BeyondWork: How to master the sea, the wind, and yourself

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As you’ve already learned, we are a team with diverse passions. Today, two of our colleagues, teammates at work and on the sea, talk about the challenges of sailing when your hobby is sailing.

The Crew: more important than the boat itself

Dan Săndulescu has been with Connections since 2016, and when he’s not managing contracts and accounts, he analyzes international tenders, searching for new project opportunities.

His passion for sailing was discovered recently, just last year, when he was invited to participate in the Corporate Regatta with the Connections team, marking his first experience navigating the sea using sails.

As Dan is someone who loves the sea and already practices several water sports, sailing felt natural to him and immediately captivated him. He started researching and deepening his knowledge of this sport through courses and practice.

“I was fortunate to be part of two extraordinary crews: the one made up of my Connections colleagues, with whom we won the 2024 Corporate Regatta, and the crew I competed with in sports competitions, where we placed 2nd in the Romanian Cup and won the National ORC Championship, Class A2, all with the same beautiful yacht, Nitro,” Dan recounts.

Revelations on the boat

“I realized the importance of the crew, which is even more crucial than the boat itself when it comes to sailing. Every member needs to be 100% dedicated and involved, not just to fulfill their tasks, but also because they are directly responsible for the other crew members,” says Dan.

Is all this effort worth it?

“All the efforts fade away in the face of the joys and satisfactions you experience when you’ve raised the anchor, sailed out to sea, and cut through the waves, one after another, with the yacht straining against the power of the wind,” he believes.

Sailing – THAT experience

Claudiu Stăniloiu has been in HR for 18 years, and his connection with people fuels his energy and desire to innovate. He is constantly looking for new methods and results, and that’s how his relationship with sailing began (and continues).

After stories and jokes with friends, his official debut in this sport happened in 2023, when he said: “Let’s go to a Regatta. It’s great, it’s in a team, it’s the sea, and there’s the peace it offers,” he recalls.

How was it? “It was THAT wow experience that makes you want to do it again and strive for more. It came with a 4th place finish – disappointing at the moment because you missed the podium by a hair, but strong enough to motivate you to be more focused in the next race, to learn more theory, and to put more into practice,” Claudiu shares.

Sailing Challenges: what’s it like on the boat?

“Being on a boat is like being in a fast-food restaurant. You need to learn and be willing to take on any role the team covers. The first role I took on? I was the mastman (the guy who raises and lowers the sails). Secondary role? I was also the boat’s photographer (because you only raise and lower the sails once 😊),” says Claudiu.

Over time, he took on other roles and gained more experiences, which undoubtedly meant progress and personal growth, as he decided to stick with it. In 2023, he completed his boat license courses (Categories C, D, and S), and in 2024, together with his friends and colleagues, he achieved the big goal: 1st place at the Corporate Regatta.

“Of course, everything is full of challenges, and the most significant ones, which are beyond your control, are the changing weather and the sea. One moment it’s sunny, and the sea is calm, and in the next hour, the wind can pick up, and strong waves can appear. And as we say in Romania, ‘it can give you a bit of a panic,’ but we’ve already set the next goal: participating in the 2025 Bosphorus Cup (Turkey),” he reveals.

Why sailing?

Because it relaxes me, says Claudiu, and the visual landscapes you encounter have their charm. But also because you need energy (like in any sport), you need to innovate (the sea is unpredictable), you need to accumulate experience, and you have to be as efficient as possible to make it to the podium, says Claudiu. “It’s not a hobby you dedicate time to every day. But it’s a hobby where, if you want to perform, you have to ‘steal the craft.’ And yes, I have people to learn from and ask for advice.”

Advice from Claudiu & Dan for future sailors

CLAUDIU

“Don’t say no before trying something. Learn, experiment, and stick with what works and makes you feel fulfilled.”

DAN

“If you love the sea and want to master the wind, try sailing—you’ll be fully satisfied.”

BeyondWork: About good grades, at work and on stage

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Andreea Ciocoi: If You Have Inner Peace, You Can Move Forward More Calmly in Life

What connection exists between a Customer Service Analyst job and the spotlight of a stage? At first glance, the two fields seem completely unrelated. But not for our colleague Andreea Ciocoi, who proves the opposite: at 27, she manages to remain equally active at work during the week, while also bringing musical notes to life, on stage or in the studio. Whether at the microphone or in professional relationships within a highly competitive industry, her skills remain the same: patience, confidence, and a positive vibe.

Music, a Childhood Love Story

“I am an optimistic and hardworking person. I like Asian languages, Asian food, and traveling. But my greatest passion is music,” says Andreea.

In her professional life, she excels in the role of Customer Service Analyst for one of Connections’ top clients, while her free time is mostly dedicated to composing music at Art Music Studio and performing at private events on her free weekends.

