I met Irina back in 2014 when we were both students at the University of Economics – Varna. We took part in a business-idea contest and ended up on the same team. We lost the contest, but that day I won a good friend. We have been collaborating on and off for the past 12 years, working on interesting initiatives when our paths cross. Irina is an inspiration, and I am happy to share her story in my blog.

Tell us a bit more about yourself and the dream you are chasing

I’ve always been driven by purpose over prestige. I grew up in Bulgaria in the 90s, in a lot of instability, and that made me risk-averse by nature, but my parents raised me to believe that hard work gets you anywhere, and I’ve proven that to myself more times than I can count.

My dream was never to be rich. It was to be financially comfortable, to see the world, and to eventually build something of my own. I always had the feeling that I need to make a difference. I’ve now lived, studied, or worked in six countries across three continents, with people from literally every corner of the world, and every one of those experiences confirmed what I believed early on: curiosity and hard work take you further than almost anything else.

My next big project is the one that scares me a little more than the others: building a family, and finally getting the balance right after years of being an overachiever.

How was the idea for your dream born and how has it developed over time?

At 5, I was obsessed with dinosaurs, The Lost World and Indiana Jones. I wanted to be him, exploring, discovering lost worlds and artefacts. At 14, that had turned into something more concrete: work in an international corporation, then retire to an island in a developing country and teach kids. Looking back, I basically did it in reverse. I started working as a teacher at 19, worked in tourism in summers to stay financially independent, did p. The corporate chapter came later and then after experiencing life in a developing country for the first time I decided to pursue a career in international development. 

What stayed constant through all of it, from the dinosaur obsession onward, was the same pull: I wanted to explore, see the world, and understand how differently people think and solve problems. Coming from where I did, that curiosity felt like freedom.

Over the years it shifted from “see the world” to “do something that matters in it.” I care about creating positive change and growing professionally at the same time, not one at the expense of the other. Right now that means combining ambition with an actual life outside of work, something I’m still very much a work in progress on.

What are your plans for the future? What do you wish to achieve in the next five years?

Professionally, I want to keep working at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship and policy, but the venture-building part isn’t just a five-year plan anymore, it’s already underway. Last year, nudged by a personal low point, I registered my own company. It was a bit of a Munchhausen move: sometimes you have to be the one who pulls yourself out when you’re the one drowning, and for me that meant building something instead of waiting to feel ready.

Alongside my day job, I keep creating the things I wish existed. With two friends, an investor and an actress, I co-created a public debate format tackling the topics that most polarise Bulgarian society. We’ve run 11 debates so far in front of hundreds of people, well beyond our usual circles, with journalists, artists, activists and conservatives on stage actually talking to each other instead of past each other. Separately, after noticing there was no alumni network for the U.S. State Department Professional and Educational exchange program, I established a legal entity when the chance came up at last year’s Balkan alumni summit in North Macedonia. We’re already building that community and hosting a regional conference across four countries in September. 

This week that whole trajectory got a nice validation: I won Capital media’s top scholarship for an Executive MBA in Innovation at WU Executive Academy.

Personally, I’m focused on protecting the balance I’ve fought hard for between ambition and actually having a life.

What are the most important lessons you learned along the way so far?

Stop trying to please everyone. It’s impossible, and it will drain you and quietly erode your own confidence. I think this is especially true for women in any field.

Don’t chase perfection, get the job done. Every business is understaffed, fast-paced and short on well-defined process. Perfection just means you either work far past your paid hours, or slow everything down, often both.

And here’s my unpopular opinion: that small annual bonus, is it really worth sleeping at your desk for? What’s the actual price you’re paying? Your health, your relationships, your hobbies, your physical activity. We talk about mindfulness constantly for a reason: we need to be as ambitious about our mental health as we are about our careers.

 How do you find work-life balance and prevent burnout?

Working remotely, I try hard to spend evenings and weekends off-screen. Hiking in the mountains and scuba diving (two years in now) have become my reset button. Pushing yourself physically toward a goal is often far more satisfying than the promotion you’re chasing.

I’ve also gotten ruthless about decluttering, and not just my schedule. After moving back to Bulgaria and gathering up luggage scattered across relatives’ and friends’ houses, I realized I owned enough clothes for a small classroom. I sell or donate what’s still good and recycle the rest. Turns out physically decluttering does a lot for mental decluttering too, there’s actual research on that, and it checks out for me.

To reground when things get intense, I do yoga a few times a week and try to breathe consciously the moment I notice my stress levels climbing.

How do you take care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally?

I try to be a bit of a Renaissance man about it: well-rounded, always feeding the body, the brain and the imagination. Move regularly, eat well, keep learning, keep challenging your own perspective.

I also make a point of doing things that are simply different, sometimes purely creative, just for their own sake. I did a year of acting classes alongside a political academy program, an odd combination at the time. It turned out to be more useful than I ever expected: when my CEO was unexpectedly appointed minister, I stepped in as acting CEO within two days, and that mix of stage presence and political instinct was exactly what the moment needed.

Emotionally, I’ve learned to be kind to myself when I make mistakes or I’m not on top of my game. We’re human. People will always judge us, but only we know everything else going on in our lives at that moment, so we owe ourselves that kindness first.

Personal relationships matter enormously to me, which is exactly why I keep a clear line around them. I maintain genuinely good relationships with my colleagues, but the more private parts of my life I keep separate, some things are just for the people closest to me.

I love spending time with friends. As an extrovert, that’s genuinely how I recharge. But I’ve learned that also means periodically letting go of relationships that no longer serve you, even long-standing acquaintances. Time is your most precious resource, so choose deliberately who you spend it with.

Mentally, I believe learning is lifelong: what you know, nobody can ever take away from you, and there’s always another way to grow. One change surprised me most: after being a night owl my whole life, I’ve finally become an early riser. It was a bumpy transition, but I have far more energy now and drink coffee mostly for the taste these days, not the caffeine.

What daily routines contribute to your success?

Mornings, movement, and asking for what I want.

Becoming a morning person changed my energy levels more than I expected. I move every day in some form. And I’ve learned that asking, for help, for what you actually want, unlocks chains of opportunities you’d never have imagined otherwise. Just do it.

What three principles help people make their dreams come true?

Work hard, but work smart.

Get it done over getting it perfect.

Ask. For help, for opportunities, for what you want. It sets things in motion you can’t plan for in advance.

What inspires and motivates you when times are difficult?

I remind myself I’ve been through worse: this obstacle isn’t going to be the thing that gets me down. I tend to go quieter and more introverted in hard times, and I’ve learned to actually seek out a friendly shoulder to cry on when I need it. Naming the issue and the feeling out loud, without spiraling into a complaining loop, is genuinely liberating, it’s the first real step to solving anything. I’d say the same to anyone else: if you feel like you’ve hit a dead end and are genuinely struggling to cope, slow down and ask for help. That’s not weakness, that’s the move.

I also don’t hold grudges. They poison your life and build nothing. Learn the lesson, then move on.

What would you say to people who are still hesitant to chase their dreams?

Ask yourself what’s the actual worst that could happen, and whether you could cope with it. Almost always, you could.

Then ask what’s the best that could happen, because we spend far too much time rehearsing failure and never imagining success.

Learn to fail, and actually learn from it. It’s rarely as final as it feels in the moment. When you’re scared, try to name exactly what’s scaring you: failure, the unknown, the different. Rationalising the irrational is what keeps me grounded enough to take the plunge anyway.

You don’t need the whole plan. You just need the first step. Ready or not, take it.