Ernests Ķirsis

Consultant, FA Solutions Oy
BBA and MBA Alumnus

What are your success habits?

– I work to gain experience in the banking system and use it to my own advantage by providing service and investing. This has led me to project management where I’ve gained skills to consult, work through the steps of resolving any type of issue, and allowed me to achieve the most out of any hour of work.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

– “Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s advice, but reserve the judgment.” Shakespeare. This, simply put, means to listen to every piece of advice you can get from people you value or their experience but make the decision on your own judgement. 

What are you most proud of?

– I am proudest of the vast and unique experiences I’ve managed to accumulate throughout my own ventures and as an employee. These steps have shaped my way of living, working, and uncover what my true values are. Along the way there also have been many challenges, however, I am proud that I have managed to tackle those one at a time and come out more experienced. 

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

– I think people sometimes forget that most stories have humble beginnings. In my case, it was heavy physical work in construction, then as a store clerk, after that countless failed investment projects and even working in an oil drilling factory in Kazakhstan all whilst studying.  

What have you always wanted to try, but have never found the time to actually do it?

– I have yet to achieve my dream of heliboarding and recreating similar adventures with friends as in the TopGear show. There are also projects I wish to work on more, but I will allow the success to tell a bigger story when I am there.

What is your current challenge or goal?

– Time management. There are limited hours in a working week when you have time to push your own dreams and projects. This requires discipline and determination to work on the things that heart aches for and that is the ultimate endgame. I am working on creating a very specific timetable that I must follow no matter what. The goal is not to deviate from it.

What are your hobbies or activities to relax?

– Oh, so many! Snowboarding, board games, picking mushrooms, walking alongside the sea, woodworking, fishing, escape rooms. I like to try out new things when they present themselves and generally, any new experience is fun and relaxes me. For, within reason, I am up for trying anything new. 

How do you push through your worst times?

– I am the type of person that would not allow the stream to steer the boat, I would take control and fight it to get where I need to be. Sometimes it requires to flow a bit in the wrong direction, but by believing in myself with enthusiasm I “row” through tough times. I like to simplify complex problems to try to understand the core issue and then work out a plan of things that are dependent only on me. Then I “just do it”. 

What mobile apps do you use in your everyday life and would suggest to us?

– Besides traditional workplace apps (Google products, Slack, meeting-related apps) I use a lot of WhatsApp to communicate with clients, Travel apps like Skyscanner/Booking to arrange my business trips, and finance handling tools to manage my finances. I use the laptop more than my phone as my work requires coding from time to time, however, I found that Mimo is a great app to learn some the coding basics when you are off the laptop.