Live in sync with yourself, not in opposition to Monday

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Daniel Kolev. I am a lawyer and accountant, managing to combine them with Health Management. At first glance, three different fields, but their points of contact are surprisingly many - the law defines the rules, accounting measures the impact, and public health sets the direction - together they create sustainable change. My professional development includes diverse experience in academic and practical environments – from participation in prestigious educational programs to working in law firms, national professional organizations, and international corporate structures.

How would you describe your career in a few words?

I have always viewed my career as a path of curiosity and courage. I have never been one to just finish my task and that's it. I strive to explore how each element of the mechanism functions, so that at a given moment I can assemble the whole machine, rather than just pressing a button day after day. For me, courage is precisely that – to enter the unknown not with anxiety, but with interest.

What was the most important choice that shaped your path?

That was the moment I realized that no one owes you anything – neither family, nor friends, nor anyone else. Yes, this has its moral aspect, but more in personal life. In the professional world, you rely on yourself – on how persistent you are, how adaptable you are, and what you invest without expecting recognition or a push. This realization gave me the freedom to take responsibility for my path, not to complain, and not to wait for the “right moment,” but to start creating them myself.

What would you like to have known at the beginning of your career that no one told you?

That no one will come to “save” you, show you the exact path, or tell you: “Here is your place.” That no one owes you support, even when you need it the most. This is hard to swallow at first because you believe that if you are good, dedicated, and conscientious, someone will notice you and guide you. However, in the corporate world, things don't work that way. Not because people are bad, but because everyone is caught up in their own battles. Then I realized that I had to chart my own path. And although it is frightening, it was precisely this solitude that made me more decisive and confident in my own choices.

How can a person understand which profession is suitable for them?

It's like a food menu with pictures and descriptions – you can read as much as you want, wonder which dish is “yours,” but the truth is, you can't know until you order and try it. Silence that voice that whispers in your ear – “What if this isn't mine?”. There are only two options: either it turns out to be for you, or you realize it isn't – which is still valuable because it will hint that your current place isn't quite yours either. Otherwise, you wouldn't be looking at the menu – you would already be full.

And what do we do with professions that require education, without which we cannot practice them? If you really want to try, you will find a way to get closer. You can't become a doctor immediately, but you can volunteer in a hospital – be there, observe, feel the atmosphere. Are you interested in law? Attend a court session, start working as a technical assistant or intern in a law firm. You don't need to be in the shoes of a professional to understand if this direction attracts you – it's enough to be in the same building.

Which skills do you think will be key in the next 10 years?

We live in a world that is changing faster than we can comprehend. Therefore, one of the key skills in the next 10 years will be the ability to adapt – but not reactively, but proactively. Changes should not surprise us – we should have already analyzed them and be ready to act. Established approaches often become outdated before we fully master them because more effective and flexible solutions constantly appear on the horizon.

It is important to be open to innovations – not as fans of everything new, but as people who want to understand what really works better. Today we are developing much faster – not because we have to, but because we already know that change is not a threat, but an opportunity.

We see it in examples around us – more and more often young people in their early years are creating million-dollar companies, leading teams, making scientific discoveries or innovations that were previously achieved after decades of experience. They are more open to the new world because they do not see it as an unknown territory, but as a natural environment in which they have grown up. They are not afraid of technologies, of change, or of starting from scratch. This openness to possibilities is precisely what drives them forward – not experience, but the courage to take advantage of the new.

How to build a network of useful contacts without appearing interested?

A common empty phrase is repeated – “Don't take it personally, it's just business.” For me, however, things are never just business. If the client has a personal relationship with their business, then I must also have a personal relationship with theirs – to engage as if I am working for myself, as if the business is mine. Only then is trust created, which cannot be bought with a contract.

Contacts are not functions, positions, or opportunities. They are people. And if we perceive them as “just another case,” “potential client,” or “a path to something else,” the connection will never be real. Show humanity where you feel it is needed – when someone shares that their child is sick, look for a good doctor for their child; when someone is looking for a job for a relative, connect them with someone you trust; when you find out that someone is burned out, offer them something to distract them.

True connection does not come from what you can take, but from what you are willing to give – without ulterior motives and without expecting repayment. That is what builds and remains.

What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career, and what did you learn from it?

In my opinion, the biggest mistake I have made is staying too long in a place where what I give is not seen and appreciated. Sometimes, in the name of loyalty, patience, or simply out of fear of change, you stay where you have long outgrown. And that has a price – not only professional but also personal. I learned that recognition should not be a motivation, but it should not be a mirage either. When you are in the right place, the effort does not go unnoticed. And when you are not – the bravest thing is not to stay, but to leave.

How to recognize a toxic work environment and when is it time to leave?

