Today’s “Meet the Team” edition is very positive and motivational. Peek into the world of Siana Magardichyan, the lady who successfully leads the Marketing team at iCard. She proves nothing is impossible if you strongly believe in yourself and pursue your dreams. Read the lines and feel the good vibes and professionalism she delivers to all of us.
Do you have any hidden talents?
“Тalent” is a very overexposed word. I believe everyone has some sort of talents that often go unnoticed or hidden to the naked eye. It’s the same with me, but I know exactly what you’re asking me about. Yes, I can write artistic texts. Ever since I was a little girl, I had several notebooks in which I wrote rhymes and poems. Initially, they were childish, but they evolved into profound thoughts and verses over time. I loved reading motivational quotes from famous people, which I would also write down. There have been times when I’ve felt down, and I would open the notebooks and read those impactful words or even write to uplift my mood.
My talent helps me in both my personal and professional life. I can quickly help my colleagues with content improvement in the marketing materials to create more engaging messages. It is essential to make the audience feel the positive or the desired emotion rather than just write something. In my personal life, I express myself in writing personal wishes to the people I love and appreciate the most. I love to create touching messages that will move them on their special occasions. Even the content I publish on my social media seeks to inspire the audience. As I mentioned before, I really love it when words affect me emotionally, and that’s why I try to deliver the same emotional impact to others.
What inspires you?
I get inspired by stories of individuals who haven’t given up on their ideas and have realized their dreams. I like stories about people whose ideas were initially rejected and then came to realization. For instance, JK Rowling, the author of “Harry Potter”, was initially rejected by a dozen publishers. Today, her books have been translated into almost 70 languages, produced into movies and now JK Rowling is one of the most famous authors of all time. Similar is the fate of Oprah Winfrey, who was neglected at the beginning of her career – she was told she was too “over-the-top” and overacting. Now, she is one of the most popular and influential personalities in the United States.
It is very motivating to read stories about the growth of successful brands and businesses. I remember one of the most inspiring stories I was told at the beginning of my university studies – the story of Starbucks. This is a typical example of how an idea is born and realized. The company’s founder, Howard Schultz, was on a vacation in Milan and enjoyed visiting the local cafes. He was very impressed by the fact that in Italy there were places where you could sit, order a delicious drink, read a newspaper and enjoy the cozy atmosphere. When he returned to the USA, he began to grow his business and implement the ideas he gained from his experience. Today, the company’s logo is one of the most recognizable, and the chain has thousands of cafes and stores worldwide. Do you know that Henry Ford’s first series of cars was a failure, and yet Ford is the second largest US-based automobile manufacturer (after General Motors) and the sixth largest worldwide? Walt Disney has also heard more than once that he was not creative and that his drawings were not good at all. Namely, he is the creator of the most popular and beloved animated characters enjoyed by children and adults of all times.
All of these stories are applicable even today. Most of us have a story where we were told that our efforts and work were not enough, that our ideas could be brighter or that we don’t have the desired experience or knowledge to succeed. It is very important for us to believe entirely in our dreams and to do everything in our power to achieve them and not give up despite the opinions of others. We must be self-confident and know that there is at least one person who will believe in us and will lead us to success. One of my favourite quotes is from the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” with Will Smith: “Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they’re gonna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.” The movie is definitely worth watching. I have also heard that it is impossible to cope with caring for two children and a family, combined with managing a creative department in a big company, frequent exercising, and all other daily errands. However, I dare say I’m doing well.
What do you always try to find time for?
I have always tried to keep being very active. It is challenging to find time, but I’m glad I’m well-organized and often manage to exercise. I fell in love with sports and movement ever since I was a child. Thanks to my mother, I attended modern ballet classes, which helped me develop self-discipline and taught me to love my body when it looks and feels good. Yes, having good genes is important, but it’s even more important to learn to move your body and create a habit. When you start playing sports as a child, you learn to be disciplined and persistent, and it’s much easier to deal with physical tasks and demands afterwards. In high school, I almost practised everything, and there was a joke among my closest friends that “Siana was on all the teams.” I was in the basketball, volleyball, and running teams, and while I wouldn’t say I was very good at everything, I had my successful tricks. For example, I wouldn’t always score but was still the centre player in the basketball team. The trick was that I am left-handed – most players dribbled with their right hand, and I could easily take the ball away from them. It would also sometimes happen that the coach would let me into the game with the motivation: “Siana, it’s time for your fouls”, and it was understood that I would easily stop two or three breaks of the other team.
Currently, I love to go to the gym or take spinning classes, but I mostly find time to run. I like getting up early and running in the yard or at a stadium. I don’t feel good if I stop working out. I appreciate that iCard offers a variety of sports options and that movement in general is encouraged. I hope the other colleagues also realize what a big plus this is for all of us. There’s no place for excuses, such as there is no time and place for practising – as long as you want to, everything is possible.
Who are the people you love the most?
