Jelena Djakovic - Outlook Times

Jelena Djakovic, Founder & CEO of Libra Consulting

Brief us about your outset story of your career.

My career had a bit of an unusual start and path. I studied art, and ended up in marketing. I fell in love with it, on my first job as an assistant in a marketing agency in Belgrade, and never left the field. I worked for the client side after that, and as the Marketing manager of a university from London and Marketing Director of two of the best hotels in Belgrade. Six years ago, I decided to start my own business – Libra Consulting. And it was a great decision. Don’t get me wrong, I have days when I think – why am I doing this? There are days when it is hard, when you have to make decisions you don’t like, when things are put of your control. Luckily, there are more days that are fun, inspiring and great.

Libra Consulting was created to fill a gap in the market that I saw while working in hotels. Typical marketing agencies do not understand the needs of a hotel. They don’t understand the business, the necessary activities, and the do not offer the scope of services that a hotel actually needs. So, I made a company that would offer exactly that.

We now offer full service marketing, sales support, HR support, standardization support… many things that are better done as one package, than with 5 or 6 different partners and companies.

What are the aims and ideals that guide you as an individual and a professional?

Be kind. Try to do good. Smile.

I know this sounds kind of lame, but I think that is what the world today is missing. More kindness and more energy used for doing good things.

We use these principles at Libra Consulting.

Our questions when we start planning anything are: How can we help? How can we make thing better? Can the campaign also have a social aspect? How can we integrate relevant issues into the brands we work with and conversation?

We have a thing we do in the morning. We fake smile, until we smile for real. It is scientifically proven that when you look at a person that is smiling at you – you have to smile. So we make each other smile. It is also scientifically proven that the act of smiling releases the hormone of happiness, even if you are fake doing it J Interesting, isn’t it J

Enlighten us about your greatest strength. How are you different from others in your field?

Ha, what a difficult question J

I would say I am very organized, good at multitasking, and really good at prioritising.

My approach to everything is – give it 100%, even when I am washing dishes.

And do more than expected. For every task, brief, or job we get, we always outline the expectations, what would be the actual scope of work, and what we can do to improve it, to go a little bit beyond expectations.

And, well, I really like to work. That is important.

Please tell us about your organization. What are your primary roles and responsibilities? Can you please walk us through the major accomplishments throughout your journey?

As I mentioned, Libra Consulting in a full service marketing and consulting agency, specialized for hospitality, but we take on other clients as well, if we see potential and a good fit. I am the founder and managing director. We have allow and steady growth, and we change according to market needs. When we started 6 years ago, we had a totally different set of job positions in the company.

Our newest colleague is a Tik Tok specialist. I don’t Tik Tok existed when I founded the company, or maybe it was created the same year… We are adaptive, we follow trends when needed, and set them when we feel that is a better path.

My role(s) J – well sort of everything. I like to say that I am the assistant of all of my employees. Theoretically I do the big strategic plans, and our business development, negotiating with clients and bringing in new business. In reality, I write copy for posts, sit with designers to move the logo a bit to the left (they hate this by the way). I spend a lot of time in photoshoots and increasingly with our video team, in montage.

We are proud to work with famous brand such as Viceroy, but we are equaly proud to work with amazing local brands like Hotel Crystal in Belgrade, or the Aleksic Winery from Vranje.

How did you respond to the challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic? What measures did you incorporate to surpass the challenges?

We struggled for a while, but it ended up ok. I don’t think we are still back to the same strength and feeling of security we had in January 2020, but it is getting better. Since our main clients are in hospitality, and that industry was heavily affected, we had to change direction for almost a year, and work with other industries. It was very quick turnaround, and it was challenging, but we came out stronger, and more experienced, with a more diversified portfolio.

Who in your life inspires you the most?

Many people around me inspire me, on a daily basis. I honestly could not pick one.

My parents with their limitless love, my sister with unique determination and focus, my partner with a never-ending stream of creative ideas, kind words, and support, my friend and colleague Neda working with her baby twins in hand… Actually now that I think of it – I think every person in my life inspires me in one way or another.

What advice would you give to the next generation of aspiring and budding Business people?

Be focused and give 100% of yourself to jobs and tasks you are doing. Go above and beyond. What you do today matters tomorrow. That doesn’t mean work 20 hours 7 days a week. I believe in work life balance. It means – be present and serious when you are at work. There is difference between sacrificing for your work, and giving your work your best, being completely focused while you are working.

I have a feeling (based on our young team members) that they see work as a spur of the moment thing. They don’t think in terms of career, for the long term. I think this is a mistake.

You don’t have to stay in the same company for 15 years, no one expects that any more, but you have to be dedicated to what you do.

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