Dream Teams: The Deep Alignment of Nicole and Mark Rajakovic

Seventeen years ago, in the town of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Nicole and Mark Rajakovic met for the first time. 

It wasn’t an introduction under professional circumstances, but undeniably, the chemistry was there from the start. She thought he was a bit of a smart ass (“and incredibly confident and kind”) - something that hasn’t changed at all to this day as he “continues to be quick witted and deeply confident.” 

Meanwhile, Mark was taken by Nicole’s quick wit, and lack of fear when it came to challenging any situation that might put someone in harm’s way… something that also hasn’t changed since. 

Now, one marriage and two kids later, they’re partners in every sense of the word, having - just three years ago - launched a shop together, making them the proud founders of Rajakovic Electric, a full service audio company specialising in sound for advertising and film projects.

“Back then I certainly never imagined we’d one day be running a company together,” Nicole says, reflecting on the journey that’s taken them to today. “Over the years, given our complementary work backgrounds, we had toyed with the idea of starting our own shop, but it always felt like a huge undertaking. However, when the covid-19 pandemic changed the work landscape dramatically, we found ourselves starting up our own shop.”

“Considering everything else,” Mark jokes, “working together isn’t exactly the biggest commitment we’ve made to each other!” 

Naturally, navigating a relationship and a business successfully, simultaneously, is not something everyone can just do. And to this end, both Mark and Nicole acknowledge the benefits of their mutually strong senses of creativity, but also, the importance of having their differences. “At our core, we are both very creative people with an intense attention to detail, but the way in which we approach and work through tasks is quite different,” she adds. “Mark is very methodical and takes his time, whereas I tend to be more of a rapid-fire multitasker. I think this is where we complement each other well; I can be off solving a problem quickly, while he is taking the necessary time to focus on developing strong creative.”

This synergy was evident, even from the very first time they worked together. Tasked with recording and mixing a radio spot for Longo’s with Conflict Creates, Mark notes that the two were barely set up as a company when this project came in. However, quick thinking, cooperation and a trusting client led to some spectacular results. 

“We didn’t even have a dedicated studio space or a logo at that point, so I am impressed at what we pulled off,” Nicole continues. “Not only did we successfully record Anthony Longo for the spot, but three years later we are still handling all the brand’s radio and have developed an incredible working relationship with the agency and the brand.”

But, that’s not the project they’re most proud of. Rather, both agree that title goes to The SickKids Foundation’s ‘House of Legends’ spot which came out in fall 2022 - a testament to the pair’s ability to push limits and pursue the best audio possible… and divide labour, naturally. 

Speaking to this latter point, Mark recalls that Nicole was responsible for all of the project’s music licensing, which included securing permission to create a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Pastime Paradise’. “Moreover,” he adds, “after me not being happy with the usual voice casting process, Nicole somehow tracked down the contact info of a female MC that I wanted to try for the VO - ultimately making the project so much better in the end.”

And on the flipside, Nicole is equally quick to praise Mark’s sense of scrutiny. “It required a very particular voice, and I just wasn’t finding it through the regular casting options,” she says. “However, because Mark was determined to find the perfect voice, after some sleuthing, I found our MC on social media and reached out. Amazingly, I got a call from her and we connected instantly. She recorded at home, with some direction from Mark, and when we presented it to the agency they were blown away, and the client was over the moon! It was such an amazing feeling to pull that off, and it reminded me how important it is to fight for the right voices.”

It’s this sense of alignment that also proves invaluable for Nicole and Mark’s partnership as a whole, allowing them to react quickly and efficiently when solving problems, while still leaving room for input and second opinions. 

“Anytime I’m working on something creative, even if I know that I’m on the right track, it’s important to share early works in progress with someone you trust,” Mark comments, observing the benefit of having a consistent creative collaborator like Nicole. “I’m constantly amazed on how I can hear something different in a mix or have my own perspective change just by having someone else in the room.”

And, all of this is done without creative disagreement. The pair concur that when it comes to work, stuff only really ever goes smoothly - although that’s not quite as true for their personal lives, they joke. “I don’t think we have really ever disagreed,” Nicole says. “I just think we are lucky to have such a deep alignment which, I think, comes from us having such a strong foundation of the same values and priorities.”

This proves especially useful when the pair are tasked with overcoming big challenges. And, there are a few that come to mind. 

In Mark’s case, he remembers doing all of the audio on a Stella Artois global campaign - undeniably a huge endeavour. “We’d be on conference calls with a large creative team as well as multiple clients around the globe, and here we are… this tiny, two-person operation,” he says. However, thanks to the pair’s synergy and determination, a favourable outcome was all but guaranteed, teaching the two a valuable lesson in the process. “I think that particular experience has shown us that despite our size, we are more than capable of taking on bigger projects.”

On the other hand, the greatest challenge Nicole recalls came with several of the SickKids projects, posing the studio with the unique challenge of requiring a licence approval on a cover… in time for an audio mix date. “On a few of those projects, we had an original piece of music as a plan B,” she explains. “On two occasions, we went into a mix with the original because we didn’t have the licence cleared yet, but had the foresight to build in time to mix the cover version just in case. On both projects, we received clearance after the mix date and were able to provide the originally-approved idea for the client, which makes everyone happy.”

So, what lessons come with overcoming that which is difficult? According to Mark and Nicole, quite a few. For Nicole, she’s learned that you can fight for your creative - without being a jerk about it. “Mark has been able to get even the most ‘outside of the box’ creative audio ideas greenlit, and also has been able to take feedback and incorporate it without compromising his original idea,” she points out. 

Meanwhile, Mark himself has discovered the value of learning to trust his instincts a bit more. “I think having such an amazing partner to work with has enabled me more room to be creative and not settle for the safe ideas,” he explains. “Our efficient way of working has freed up a lot more time to experiment, even under tight deadlines.”

And, as a bonus, Nicole also hopes that this portfolio and bevvy of experiences effectively demonstrates the fact that the size of a company has no effect on the quality of the product. “Over the past three years we have worked on small projects and massive global ones. We put the same effort in and bring the same strong creative and efficiency behind them.”

Rounding things off, the duo share some words of experience, offering insight into what it’s like working full-time with one’s partner. Specifically, according to Nicole, while the pair do like socialising outside of work, the biggest challenge about being married to one’s business partner is ensuring that a clear line is drawn between work and personal life. “When you add two kids to the mix, it’s even more of a challenge to socialise,” she continues. “So, if we do get the opportunity, which is rare these days, we enjoy getting together with friends or even just having dinner out - just the two of us.”

“To put it in perspective,” adds Mark, “we celebrated our wedding anniversary months late this year due to our hectic schedule.”

In spite of this, however, both agree that this arrangement is well-worth it - something they wouldn’t really trade for anything. “I think a lot of people assume that running a company with your wife would be challenging, but honestly it has been such a relief,” reflects Mark. “After all, she’s had to hear me vent about all of the challenges I’ve had in other working relationships for years. This has been the supportive working relationship that I’ve been looking for all along.”

Finishing, Nicole adds that for her, Rajakovic Electric, and what she and Mark have there represents the culmination of inspiration and the power of family love. “I’m constantly inspired by the creativity and passion of my partner and our kids, who are the ones we want to be around at the end of the day,” she says. “I want to make them proud of what we do.”