In an industry defined by constant change, the ability to anchor in something human has become a competitive advantage.

For Eugenia Lista-Zaharchuk, President of E.L. Productions, that anchor is connection – not as a soft skill, but as the core mechanism through which leadership, culture and performance converge.

“My favorite place to be is coaching executives on a stage,” Lista-Zaharchuk says on CEO: Behind the Scenes.

“I have this ability to be able to create a sense of calm when they’re on stage, help them find their power, their confidence in the place that they’re standing or sitting, and most importantly, figure out a way in how they can connect with their audience.”

That connection with her audience is at the heart of her business.

“I realized that my purpose was really to be this bridge to help people with their careers,” she says. “Whether that’s to start a career, to transition through their career, to help a presenter on stage feel confident.

“Most importantly, I think you really have to be present with where you are. I think we worry so much about what tomorrow is going to be that we’re not present on how to get over those first few steps that are right here.”

Presence, however, is not passive – it is built deliberately. Lista-Zaharchuk says this lesson was reinforced by her business coach.

“He introduced me to this concept of thinking time,” she says. “Giving yourself the gift of 40 minutes, two or three times a week, where you can ask yourself a question and sit down and just think about that question.

“And it’s amazing what something like that, just 40 minutes of just pure thinking time – sitting down with a pen and a piece of paper, just letting yourself go – how that can really give you space to be creative, to be innovative.”

That same intentionality extends to culture, which Lista-Zaharchuk treats as a daily discipline rather than a static idea.

“If you’re not loving what you do and being fulfilled in what you do, and working with people that you care about and working with clients that you care about, you just can’t grow from there,” she says.

“We’re constantly talking about our values and our behaviors all the time. They’re in our performance reviews. They’re in our feedback sessions with each other.”

That clarity was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the events industry faced existential uncertainty.

“The very first instinct was that we needed to gather our team together,” she recalls.

“We said, ‘It has to be good, and it has to be impactful, and it has to work,’” she says. “There was just no other choice.”

What emerged was not just survival, but transformation, leading to a sharper understanding of what audiences now demand – and how E.L Productions can meet those expectations.

“One proof point. That’s all you need,” Lista-Zaharchuk says.

Yet even as formats evolve and attention spans shrink, one truth has remained constant.

“Regardless of how fast everything is going, how digital is taking over the world, we are people and people need to connect with people,” she says.

That belief is now deeply practical, shaping how experiences are conceived, designed and delivered.

“For us, it’s really turned more into experiences,” Lista-Zaharchuk says. “What is the experience? How are you changing people’s lives?”

For audiences, that shift has raised the stakes. It is no longer enough for an event to be polished, well catered or memorable on the surface. It has to leave people with something they can carry forward.

“If I’m going to take a day out of my personal life to come be with you, then it’s got to make a difference,” she says. “It’s got to matter.

“So teach me something. Don’t just invite me to something and give me great food – I can get that from a restaurant. Teach me something, make me better than I was five minutes ago.”

Lista-Zaharchuk’s goal is ultimately to produce greatness through enabling others to do the same.

“Find what matters,” she urges. “Find what’s important to your employees, your attendees, your consumer, your customer – figure out what matters to them and make them feel great.”

Listen to the latest episode of our CEO: Behind the Scenes podcast with Eugenia Lista-Zaharchuk on Amazon, Apple or Spotify.