CheckPod: Onur S?zener, Advertisement at CNN

Welcome to the first edition of CheckPod, our weekly newsletter brought to you by Fitcheck. Here, we will engage with industry pioneers, startup founders, venture capitalists, and corporate executives in discussions about innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and much more.

At Fitcheck , our goal is to build a superapp for sustainable fashion. We empower fashion resellers with social media-like features for promoting their products. Resellers can earn points by reducing carbon emissions, which are redeemable for cultural activities or donations to NGOs. We're backed by Draper University , ?Tü ?ekirdek , 西班牙Esade商学院 , and Microsoft for Startups .

We are thrilled to kick off our series with Onur Sozener , Advertisement Sales Group Coordinator at CNN Türk and mentor at ?Tü ?ekirdek . Parallel to his career, he is presently pursuing an Executive MBA at ?stanbul Teknik üniversitesi , showcasing his commitment to continuous learning and development.

Firstly, what is your background and how did you land in your current role?

I am a graduate of the Department of Economics at ?stanbul üniversitesi . I currently continue my studies in the Executive MBA programme at ?stanbul Teknik üniversitesi , which I'll complete by the end of July 2023. After graduating from Istanbul University, a job opportunity related to a management trainee programme at Dogan Media Company came up. They were seeking management candidates for their advertising department. I applied for the job, and that marked the beginning of my journey in the advertisement sales sector with CNN Türk . I initially started as an advertising sales executive at CNN Türk, and after 13 years of work experience, I am now the advertisement sales group coordinator at CNN TüRK.

What advice would you give to those aspiring to enter the advertisement industry?

Some advices that I can give:

You have to enjoy working in a dynamic environment.

Our job requires being sociable and being able to communicate with people and clients. You should be extroverted.

You need to be able to manage your stress.

If you are seeking to emphasize your creative skills, the advertisement sector could be a good fit.

Who or what inspires you the most?

Steve Jobs inspires me the most. Since last year, I have been following Simon Sinek's podcasts and videos, and reading his books.

The Golden Circle philosophy he proposes has particularly caught my interest.

What are you listening to these days?

Oldies and easy-listening music.

What are you watching these days?

Succession TV series and the WeCrashed mini TV series.

What’s one habit that improves your productivity?

Getting up early in the morning, planning my schedule for the day, and managing my daily to-do list greatly improve my productivity.

How do you incorporate sustainability into your daily life?

I make an effort to be water-conscious and keep my environment clean.

Is there a quote that you love?

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."