Kristina Ercegovic (Photo: Private Album)
Interview: Zoran Rain
Below is the interview Christina Ercegovicserial entrepreneur, co-owner of the Women and Money Portal, and publicist who recently published her sixth book, It's not about money, it's about us.
Can you tell us about your entrepreneurial journey, from founding Heraklea to your current role as founder and director of the Women and Money portal?
I have been an entrepreneur for the past 21 years. While recovering from surgery, I saw a TV show that mentioned mystery shoppers. It sounded like what I needed to do. After 10 years, I sold it. In the meantime, I launched a project, sold it and started a business cafe, then an education and women and money portal, events.
What inspired the creation of the “Women and Money” portal? How does it address the specific needs and challenges faced by women in business and finance?
My mother and later my father died, both highly educated and wealthy, but both with debts that I inherited. So we realized that it's not about how much we earn, but how well we can manage the money we have.
I wanted to start writing openly about money on my existing blog, but an entrepreneur friend told me I should have a special portal. He then started a VIP club to organize events, education, and retreats.
Over time, we find that women are changing their relationship with money, earning more, and managing, saving, and investing their money better. We cater to all your specific needs. In other words, have a low sense of self-sufficiency, give too much, get paid less for the same job, ask for a raise, set appropriate prices, don't miss out on sales, don't do unpaid work, sell, be visible, and get more. Attract business angel capital and funding. We're not just talking about financial abuse, but also how to get proper alimony, how not to refuse inheritance, and more.
(Photo: Private album)
Can you tell us more about the unique structure of the Women and Money portal as a company with 11 female co-owners and business angels? How does this model contribute to the company's success?
We are all different, with different backgrounds, connections, and experiences, but we share the same values, vision, and mission. The synergy and support I'm getting is exactly what we need to grow, we set an example for other women, they too become business angels, and other women owned and operated businesses. We wanted to encourage people to invest in businesses that do.
After a period of hiatus, I have restarted the Business Cafe project. The Business Cafe Project emphasizes networking. How important do you think networking is for entrepreneurs and how can it contribute to their success?
One of my mentors said to me: She said, “It's not what she knows, it's who she knows that matters, and she said my network is my net worth.”
Everyone agrees that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Therefore, I say that networking is essential for success, but not many people know this skill. Business Café also aims to share the ups and downs of inspiring entrepreneurial stories, provide support and send messages. You are not alone. You can also succeed in Croatia.
Educating small entrepreneurs through Zaokret. What are some of the key pieces of advice you often give entrepreneurs when it comes to starting, building, and selling a business?
We are not our company. There's more to life than running a business. We need to set up a business so that it can run without us and grow later. Therefore, it is important to build a system and work on your business. Also, most importantly, be a good human being. It's all about relationships.
As the founder of the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association, what role do you envision this association playing in supporting entrepreneurs and what was your motivation for founding this association?
I was one of the 20 founders. I'm no longer actively involved. While I was there, I was designing online education for entrepreneurs.
You have written several books on entrepreneurship. Can you tell us a little about your writing process and the key message you want to convey to your readers?
I've written six books. I completed them all in a few days while I still had inspiration. Three are about customer service measurement and importance. One is about how to start your own business. His penultimate is about how to build it without burning out. The sixth and final point is about the way we think about money: “It's not a money problem, it's our problem.''
It's not about money, it's about us (Photo: Private Album)
What inspired you to co-author with Veronica Carlson the first professional book on mystery shopping, and how did it contribute to the field?
When I started my mystery shopping business, there was no information available, so I gathered all the information and Veronica said, “Why don't you write a book?” And we did.
You have received various awards throughout your career. Which recognition holds a special place for you and what does it mean to be recognized for your contribution to entrepreneurship?
It's nice to be recognized by your colleagues. But what mattered most to me was the proud look in her son's eyes and Luka proudly saying to her friends, “This is my mom.”
Having worked internationally, including in Poland and the Czech Republic, how has your global experience shaped your outlook on entrepreneurship, leadership and business?
I also travel a lot, visiting around 70 countries and spending a lot of time teaching abroad. I learned even more that Croatia is a great place to live and do business.
(Photo: Private album)
Entrepreneurship comes with challenges. What are the most significant challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
There were a lot of things; the biggest one was inheriting my mother's debts, the corona virus hit, the event business, which was 90% of my business at the time, was banned, and I was living with my son. Seven days later, I started over and created a new story about women and money. The way to overcome everything is within us.
What are your future plans and aspirations regarding your entrepreneurial endeavors and your role in supporting and educating entrepreneurs?
Doing a systematic constellation is as effective as possible, because it is a modern miracle. This helps us discover and remove hidden generational patterns that run our lives and businesses.
