An interview with our CEO

New Slovenian company on the global market - GlobalPharmacia d.o.o.?

New factory and headquarters, consolidated production line, strengthened sales channels all over the World - those are the main facts of first two successful years for GlobalPharmacia d.o.o. "We are determined that success story will continue in the future," says Jernej Bolka, CEO of GlobalPharmacia d.o.o.

1.??????Tell us a little bit about GlobalPharmacia and its story - what inspired you to start the business into the food supplements industry?

I have been working in sales for many years, I have more than 10 years of experience in the category of food supplements and cosmetics. I worked both for a large international company and for a smaller privately owned company. I have always been present in international markets. I am grateful to everyone for the opportunity offered and all the experience I gained while working for them. Over the years, I have come to know where those shortcomings are, or rather opportunities, that I can take advantage of in my company. As a small company, we were very flexible when we started with potential customers and offered them exactly what, based on my knowledge from the past, they lacked or complemented them completely. So, improving the entire business process, from production to delivery, be more flexible for the customer was my goal and the inspiration that made me decide to go on my business journey.

2.??????Tell us more about the work you’re doing at GlobalPharmacia.

As a CEO my main task must be running a company. Given that the company is growing quite quickly, I also have to worry about the growth of the team. We are currently doing a lot of hiring, so selecting the right people for the right position is currently taking up a lot of my time. Based on my past, my biggest passion will always be sales, so I still stay in touch with our customers. I am very connected with our sales department, I am present at all sales meetings because I believe that my understanding of their needs is a key factor for good sales results.

3.??????What does your typical work day look like?

I think over the years, one thing I did actually struggle with was how to really structure myself. How I have learned to structure myself is by getting into a very serious morning routine. Every morning I go to the gym or do a 10km run. Then I get ready and go to the office where I spend most of the day. My day is very active, full of meetings in the field or via the computer. Regardless of everything, I take time for lunch every day during the working day, because I believe that a regular and healthy diet is an additional part of the day that contributes to being successful and sustainable. Every day in the company, I take the time to make a round over the warehouse and production and talk to the employees, because in this way I get the right information and feedback, in which parts and workplaces we need improvements and where we can progress. I have daily meetings especially with the sales team, because their needs are the most important for the company to deliver customer’s wishes and orders.

4.??????What is the most valuable lesson that your career has taught you so far?

People learn all their lives, some of us are aware of it and in this way we try to improve ourselves day by day both in our private life and at work. Still others are not aware of their shortcomings or turn a blind eye to them. In business, you meet all kinds of people, from jealous, envious, vengeful to those who are ready to help you on your way and with them you make friendship for eternity. Those last ones are why I love business so much. It improves me on every level. I don't bother with the first ones, but I stick to the principle: Never revenge, let them realize.

5.??????What motivates you?

The very first thing that motivates me is being able to wake up every morning next to my wife and see my son around me. This motivates me to do something more creative every day that will challenge me so that I come back home and feel fulfilled. I also love to create opportunities. I’m a creator. So being able to have a conversation that leads to something that creates an opportunity or a great relationship is something I’m very passionate about. And finally, what motivates me every day is the people outside of my family who support me. Me, my friends and my business partners are very connected and in touch every single day. A lot of my friends today are people I met thanks to my business. My goal is that my business partners become also my friends. Friendship counts for life.

6. ????What’s your favorite book?

The best book I’ve read is the 10x Rule. It’s a book that tells you that everything you do in life is good, if you really want to be successful, you should do it 10 times better. If you’re thinking about something once, think about it 10 times. Think about the effort you put into it and multiply it by 10. This is when success will find you. It’s a great book and a great life rule to live by.

7.??????How do you balance family life and running a business?

First of all, I need to give my wife a lot of credit and thank her for everything she does. My busy life means I’m always somewhere and she’s had to sacrifice a lot to make it all work. I discovered the true meaning of work-life balance and the thing is that it looks different for different people. I now have my goals aligned with being able to enjoy my life too. I try to separate private life from business but on the other hand my wife comes to business dinners and networking events with me and so I’m able to interact with her even more on a daily basis. The delegation of tasks to my growing team means that I get some of my weekends and evenings back, and I even get to enjoy important date nights or frequent short breaks away with my beautiful wife, and family time away with the kids doing what they want to do.

8.??????What are you currently working on?

I am currently, or we are, fully occupied with the USA project. We have acquired a large customer in the US, for whom we will ship the first order in the last week of December 2022. I have been actively involved in this project for more than 4 months, as export to the USA requires certain specifications both in product registration and in production and, of course, import. We want to be very precise at every step from order acquisition to final delivery to 3 different locations in the US, as there is no room for error on the first order.

9.??????What are you looking forward to in the future?

Given the relatively fast growth of the company, I have to constantly look at the development and potential expansion of both production, warehouse space and the team. We definitely want to keep up with the times, which means that, especially in production, we will always need the latest high-tech machines with which we can gain a competitive advantage. Long-term growth is definitely a desire and also a goal, and the main factors of growth are always innovations and the expansion of the offer, and we will also pay special attention to this area in the future.

10.??Finally, what is next for GlobalPharmacia in 2023?

The first task and desire is successful long-term business in the USA. We will only maintain this by participating in many fairs and visiting customers regularly. Immediately after that, we also have big ambitions in LATAM. In Q2/2023, we also plan to penetrate the markets of South America. The deal has already been agreed and the first orders will be shipped within 4 months. Our hub will be in Montevideo, Uruguay and from there we will ship products to Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, etc.

https://group-gp.com/

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