Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adelina Stefan, Founder of Advanced Talent GmbH, located in Zurich, Switzerland.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I’m the founder of Advanced Talent, based in Zurich, Switzerland, a company that specializes in providing coaching, training, and consulting. Our practice includes ex-pat career transition and leadership coaching for individuals and executive coaching for building cultural intelligence and improving cross-cultural relations across the globe. We partner with ex-pats and professionals in transition to help them integrate successfully into their new culture to communicate with more impact, gain more clarity, purpose, and fulfillment, and achieve sustainable career success.

We inspire ambitious professionals to develop their talent and pursue their passions while navigating a foreign territory to create alignment around what really matters and maintain a healthy work-life balance. I offer personalized 1:1 and group coaching programs that will support your leaders to perform at their best, improve their well-being, and confidently communicate what really matters to create alignment in a team. I can help laid-off employees or employees in transition deal with their emotions, avoid rushing into decisions as a result of anxiety and fully support them in creating a strategy that is aligned with their passions, talents, experience, and skills.

I evaluate their interests and career goals, assist them in improving their brand and social media visibility, identifying strong target organizations, prepare for interviews (how to answer specific questions, how to build rapport, and create a dialogue with hiring managers to demonstrate their value added), and navigating job offers. As a highly sought-after career and cultural integration coach, it is my mission to help people in transition find their confidence and present themselves in a way that will get more job interviews and, above all else, find their sense of
home here in Switzerland.

Tell us about yourself

As a dual citizen of Greece and Romania, born in the Carpathian mountains of Romania after having lived and studied in Greece, I started my career 13 years ago as a consultant in Greece, working in the travel industry with people of different nationalities and cultures. As a child, I was always fascinated by the unknown and dreamed of traveling, living abroad, and learning about different cultures. I was always passionate about foreign languages, which made me choose to study English and linguistics. This broadened my horizons and exposed me to different cultures and students with similar goals of learning a foreign language in a new cultural context.

Though I had many opportunities in academia and contributed to academic research, I felt that the direct impact on catalyzing an individual’s potential and creating a positive change through coaching was stronger and more aligned with what really matters to me. As a passionate advocate of the entrepreneurial spirit, a life-long learner, and an ex-pat, I was always interested in sharing my experience with other international people and those who were facing similar challenges as ex-pats, dealing with the cultural shock while trying to make a seamless career transition using their unique skills and talents.

My passion and alignment with what truly matters motivate me every day in what I do. I love connecting with individuals on a deeper level, supporting them to become the best version of themselves, grow and develop, and do more of what makes them happy. I love my work and working with a diverse audience, listening carefully to people's stories, and catalyzing their potential to gain more fulfillment in their life and career.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The inner transformation in individuals by enabling them to take charge, communicate their essence value confidently, and achieve excellence. Celebrating my client's success and being allowed to do more of what really matters.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Managing multiple priorities and being able to say "no" to things (when there is a need) that are not very much aligned with our values just because passion comes first. However, working with a team that is committed and passionate about their work in an agile manner, implementing processes, and delegating things to experts in other areas could allow me to focus on what truly matters and will bring more success and growth.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know yourself: define your values, objectives, and roles very clearly and in ways that mean something to everyone. Know your unique value and ideal customers. You don't want to serve everyone!
  2. Ask for support so that you can focus on the things that really matter to you and your business and allow it to grow. You cannot do anything on your own, though you may think so at the beginning. Inspect, adapt, and delegate.
  3. Be inspired and inspire others! Focus on your passions and connect with your inner self and talents. Work smarter, not too hard, and prioritize self-care to recharge your batteries.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://theadvancedtalent.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theadvancedtalent
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadvancedtalent/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/AdelinaStefan1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelinastefan/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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