Back in Business

In: Entrepreneurship, Personal / 10 comments

17 Aug 2009

After two years of not being allowed to fly (something that had to do with my health), I am back in America for two weeks. I’ll say it again (and I’ll develop the topic at some point) – being here from time to time makes all the difference in the world. This time I am in Chicago, and I’ll probably go to other business areas around here. Here are a few business comments and then a few personal comments.

Business:
First of all, being here means being able to see people, to get the preconceived ideas Americans have about Eastern Europeans out of their heads. If they see you, you can talk to them, you can show them you are good, you can convince them it’s good for them to be in business with you. Then you have the opportunity of going to all sorts of networking events where you can meet people… some of those events will be in vain, others will generate short time business. But on the long term, all of them will probably bring in benefits. Also, if you want to meet someone, you can tell that person: “since I’m in town, let’s have a coffee”, and they will usually make time to meet you. And no Skype or Webex can compare to a face-to-face meeting.

I would also say that, more important than the above, for me, is that coming to America fills me with energy, a positive kind of energy, a whole new set of thoughts that, when brought to the country, can turn into business or in ways to differentiate existing business. The way they are set up to think is extremely business-oriented, efficient and positive-aggressive. I think this post written by Adrian Stanciu is significant in this sense so I won’t go into details now.
Anyway, I had some good meetings, a few potential clients, a few partnerships… it was good.

Personal:
It was very nice on a personal level also. This time I went to Chicago (I had never been there). I discovered a huge Romanian community. Basically I heard Romanian being spoken at least twice a day (just like that, through shops or on the street). Saturday I went to a meeting of the Romanian community (many people, all relaxed in a pleasant atmosphere); the contractor who built the house of the friends I am staying with is Romanian. They are all highly appreciated. All in all, I felt good that I was Romanian.

Whenever I am staying in a city, I try to go to different, significant events for that area. Now I went to a Chicago Cubs game (baseball), on Wrigley’s Stadium, one of the classic baseball stadiums – small, intimate, you are practically near the grass. The game itself is not as spectacular as football or basketball, but the excuse of going out for 3-4 hours is great. A hot-dog, a beer, hamburgers… anyway, everything you need to gain 200 kg. One night, I went to a blues club (how could I miss it!). I think I like the jazz in the south more (New Orleans), but the blues in Chicago undoubtedly has something special. I also went to an air show – we went to a restaurant that was on the 70th floor of a building right on the lake; the jets were literally passing us by :-). Very cool feeling. I took some photos, but I don’t have them with me – I’ll post them tomorrow/the day after tom…

(English version by Teodora Popescu)

Original Romanian version

Back in business

Dupa doi ani in care nu am avut voie sa zbor (ceva legat de sanatate), sunt din nou in America pentru doua saptamani. Din nou spun (si o sa dezvoltam la un moment dat) ca a fi aici din cand in cand face toata diferenta. De data asta sunt in Chicago, si am mers/mai merg probabil in cateva zone de business dimprejur. Cateva comentarii de business, apoi observatii personale.

Business:
In primul rand a fi aici inseamna sa te poti vedea cu oamenii, sa le scoti din cap stafideala pe care americanii o au legata de est-europeni. Daca te vad, vorbesti cu ei, le arati ca esti bun, poti sa ii convingi ca e bine sa faca business cu tine. Apoi ai ocazia sa te duci pe la tot felul de „networking events”, in care sa cunosti oameni… unele vor fi degeaba, altele vor fi generatoare de business pe termen scurt. Dar pe termen lung, probabil toate vor produce beneficii. De asemenea, daca vrei sa te intalnesti cu cineva, ii poti spune: „daca tot sunt in oras, hai sa bem o cafea”, de obicei isi vor face timp pentru tine. Si nici un skype sau webex nu poate compensa o intalnire fata in fata.

As spune inca mai important decat cele de mai sus, pe mine venitul in America ma umple de energie. O energie pozitiva, un set intreg de ganduri care aduse in tara se pot transforma in afaceri, in moduri de a diferentia afacerile existente. Modul in care sunt ei setati sa gandeasca este extrem de „business-oriented”, eficient, poizitiv-agresiv. Consider foarte semnificativ postul acesta al lui Adrian Stanciu, asa ca nu voi dezvolta acum foarte mult.
In tot cazul, am avut cateva meetinguri bune ceva potentiali clienti, cateva parteneriate… good.

