Who is your boss?

Who is your boss?

When people talk about their success, it seems that it is easy to reach it, although everyone knows that it is a lie. We constantly try to do our best to get everything that we dreamt of and mostly it is always related to the difficult process of development and failure.

Let me tell you the story of a Carmen Cojocaru, I met her, heard her story and on my questions I got the sincere  answers. Woman who started with nothing except the passion, determination and clear goal to be her own boss.  March 2019 is important for Carmen Cojocaru – audit & accounting partner of Kreston Romania.  Twenty years of hard work, ups and downs and here we are: leading the successful business that serves different sectors and clients from several countries.

The 1990s, post-Romanian revolution period.  The girl got her diploma from the faculty of economics and started searching for the job-classic.  She did not really have much choice:  the public sector was not attractive at all, the private sector did not have much to offer, and the whole country was marked by corruption and nepotism.

Finally, the girl started working at the Italian company selling bathroom appliances. There she spent four months, learning and searching for everything useful for the future. The future that was already defined by her.

In 1999 the girl started working for the small accounting firm owned by the family with two employees and ten clients. Then Romania became a member of the European Union. The fact attracted a lot of investors. The owner of the firm was hired by the company operating in real estate business and it helped the firm a lot -new clients and opportunities raised.  For Carmen, it was the time for the constant process of research and practice.  She had the aim to get her qualifications for a chartered accountant, auditor, and tax adviser and after seven years, she managed to reach that level in 2004. The firm continued growing and it involved a lot of effort and ways to keep the pace.  Carmen was the one always initiating innovative methods for better management. Step by step, in 2006 she became the manager of the firm.

In 2007, after only five months of maternity leave, Carmen was asked to be back at the office. The main reason was that the office needed to be managed and it was impossible without her. She was back to the firm and soon she was offered to become one of the owners of the company.

After analyzing the opportunity, in October 2008 she made the deal and with two other persons she became one of the owners of the firm. Carmen became an entrepreneur – another step towards the goal. Along with Eduard Pavel – Tax advisory partner and owner lead entire team of professionals – people who know and love their jobs.

The first five years as an entrepreneur were the most difficult. Despite the 2009 crisis that hit businesses worldwide, she was always optimistic and believed that positive mindset has the power to transfer any difficulties into the challenge and take it as an opportunity. Her intuition is the tool that she always uses.  For Carmen Romania never was the limit. She wanted more. She along with other partners started searching for the partnership with an international network of accountants. In 2008 Kreston contacted the firm and offered to be their national representative. This is how the story of Kreston Romania started.

Carmen does not consider herself as a powerful, but her team does and they are right. When I asked her what “powerful” meant for her, she said: “ Powerful means to be wise, learn from mistakes, develop a positive mindset, always be open to new things and never stop trying”  Practice shows that she has been doing all of that for more than 20 years.

“You have to be aware of yourself, otherwise it is impossible to lead someone.  Setting the clear long-term goals is the must.  While doing that, you create your vision, mission, and culture. Every day for me is a lesson, a chance to learn something new. Try to balance yourself and then you be able to do your best”.

When people talk about success, it always seems that it is easy to reach it, although everyone knows that it is a lie. We constantly try to do our best to get everything that we dreamt of end mostly it is always related to the difficult processes.

Carmen Cojocaru created her success path and she keeps walking to the right way, plus, she is the boss she has always wanted.

A story by Ana Elizbarashvili – Marketer, Georgia

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