This is my family – my parents, my brother, my husband, and my two children. I love them immensely and I do everything for them. My children, Philip and Joseph, are the meaning of my whole life. Thanks to them, I have fulfilled my mission as a woman on this earth. Now, all I have to do is make them good people.
Is there a place you want to go back to again and again?
Yes, there is one place I want to go back to again and again, and that’s the city of Milan, Italy. I studied there for four years at Bocconi University, one of Europe’s most prestigious universities. I was accepted into the university’s most acclaimed and prestigious study program – ” International Economics and Management” with profile management. My professor of Financial Mathematics had a Nobel Prize in Economics. For better or worse, my very last university exam was exactly on financial maths with the same professor and I was super stressed because he had a reputation for being very strict, and about 80% of the students failed his exams, plus the subject was definitely not one of my favourite. At the end of the oral exam, he gave me a very serious look, and just when I thought I would hear bad news, he smiled and told me I passed with an excellent grade.
What I liked the most about studying abroad was the opportunity to communicate with noble and intelligent professors and to meet fascinating people and friends. My environment was extremely colourful – I socialized with people from all over the world. I made friends with two Frenchmen, two or three Italians, a Greek girl and a girl who is half Asian and half American. I keep in touch with them all the time, and every few years, we find a way to meet somewhere in the world. Most Bulgarians gathered among themselves, but I wanted to communicate with other cultures and nationalities because I had my Bulgarian environment back home. It was a lovely experience.
In Italy the people and the atmosphere are very positive. You could have stepped on someone, and they would be the one apologizing to you, instead of the other way around. Unfortunately, the mindset of most of the Bulgarians is very different from that and somewhat more hostile. In Milan, I learned to be a very positive person and not let the little problems get to me. The atmosphere energizes me – everyone is smiling, and I am always in a good mood. That’s why I go to Milan almost every year. We gather with our closest friends, and I feel happy and excited even when I just sit on the steps of the Cathedral and look at the people and the pigeons in the square.
What are your strengths?
I define myself as a “doer” and a “go-getter”. I have always believed that people should act more instead of talk so much. I don’t like to just talk about what I want to achieve, but I actually try to do everything in my power to make it happen. I am not one of the so-called “talkers” who can talk for years about what they want to do and do nothing about their goals and dreams. I follow this rule both at work and in my personal life. I know that the busier I am, the more self-disciplined and organized I should be because otherwise, the responsibilities keep piling up.
I am also very caring and compassionate. I can even care for strangers because I feel sorry for their fate. I love to make people happy and to feel good about themselves. We even joke with my family and friends that sometimes I become very annoying in my attempts to provide maximum comfort to others. I also have a huge sense of justice, sometimes even to my detriment. I realize I can put myself or someone I really care about in an uncomfortable situation or ignore their feelings just because I do not share their opinion, but I want justice to prevail. I don’t support unfair or unequal treatment of others and the stronger taking advantage of the weaker. This is who I am.
What is marketing to you?
I have always been interested in marketing. As a child, I often found the “flaws” in some ads and wondered how they could be improved to be more impactful. I will never forget one of my first classes at the university when our teacher, Davide Ravazi, asked us: “Do you know what it means to build a brand? How powerful a brand name can be?! I will give you an example with Armani Jeans. A pair of jeans in their stores is sold for 120 euros, but do you know their actual cost? Only about 20 euros, which includes production, delivery, rental, personnel costs, etc. Everything else you pay for is for the brand itself and its identity. The brand knows it can afford it, and does it.”
Marketing is the driving force of a company. It transforms businesses from obscurity to recognition. It is the force that fuels growth and turns aspirations into reality. Without marketing, a company is a whisper lost in the marketplace noise. Marketing is the art of storytelling, the heart of a product and a company. Through diverse campaigns and marketing strategies, a company communicates its value and builds emotional connections with its audience.
What is it like to be part of the Marketing team?
Being part of a marketing team is a dynamic and exciting experience. These departments are home to some of the company’s most fascinating and unique individuals. The team must combine people with different personalities, beliefs, opinions, and interests. The team’s success hinges on its members’ ability to generate compelling and engaging ideas and champion their implementation. A strategic understanding of human psychology is valuable in effectively attracting the audience.
Marketing is usually the most creative department in a company. Our daily work is interesting and a constantly inspiring process. It is exciting to see the execution of well-planned marketing strategies combined with the continuously challenging and dynamic market. The energy is very high when we generate ideas – we often self-criticize and re-write them. Every promotional campaign, social media post and advertisement should be perfectly made and in tune with the single and most important goal – to attract the audience. We are responsible for the overall look of all the iCard’s products and services worldwide. We shape how they make an impression on others and how the audience perceives them.
What do you dream of?
Besides the mostly wanted health, I dream of a more positive world. For the people to be kinder and calmer and not to forget to follow their dreams. We need to remember more often that we are here for a short time and must live fully every day. I would like to finish the interview with one of favourite quotes: “Life is what you make it. It’s whatever story you write in your own history books. So, whatever story you write – make sure it’s good.”
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