Personal:
Este foarte simpatic si la nivel personal. De data asta am fost in Chicago (nu am mai fost aici inca). Am descoperit o imensa comunitate romaneasca. Practic am auzit vorbindu-se romaneste cel putin de doua ori pe zi (asa, fara sa caut, prin magazine sau pe strada). Am fost sambata la o intalnire a comunitatii romanesti (foarte multi oameni, toti relaxati intr-o atmosfera agreabila), constructorul care a construit casa prietenilor la care stau este roman. Toti foarte apreciati. Una peste alta m-am simtit bine ca sunt roman.

De cate ori stau intr-un oras incerc sa merg la ceva evenimente semnificative pentru zona respectiva. Acum am fost la un meci al Chicago Cubs (baseball), pe Wrigley’s Stadion, unul din stadioanele de baseball „clasice”. Micut, intim, practic esti langa iarba. Jocul in sine nu este la fel de spectaculos ca fotbalul sau baschetul, dar pretextul de a iesi afara pentru 3-4 ore este senzational. Un hot-dog, o bere, hamburgeri… ma rog, tot ce trebuie ca sa te faci de 200 de kile. Am fost (cum puteam rata!) intr-o seara la un club de blues. Parca imi place mai mult jazzul din sud (New Orleans), dar blues-ul din Chicago are fara indoiala ceva special. Am prins si un show aviatic – am fost la un restaurant la etajul 70 al unei cladiri chiar pe malul lacului, treceau jeturile pe langa noi :-). Supertare senzatia. Am si poze, dar nu sunt la mine – le postez maine/poim…

Comments

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eu

August 18th, 2009 at 5:34 am

Vrem si noi la Chicago! 🙂

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Bogdan

August 18th, 2009 at 7:56 am

Aceeasi chestie o fac si eu la un interval de cateva luni, doar ca prefer Anglia. E important sa poti sa iesi putin din “cotidian” si sa-ti poti privi afacerile de la o oarecare distanta, avand in cap si feedback-ul primit de la oamenii pe care ii intalnesti acolo. Intr-un fel, se poate numi “concediu de afaceri”…

Cat despre americani si modul lor de a fi… cred ca se aplica foarte bine vorba aia “e rau cu ei, dar e si mai rau fara ei :)”

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Chronicul

August 18th, 2009 at 9:30 am

Daca tot esti in Chicago, cand ai chef de o masa delicioasa, trebuie sa treci neaparat pe la Texas du Brasil (Churascaria) care se afla chiar langa mallul Woodfield (http://www.gowoodfieldmall.com/ )…best fillet mignon wrapped in bacon ever !! Enjoy !

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Ncu

August 18th, 2009 at 11:16 am

Pentru ca iti trebuie viza si romanasii nostrii nu prea au ajuns pe acolo, de aia te simti bine ca Roman pe acolo! 🙂

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alex haivas

August 18th, 2009 at 12:37 pm

Cred ca Ncu se referea la “rrom-anasi”.
Anyway, am fost si eu recent in Canada, si am avut aceeasi impresie. Romanii de peste ocean sunt in general de o factura mai buna decat cei plecati prin Europa.

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Ncu

August 18th, 2009 at 8:45 pm

Da ma refeream “rrom-anasi” si sa vedem ssi de ce:
1) viza
2) viza
3) scump de ajuns/distanta mare/etc…
🙂

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byo

September 4th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

salutari de la un roman care va respecta si va stimeaza de prin Anglia.
Sper sa ajung ca dvs intr-o zi. La experienta si la bani ma refer 🙂

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Mihai Pintilie

September 23rd, 2009 at 11:59 am

Oamenii de business din State sunt mai deschisi catre parteneriate chiar si atunci cand discutiile sunt in stadiul incipient si se desfasoara inca in faza de e-mail-uri. Fata de unii romani care revin cu raspuns dupa zile sau saptamani sau chiar deloc.

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