Mrs Stanisheva, what are the challenges for a woman who wants to succeed in the media and communication business?
I have been working in media and communications for nearly 30 years. I know many women who are doing extremely well as managers of companies in these industries. They succeed because they are goal-oriented, results-driven and can do several tasks at once. I don’t believe that when it comes to talent, qualities and career progression, a distinction should be made between men and women. Whoever you are, wherever you work, you cannot succeed unless you overcome a series of difficulties that build you up.
How do you define and explain success - yours and other people's?
Success is being able to be happy with what you have achieved. Not having a lot of money or having a dizzying career. The world is full of rich and unhappy people.
Just because you are successful in business or in your career doesn’t mean you are necessarily a successful person. However, if you are happy, if you are in harmony with yourself and at the same time fulfilled, then you have succeeded. In that sense, I believe I am a successful person.
By what else is success known?
There comes a point on the road to success when you realize you have to overcome your ego. Then you realize that true success comes when you succeed with others, not at their expense. Viktor Frankl says that happiness and success come not when you pursue them alone, but when you work for a cause greater than yourself. Along the way to that greater purpose, come success and happiness.
As a leader, how do you set the atmosphere in your work environment and the relationships within your team?
To me, team leadership is a lot like parenting – you enforce the rules that you yourself follow, and you speak what you really believe. I try to set the tone at work through my own behavior. I value collegiality, dialogue, tolerance in relationships between people. In the media, the work dynamics are high, the tensions are high and it is important to have good communication, trust and mutual respect within the team. I support and develop people who are hardworking, honest and have ideas. What I cannot stand is intrigue. I part with such people, no matter how good professionals they are.
What does a woman have to sacrifice to build her career?
Careers always have a price. For me, it is the time spent together with the people I love. Unfortunately, we have a limited number of hours in the day. I used to work 18 or more hours a day, especially years ago when I founded my PR agency. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that work-life balance is important. In myself, I define it as a balance between satisfaction and happiness. The satisfaction of achieving a goal that you have put all your energy and ideas into. And the happiness when you are committed to your family and when you have time for the things you love.
Where do you get your confidence? Do you sometimes doubt yourself?
I’ve had confidence in myself since I was a kid. Somehow I know I will always be fine. It’s a feeling on a subconscious level. Otherwise, there are many conscious reasons that give me strength. There are three main ones – the desire to change my environment for the better, to see meaning in what I do and the love for my children and loved ones, for whom I am always ready to move forward. And if I doubt myself – it happens, but rarely. I believe that if you doubt your strength, you empower your doubts.
What prompted you last year to organize a debate on the green transition and its importance for Bulgaria?
The Green Transition will change the world as we know it. We are on the threshold of a new era in the development of economies and societies. But people and businesses are not prepared, institutions have abdicated their leading role in this process. In the next 30 years we can modernise our economy, make it more productive, less energy intensive, climate neutral.
But there are serious challenges, such as job losses and the closure of entire energy industries. These topics should be commented openly. Sweeping it under the carpet will not solve the problems. That’s why we organised the Green Transition event, which was opened by European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Commissioner for Innovation and Education Maria Gabriel. It was a strong discussion with over 50 participants in 6 different panels. A second edition will be held in June. I hope that by doing so we will contribute to more awareness in society.
