The personal brand is no longer an "option", but a necessity

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

At several points people have called me Maverick and I always enjoy hearing it. I know why they say it – it happens when you refuse to agree that "we've always done it this way" is a sufficient reason for something to continue being done the same way. For me, stagnation is the greatest enemy of progress – in business, in life, and in the way we think. This is what I love to challenge – my favorite game.

For more than a decade, I have been where people, strategies, and the need for evolution meet. I work with companies that want not just to survive, but to develop sustainably. I create organizational ecologies where people and business grow simultaneously – without false slogans, hollow values and unused potential.

I love to provoke thinking through events, unconventional training formats and good stories. I learn continuously and always look for how to provide more value – through meaning, humanity, and concrete results.

Formally, I have various roles. First of all, I am the CEO of SISTEMMA – my main commitment to my organizational development and business success company. I am a co-organizer and curator of DisruptHR Sofia – my great passion and favorite stage (not just literally). I am a co-organizer of Excellevate Masterclasses – my initiative from this year, in partnership with Kapital. I am an ambassador for HR One – the platform for digitization of HR processes, which I fell in love with at first sight. And very soon I will announce my next "offspring" – again a phenomenal meeting between people and technologies. 

Outside of work, I am a mother of a girl and a boy, wife, daughter, and big sister. Mostly, I am a person born under a lucky star, whose aspiration is to lead a fulfilling life and inspire those around me to do the same.

What did you dream of becoming in your childhood?

I wanted to be a rock star.
I loved the stage, the music, the lights and since I was 6 years old, I used every opportunity to be right there. My soul sang, and still sings. My father, however, did not allow me to study in Shiroka Laka and that said "goodbye" to my dreamed singing career. He used to say that music is a hobby, not a profession. And so, the stage became business. Today I create my own formats that are no less expressive than a concert – like DisruptHR, where people go on stage to showcase the new face of working with people, culture, and technology. The dream did not die – it just changed its form. And now you know the real story behind why the fourth edition of Disrupt in September 2025 is called "Rockstars“.

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

At 15 y. I was a student, but I had a 5 in physical education because I didn't want to go to school in sweatpants – I preferred to be in high heels. My grandfather, may he rest in peace – a prominent physical education teacher and founder of the sports school in Vratsa, was probably with a rebellious spirit. My father decided to teach me a lesson and sent me to work as a waitress in a place. It was hot, busy, and I had to balance trays with orders and moods. I had a lot of fun, by the way.

At the end of the month, I received a salary of just over 300 BGN – for that time it was money. I went into the first store and bought... yellow high-heeled shoes and a bag. I spent it all. I still have those shoes to this day. They remind me of two things: that you cannot punish a person for what they are, and that my persistence has always been stronger than any "punitive action". 

What are the main factors and examples that shape us as individuals at an earlier 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?

Mostly – my family.
I grew up in an environment where the conversations at the table were not "what will we eat", but what we think, what we want, what we dream of. My father taught me that freedom is the greatest value – to be able to choose, to create, to think independently. He tried to show me as much of the world around us as possible – through travels, experiences, and valuable people around us. I never heard that “we don’t have money for that.” I heard: “Do this and you will secure it for yourself.” This instilled in me confidence and entrepreneurial spirit from an early age.

My mother taught me depth. She introduced me to books, art, conversation. We talked about the soul, about meaning, about those things in life that make us happy. I believe that from her I carry the ability to understand the nuances in people and to work with them not just as roles, but as personalities.

Generally speaking – my parents and the people around them taught me to dream, to be happy, to value my freedom more than anything, to rely on myself and never, ever to settle.

Did any significant difference occur in your perceptions In your more mature age about what motivates you to do or not do something?

Three events are those that changed me the most over the years and yes, no matter how much a person's values remain the same, of course, a difference occurs and that is the most normal indicator that we are developing.
The first significant event that changed me – my departure to England at the age of 18. I quickly realized that the world is bigger and opportunities lurk everywhere. I met people from all over the world, with different beliefs, and this made me more open to everything different from me, but also calmer – that the world has something to offer. It gave me ambition and a desire to see as much as I can of this world in all its nuances.
Then my children were born – the greatest teacher and motivator. Taking responsibility for the entire life of other beings definitely changes you more than anything else. It teaches you resilience, patience, understanding.

And finally, a brutal and terrible burnout, for which I will be grateful my whole life (and to my husband, who literally saved my life twice). There everything was rearranged. I stopped rushing. I started to choose. From external motivation, I transitioned to internal. Today I do not chase recognition. I chase meaning and quality.

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

I will always be grateful to my parents for not making my choices for me – they supported me and continue to do so, whatever I decide. My father had only one condition – he insisted that I study abroad, in a country with traditions in education. He used to say: “I don’t know where you will live in 10 years, but I want you to have the freedom to choose.” Thus, I chose England.

