Do not judge people, everyone makes decisions based on their own experience

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

My name is Stoyne Vasilev and I am an independent personal financial consultant. I am the founder of one of the most popular personal finance and investing websites in our country SmartMoney.bg and the author of the bestseller “Smart Money”.

What did you dream of becoming in your childhood years?

Like every boy, I was very interested in machines and their structure. I dreamed of working on one of those big garbage trucks. Later it turned out that this is not a very promising profession.

At what age did you earn your first money? Tell us an interesting story?

Until the age of 6, I lived in the village with my grandmother and grandfather. Almost every Saturday and Sunday, people from Sofia would come to us, who had villas nearby, to ask for homemade eggs. My grandmother felt uncomfortable asking them for money and gave them for free. Once I suggested she sell them for 10 stotinki each, and she could give the money to me. That summer I earned nearly 50 leva, which was quite a lot of money for a 6-year-old child.

What are the main factors and examples that shape us as individuals at an early age and form our interests? What is your recipe for curiosity, sources and wells of information and inspiration at this stage of our human development?

The first “teachers” of children are their parents. A large part of our understanding of the world and our values is received by the age of 5. We have two daughters and what my wife and I have done for them at the earliest age is to give them personal examples and show them different things we do. Thus, unconsciously they acquire our understandings, values, and principles.

It is very important in this period not to limit their thinking with phrases like “This will not happen”, “We cannot afford this”, “You cannot do this” and others. In the fragile child’s brain, a world of limitations is born, in which they can do nothing. In my opinion, the right way is to give children the opportunity to dream with the question “How can you do it?”.

Has there been any significant change in your perceptions in more mature age about what motivates you to do or not do something?

People are constantly evolving, but those beliefs formed in our childhood are difficult to change. I meet elderly people in whom some limitations are “coded” by their parents and relatives, even while they were children. They can be overcome, but it requires a lot of mental work.

Whose decision was it where to pursue higher education and what to study? Was this decision correct, looking at it from today’s perspective?

My decision to study an economic specialty at the university was entirely mine, as I continued my path from secondary education, which was in the same field. Since I was 15, I have been dealing with money and their management, and this turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made.

Share with us more about your interests, knowledge, skills, and hobbies?

Besides finance and economics, I am interested in history and applied psychology. In my free time, I love to read books, watch interesting movies, go to the gym, take walks in the mountains, and meet different people. In recent years, I have started doing more things with my hands.

Would you change your profession today and which areas of activity capture your interest?

I would not change my profession, but if I had to, I would become a handyman. The income is good, and I would work with my hands. Something that attracts me in this profession is the transformation of an old and neglected home into a new modern house.

They say that the personal brand is everything that people say about you when you are not with them in the same room. What would you like to hear today?

For myself, I would like to hear that I am honest with people and can explain complex financial terms and concepts in a clear and understandable language.

Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and flexibility, as well as our soft skills are key conditions for success in the last few years. How do you cope with the daily challenges of life to stay in good shape and mood?

These skills can be learned and practiced, just like all others. Every day I try to step out of my comfort zone by putting myself in different difficult situations. At the end of the day, I analyze how I reacted and whether I could have done it better. I have achieved a lot of success in being more patient (I am not like that by nature) and reacting calmly to any crises around me.

What are the most important conclusions you have made so far about maintaining the right communication considering the different characters of the people you meet daily – colleagues, friends, relatives?

It took me many years to understand that people are different and others are not like me. Now I try to see each person's perspective by stepping into their “shoes”. Another important skill I have acquired is not to judge people – everyone has made the best decision based on their knowledge, skills, and experience.

What do you think about money? What is their influence on your life? What is your advice to people who often ask themselves questions related to money and how sufficient they are?

Money is a measure of our value to others and we must respect it. If we are useful to society, we will have more of it. If we do not have it and it is very difficult to reach us, we are not doing enough and need to change something in our actions.

What is the most valuable career advice you would give to people?

I received this advice from my direct supervisor at my first job and now I share it with you. He told me “Do more than people expect from you. I know it’s hard, but the competition is smaller and sooner or later, this will be rewarded”. I have been following it for over 25 years and the results are evident.