Maja Źróbecka is one of the people I really wanted to interview ever since this series started. Not just because we share the same specializations (she focuses on business and medical translations), but because I believe the rebranding of her business, MyLingua.pl, is extremely consistent. I am happy to have her on this series and I hope you will enjoy discovering her brand as much as I liked preparing this interview!
Hello, Maja. I am very happy to have you on these series as I believe your brand is extremely strong and consistent with the services you offer. Can you first tell us a little about yourself?
Hello, Emeline, and thanks for featuring me in your ingenious blog series. I am an English to Polish freelance translator currently based in Szczecin, Poland, however previously I lived in London for 4 years where I earned an M.A. degree in Bilingual Translation. Over the past 8 years, I have been delivering medical translation services with a focus on clinical trials, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Through my work, I help pharmaceutical companies, CROs, doctors and manufacturers of medical equipment market new drugs, run trials in Poland, publish in journals and produce Polish IFUs.
The first thing you see when you land on your website is your portrait. What a bold move! How did you come to decide to focus the visitor’s attention on you?
In our business, we don’t often get a chance to meet our clients face to face. By choosing this photo for my home page, I wanted to say to all visitors “Hello, this is me, the person responsible for the services you receive. I’m friendly, reliable and ready to help you today”. I think seeing a person you are about to work with creates a more personal business relationship, reduces the distance.
Moreover, as I was examining various translators’ websites, I noticed majority used similar stock photos: people shaking hands, a keyboard, a nameless person holding a briefcase, etc. I thought showing who I am would help me stand out a bit and emphasise that I take responsibility for my business. After all, I am a solopreneur.
You specifically serve the medical industry. Can you describe to us how you crafted your brand around this specialization? How do your clients respond to it?
The main reason I decided to re-brand a while ago was because I wanted my visual materials to reflect my specialisation in medicine. I asked my designer for a strong logo, with a solid foundation to reflect that my business is unfailing and dependable.
Having a tagline was equally important to me, although not every business has one. I thought about it for weeks, and then, as I was travelling back from a holiday in Prague, I had this Eureka moment and came up with “Translated with care” which clearly tells my clients what I do and how I do it. Plus, the word “care” makes a secret reference to “healthcare”.
When I re-launched my website, I got positive feedback from my clients who wrote that my image was much in line with what I do, and, I guess, I should take it as a compliment.
I very much like the colors you chose for your brand – they give off a very soothing and reliable vibe. Did you choose them for a particular reason?
Revamping my brand started with doing research on colours and how they correspond to what our business is about. My aim was to elicit exactly the feelings you named. I went for a shade of mint that, generally speaking, makes a reference to the colours seen in an operating theatre or in a healthcare setting. It is also associated with safety, harmony, protection and it’s quite restful for the eye.
What does your logo represent?
My logo is fairly bold and apart from the obvious M for mylingua.pl and for Maja, through its shape and size I wanted to convey that I am capable and competent. Straight and simple lines correspond to the precision required in medical translation.
And now for the traditional questions! We all know that branding is more than a name and a logo. If you had to choose three words to represent your brand, which ones would they be?
Diligent (checked once − will cross-check again)
Flexible (a last minute change − will adapt)
Friendly (a smile is a standard)
Finally, how do you manage to convey these aspects to your customers?
I guess both through the standard of work and customer service I provide. My clients receive carefully executed translations where every doubt is cleared either through research or enquires. I try to exceed their expectations by providing input which can facilitate their work. And I hope that my brand reinforces these qualities.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Maja!
