The best thing about my job is… always being on the go. As a communicator you can never standstill. The communications world is constantly changing meaning that even repetitive tasks are never exactly the same. The active aspect of my work matches perfectly with my personality, making me one of those lucky people who enjoy going to work every morning.
(Photo by François de Ribaucourt)
If heads of communication didn’t exist I would work as… a chef. I have two passions in life – my work in communications and food. I spend hours finding recipes, choosing the best ingredients and putting together my food creations. Besides, communicating and cooking are not so different after all – you need to know your audience, be passionate about the subject and have good content to tell a great story.
My present-day hero is… Carlo Petrini, the Italian journalist, writer and food activist. He’s the founder of the Slow Food movement, an organisation striving to revive local food cultures and traditions, preserve biodiversity and encourage people to understand their food choices. Thanks to Petrini’s charisma, uncompromising attitude and undeniable oratorical talent he has gained many supporters around the world and changed the concept of gastronomy bringing it closer to the environment.
The book I have on my bedside-table is… usually a Polish one. During the day I read so much in English, French and Italian that I really enjoy the few moments when I can read in my mother tongue. Every time I go to Poland I buy loads of books to make sure I’ll have things to read until my next visit.
Living in Brussels is like… being an Erasmus student over and over again. Whatever we expats say, Brussels is a welcoming dynamic city with a cosmopolitan soul. There are always plenty of things to do, events to attend, people to meet. And the variety of food shops, markets and restaurants is impressive!
My dream holiday destination… is the Polish Beskidy Mountains. As a keen hiker, I have a growing appetite for bigger challenges. Currently, my dream is to walk the 496km of the main Beskids trail, the longest trail in the Polish mountains.
The one tool I can’t work without is… my old-fashioned paper agenda. Communications work is heavily based on technology, we’re surrounded by tools that improve our efficiency and boost our creativity. I like to take a step back and write or draw my ideas down, let them rest on paper and come back to them later on. There’s one more advantage: paper agendas don’t run out of batteries.
