My Secret Sauce

           It is no easy task to come up with 5 unique things about one’s self, although each individual is by definition a unique being and carries a unique set of experiences that make him/her. This is my shot at finding what differentiates me:

1.)    Geographical/Historical background- Just between 0-15 years of age the two countries I have lived in have been 6 different political entities (Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo under United Nations, Serbia by itself, Kosovo Republic). Having experienced these transformations and one war and lived most of my life in post conflict country gives me a relatively unique perspective in world affairs and peace and conflict issues. I believe this makes me a broader thinker and a more understanding entrepreneur.

2.)    Diverse educational experiences. I have been part of a developing country education system until grade 11, and then I transferred to an International Baccalaureate (IB) high school in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was a massive leap, and then to United States for college. To be able to survive such drastic changes education but also way of living I have had to develop aggressive adaptive skills.

3.)    Travel experiences. Having had the opportunity to move for education, I early on have realized the benefit and the beauty of travel. Hence every saving and free time I have managed to put together I have tried to use to travel around and my map at this point counts 32 countries, not one to regret. During these trips I have made meaningful connections, encountered people from all paths of live including entrepreneurship and have learned from incredible diversity our world has.

4.)    Family background. As mentioned on previous posts, neither of my parents has ever held a paid job. Seeking entrepreneurial opportunity is a way of life for my family and is what dominates every family discussion. I grew up being given the chance to help out with the different businesses my family has run.

5.)    Long experience at failing. Before I was admitted to the international school where I went to for the last two years of high school I had been rejected five times in my applications to different programs, including one rejection to the one I eventually was admitted in. Despite the fact that such experience can devastate anyone in early teens, I managed to get back each time and keep on going for the next opportunity. Hence I have grown to see failure as the yet another step to success.

The friends I interviewed brought up some of the characteristics that I believe are perhaps a consequence of the ones I listed above. Many of them mentioned my listening skills and the ability to help them sort through their problems without much direct advice. I was flattered to be told that my friends appreciate my insights in the U.S. politics, which I in fact do follow quite closely. Ambition was another common characteristic listed by them. I was told that I am sometimes overly idealistic which is something I could agree with that I am, but not that it necessarily a negative thing.

My takeaway from this exercise is that I hadn’t actually thought before on what my unique set of experiences were and how I could play them to my advantage. Having to list to them in order helped me understand few things about myself I wouldn’t probably take the moment to think about. I also realized that although my friends may not now my full story, some of them can see the characteristics in personality I carry as a result of my background.