Two exceptionally interesting personalities have recently expanded the European Leadership and Academic Institute (ELAI) series of lecturers. Simona Kijonková, one of the most fascinating and successful entrepreneurs, and Milan Formánek, a biohacker, futurist and innovator who has been a Media Network Manager at Red Bull Media House for 13 years.
Simona Kijonková founded Zásilkovna in 2010 and in eight years she expanded it into an international logistics company with 790 million turnovers. Simona is currently the Head of the Packeta holding – ten companies, including Czech Zásilkovna, and manages 700 employees. She invests in other start-ups as well. She also has won numerous awards for her entrepreneurial and innovative activities.
Her workshop at ELAI is called Mindset and Strategy of Success. „First of all, it is important not to enter a business we are unfamiliar with,“ explains Ms. Kijonková when sharing the strategy for success. „It is also important not to be afraid and not to wait too long. By its very nature, man does not like change but I think that stagnation is the first step of decline. Partial setbacks should definitely not discourage us, because negative experiences give us lessons and shape us to better performance and better decisions in the future. Last but not least, I would like to emphasize not to make projects simply for financial gain and profit. If you build your projects primarily to help people, you build a beloved brand and customers will come back to you. Profit for you will then be just a sub-product and confirmation that you are doing your job well.”
Milan Formánek says that linking creativity with new technologies and business is his inspiration. His mission is to increase the ethics and aesthetics of marketing and development of potential and competitiveness through education. „Work with priorities“ is the name of his workshop at ELAI.
And what is his recipe for efficiency and simplification? „In general, I try to eliminate urgent things and focus on the important,“ emphasizes Milan Formánek. „However, for me, it is intentionally important, something most people do not pay attention to. Because I am not customer service, I do not need to please everyone, or to meet everyone, instead can focus on the greatest growth opportunities. I do not want to do anything just because it has always been done“ he concludes.