Elena Hurjui, the Big Sister of Heraldist
Do you know Elena? Our Elena? If you know Heraldist, you should know Elena. She doesn’t like to be in the spotlight - actually I convinced her to answer me some questions just because today is her birthday and probably a bit more emotional. Btw, Happy Birthday, Elena!
She’s our CEO, but she changed the word “Executive” to “Enabling” - that’s Elena. She’s the one that keeps Heraldist alive and keeps us together. She brings booze Friday at the office just because (oh, those gatherings) and asks you about your grandfather because she knew he was sick one week ago.
She remembers what you like and what you don’t like. She always put people and their families first, even if she has to work some extra hours on top of the usual extra hours. She doesn’t judge you, she always thinks you had a reason for some weird reaction. And we do have weird reactions!
She’s kind, but you can’t take her for a fool. If you do, you’ll feel it. You’ll feel it every day. Nice & smoothly. She’s one of us, she doesn’t have a fancy office or desk, she’s our big sister and (my favourite thing) she loves to pass on her knowledge and experience - and she has a lot. She is a bit of a control freak (well, she cares about our clients), but she wants you to learn and learn and see your progress.
Elena’s success stories or big accounts she worked on are not important right now, you can find that on LinkedIn. I’m here to present you our day to day Elena. Our big sister.
The interview is a bit long, but it’s honest and fun and I don’t know when she’s gonna take one again.
Hey Elena. Tell me a secret.
I’m secretly Benjamin Button. No, really, I was born old, not wrinkly or anything, just pink & chubby, but always quiet and contemplative of life in my early years, some sort of Dowager Crawley from Downton Abbey (*yeah, google “dowager”, dear reader, lovely & pretentious word that is). And now, having just turned 40, I feel like a young spring carrot, full of bubbly life. I just don’t show it, one should have some dignity and posture.
Let’s say you get 1 mil euros to open a museum. What kind of museum would it be and where?
Oh, hold my (insert “Bârlog” name here, just because it’s so good, the IPA is my fav, if Bogdan reads this) beer and allow me to showcase my Innocent Archetype (not my dominant one, but playing a big part, nonetheless): I would open a kindness museum. It would be a traveling showcase, not a place, in a town, in a country. A collection of small & big good deeds. From kind words that blessed someone’s harsh day, to caresses for the lonely hearts, to muscle-flexing for ones in danger, to inventions that saved lives and interventions that saved souls. Oh, what a tear-jerking museum that would be! And I would charge big bucks for it, make no mistake. Big bucks to finance more kindness.
As a child, what did you think would be awesome about being an adult, but it’s not that awesome?
Singing in front of the entire world. Def didn’t work out for me. I have the vocal range of a tuna can.
What’s a song that waves nostalgia?
Lulu - To Sir, with Love.
Strangely, not because it reminds me of high school (to be fair, I’m not the kind that daydreams about those long-lost years of blissful youth; heck, I was awkward and goofy and insecure, and once I almost got beat up with a tennis racket, for looking like a hippie). No, I guess it makes me think about the impact one has in the lives of others, whether it’s teaching/coaching/parenting etc, like a ripple effect that translates through a lifetime. Such a big responsibility, don’t you think? And how exciting and heartbreaking, as it passes in a moment’s time, leaving something undetectable until you hear it in a song. Also, Sidney Poitier was hot.
What’s the best inside joke from the agency?
Ich. I dunno. We joke a lot. And banter. Maybe something about Adi Docea (the co-creator of this madness that is Heraldist) and his amazing ideas that just pour and pour and pour. And then somebody has to actually make them happen. Ah, and something about Andy (our slick Creative Director) and his two-penny-worth of jokes. I honestly cannot envision my life without these two.
Does your mum understand what you are doing with Heraldist?
She comprehends the broad concept of advertising, I took care of that over the years, to the point where she was pointing out the competition’s ads saying they were better than mine… Not sure she truly gets what brand strategy does (which is currently part of my job, though I guess she likes that I pick people’s brains) but she does get the whole ad agency management side, hearing me planning this and that, which is pretty much what she has been doing all her life, though in a medical field, considerably tougher than what I’m playing with, every day.
What are the best tips & tricks in project management you’ve learned so far?