I chose Business Management as my first major and many people did not understand me – the profession of “manager”. Well, since then I have been doing exactly that. Even in 11th grade, I started working in a private school, where my supervisor, Mr. Dimitar Petkov, saw leadership potential in me. He is also one of the most important mentors in my life. Thanks to him, I began to believe that you don’t have to wait 10 years to be a leader, I believed in myself, and chose this wonderful and broad major that gave me a solid and stable foundation.  

Then I chose to pursue a master's degree in Luxury Brand Management and Strategic Marketing – because this is what I am passionate about and is truly interesting to me. I can be in these topics 24 hours a day and not feel it as work for a moment. My interest is genuine and I am excited.

I just finished and MBA. Not because I need another diploma, but because I love to learn. This is a way of life. And one of the best decisions in my life, for which I will say for the second time that I am grateful to my husband – against the backdrop of everything else, a year and a half of lectures is something he experienced and carried together with me.

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

If you lock me in an office to do the same thing for five days in a row – I will either jump out of the window or at least come up with a ready escape plan. I can't live without variety. And I don't want to.

Everything I do is my personal choice – not because I have to, but because that's what I want. I like communication, strategy, creating concepts that work in the real world. I can design training with deep meaning, but also create a marketing campaign that people will discuss. Here, my knowledge from management, psychology, marketing, and personal intuition meet.

I read constantly – biographies, classic literature, books about war (there are no better textbooks on leadership), business books, novels… I love writing a lot – from poetry to scripts, to term papers.

I adore cars and I am genuinely interested in them. My son dreams of being a race car driver, and I – to be his navigator. Traveling is my oxygen – I love those without a plan, without reservations, just with a suitcase in the trunk and a direction of "wherever it takes us". I am interested in business, politics, technology, culture, art, psychology, astrology, and much more.

You can talk to me about politics, esotericism, and ESG in one sentence – and it will make sense. My diversity does not confuse me – it fuels me.

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

For nothing in the world. But I also don't think I have "one" profession.
Rather, I have a mission – to create change, to challenge the status quo, to give space to the new. Today I do this through business and training. Tomorrow – maybe through writing a book, a film, or another format. The important thing is one – to have meaning, freedom, and a stage.

The worst thing I can do is to stay in something that doesn't inspire me. That's why I always move. I don't change direction – I change form when it ages and runs out.

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

And I completely agree with that statement. I achieve a lot, thanks to my personal brand.

I want to hear what I hear – that I am a person who can look in the mirror and say to myself "Bravo, you acted with dignity". That I can be relied upon – not only for work but for truth. That I don't speak to sound beautiful, but to bring value.

I created a personal brand program because I saw how many opportunities my brand brought me – without "selling" myself, but by simply living myself. Today people invite me, seek me out, and trust me, because they know what and how I do. And that is success for me.

And yes, the personal brand is no longer an "option". That's why I have recognized it as a favorite topic for work and already in two programs I find real pleasure in helping other ladies develop their names. A person lives for their name and is only a person with a name, as it was said in one book...

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?

With quick movements and a lot of humor.
I don't believe in the constant pursuit of being productive. I believe in rhythm – days of strength and days of rest. I train three to four times a week, eat mindfully, sleep enough, and allow myself breaks – mental, social and physical.

I have my rituals – music, coffee, a book (and wine 😊). And one question I often ask myself: "Is this the best you can give today?" If the answer is "yes", then everything is fine – even if the world is burning.

Above all, I try to take care of myself. When I have done that, I have the strength, patience, and softness to give the best of myself forward – to my family, to my clients, and to everyone I meet.

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?

To listen, but really.

I have learned to listen not only to what the person across says, but what they want to say. To feel the body language, the pause, the tone.
I realized that there is no universal way of communication, but there is a universal need: to feel understood.

I strive to be adaptive, because I believe that respect starts with stepping into someone else's shoes. Especially in a business environment – when communicating with finance, legal, creative – everyone has a different "channel". The ability to change frequency is a superpower.

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

Money is a wonderful tool and a terrible master.
I have never viewed them as a goal. For me, they are a result. A measure of the value you have given. And of the trust you have earned. When you do good work, money always comes.

I have never allowed them to dictate my decisions. I don't start a project just because I see its financial potential. I start if there is a mission. Because I know that when you are in the right place – money cannot escape. Not as a gift, but as a consequence.

I make the reservation that I have never lived in any kind of privation and for a person who lives in such, my words sound hollow. The attitude towards money is different when you have and when you don't.

I really wish Bulgarians had a better financial culture. I would include books like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" in the mandatory literature for 7th grade. Many of the problems people have in our country stem from ignorance.

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

Don't wait to be ready to start.
Don't wait for external confirmation to believe in yourself.
Don't be afraid to be different – because that's where your advantage lies.

And develop your personal brand. Many people do wonderful things, but no one knows about them. Today we all have the power to be our own media. We live in a connected world. Where we will go, who we will work with, and under what conditions depends on our conscious, purposeful, and daily choices.

I would also say one more thing – don't be loyal to the wrong version of yourself. If you have changed – show it. Rediscovery is not a crisis, but an opportunity.