A dialogue with Cristina Zarioiu

More than a year ago, I had a conversation over coffee with Cristina Zarioiu. I thought it would be good to have this interview in English as well, so here it is.

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I have known Gabriela Blaga since before the pandemic, from when she invited me to her show, "Tell me your story," on BiziLive TV, to talk about vulnerability, authenticity, and my newly released book.

Today, we switched roles. And because for some time now, Gabriela's life has been unfolding on two continents (Europe and the USA), I managed to catch up with her over coffee just a few days before she left for New Canaan (Connecticut) to tell me about the latest book she wrote, "Audrey Hepburn: Reach for your stars".

Reach for your stars is a journal-style book that contains 45 famous quotes by Audrey Hepburn (the number 45 comes from the actress's birthdate, 04.05), and for each of her quotes, Gabriela has posed coaching-related questions (Gabriela is also a Solution Focused Coach, accredited internationally by Petra Muller's Coaching School).

It's as if, over the course of 45 days of self-reflection, the reader is guided by two mentors, Audrey Hepburn and Gabriela Blaga.

Browsing through the journal, I noticed that on every page, there is a drawing of a butterfly, and on each wing is written one of the words—Vulnerability, Uniqueness, Courage, and Authenticity—which form the acronym VUCA2. I asked Gabriela to explain more about this concept.

** Until 2016, I worked in the corporate system, and throughout those years, there was much talk about VUCA in today's business environment—Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity. In 2020, during a webinar, I spoke about the VUCA business environment and connected it to the anchors we have within ourselves, through which we can counter what this environment brings us. Playing around with the letters, a different kind of VUCA emerged (vulnerability, uniqueness, courage, and authenticity), which I named VUCA2.

Simply put, VUCA2 is an antidote to VUCA. Gabriela discusses this concept in more detail in her 2021 book, VUCA2: Tap the Power Within You.

And why did you choose the butterfly? I asked after noticing the butterfly-shaped jewelry she was wearing.

** The butterfly is my personal symbol. After a difficult endometriosis surgery in Copenhagen, I started looking for anchors and various things to help me get out of the state I was in because it was very hard, and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I started writing my thoughts, drawing... and I drew a butterfly. Since then, the butterfly has been my personal symbol, which is why I wear it in various forms. For me, it symbolizes constant transformation and growth.

Before talking to Gabriela Blaga, Audrey Hepburn was, to me, just the beautiful and stylish Holly Golightly from the film "Breakfast at Tiffany’s." However, from Gabriela, I learned many things about the actress's life. I found out that she was born in Belgium and came from a noble family. During World War II, because the Germans confiscated their properties, she and her family had to hide, often surviving on tulip bulbs. Audrey Hepburn very much wanted to become a ballerina, especially since she was talented, but due to malnutrition (which affected her bone system) and because she was quite tall (she was 1.72m), she had to give up this dream and turn to another stage. That's how she became an actress.

Audrey Hepburn was also an honorary ambassador for UNICEF, and from the moment she began her work, UNICEF's revenues increased more than ever before (they doubled during her tenure). At almost 63 years old, she passed away due to stomach cancer.

Gabriela discovered Audrey Hepburn around 2014, when she saw the film "Roman Holiday." From then on, she started reading the actress's biography (she read all 7 biographical books about her life), listened to audio interviews, and watched documentaries about her. Later, she literally followed in Audrey Hepburn's footsteps. Thus, during a vacation in Rome, on a very beautiful street called Via Margutta, Gabriela was able to admire the house where "Roman Holiday" was filmed.

In New York, she went to see the house from the famous "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" (today, a boutique hotel occupies the building).

A few years ago, while on a business trip to London, she went specifically to the exhibition that the National Gallery organized in honor of Audrey Hepburn, where she had the opportunity to see some of the actress's personal items and photographs (including her ballet shoes).

On her Bucket List, she has noted: having breakfast at the Blue Box Café within the Tiffany store in New York (where the waiting lists are extremely long) and visiting the house in Switzerland where Audrey Hepburn lived for 30 years and where she is also buried.

Gabriela had the chance, about a year ago, to talk on Zoom for 45 minutes with Sean Hepburn Ferrer, one of Audrey's sons.

** In a way, I felt like I was talking to her. You can tell he loved his mother very much. He even wrote a book about her, "An Elegant Spirit," a tribute from son to mother; for me, it's one of the most beautiful books about Audrey Hepburn.

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Who is the journal-book "Reach for your stars"aimed at, and how do you hope it will help them?

It's suitable for all women, from 14 to 80 years old (she laughs). First and foremost, I hope they will be inspired by all the wise words of Audrey Hepburn, and through my questions, they will learn to ask themselves even more questions about life. And never forget that they have the power to change what comes from the outside through their inner strength. As Audrey Hepburn says, "Nothing is impossible; the word itself says I'm possible!"

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The Romanian version of the interview can be accessed here.