News and Insights
#FINNFam Friday | Meet Plamena Manolova
August 19, 2022
Coffee or tea? Milk first or last? Why?
I love coffee – I’m actually from Bulgaria and don’t typically drink tea with milk. For my coffee, though, I love a flat white, my personal favorite being made with oat milk!
What is your go-to productivity hack?
I like to start my days off with coffee, especially if I need a boost! The major hack I use for productivity is to-do lists for my personal and work life. I swear by them and usually start curating them on Sundays to plan the week ahead! My friends think it’s silly but it really helps me become more productive when I get my plans and ideas out of my head and onto paper.
What is the best advice you’ve ever heard?
So, I actually have two ‘best advice’ tips. The first one is to try and talk to a client like you would a friend. I was given this advice at a time when I was super nervous about presenting to an important client; this advice really helped me feel calmer and comfortable around the client. It also allowed them to feel as if they were speaking with a friend. The other advice I would give is similar to the first one – Don’t let nerves get the better of you. I was advised to focus less on myself and more on how I delivered the information to the client. It allowed me to realize that a presentation is less about myself and more on the message being given, allowing me to give my full focus to the presentation and less on my nerves!
What is one thing about British life that is hard to explain to non-Brits?
I would say the London Underground. People find it hard to understand and super messy! Whenever I am able to help someone navigate taking the tube (the train system), they are always surprised at how well I know my way around because it can be super confusing.
What is one professional skill you’re currently working on?
I am currently working on learning to delegate a bit more. I attended a course discussing productivity at work and learned my type of work personality. With this information, I want to allow more people to take initiative in aspects of assignments whereas before I would allow myself to be more in control of things.
What would your superpower be and why?
I would love to move things with my mind! It’s funny actually – when I was a kid, I wanted to be a witch, so moving things with my mind would be cool!
What is your favorite app and your favorite electronic gadget?
My favorite app at the moment would have to be Instagram. For gadgets, my phone would be first, of course, and then my Apple Watch! I love tracking my steps and sleep cycles.
What is one of your proudest professional achievements?
I am super proud of how well I have managed some of our clients. I normally end up with some of the more “difficult” clients. However, once I’ve begun the working relationships with these “difficult” clients, they always turn around to be quite pleasant after all.
What three items would you bring to a desert island?
My top three would be books (assuming I can bring more than one for entertainment), a knife to hunt and eat food, and a paper and pen, so I can write a book on how I survived on the island!