Prepare yourself for a thought provoking conversation with Monica Banica, an amazing client I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
This chat goes beyond the ordinary, it’s a journey into self-improvement, mindset shifts and career growth and will offer solid insights, so read on.
Monica finds her place in the fast-paced Tech industry, within the buzzing world of Treasury.
Beyond spreadsheets and strategy, she’s also been embracing expat life in Dublin for 6 years, building a seriously ‘craic’ existence for herself! Taking that leap to relocate to Dublin highlights her willingness to embrace opportunity (and risk) and push past her comfort zone. It hasn’t always been easy – moving houses six times certainly proves that!
However, she’s finally found her place: a supportive community, a loving family (including two pets!), and a rewarding Treasury position.
Monica is a high performer, who is constantly seeking to become a better version of herself, improve her skills and learn new things. She’s passionate about strategy and optimising processes.
She has extensive experience and knowledge of the financial field, especially treasury.
She’s the mom of 2 pets, a British shorthair cat and a Maltipoo dog.
Diana: Hi, Monica
Thank you for accepting my invitation for the interview! I’m thrilled we’re doing this together. I’d love to get started by asking you a few questions about your role, career and then we’ll go deeper and talk about mindset.
How does that sound?
Monica: Great!
Diana: Awesome! Let’s begin.
What is your role currently and what do you enjoy the most about it?
Monica: In a nutshell I specialise in Treasury operations and projects within a large tech company, focusing on those fun…highly-regulated APAC countries.
What I love most is how cash management connects to all other Treasury functions.
This allows me to leverage operational expertise to drive new projects, optimise banking structures, explore investment opportunities, and gain broader financial insights. I thrive in this dynamic environment, there is always something happening and this can be either friend or foe depends on the mindset :)).
Diana: What has been your career trajectory so far?
Monica: My career began in banking, but after completing my Master’s degree, I transitioned into Treasury.
Within the tobacco industry, I navigated from Junior Treasury Analyst to more senior roles. By making intentional lateral moves, I broadened my skill set, leading to promotions.
After 8 years of working in Bucharest, I was seeking a fresh challenge, so I relocated then to Dublin and continue to flourish in my Treasury career.
Diana: What do you like most about your career?
Monica: Treasury’s analytical nature and emphasis on efficiency appeals to me.
I enjoy the challenge of questioning the status quo and seeking out innovative solutions. Being able to directly measure and monetize those solutions gives my work a deep purpose.
Diana: How did your focus on what you value in your career change throughout the years?
Monica: Initially, I approached my career with an open, reactive mindset – eager to tackle any opportunity that came my way across cash management, FX, reporting, corporate finance, everything :)).
My focus in my mid 20s was to absorb as much knowledge as possible. However, I lacked strategic focus and struggled to prioritise the aspects of my role that truly contributed to my growth.
In my mid-30s, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have supportive managers who mentored and guided me on how to “declutter” my never ending “yes-I-can-do-it-to-do-list”.
I highly value teamwork and cross functional collaboration over any kind of individual competitiveness. I value helping more junior peers grow and leading by example.
Also coaching has helped me develop a more structured approach, allowing me to set goals, reach them efficiently, and appreciate the process as much as the outcome.
So, I value those 1:1 sessions with you that have helped me tremendously.
Diana: In your journey, what obstacles did you encounter and what specific strategies or tools proved particularly effective?
Monica: My primary obstacle was my own mindset – specifically, low self-esteem despite achieving good results. Moving to Dublin amplified feelings of “imposter syndrome”, as I compared myself to others who seemed more capable. This likely stemmed from cultural differences between my Eastern European background and the Western work environment.
Thankfully, supportive managers and the guidance I got in coaching helped me shift towards a healthier mindset. I’ve learned that understanding my own thought patterns through books, podcasts, and coaching is key to rewiring my perspective for long-term change.
Diana: How has coaching helped you transform your mindset?
Monica: While coaching itself is valuable, it was my excellent coach who truly made the difference. We started with a clear plan and tailored our communication based on my preferred style (whether needing challenge, guidance, or simple listening).
Our bi-monthly sessions followed the agenda closely.
A good coach, in my opinion, understands their client and asks insightful questions that spark self-discovery rather than providing direct guidance. You never offered solutions like a mentor would, but pushed me with the right questions to find my own “aha” moments. I was also a committed student, doing the “homework” I assigned myself.
I recognized procrastination as a roadblock and ensured our discussions led to actionable plans.
Through coaching, I’ve gained a clearer mindset, actionable plans, and a healthier approach to work. This includes finding a better work-life balance, navigating challenges, and managing insecurities. I now focus on what I can control and make the most of every opportunity.
Diana: Once those shifts were in motion, how did your behaviour change and what started happening for you?
Monica: Coaching has helped me adopt a more proactive and strategic mindset towards my work. I’ve realised I’m the driver of my own career path and I need to plan and act accordingly. Instead of waiting for opportunities to appear, I’m taking the initiative to create them( or at least trying)
Diana: What worked well for you or what were the most valuable things for you in the process?
Monica: Hmmm… through insightful questions and guided exercises, I discovered new aspects of my personality, as if seeing myself through a different lens.
I stood face to face with parts of myself that held limiting beliefs and that helped me reformulate them into constructive beliefs. The combination of the Gestalt empty chair instrument, cognitive behavioural tools and coaching questions helped me reframe those beliefs and act differently.
That in turn led to more optimum behaviours at work.
You challenged me to see new perspectives and kept me accountable for my progress.
Diana: Transformation is an ongoing process. How have you maintained the positive changes in your day-to-day work?
Monica: Transformation, aka change?
Well, while the comfort zone is super comfy, like a fluffy cushion, it also comes with the risk of stagnating or hitting a career plateau. But sometimes, even seemingly scary changes can be silver linings if you know how to embrace them as opportunities, not be afraid of the risks and limitations (and yes, here coaching can help navigate change or take a leap of faith).
As long as we can take the reins on at least half of these changes or transformations, we’re golden.
What I do to navigate change on a daily basis is self-reflection, a bit of self-coaching and I focus on my goals.
The most important thing is to be ready to dive into these transformation opportunities when they come knocking – they might just be the best thing that ever happened!
Diana: Who would recommend coaching to?
Monica: Throughout our careers, coaching can be invaluable at different stages. In our 20s, when we might be a bit lost, a coach can help navigate uncertainties, define goals and values, and set us on the right track while we still have the flexibility to take risks and explore.
As we reach our 30s, things settle a bit, and a coach can assist in identifying areas for upskilling, achieving that next promotion, and finding that sweet spot between work and personal life – you know, those awesome moments when we’re fulfilled professionally and have a pretty cool personal life too!
Of course, challenges will occur in our 40s and 50s too, and so do the coaching needs. Like many, I’ve often said before my coaching sessions, “I didn’t have time to prepare,” or “I’m too tired,” or even “I don’t have any new topics to talk about.” But a good coach (and in this case, you!) has the ability to make me work on my homework and realise that one hour every couple of weeks is an investment in myself. It’s not just an hour spent blabbing and money spent; it’s valuable time for growth.
Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to assess the value they get from these sessions.
Diana: Monica, it’s been a delight interviewing you.
Thank you for carving out time to answer my questions and wish you many personal and professional achievements!
If you want to make a change in your mindset and career and need a thinking partner, book a call here and let’s chat. Our first 30 minute conversation is on the house.
