The future of Romania

“Romania is moving towards the good, but with small steps. Many of them have started to shout out loud what bothers them. The voices are easily heard. They need to be said more loudly and in much larger numbers. The new generation has had more access to education and to traveling to other countries to see other cultures and other developments. Many bring it here and try to change something. Slowly, slowly we get there. I believe so. But you need time. Honestly, I would like a state that helps young entrepreneurs, as everyone wants. It's like in Elena Farago's poem - Gândăcelul "why did you squeeze me in your fist? (…) don't you know/ that I'm small too and that it hurts me?". I've always had this poem in my head. It's the same with the state. No matter how small you are, it crushes you completely. I like to travel, but this is where I want to live ", is the declaration of a young entrepreneur, if we are to go by the numbers, a lover of beauty if we relate to what her acquaintances say.

“Romania is moving towards the good, but with small steps. Many of them have started to shout out loud what bothers them. The voices are easily heard. They need to be said more loudly and in much larger numbers. The new generation has had more access to education and has traveled to other countries to see other cultures and other developments. Many are bringing it here and trying to change something. Slowly, slowly we are getting there. I believe so. But you need […]"

Her middle name is that of a great empress of Orthodoxy, but she describes herself as a simple person built on an amalgam of circumstances. Her name is Alina Elena Murariu and before settling in Bucharest she was a student in Iași, then she tried her personal development in Cluj. For her, these periods were transitory.

Brâncuşi said: "That's it! I'm old! This material is too hard for me... But I won't give up... I'll work in linden. Wood is easy to carve, because it resembles man. It has a warm soul... And it doesn't have a long life... Alexandru Graur was right. I'm a beginner... (He looks at his works.) I signed a beginning of the world..."

I chose to quote the great sculptor's thoughts precisely to introduce you to the story of my guest today.

I WOOD BE – The wooden business of a young woman who gives new life to a tree, and the replacement of paper in diaries is done through donations for children in foster care.

Alina works with wood and offers memories to her clients, but she also plants a tree. She ended up having her own business from an honest dialogue with herself. She realized that she would be confined by a job that required a certain schedule and only 21 days of vacation, so she dared. She had the support of her family, to whom she returns thanks at every opportunity, but perhaps most importantly, she followed a sign, a thread, that led her to something great, I would say.

In December and March, I WOOD BE works around the clock to bring a big smile to the faces of everyone who orders things from the workshop of Alina, a Moldovan from Pașcani who loves traveling.

Who is Alina Elena Murariu?

Tough question. A mix of feelings, states, emotions, desires. Too much energy gathered in one body, curiosity, trying for more and especially a great desire for evolution.

What did young Alina dream about in her childhood?

In the first phase, doctor, in the 4th grade. There is also a video where I said this. I probably knew from then on that something had to be done in this sense, in medicine. Then I refocused myself and chose a boarding house. I wanted my boarding house in the mountains.

What college did you attend and why did you choose it?

Geography. I was too confused at the time and I didn't guide myself or didn't have the necessary guidance. Being a lover of travel, I chose geography.

One by one: what do Pașcani, Iași, Cluj and Bucharest represent for you?

Mom, college, transit and money.

How did the idea of ​​starting your own business come about?

The desire to not work for the minimum wage and to create something of my own. Plus, I like complicated things. I would get bored with the same job and I can't imagine having only 21 days off. We were given a freedom that we must take advantage of, and I was "lucky" to enjoy it (freedom).

Why wood?

Because it can be recycled, because it is alive, because it is natural. I am tired of plastic or artificial. Because at I WOOD BE a tree is born from a sold product. Because it smells, because it gives you goosebumps, because you can build anything from it. You shape it like your own life. All you have to do is use quality products and materials. Many don't! Because you can feel the hard work and the dust in your throat (or should). I have always felt more than a woman. There is also a masculine side.

Why I WOOD BE?

The human connection with wood. My connection with wood. Wood is alive and I come alive with it.

How did the whole business start? How much did you invest at the beginning?

From the need for a sign, a bookmark. From a sign from life. We are all looking for meaning. The first time I invested 13 lei, then I reinvest everything I earned or earn. I had no other help or other sources. But I think I should think about an investor, some associates or funds. I want to grow!

What fears have you had to fight and overcome?

The state and competition!

If you could turn back time, what would you change about your journey so far?

Maybe I would have invested more time in the workshop and in myself personally.

What time of year is the busiest in your workshop and why?

Martisor and Christmas. Because people are still looking for unique gifts and something different. We are fed up with kitsch and artificial things.

How many people work with you?

I have people I collaborate with, I don't have any employees. Next.

Who are your customers in this case?

Outside of fairs, companies. Companies that want to offer customers better quality, more eco-friendly products, with a different concept. I WOOD BE doesn't just offer products, it offers a new life to a tree together with the Carpathia Conservation Foundation, and the replacement of the papers in the diaries is done through donations for children in foster care. We're getting big. And I don't want to stop here. I believe that when you have something, no matter how small, you have to pass it on, because only by helping each other can we become better. But I know that my products are not for everyone and I chose this.

What advice would you have for a young person who is just finishing college and doesn't know where to go?

To take a break first. To go somewhere alone, maybe on a trip and look for themselves a little. Then their whole perception of the world will change. They will find a passion or at least a job that they really like. It is better to “waste” a little time until you figure it out than to waste a whole life doing what you don't like.

What is Alina Muraru's motto?

Choose life and I WILL BE

Complete the sentence, or even make a composition: “Mom was the one who…”

Despite what she went through, she showed me her smile. She taught me that you can overcome anything, that you can't stay trapped in a "trap" for the rest of your life and that things are just ordinary things. She really showed me a lot of smiles and that was passed on to me. I think that's the most important thing. Know how to smile all the time, and if you have people or situations that don't make you smile anymore, it's time to make changes. Without fear. And I still see in her that she's evolving, that she wants more from herself, that she's working on her personality to be better and calmer, to accept other points of view, not just the ones she grew up with. It's a big thing that at her age she's in continuous evolution, both spiritually and professionally. And she's the one who never said no. She let me try, even if she wasn't convinced. And she wasn't... she is! Proud of her!

Any advice for readers?

You want to do something for yourself, you need to have patience and a lot of nerves. You want to know yourself, travel! You want to have real friends, be honest and see how many you have left. You want to live? Breathe and love! You want to have courage for anything in life, learn to know yourself, then try to overcome your limits. You have nothing to go wrong with. Besides death and incurable diseases, everything can be “fixed” and replaceable

What would the Future of Romania represent in your vision?

People who want to become better, more honest, more lovable. Romania is moving towards the better, but with small steps. Many of them have started to shout out loud what bothers them. The voices are easily heard. They need to be said more loudly and in much larger numbers. The new generation has had more access to education and to traveling to other countries to see other cultures and other developments. Many bring it here and try to change something. Little by little we get there. I believe so. But you need time. Honestly, I would like a state that helps young entrepreneurs, as everyone wants. It's like in Elena Farago's poem - Gândăcelul "why did you squeeze me in your fist? (…) don't you know/ that I'm small too and that it hurts me?". I've always had this poem in my head. It's the same with the state. No matter how small you are, it crushes you completely. I like to travel, but I also want to live here.