Well, I ended the PM gig when we started Heraldist, coaching on the side, but here are a couple of things that will stay with me forever:
Always have a back-up plan. Whatever you think might go unexpectedly, there’s a chance it will. Don’t allow yourself to be surprised by it.
Don’t bullshit. Not your people. Not your clients. Not your suppliers. Not only is it disrespectful, but they will smell it. Plus, common, we are working in advertising, not MI6, to earn that honest respect.
Listen, listen, listen (which is not the same as hearing, as I’m sure you know). There’s a bunch of information floating out there (like who left where, who invested in what, who likes pineapple pizza) that at one point in time will prove relevant in a given context. I could talk for hours about connecting the dots but I see a lot of questions still coming my way (Danke, Alice…).
What about in business?
Always have a back-up plan. Usually, I aim for three, now that I’m an entrepreneur, life goes bananas quite often.
Don’t bullshit. Your people are your superpower. Nothing else matters.
Listen, listen, listen. And practice empathy.
What’s the challenge the next generation will face?
Niksen. Yahoo it. There’s so much stimulus out there, so much pressure, so many raised standards, all at high speed, that they might not know how and when to stop. I felt it with my generation. But I also think we burned out and learned our lesson. Not sure it’s because we are a one-foot-on-the-playground, one-foot-in-digital bunch of people, but we learned to niksen. To stop. And breathe. And just do nothing for a bit. Selfishly trying not to crash.
What’s the biggest challenge for Heraldist this year?
Last year it was all about keeping ourselves safe. The people, I mean. Everyone in the boat. It was madness but we pulled it off. I’m so immensely proud of us. I feel everything we worked on, in Heraldist, for the last 6-7 years, the culture, the business, the decisions, the mistakes, led us to this moment, to a 2020 f**kfest of a year that showcased our strength. For this I am grateful. 2021? Bigger. Better. Back on the horse.
What are the best 3 things Heraldist has?
People. People. People. (*sometimes they are so quiet, very Transylvanian while working, they might look like things, not people.)
How did you imagine in 2015 Heraldist would become in 5 years?
Much smaller in size than we are now. Also kind. And enjoying what we do. And horizontal. And risk-takers. And brotherhood. I was wrong on the 1st one. We started in two, now we are 30. No pressure.
How do you imagine it would be in 2025?
Same as above. I still hope we won’t grow too much in numbers. It gets complicated when shopping for booze, I have to remember who likes what.
What’s one thing you would change about Heraldist?
Not enough dogs in the agency. Not a metaphor. Actual dogs. Life with dogs in an agency garden is wonderful. There are productivity studies on this, I’m sure.
What keeps you up at night?
Dots (*not dogs). Remember all that “listen, listen, listen” preaching, from above? Now I have to connect the dots. On one’s individual development. On efficiency models. On client up-selling. On team’s cohesion. On and on and on and on. I should get more sleep. But I love this too much to let my brain rest. (*note to one’s self: go Niksen some today)
Is there something you would like to do more and something you would like to do less in your day to day work?
More: looking back at 2020, the year of doom and brimstone, I want more time with my people, same room, same garden, around the same bottle of wine, each to their own but just simply there.
Less: LONG MEETINGS! I’m fussy about the waste of time and shop-talk lingering; there’s always something useful to do, like debating on the last episode of The Mandalorian.
Do you hit the snooze button?
Rarely and only if I’m dead-tired from the day before.
What word is a lot of fun to say?
oink. (I just googled it, seems it also stands for “Oh I Never Knew”. Well, who would have known? I learned something new today, yay.)
What animal would be the most terrifying if it could speak?
Not really the person to ask this question. I once apologized to a cat because I crossed its path. Not the 1st animal I engaged in a conversation with, for that matter. So I guess it might be more terrifying for them to hear me speak, then the other way around. (*Dear reader, please bear in mind, while cruising through these scribbles, that I am somewhat capable of running a company and have been doing so for the last few years, even profitably. Do not let my feline rambles convince you otherwise.)
What’s the craziest video you’ve ever seen and can’t stop laughing at?
Oh, I laugh at the silliest things in the world but rarely remember them. Follow me on Facebook for maybe a post/year of something that made me giggle.
What’s the most boring superhero you can come up with?
Ha? Have you met me and my Marvel/DC/anything fantasy friends? There’s no such thing as a boring superhero.
Alice
until next week, stay kind