In the perpetual dance of life and work, we often find ourselves at a crossroads, contemplating whether to embrace change or stay on the familiar path.
Maybe the desire to assume a different role or explore a new job opportunity has crossed your mind, but the weight of current responsibilities holds you back. Perhaps you're considering a complete shift in your profession, yet the years invested in your current field create a daunting barrier.
How do you overcome your fear of difficulties and embrace change? What is important when undertaking a shift in your professional trajectory?
Those are just some of the questions that will be addressed during the
upcoming event “Мечка страх, мен не“, organized by Ina Toncheva and supported by Telerik Academy. There are still some tickets if you decide to join us this Saturday (November 25)!
It was only natural to join as a partner of the event, as we firmly believe that change is normal today. It’s already part of all of our lives. We are happy that we witness this firsthand daily with our students – everyone changing their profession with
Alpha and those enforcing and adding new skills with
Upskill.
During the “Мечка страх” event, you will hear some personal stories and insights of successful career changes by Alexandra Zhekova – the famous Bulgarian snowboarder, Borislav Hristov – founder of 356labs Agency, Stanislav Kertikov – actor and future pilot, and many more.
Today, we are meeting Ina, who will share insight from her career change experience and her inspiration for the event's organization.
Hi, Ina, it's great to have you! We already know each other quite well, as you were the first lead lecturer of Upskill Digital Marketing, and you are still an important part of the program. Can you introduce yourself to our audience?
Hi, all! I am a co-founder of The Indigitals, which provides strategic marketing consulting for B2B tech companies. I am a
trainer in Telerik Academy and the author of the podcast called
“Мечка страх, мен не”, which studies courage and fear. In a few days, I’m hosting a festival dedicated to career changes.
In a dynamic world, the theme of change seems more relevant than ever. Can you share the inspiration behind organizing a festival focused on change, and what do you hope attendees will gain from the experience?
I noticed that most of my podcast's content was about career challenges and change. It happened organically, and the listeners were very engaged with these episodes. I also realized that when it comes to a change in our lives, we rarely take a strategic approach - the way we would plan a work project. We rarely use the tools available to help us see through fears and our internal barriers but also objective external factors. Instead, we create spaghetti thoughts in our heads, mixing desires, hopes, fears and what-ifs.
Velina Getova is an executive psychologist and performance coach and confirmed my observation that people rarely create time to work on their change. That's why we decided to make a hybrid format that combines inspirational stories about our speakers' career changes with a workshop during which all participants will work on their own cases in small groups.
Many individuals grapple with the fear of change and, surprisingly, the fear of success. How does “Мечка страх, мен не” address these psychological barriers in the context of business and career development? What is your advice when fear takes control?
Action is often the antidote to fear. I found this from my own experience and the people I have interviewed. It is essential to transition from a fear-paralysis state to action mode. There are many other components of the career change, of course. We will share some mental models and tools we’ve used during our changes.
Creating one's own business is a dream for many, but it can also be intimidating. How did you take your first step? What is your advice for those planning to start their own business?
It was a process that lasted a few years. My first attempt was a website for wall art promoting Bulgarian artists. The second was a lighting studio.
In both projects, I made the same mistake - I didn’t have a clear strategy and goal (even though I thought I had), and I was financing the projects with the salary I was earning in the tech industry. I was avoiding the tough questions and being negligent about the areas I was failing consistently.
By the time I had to kill my darlings, I had figured out how to approach pricing a creative product. The first course I did was on “How to price a creative product or service” and my goal was to help creatives get more comfortable with the concept of pricing, which is very scary for them.
A few courses on various marketing topics later gave me the confidence to mention to Alexandra, the Telerik Academy CEO, that I’m interested in teaching. A few weeks later, she called me, and this is how we started working on the
Upskill Digital Marketing Program. By that time, we had cofounded our marketing agency with my partners.
There was no safety network and financial cushion this time (except for my savings, which were meant to support me through the first 6-8 months).
One book greatly influenced me in this process - The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss.
What is your advice for those planning to start their own business?
Making the first step - even if it’s not in the optimal direction.
Learn more about the
"Мечка страх, мен не" event this Saturday (November 25)! We'll be there : )
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