If there’s anything we’re proud of here at NUL Apps, it’s the unique, epic team we’ve assembled, so we figured it would be a great idea to showcase each of our own Avengers! Today, under the stage lights stands Vidan: our Paid Advertising Manager – the master of targeting and campaign organization. Here is a quick interview we conducted with Vidan on a fine Wednesday afternoon:
- How did you start working in NUL Apps? Was it a regular apply-call-interview type of story or was it something different?
It was totally unexpected actually! After 7 years in the hospitality industry (aka a nightmare), I wanted to change course and kind of turn my life around by fulfilling a long-standing wish of mine: working in marketing. So I finally quit after 7 years and went to Thailand (one-way ticket type of trip) to quite literally find myself. I spent my time there studying, passing various marketing-related courses and once I returned to Belgrade, I polished my CV with the intention of sending out applications anywhere I could. The funny thing is, when we want something badly enough and we put in the work, the universe seems to reward us for that, which is exactly what happened to me. On a fine, sunny weekend in a pub at Kosmaj I met Nikola (founder of NUL Apps) and the usual “Hey, how have you been?” conversation quickly developed into “I just got back from Thailand, trying to get into marketing now…” and Nikola’s “That’s perfect because I need someone like you in my company!” The rest is history.
- You’re an ace for paid advertising, that’s a fact. How did you advance so much in only 2 years?
This is going to sound incredibly clichéd since we hear it all around (especially on LinkedIn), but if you want something and commit to that goal, you can really achieve it. However, that requires long hours by the computer, taking various courses, listening to different podcasts – all as a means of staying up to date with the latest marketing trends! - What gives you the drive to excel professionally?
My aim is to help every client reach their optimal results to the best of my ability. I genuinely enjoy seeing this sort of growth and development of every business, be it a start-up or a well-known company – this joint effort on an idea and, ultimately, tangible results and the client’s satisfaction is what inspires me to do better every day!
- We know you’ve recently become a dad (most likely the best in the world!). What does your updated daily routine look like?
Well, one thing’s for sure – there’s no more daily routine for me! I mean, you can go ahead and plan things out, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get it done. Now there is a tiny human who couldn’t care less about your routine… Jokes aside, I’m over the moon and I’m truly enjoying my new role.
- Did you always know you’d work at your current position or was it a different kind of journey? Describe your path.
Not in a million years. Once I made the decision to switch my career paths and switch from hospitality to marketing, I was aware that I firstly needed a specific skill set that could potentially open doors in the marketing world. I was always drawn to the advertising world, so specializing in paid advertising came naturally since I see it as the essence of modern advertising.
- What surprised you the most while working in NUL Apps?
All of the following came as the best kind of surprise: their approach to every client, a team of young, ambitious and insanely creative professionals that always go above and beyond to come up with something beyond the client’s expectations. Also the way I was welcomed and accepted immediately, but also the opportunities I was given to apply everything I’d known only in theory and I am beyond grateful for that.
- What are some of the most frequent challenges you face during a typical working day?
It’s definitely the instant switch we all need to make multiple times a day. Let me explain that – one minute you’re working on a Facebook and Instagram campaign to sell luxury apartments worth several million euros and in the other you’re trying to determine the optimal target audience for a Swedish start-up. Five minutes later, another client calls you up for an emergency campaign that needs to be published ASAP for a new clothing collection. Sometimes I wonder what we could accomplish if we were doing all that for one single client – I’m sure we’d ace it.
- Do you have any role models or generally someone you look up to?
Not off the top of my head, so I wouldn’t say I have a single role model. I think throughout my life I simply observed the people around me, took notes and acquired the good things! - What’s a TV show you can rewatch a thousand times?
I’m not a big rewatcher. As much as a movie or a series has left a strong impression on me, my reaction is never along the lines “Oh, I gotta watch that again!”. Realistically, I think an accurate answer to this question would be a Serbian classic “Maratonci trče počasni krug” that can roughly be translated to Marathon Runners Do a Lap of Honour, since I’ve rewatched that one the most out of all. - Do you think you have a healthy work-life balance? How can people achieve that more easily?
It depends. I’m slightly extreme when it comes to work organization: it’s either full speed ahead or just full-time chilling. I don’t like half-working half-relaxing, it feels like you’re doing neither. Take your time for each.