“I enjoy contributing to the composition of musical themes for various artists or even for my own pieces, and at the events where I sing, I feel like I always learn something new and open up more to the audience,” Andreea confesses.

For Andreea, it all started at the age of 6 when her parents enrolled her in a children’s club in the 5th District of the capital. There, among many other activities, she discovered her passion for singing and the talent inherited from her grandmother. At first, Andreea reproduced the performances of artists from her mother’s favorite TV shows, but she continued to practice with unwavering dedication every day. This perseverance paved her way to bigger and more prestigious stages. “In everyday life, I try to sing for at least an hour from the songs I know or that I try to learn for fun. Even during high school and university, when I wasn’t as involved in music, I always made time to sing for an hour. No matter how much I tried to distance myself from music due to circumstances or my inner critic, I couldn’t escape it,” says Andreea, who began to take her passion more seriously at 21.

How Does Play Become Passion? With Effort and Faith in Your Path

Andreea’s hobby is one that involves a lot of time, passion, dedication, and emotional intelligence, and she has faced her share of challenges. She encountered people who tried to impose their own limits on her, but she felt she could do more and had much more to discover. So, she considered each failure as a redirection and a lesson for her growth.

As a result, over time, Andreea Ciocoi’s voice has echoed in numerous places, in clubs and at various events, until she stepped onto the stage of “The Voice of Romania” in 2019.

“I managed to sing on the stage of The Voice of Romania in 2019 thanks to my stubbornness, my family’s encouragement, and the help I received at the Art Music Singing School. I got honest advice and a clear evaluation of my talent. I was ready in two months, and then I passed the pre-selections,” says Andreea.

And things didn’t stop there.

“With the performance of songs came the passion for creating new ideas and musical concepts from scratch, a kind of experimentation, I could say. I have progressed a lot, and music is, for me, a moment of relaxation: it’s three minutes where you detach from the everyday, dive into the story of the song, and experience that feeling. Lately, I really like gospel songs because they have a divine vibration and harmony that bring me peace and even a certain state of happiness. And jazz songs, too.”

The love for musical notes is a story that continues for Andreea. The difficulties and people’s opinions have made her more hardworking and more confident in her vision and talent. They have strengthened her optimism, and today, Andreea says, “I manage – why not – to help and uplift others with my experience.”

A Few TIPS for Those Who Hesitate to Follow Their Dream

Don’t let the advice of inexperienced people or those close to you discourage you; instead, seek professional help. My advice for those who want to start singing is to have more confidence in their vision and not to be easily discouraged.

Persist, even if everything seems to be against you. Practice for an hour a day and sing at every opportunity that arises. Believe that what is meant for you will find its way to you.

If you’re anxious or have fears related to certain situations, prayer helps. When you have inner peace, you can move forward in life more calmly.

Nothing is impossible, and the only obstacle is our fear of the unknown. It’s best to try.

BeyondWork: Knockout Hits in RPA and Kickboxing

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Aura Damaschin: At 33, I Discovered That I Can Achieve More Than I Ever Thought

Precision, patience, agility, and discipline are qualities that intertwine to make a good RPA Developer and also a good kickboxer. How do we know this? From our colleague Aura Damaschin, who, after a full day of automating complex processes for Connections’ clients, steps into the kickboxing ring in the evening and demonstrates her extraordinary strength, helping her to push her limits, both at work and in her personal life.

The Logic of Programming and the Intuition of Fighting

In the world of automation, Aura is a master of details. Creating software robots for automating repetitive processes requires an organized mind and meticulous attention to detail. Every variable and condition must be anticipated and perfectly integrated into the code.

In kickboxing, however, the pace is different. There is no time for debugging. Everything happens in a fraction of a second, and each move is a combination of strategy, intuition, and speed, depending heavily on prior preparation.

“I had long wanted to practice a sport regularly. I physically felt this need, and the sedentary lifestyle I had since childhood became painful. Over the years, I tried various forms of exercise (rollerblading, cycling, running, tennis with friends, fitness), but I couldn’t integrate any of these activities into my routine. Everything changed at 33, when I took my first kickboxing lesson, during a very stressful period when I wanted to do something with high physical intensity,” Aura explains.

Algorithms and Training

When you automate a process, it’s all about repetition and continuous refinement until you achieve a flawless result. In kickboxing, training follows a similar dynamic: basic punches, defense techniques, and combinations must be practiced repeatedly until they become reflexes. “I train 3-4 times a week, and at home, I practice basic punches and do gymnastics,” says Aura.

