Interview with a "Fempreneur"

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June 22, 2021

– ADA GALEȘ –

interview conducted by: Maria Bogdan

Ada Galeș is one of the women who inspired me during this pandemic period and helped me realize the value I can bring to this society, as a woman, in the field of business, but also in the creative activities that feed me the soul. I like to think we share a love of theater, but I still have a lot to learn from her. Having many questions I wanted to ask him about how he opened his own business during a time when acting was put on a temporary hiatus, I decided to interview him:

What would you say to a 16 year old version of you?

"That I am here for her. That at some point the support he is looking for will be found in her. That she's gorgeous, that I understand that it's hard for her, that I see it, that my main goal will be to be good with myself and that I'll work at it until I succeed.

I had this wonderful realization somewhere around the age of 28 that between 20 and 28 I had worked enormously on myself and also that this work would never end. That my purpose in life is my continued emotional, mental and spiritual development and to be able to give this development back to the world. "

Credeai că așa numita “fempreneur” este ce și-a imaginat acea versiune a ta că vei ajunge? 🙂

"Of course she didn't imagine exactly that, but if I were to do an exercise in imagination, I think she's very proud. This question helps me a lot. Because there are many moments for me too when I doubt myself, or it seems to me that I am not enough, that I don't do enough things, that I don't do them well enough. And now, thinking about how I would look at 16, I think I'd like to give myself a hug."

How did you decide to enter the theater world?

"I think that the 16-year-old version of me that you're asking about felt seen and appreciated and that it can give itself to the world, through theater. If you ask me why I keep doing it now, it's because acting is something very intimate. It's about me. Performances and filming are the moments when I am fully present, where the created universe matters more than anything else. And that helps me a lot in whatever I do – this ethic of artistic craft – namely: that the thing we do together is always more important than any of us individually.”

What difficulties have you encountered in this professional path?

"All. Insecurity, financial insecurity, dissatisfaction, like all of us, probably in all areas. It's definitely a job where there's a transfer between you as a person and your work, because you're working so directly with your mind, your body, your self. It can be a very fine and sensitive job, but no matter what I've been through, the joy of working on a show, discovering worlds and being able to talk about the world to the public through the shows and films I make has always been a much greater joy than anything oops I had to go through."

Did you have a role model who inspired you in the theater world?

"I love and admire my colleagues and try to get the best out of my interactions with them. I don't have any professional role models, but I try to tell the people I work with that I admire them, that they inspire me, and that I learn from them."

6. How did the idea of We are phoenix shop come about?

"Although the business idea had come to me, We Are Phoenix appeared only at the moment when it was extremely clear to me that we would like to have the labels illustrated by Romanian artists and it continued to exist thanks to these women who are with me: Aureliana Popa, Alexandra Tampa, Antoneta Galeș, Sabina Dan and Anca Prisăcariu (Animalenas)."

You managed to grow your business in a very short period of time, diversifying the product line with which you launched the original brand. How was the transition from the theater stage to the creator of an artisan product brand (in the middle of a pandemic)?

"For many years I was looking for a business idea, and the pandemic for me came with free time to experiment, with courage to throw myself into what I want to do and with partners to go on the road with. I think it was the most intense year I've lived."

When you realized that you wanted to open a business, why did you go to the body care/self love area?

"We Are Phoenix is about transformation, about the ability we have to rise from our own ashes. Each product has an attribute: love, balance, happiness, etc. which reminds us when we use it that what we seek is already within us.

More than that, I think I want, with every business I do, to help people.

At We are Phoenix we felt the need for the consumer products we use to be more than just products. Our dream is to merge art with retail, to open an immersive space where we can play and find our wonderful products. I say wonderful with all my heart, because we often call each other, those of us who work at We Are Phoenix, to enjoy and congratulate each other on the quality of our products, and I think that is very important. www.wearephoenix.org"

In addition to this product line you have also created a community for women @iadmirewomen. Why do you think it's important, now more than ever, to maintain a connection with the women in our lives?

"Because we need to change the social conditioning that exists and the way we are used to relating to each other. I need to bring into existence the utopia I believe in, which is that women support and admire each other. To me the world is about what we can do together."

I know that you flirted a little with the idea of psychology and "personal development". What attracted you to this area?

"The observation that maybe one of the most important things the world needs is trust and the fact that I can provide that. Since I identified that I could create a safe space where people feel confident that everything they are looking for is already within them, I thought it would be important to do this.

More than that, I'm passionate about how we think and feel, what's behind the things we do, and I have a sincere desire to be of service to people.

I soon want to organize a support and support group on some specific topics: anxiety, intimate relationships, empowerment, etc."

Of all the activities you do, which one brings you the most joy / fulfillment?

"I think all the things I do complete me in a unique way.

I really enjoy working, doing it together with people I believe in and being able to contribute to creating a creative work environment where we can be free, safe and productive. I think it is very important that the environment in which we spend most of our time, the work environment, is one of quality, from which we can grow and develop. Whatever we do.”

Do you think it's important for a person to have multiple interests and not focus on just one thing in their professional life?

"I was invited by the Hera Foundation, which I applaud for supporting mental health, to talk about the inner child and I tried to point out that the poses we have in us stay with us throughout our lives. That we have so much to learn from keeping some of the attributes we had when we were young.

I believe that we are capable of doing whatever we want, of discovering the world with immense curiosity and enthusiasm, and I also believe that learning is continuous and should never stop.

I also leave you an article that I really liked on this subject:

Why You Should Have (at Least) Two Careers https://hbr.org/2017/04/why-you-should-have-at-least-two-careers?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=linkedin&tpcc=orgsocial_edit%E2%80%9D

You have taken part and discussed self love in several projects. What does it mean to love yourself and your body unconditionally in your view?

"Know that no matter what you want to change, the change can be made from a space of self-love and with gentleness. Have small, achievable targets and be aware that confidence, self-love and happiness are things you can work on.

For this I wholeheartedly recommend the Happiness Notebook, a tool to increase our quality of life written by my mother. She is also the reason why I am so well. You can find it here: www.antonetagales.ro"