A toxic work environment is not always obvious – sometimes it is quiet but exhausting. Like a room without air – everything seems fine, but you feel how you slowly lose your energy, voice, and confidence. It is recognized by the fact that you are afraid to make a mistake because you know the consequences will not be constructive. By the fact that successes are taken for granted, while mistakes are seen as a threat. You will often hear the phrase: “We are like one big family here.” But a real family does not replace you lightly and does not kick you away from the table when you are not at your best.

It is time to leave when you start to recognize yourself less and less in the person who gets up in the morning for work. When you constantly shrink instead of grow. When you realize that you are physically present, but internally you left a long time ago. Leaving such an environment is not a weakness – it is a way to protect yourself before you get completely lost.

What would you do differently if you could start over?

If I could start over, I would leave places faster where I felt I didn't belong. I would understand earlier that patience is a quality, but not when it becomes an excuse for stagnation, as well as that loyalty to others should not come at the expense of loyalty to oneself.

I would allow myself to ask more, to make more mistakes, to try different things without fear of looking like a person without direction. Because over time I realized that the path is not found – it is built. And not with one big decision, but with many small choices, in which you have the courage not to give in to the expectations of others, but to remain true to yourself.

How to maintain motivation in times of stagnation?

In my opinion, motivation is not something that is simply “maintained” – it comes and goes. And that is normal. We don't always have to move forward at the same pace. Sometimes stagnation is not stagnation, but a necessary rest. You have stopped, but you have not given up. You have just given yourself some air.

In fact, in such moments something important happens – you start to hear yourself more clearly. Without external noise, without constant activity, the questions you otherwise skip appear: “Is this the direction?”, “Do I still want the same?”, “What would I change?” And it is precisely these questions that do not just return your motivation, but give you a new one.

I try to reconnect with myself – with why I started, what was important to me at the beginning, and what drove me before fatigue appeared. Sometimes this means doing something completely different: going out, changing the routine, talking to someone I haven't seen in a while, or even allowing myself a day without a plan. Motivation is not pressure – it is a connection to meaning. And meaning is found not in rushing, but in awareness.

How to achieve balance between professional and personal life?

The balance between professional and personal life is not the same for everyone and is not a static state, but something that is constantly adjusted. I do not believe in the idea that everything should be divided equally at every moment. For me, it is important to have space for yourself in your day. No matter how busy you are.

Personally, I choose to have at least one hour after work that is just for me. I go to train – without conversations, just me and the music. This is the moment when I disconnect from everything else and just stay with myself. When I come home after that, I am already different – quieter, clearer, with a cleansed mind from the workday.

Balance is not achieved with big decisions, but with small choices every day – to give yourself time, to allow yourself a break, to not feel guilty when you are not productive outside of work. Because personal life does not start when you finish everything else – it is part of you all the time. The question is whether you open the door to it.

When is it time to change your career, not just your job?

Changing careers is a bigger step than changing jobs, and the decision does not come from one bad day or a difficult boss, but from a deeper feeling that you have exhausted yourself in a given profession. If for a long time you do not see a perspective, do not feel engaged with what you are doing, and more and more often catch yourself being interested in completely different topics and fields, then that is a clear sign.

It is important to ask yourself the question: “If I change the company, will I feel better or will I just postpone the same feeling?” If the answer is the latter – perhaps it is not about a new job, but a new direction. And then it is worth starting to explore, to prepare, and to give yourself permission to start over – even if that means temporarily being outside your comfort zone. Because it is better to be a beginner in something that inspires you than an expert in something you are not passionate about.

If you had to give just one piece of advice to people seeking success, what would it be?

“No one owes you anything.”

The sooner you accept that success does not come “by right,” but is built – with effort, discipline, and the mindset to act rather than wait, the faster you will start creating it yourself.

If I ask you now how many red cars you have seen on the way from home to work, you will probably tell me that it is zero. But if I tell you that for every red car you see and photograph on the way back, you will receive 100 BGN – will they still be zero? Opportunities for success are often around us. The question is not whether they exist, but whether we are looking for them.

What is your definition of a “successful career”?

For me, a successful career is not just about titles, number of clients, or figures in the bank account. It is successful when you live, not when you are part of the calendar. When Sunday is not the day you start to stress that tomorrow is Monday. When Monday morning does not bring the feeling of pressure, but excitement for what is to come.

A successful career is one where you don't think only about the weekend. Where you don't dream of a vacation to catch your breath. But one where your daily life is not a struggle, but a natural continuation of who you are. When you don't have to play a role from 9 to 6, but can be yourself and still – be a professional.

For me, this is a successful career – one where you live in sync with yourself, not in opposition to Monday.