I follow the natural course of things, without forcing them in any direction

What did you dream of becoming in your childhood years?

As a child, I had a strong attraction to archaeology, and a little later to chemistry. Academic or laboratory work, however, is not for me and I am convinced that these professions have only benefited from my decision to take a different professional path.

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

When I was 8-9 years old, my mother was one of the accountants of a company in the field of security technology. At that time, industry exhibitions were held at the National Palace of Culture and the company needed someone to walk around the floors, dressed as a firefighter, carrying a large and heavy advertising banner, and to guide visitors to their booth. The competition for the position was entirely rigged, I won the role and put on the heavy metal helmet. Wandering in a slight daze in the corridors of the NDK, I apparently evoked some sympathy among the visitors and thus, besides earning a decent pay of 10 leva, I also appeared somewhat absurdly on the front page of the newspaper "Democracy" the next morning.

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?

Parents are those, who - consciously or not - fully possess the space of early childhood development. It largely defines the quality (and according to some serious studies - also the duration) of our life journey. My brother and I were fortunate and happy that our parents were warm, responsible, and loving people, who did everything they could, saving from everything else, but never from time, attention, and love for us. For them, we have always been an unconditional priority and I have never felt a drop of doubt about that.

Whose was the decision where to pursue higher education and what to study? Was this decision correct, viewed from today's perspective?

All important decisions, including those related to education, as well as their consequences, should be entirely ours, which means that for us they are correct. It was the same for me. I find it shortsighted to think that learning (even formal in university) belongs solely to the early stage of life, instead of being perceived as continuous. To this day, I continue to actively pursue my educational goals, as far as my other commitments allow.

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

Outside of what I professionally do, I have a strong attraction to Bulgarian visual art and sculpture. It can be said that I have some sense for it. Sometimes with various people, we talk about paintings, which always brings me great pleasure.

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

If it becomes necessary, I would consider it. There is no field of activity that I find unworthy, as long as I can contribute in a meaningful way and it brings benefits to some community.

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?

I must admit that I am not familiar with this concept, I will think about whether I find real value in it. In any case, if I do register someone else's opinion about myself, it is most often out of some direct necessity. But if someone still decides to take some of their time to talk about me, I sincerely hope this brings value at least for themselves.

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

I resolutely carry out my tasks and strive not to stress about what does not depend on me. I try to follow the natural course of things, without forcing them in any direction. From a philosophical point of view, I strive not to take most things too seriously, as far as that is still possible.

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, close ones?

The universal value in communicating with other people is respect. Someone once said that "there are small people, but there are no small feelings", which means that respect for the other, regardless of any other quality they may have, helps us see their true motivation, and to assess whether it is worth collaborating further and to what extent. Or simply to part ways in time – again with respect for the person across from us.

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 an instrument, not a goal. Accumulating them makes sense only in the context of some intention. And our wise people know that "you can do with 2 or 200", so it is up to us to choose the goals that would bring us true satisfaction. And to accept that even if we do not achieve them, that is also completely in the natural order of things.