When my aunt would ship out special sweets and goodies from America, to us kids back in Romania, I would sell my candy to my friends, so I can make money to buy things I really wanted (even though I had a sweet tooth). In high school, here in America, my interest started shifting to business & wondering what it would be like to have my own. As I witnessed my Dad running his own electronics business with his sister and brother-in-law, I began daydreaming of my own. It was then that I knew entrepreneurship was my calling.

Being multi-faceted, I majored in Music & Psychology in college (I loved playing the violin and enjoyed studying the mind & behavior), but studying business was always in the back of my mind as well. Upon graduating, I began working in the corporate world of investment management. I learned about sales, marketing, the stock market, how to properly service high end clients, and how to trade mainstream and sophisticated investments while working in big teams.

It wasn't until six years later that I applied for an MBA program. There, I fast-paced my business and entrepreneurship growth, worked in teams and participated in competitions, pitching ideas and developing business plans, all while working full time. The more I learned about entrepreneurship, the more I realized it was a way to combine my creativity with a purpose.

I continued work in the investment management field, but having the freedom of working for myself was always lodged in my memory. This passion for entrepreneurship continued to grow as I continued to face challenges of working in the corporate world. One of the biggest is the lack of freedom to create my own schedule. The structured, high-pressure environment and rigid timelines often leave little room for personal flexibility.