Side by side series | Anna Brziakova and Anna Pastorekova

Coming back to the interview series “Side by side” where we asked one Consultant and one Associate Partner to give us a glimpse into their day-to-day activities and show us a parallel of being in both positions. This time, we asked our colleagues from the Slovakian branch. Anna Brziakova is an Associate Partner whereas Anna Pastorekova is a Consultant.

 

1. What is your perfect morning routine to start the day?

Anna B: Having a cafe latte together with my team, ideally together with a fresh croissant or sweet pastry that somebody from the team brings to the office.

Anna P: My favourite morning routine is: waking up at 5.40, walking to the gym, and getting a cup of coffee with a croissant. When I get to the office at 8.15, it feels like it is already the middle of the day. I feel energised and ready to tackle all challenges of the day!

 

2. What is the music track that you love to play when coming to work?

Anna B: I like the songs from Imagine Dragons.

Anna P: When I need motivation for my work, I always turn on Andrea Bocelli. The orchestral music lifts me up in spirit and every task seems manageable.

 

3. How do you usually relax during work breaks?

Anna B: By having a second coffee with my team, ideally together with some dessert after lunch :) But what really makes it a relaxing break is laughing together.

Anna P: In general, I love spending my time actively - fully engaged. I relax by hiking in the wonderful Slovak nature with people close to my heart, or sometimes I participate in and co-create different events. I love to see the interconnectedness of people and how great an impact we can achieve together.

 

4. Do you cook and if so, what is your favourite dish to make?

Anna B: I love to cook on daily basis and bring a home-cooked meal for my lunch in the office. If I had to choose one meal it would be spaghetti al pomodoro.

Anna P: I do, even though you would not find me often cooking. It is one of those things that when being busy I leave out of my schedule. My favourite dish to make is lasagna.

 

5. How do you keep your motivation up during the day?

Anna B: The thing that keeps my motivation during the day is laughing with my colleagues in our shared office.

Anna P: I remind myself how much I love my work and how I enjoy working with people in our team. I try to find purpose in every single task I do - how it helps certain people, and what kind of impact it will make. Often we think that small tasks do not make a difference, but with the right attitude, they can :)

 

6. Do you have some hobbies and if so, which ones?

Anna B: I love interior design as well as horse riding.

Anna P: I am one of those people who enjoy doing almost everything: getting together with my friend, organising events and conferences, jogging, skiing... My recent discovery of a hobby is dancing. Together with my husband, we started attending regular dancing classes and that brings us a lot of joy. My long-term hobby is tour guiding: showing people around Bratislava and introducing them to the city I love.

 

7. What is your favourite weekend activity?

Anna B: At the weekends I like to do simple things like staying home with my family and doing nothing.

Anna P: I love spending time with my husband, family and close friends. It does not really matter, what we do together but building a relationship with these people is what I enjoy the most. Sometimes we take a walk together, sometimes we have Sunday lunch or we go for a hike.

 

8. What did you learn during your time in CIVITTA?

Anna B: I don't think there is one specific thing that I could say is my biggest learning point, overall in my 1,5 years in CIVITTA I learned a great deal about many interesting areas and I met many interesting people, I got to push my horizons further and further and test my abilities in many challenging but also rewarding situations. Probably the most rewarding aspect has been to be part of a team that I believe in and can fully rely on and I feel 100% supported in whatever I do.

Anna P: I learned that there is never enough attention that can be paid to the details :) Moreover, I learned to rely on my team members. In CIVITTA, I feel great support from my colleagues and I love developing projects with them - so that the project is not a result of one person but it is the work that puts together many pieces that together create great value - the projects become the mosaic of our gifts and talents.

 

9. What do you like most about your team?

Anna B: I love that we have a similar sense of humour, we are able to poke fun at each other and do not take things too seriously.

Anna P: I love the dynamics in our team - getting lunch together, our favourite coffee breaks or when it is 6 pm and still some work ahead of us we order dinner together and enjoy the view from our office! We love spending time together and working together. We laugh, share stories, and help each other. We are sensitive to each other´s needs, I believe that it is something very specific for our Slovak office and that´s why we all love it very much.

 

10. How would you describe CIVITTA in a few words?

Anna B: I would say only one word - challenging :) 

Anna P: For me, CIVITTA is a group of enthusiasts that are eager to learn and together they are the enablers of projects that make a real difference.