking espresso, being by the sea, and celebrating every small success. Many of these things connect me with my wife, besides the children and all the support we give each other, of course.

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

After studying "Public Relations", I have worked only in this field for over 20 years. It continues to be very interesting to me and I like it. This is not a job for people who do not find it interesting; you simply cannot engage in it if you do not have an attitude towards it. I don’t know if it’s too late to consider another field of activity, but in general, I would engage in people and process management.

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?

I want them to say about me that I am energetic, pleasant, fresh, a professional, smart, and that it is easy and successful to work with me. I work in a way that I deserve such a reputation; I hope I am not far from it.

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

My mother used to repeat that I should have at least three cornerstones in my life – family, friends, work. I would add a fourth – sports and hobbies. In my opinion, striving to maintain all these things in good shape helps one to be happy. Regarding skills – it is important for a person to be able to listen carefully and understand what is happening around them, to be good at perception, to show patience, to be careful not to overdo their spontaneous reactions, and to think about what messages they send to people – verbally and through their behavior. Very often we think we are sending one message, while people actually understand something completely different, and this creates difficulties. Regarding emotional intelligence – it is super important and very difficult – not to let our emotions dominate our decisions and actions entirely. Managing them is very important, but it is a matter of maturity and self-improvement. It is no coincidence that working with the mind and psyche is key for elite athletes, people in very high leadership positions, etc.

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

In my opinion, if you let goodness dominate, give it a chance, are patient, and are guided by love and determination, in the end, everything falls into place.

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?

Money is necessary to buy what we need and to satisfy our basic needs. Naturally, everyone wants to secure a good life for themselves. But money itself cannot and should not be worshipped. It is very important not to compete with anyone on the topic of money, but simply to have your own goals that you achieve for yourself. We always feel better if we earn more, but there is no ceiling, and not reaching the ceiling should not make us unhappy. There will always be someone with a higher salary, a more expensive vacation, or a more expensive bicycle than yours. If this is a problem in your head, you will always be unnecessarily unhappy.

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

I think we should strive to engage in something that interests us and makes us feel good about our achievements in it. If we cannot find such a thing, we should simply view work as a reasonable way to secure a better life. The internet is full of clichés on the topic, but they are quite correct, in my opinion – if you cannot do what you love, love what you do, etc. In my opinion, another super important factor is discipline, and this distinguishes many successful and happy people – the ability to keep doing what needs to be done, even when you are tired, don’t feel like it, don’t have the mood, etc. When this becomes a habit, life is easier.