Balkan Peninsula: the region of Southeast Europe. Enough history, culture and spirit to inspire others.
Balkanica--for those of you who haven't heard of it--is a store selling a variety of options between apparel and home; all inspired off of the Balkan Peninsula, where long dresses are seen from coast to coast and vibrant colors bringing life to the culture and environment. It's no ordinary store on the corner, it's full of life, history and uniqueness.
B A L K A N I C A
spontaneous. free spirit. wild. one and only.
Every place has its "vibe", its style, its feel; at Balkanica, the vibe is alive and unmistakable.
Working at Balkanica during my 4 week internship has been incredible. Although I am not sure what I want to study yet, working here has been unimagined, leading me down a new paths. At my internship, I've worked mainly with the store and administrations, both distinct yet similar in a number of ways. I've gotten the chance to understand and experience all aspects of Balkanica, from working in the store for a few hours, selling to the customers, to understanding the finance involved in running a smaller company, to working in the tailor shop. All positions of which I loved, but the two that most caught my eye were the store manager and head administration. Both jobs entail different criteria, but, they both overlap tasks, and work together heavily in some areas--of which I found out through working in both these areas.
DAY1: ADMINISTRATION
Finance: the base of it all, the sticks holding the company together in the best way possible. At Balkanica, finances aren't it's biggest concerns, money is one thing, but keeping the business fresh and going is another. Although finances have to be updated every 15 days, and money is deposited every week, systems come into place and make everything that seems to be complex, as simple as it can be. Collaborating with everyone (Human Resources) is also involved heavily in this position. Keeping up with everyones work, and making sure all aspects of the company are fulfilled on time and done correctly. Time and dedication are essential for this role, since it is basically the roof of it all, it's what brings Balkanica all together, all bits and pieces of the puzzle are pieced together to create the final outcome, which is the store. Working in the Administration section is like being on a nonstop wheel of jobs. Since Balkanica is currently growing, this job is crucial to it's deadlines and fulfillment, there is no time of day to "chill", it's all about the work. But of course, keeping it at a reasonable amount.
Day3: STORE MANAGEMENT
Working in the store is much more different than I expected. Yes, you wait for customers to arrive so you can help them make choices, choose options and potentially buy something, but that's not it. Working in the store is a lot about keeping the vibe alive, keeping it present at all times. This comes with the visual representation of the store, as well as keeping the music flowing and spirits up. Working in this section is like working in another company, it's fast moving and always engaging since it changes up day-to-day; you never know what will come tomorrow, but you're always looking for ways to change up the environment in unique ways, making sure the style is accentuated and defined, leaving Balkanica it's trademark as always.
Both these days were incredible to me--along with the others as well--I learned more than I could have imagined in just a few days time. I learned more about myself as well. I never knew that selling a product to someone else, and helping them find what they liked and what suited them best would be such a thrill to me. I never knew that organizing the store, and making it visually presentable would be something I loved to do. I never knew that reviewing past bills and checking them twice will come to be such an important task when looking into the financial future. All things I thought were minimal jobs, or things I usually am not attracted to, called my attention when working on them at Balkanica.
Changing up environments and taking on new tasks, even if they aren't "calling your name" at the first try is always worth the time, because... who knows! It might become your next muse.