Side by side series – Anna Brziakova and Anna Pastorekova
Introduction
In our “Side by Side” interview series, we invite a Partner and a Consultant to provide insights into their daily activities and offer a parallel perspective on their respective roles. This time, we spoke with our colleagues from the Slovakian branch.
Anna Brziakova is an Associate Partner and Anna Pastorekova is a Consultant.
What is your perfect morning routine to start off 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 favorite 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 energized and ready to tackle all challenges of the day!
What music do you like listening to on your way to work?
Anna B: I like listening to Imagine Dragons.
Anna P: When I need to motivate myself at work, I always turn on Andrea Bocelli. The orchestral music lifts me up in spirit and every task seems manageable.
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 or co-create various events around me. I love to see the interconnectedness of people and how great an impact we can achieve together.
Do you cook and if so, what is your favorite dish to prepare?
Anna B: I love to cook on a daily basis and bring home-cooked meals for 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 often find me cooking. It’s one of those things that I usually leave out of my schedule, when I’m too busy. But my favorite dish to make is lasagna.
How do you maintain your motivation during the day?
Anna B: The thing that keeps up my motivation during the day is laughing with my colleagues at the office.
Anna P: I remind myself how much I love my work and how I enjoy working with the 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 can make. Often we think that small tasks make no difference, but with the right attitude, they can!
Do you have any 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, organizing events and conferences, jogging, skiing… My recent discovery 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.
What is your favorite weekend activity?
Anna B: On 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 doesn’t really matter what we do together, it’s just building a relationship with these people that I enjoy. Sometimes we take a walk together, sometimes we have Sunday lunch or we go for a hike.
What did you learn during your time at 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 at Civitta I’ve learned a great deal about many interesting areas and I’ve 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 feeling 100% supported in whatever I do.
Anna P: I’ve learned that there is never enough attention that can be paid to the small details. Moreover, I learned to rely on my team members. At Civitta, I feel great support from my colleagues and love developing projects with them – so that the project is not the result of one person but represents the combination of many pieces that together create great value. The projects become the mosaic of our gifts and talents.
What do you like most about your team?
Anna B: I love that we have a similar sense of humor, that we are able to poke fun at each other and don’t take things too seriously.
Anna P: I love the dynamics in our team – getting lunch together, our favorite coffee breaks, or when it is 6 pm with some work still ahead of us, when 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 here so much.
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 who together are the enablers of projects that make a real difference.