Table Talk with Jelina Saliu

She started her own accounting business, Accounting Management, Inc., at 24 with a singular mission in mind: to support entrepreneurs in achieving their dreams. It wasn't long before her mission became reality with clients like resort wear brand Marysia and lifestyle brand The Laundress. After 11 years working alongside The Laundress co-founder (and Rondel founder) Lindsey Boyd, successfully preparing The Laundress for acquisition and acting as its first CEO, these two powerhouse women decided to partner on Rondel. From colleagues to friendship to partnership, Jelina is, as Lindsey says, “She’s the woman who gets it done. She turns dreams and vision into reality.”

Read on for a little Table Talk with our Rond Table Guest, Jelina Saliu.

My first experience with running a business was…

At 24 I founded Accounting Management in NYC to offer founders of business support. I built a great customer list in a matter of weeks, and the majority of them are still with us to this day. During the first few years, I remember my dad telling me to hire a new team member per year to take some of the load off of my plate, so I could focus more time leading and training tomorrow's leaders. I took this to heart and made sure to stick to it. I have such a great, loyal team!

**The people seated at my rond table are…**

My Parents, my in-laws, my husband, my kids, my sister, Anisa, my cousins and my best friend and sister-in-law, Drilona (who actually owns all of the Rondel chains and a large assortment of the charms -- she’s obsessed with the brand). My rond (kids) table is very big! Lots of nieces and nephews. A huge part of who I am today has to do with how my family raised and loved me, so including the next generation in my round table is important to me.

I am inspired by…

My daughter, Ariana. The way she adapts to each situation and always looks at the bright side is truly admiring. She also just wrapped up authoring her first book Finance with Ariana, a children’s book that lays out the basics of finance and teaches kids how to budget, save, invest and give back.

As a CEO, my secret to success is…

Think people, not customers. Make products that will solve problems and make people’s lives easier. Don’t get so wrapped up in customer profiles.

One way I’ve had to pivot my businesses in current times is…

Learning to lead and inspire remotely. People look to me for answers and stability during these tough times. It's about setting up my teams for a successful remote working situation and making everyone still feel like they are part of a team.

Between being a wife, mom, running my own business and acting as CEO of another, I wind down by…

This is a good one... I love what I do – from caring for my family to caring for my clients and my team. So, winding down for me is actually doing more of what I love with the people I love.

The first thing I do when I wake up is… and the last thing I do before bed is…

The first thing I do when I wake up is… coffee! And review my very fluid (and usually very busy) schedule. The last thing I do before bed is… I am usually fast asleep before my head hits the pillow, so not much!

My memoir would be titled…

Forward and Upward.

A fun quarantine activity we’ve been doing is…

Spending time in the great outdoors! From walks on the beach and early morning swims to growing patio plants and herbs, our family has been loving anything as long as it’s outside.

My goal for 2021 is…

Travel more – or at all!

Something about me you may not know is…

I am a proud Albanian! We love our regular visits to Shistaveci, the mountain village my family is from. The town is all about the outdoors (which we love) – skiing, hiking and swimming in the Albanian Riviera and exploring its gorgeous caves. Shistaveci is also very well known for its daffodil-covered fields in the spring.