New Entrepreneur (NE)
Name & surname: Veronika Hozjan
Country: Slovenia
Age: 27
Sector of activity: Animation
Did you already start your business? Yes
Website: https://veronikahozjan.one/
Host Entrepreneur (HE)
Name & surname: José Mª Fernandez de Vega
Country: Spain
Sector of activity: Animation
Name of business: The Glow animation
Website: https://www.theglowanimation.com/contact-us/
Period of Relationship: 01/10/2020 – 31/03/2021
Duration of Relationship: 6 months
How has Veronika managed to create new possibilities for herself during a pandemic?
For the past six months I have been living and working in Spain. In this corona times a lot of people would doubt about accepting this kind of decision or searching for new opportunities abroad. But I think, corona should not be a limitation, we must see it as a cause and find new ways for our growth, on a personal or business level. Take all the advantages of the given situation.
But let me start at the beginning. I am a Slovenian entrepreneur Veronika Hozjan. From the first day of my studies, I started to dedicate my time to art. Due to the fact that I was studying at Academy of Fine Arts and did my Master’s in Painting, I realize that my real passion lies in moving images. So my decision to specialize in animation was very obvious. After opening my own company as a freelancer, I quickly realized, I need more knowledge, on the technical and business side. That’s why I needed to find an animation production studio where I can start an exchange and learn from them as much as possible.
And I found one, in the middle of a pandemic, with the big help of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program. I started to pack my bags and quickly moved to a very small town situated in the south of Spain called Almendralejo, where I began my exchange in The Glow animation studio. From the first day on, my HE made me feel like part of his team. I started to work on a new animated TV series ‘Operación Frankenstein’. We had been very lucky, even if a pandemic was rolling around (and still is) we were every day in the studio, occupied with a lot of work and things on our minds. When my exchange was extended (from 2 to 6 months) my HE gave me a very detailed training about the whole business structure in the animation industry, explanations about European funds systems and I collaborated in the drafting meetings with other production studios.
Apart from the training mentioned above, HE helped me define a new roadmap and a business plan. He taught me how to structure my projects, schedule them and explain to me strategies of financial planning. HE also opened the door for me to attend some events, such as Cartoon Movie, a platform dedicated to animation professionals, where I could see other large companies present their projects and promote their business.
In conclusion, I am very happy for the experience and grateful for HE contribution to my exchange. I really want to continue the things that make me happy and I think this exchange has made a huge contribution to my future business path. I will return to Slovenia with great enthusiasm to implement everything I have learned: to better define my services, expand the client portfolio, invest in marketing and make my business more widely known. In addition to this, there is a high possibility that my HE and I can collaborate again in the future, adding my gained knowledge to the upcoming projects.
Veronika Hozjan (NE): “Thanks to the EYE program, I have been able to learn new skills to put into practice in my own business that have contributed not only to my professional but also to my personal growth. I had an opportunity to learn from an experienced entrepreneur and got in touch with new approaches of work. I would encourage other entrepreneurs to participate in this program, since it is very productive, enjoyable and offers you many possibilities to advance and grow.”
Jose Maria Fernandez De Vega (HE): “Existence on the global market is a key point for a company like The Glow. That’s the place where we can collaborate with different people and companies to create unique stories and projects where everybody can be part of something bigger. Programs like EYE are showing the best way to explore, work and create good relationships with different people in the same industry. Veronika’s personality and workflow are characteristics which we are always looking for. Apart from her work style and spirit, she also has a good artistic knowledge which is a big contribution not only in a business part but goes beyond the exchange experience. “