GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 36 - October 2016

What’s your preferredmethod of commu- nication with affiliate managers? E-mail. Some AMs don’t understand that I don’t have all day to chat or Skype. Also, I prefer to have everything inwriting as proof of our correspondence, in case any problems arise. What prompted you to join the GPWA? How has it helped you? Wow, I had to check the datewhen I joined theGPWA, and itwas back inDecember 2011! Howtime flies! Honestly, I cannot rememberwhat prompted me to join. It was probably that I wanted to get informed about the latest industry and affiliate news, and learn about any issues and complaints that other affiliates are having. I believe that the affiliate community needs to stick together, and sites like the GPWA are instrumental in that. Personally, I find the GPWA to be useful in spreading the word on rogue programs and casinos. What do you like about the industry? I like the diversity that it brings in terms of different cultures. I like that it is really interactive and ever-changing and chal- lenging at times, which is good as it makes us stay on our toes and keep improving. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why? It has to be getting rid of the dishonesty, and getting more regulation and protection for both the players and affiliates. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? I don’t think my parents quite get it. My mom and dad initially thought that I was gambling my future away—pun intended—but some- how I did manage to explain to them that what I do is sort of marketing. As far asmy friends go, they get it, and I have actually hired a fewofmy closest friendswho are nowpart of the ever-growing LCB team. How do you manage your to-do lists? Do you use any special software to help you out? This has to be my Achilles heel. But I find that tools like BugHerd help a great deal with managing tasks and orga- nizing to-do lists. How much time do you devote to social networking for your sites? We have a dedi- cated teamthat does our social media pages. We currently have more than 50 Facebook fan pages, plus Twitter, Google+ and Pinter- est. It’s a full-time job, weekends included. What’s the most difficult thing about running your sites? The sheer size of our network and managing tasks and staff on a day-to-day basis. That’s why we’re hiring more people every fewmonths and giving more responsibility to our key staff members to delegate some of the workload and make things run smoothly. What’s the best thing about running your sites? Being the second in command and a business partner gives me a lot of freedom, and it has its own perks. I enjoy the role and the responsibility that it comeswith it. I enjoy being able to work remotely, even though most of our staff works from the office. I enjoy being able to travel and run the sites at the same time. I also enjoy the ability to cater to our visitors, to inform and educate them, and to make a difference and help protect them. What do you do to stay in shape — both physically and mentally? I work out at least four times a week. I quit smoking two years ago, and that proved to be one of the best decisions of my life. I have a dog that I walk a few times a day, which relaxes me greatly. And, of course, meeting up with friends for drinks is always a good idea. What do you do with your spare time? I mostly spend it outdoors with my dog, watching TV or going to the cinema. A big part of living in Belgrade and our culture is spending time at café bars. We love our coffee, and it’s still the best way to kill some time and socialize. What did you dream of doing, both pro- fessionally and personally, when you were a kid? Um, that’s a tough one. I wanted to be a historian at one time, then I wanted to save the planet and do some ecology work. I wanted to help people as a kid, and I still do. I have some plans in that respect in the not-so-distant future. If someone from out of town were vis- iting you, what’s the one place you’d definitely take them to see? Belgrade is known for its nightlife, so it would be one of the many river clubs we have here. It is also a city of history, so I would take them to see the old city fortress and Kalemegdan Park — and, of course, get them to try the local cuisine at one of the most prominent bohemian quarters in Belgrade. When you need to get as far away from work as possible, where do you go? I travel a lot, and the work always follows me! I can’t get away from it. It is both a blessing and a curse. What’s your all-time favorite movie? I am a sci-fi fan, so has to be 2001: A Space Odyssey , and the recent one, Interstellar . If you could invite anyone to dinner, who would they be? It can be only one — and no, not the Highlander! Nikola Tesla! Name three things that people reading this magazine don’t know about you. 1. I am a big fan of football and a Partizan Belgrade fan. 2. I used to play basketball in elementary school and in high school. 3. I had my neck broken when I was 19. I enjoy being able to travel and run the sites at the same time. I also enjoy the ability to cater to our visitors, to inform and educate them, and to make a difference and help protect them. GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES Nikola Zugic – Zuga 56 W W W . G P W A T I M E S . O R G