Additionally, just as software robots need to be programmed to handle any errors or exceptions that may arise, Aura simultaneously prepares herself to handle unexpected situations in the ring. She studies her opponents and adjusts her strategy for each competition. Every strike and counter-strike must be thought out in advance, just like a well-designed algorithm.

Overcoming Fear

No matter how well-designed a program is, bugs can appear at any time. Similarly, in the ring, no matter how prepared she is, there is always the fear of an unexpected punch.

“The biggest challenge for me is the fear of being hit in the face. It’s an almost paralyzing feeling, but with each training session, I learn to manage it better,” explains Aura.

The experience of learning to manage fear and accepting that she cannot control everything has given Aura a new perspective on life, whether it’s dealing with an unexpected software error or a surprisingly strong opponent in the ring.

The Impact of Kickboxing on Life

Practicing kickboxing has not only shaped her body but also the way she approaches all aspects of life.

“I feel like I’m no longer the same person as before I took up this hobby. Kickboxing gives me purpose, direction, order, and discipline, pushing me to adopt other healthy habits to keep up. I quit smoking and improved my diet and sleep. I carry out my other activities more efficiently and have more energy, strength, and mental clarity. I’ve learned not to waste my energy needlessly and to be more understanding and tolerant of myself and others. I’ve also increased my productivity and capacity in other areas because I discovered I can do more than I ever thought.”

Advice for Those Who Want to Practice a Contact Sport

If you want to practice a contact sport, try several and find out which one suits you best.

You don’t have to force yourself to do sports, just remember why you started in the first place.

Fear is your best friend. It will help you take things seriously, push you to prepare, and make you better.

BeyondWork: About patience and adaptability in business development and tennis

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Alex Vîlcea: Success doesn’t depend on one perfect shot or one good decision 

He tightens his racquet and concentrates. Every serve is calculated, based on precision and instinct. Every stroke requires balance and timing, just as every business decision must be well thought out and goal-oriented.

Failures in the field are often like challenges in business – difficult but fundamental to evolution. Both require adaptability, learning, and resilience. In both tennis and business, it takes patience, strategic thinking and the ability to adapt quickly.

Alexandru Vîlcea is a Connector, he works in business development and one of his favorite hobbies is tennis.

It’s an activity that not only keeps me physically fit, but also gives me a great opportunity to relax and disconnect from the daily routine. I discovered tennis a few years ago when a friend invited me to a friendly match. What initially attracted me to the sport was the combination of strategy, speed and stamina needed to play well, but also the pleasure of spending time outdoors.

Practice, patience, perseverance 

In the beginning, tennis was just a curiosity, an opportunity to learn something new. With each practice, however, he discovered the pleasure of playing and perfecting her techniques – from serve to forehand. Over time, he realized that tennis and business have a lot in common: both need strategy, attention to detail, and a desire to constantly evolve. It wasn’t easy to integrate this passion into her daily life, but through dedication, he managed to organize her time in such a way that he could train at least twice a week. And, of course, he began to watch professional tennis matches closely to learn new strategies and techniques to apply to his game. Progress came gradually and it showed especially in the first matches he won. But victory on the court is not about one perfect shot or one good decision, but countless moments of practice, patience and perseverance. And the road from learning to hold the racquet to winning in two sets has often been a challenging one.

It wasn’t always easy. One of the biggest challenges was learning to stay calm and focused during matches, especially when I was at a disadvantage. To overcome these difficulties, I constantly worked on controlling my emotions and developing a strong mental strength, which allowed me to stay focused and improve my game.

Win or lose, the challenge stimulates you 

When we take up sports as a hobby, there are many benefits, physical, mental and emotional. We are stronger, more flexible, healthier, less stressed and more disciplined. We generally have a much better mood and mental clarity. So, all the hours Alex spent on the tennis court did not go “unpunished”.

I can’t help but notice how much tennis has helped me. First, it has helped keep me in excellent physical shape, contributing to better cardiovascular fitness and toned muscles. In addition, it has become an important source of relaxation and disconnection, giving me precious moments of escape from everyday. From a mental point of view, tennis has taught me to be more disciplined, patient and strategic, skills that have served me well in other aspects of my life.

At the end of the match, win or lose, it’s the challenge that energizes Alex. Whether he’s on the pitch or taking on the ‘coat’ of business developer, it’s about pushing boundaries and refining skills at every opportunity.

Tip for those who want to play tennis 

Be patient with yourself.

Tennis is a technical sport and mastering it takes time and practice. It is also essential to invest in quality equipment, especially the right shoes, to prevent injury.

Start with basic lessons.

Either with a coach or friends who have experience, and don’t hesitate to ask for advice or practice as much as possible.

Enjoy the game.

Don’t be discouraged by difficulties. Tennis is a sport that can be very rewarding if you give it the time and dedication it needs.