Our today's interlocutor Anja Popovic works as a children's swim coach and is a small business owner, creating unique handmade bags, eyeglass chains, wallets, pet chains, backpacks and more.

Anja is an economist with a degree in accounting and auditing and, as she says, the most common association of an auditor is strictness followed by monotony, not creativity. Therefore, she decided to show the opposite.

- For 9 years now, I have been devoting part of my free time to the education of children as a swimming coach. Apparently, my free time was not "enough" filled, so I decided to complement it by expressing my creativity through hand-made bags - Popovic tells us.

What is POP.IN? What services does it offer? What makes this small business authentic?

– POP (my last name/popular/population) IN (be in – be unique – be chic) ​​what we as a small business offer is unique handmade bags and other accessories like eyeglass chains, wallets, pet chains, backpacks etc. . Uniqueness is a hallmark of our brand because we also make models to order, that is, all bags are made according to the customer's wishes. Your imagination becomes reality in a very short period of time and you have everything you wish for. Our motto is to bring out the creativity of each one of you and to encourage you to design your own bag and accessories according to your wishes and needs, and we will turn it into reality for you. Therefore, no bag is the same as the previous one, exclusively yours and special!

How and when was the idea born? What was the key and how did you get encouraged to start your own small business?

- It's too simple - at least that's what I concluded from the whole process of establishing my own small business. You just have to love what you do and everything will go like clockwork. My life has always been surrounded by creative creation in various spheres, so the obsession with bags and accessories like any girl, surfaced by crowning a small unique handmade brand. I wanted to make something that would be a unique stamp and mark of my style. I decided! I love this bag! Before making my first creation, I couldn't wait to see the final product, which would be above all functional, elegant, unique and special. The feeling cannot be explained.

Every beginning brings its own challenge. Tell us, in your personal experience with this business, what did you overcome to be here today?

– It's interesting to say that you don't even feel the exhaustion when you want something to look beautiful, you simply do your best and you see the result in a very short period of time. It is a challenge in every way. You start something on your own and all you have to do is work on yourself, creativity and effort will surface.

What worries/fears would you single out as "unnecessary" from today's perspective?

- I wouldn't single out a single worry or fear as "unnecessary". They pave the way to success, but we must not let them overwhelm us. I would say that you simply get used to controlling them, and with the passage of time and experience, you begin to ignore all the obstacles in order to use every moment to create and achieve your goal.

There are certainly things that you overlooked in the beginning that turned out to be especially important. Who are they?

- In general, when you start a new small business, the time needed to acquire quality raw materials is neglected, which is especially important if you want to be competitive in the market. However, you should always have alternative means of securing materials so that work can continue without interruption. That's why it takes three days to make a basic bag model.

What's next for POP.IN?

- Even before I founded my brand, I followed the latest fashion trends and wanted to be involved in every sphere of that world. After I founded POP.IN, I wanted to be part of those who will dictate the future fashion trends. We have big plans for the near future, and to reveal them to you, follow us on our Instagram profile.

What would you say to anyone who is hesitating to start their own business?

– The opinion and reactions from customers that you get when you have something of your own makes you feel fulfilled. It is a pleasure to hear or see that someone respects and loves your work, and the result is visible immediately. Don't even think about it, just do what you love and what makes you feel fulfilled.