Meet the talent: Enxhi Nikolla

Enxhi, tell us a bit about yourself? 

I'm from Albania, but I moved to the beautiful land of Finland to pursue my studies. My name is Enxhi. After graduating from high school, I delved into the world of business and information technology.

Oh and by the way, my boyfriend and I share a deep love for crepes, so we decided to start a crepe restaurant in Finland because we couldn't find any good ones around. It's called Phloopys – go there if you love crepes!

As an Albanian, what parts of your cultural background have you taken with you to Finland?

I believe that one significant aspect of my cultural background that I've carried with me to Finland is a strong sense of trust. Trust is deeply rooted in my family and our interactions with one another. This has greatly influenced my working culture as well, as I tend to trust people to do their tasks and fullfill their responsibilities. Although there have been instances where people have let me down, I still maintain my trust in them or give them another chance.

Could you share a surprising fact about yourself?

I absolutely love painting and writing, especially poetry. I started writing poetry in the third grade and even participated in a school competition, which led to the publication of a book featuring my poems. One of my latest poems was dedicated to my beloved grandma.

Surprisingly, despite my cultural background, I consider myself to be quite introverted. It's not a common trait among people from my culture, as they are generally more talkative and extroverted. Initially, initiating conversations and forming new relationships was quite challenging for me. Public speaking, in particular, used to be a complete nightmare until I took proactive steps to overcome it during my time at Haaga-Helia's Startup Club. I  had the opportunity to become a leader there and participate in numerous pitching competitions. Now, as a mentor in Haaga-Helia, the City of Helsinki, and IWWOF, I no longer fear such situations. I feel comfortable sharing my knowledge and connecting with people. It has been a remarkable journey of personal growth and breaking through my own biases.

Could you tell a bit more about your mentoring journey?‍

Mentoring others brings me so much happiness. Witnessing people achieve their goals and seeing their progress fills me with positive vibes. I genuinely enjoy helping people and guiding them towards success. I have actively engaged in various volunteering jobs, and I even initiated a startup club as part of my involvement. Seeing people happy and fulfilled is a source of great joy for me.

After your studies, what kind of work experiences did you have?

After completing my studies, I started working remotely. I initially worked as a Marketing Assistant at a coaching company, handling social media marketing, website design, and customer interactions. Marketing wasn't exactly my cup of tea, though. Then, I ventured into carpool logistics, taking on roles as a business development manager, sales contact developer, and project manager. Those were part-time jobs that allowed me to explore my skills and interests.

Later in 2019, I became a mom and found an opportunity at FSun LTD, where I took on sales and business development responsibilities, selling various projects. It was during this time that I realized my passion for meeting new people and building partnerships. I discovered my love for project management, stakeholder management, and customer success.

Could you describe how has your experience been with Herizon? 

My experience with Herizon has been absolutely wonderful. I genuinely enjoy being a part of it. The meetings organized by Herizon are the highlight of my week. It's a fantastic opportunity for me to meet inspiring individuals and connect with like-minded people. I have been learning about growth hacking and various ways to improve myself. The program has not only equipped us with valuable skills but also boosted our confidence tremendously.

One aspect that really resonated with me was the sense of motivation and positive vibes I felt during the job search process. It can be disheartening when you're searching for a job and facing rejections. However, seeing other people in similar situations and witnessing their determination to find employment was truly inspiring. The co-working sessions provided by Herizon played a significant role in lifting my spirits and motivating me to keep pushing forward.

"Enxhi Nikolla has the perfect combination of skills for a technical project manager - from her impressive background in software development to project management, and coaching entrepreneurs. She thrives in the space between tech and client and is always working on her ever-growing skillset." – Viivi Marttinen, Community Manager @Herizon