My Story: Where Authenticity Meets Leadership Excellence™
I'm Ukrainian. I grew up under communism when Ukraine was part of the USSR, a society with a strong gender divide, where anything outside of the accepted societal norms would be met with harassment. Being a female in that environment, I was taught I would need to work twice as hard to see any success, and most dreams were off-limits. Successful people were good at Math and Science and emotions were considered weaknesses making my emotional intelligence skills of little value. I suffered from a poor self-image due to constant pressure to achieve, people-please and an obsession over making everything in my life appear perfect (how I look, what I say, what I do).
Something small like being born left-handed made me ever so slightly different in a culture where being different at all was more than enough justification to be bullied. I was intelligent enough to be selected for the gifted programs which only made me more different. Coming out as a bisexual female was faced with violence, discrimination, and rejection. As I quietly endured, I honed my skills of reading people’s body language, understanding their emotional drivers and underlying group dynamics… slowly perfecting the soft skills I was blessed with.
In 2013, I got a wake-up call that came as a diagnosis of cervical cancer, epithelial tumors in my stomach, and bilateral patellar tendinopathy, which resulted in multiple surgeries and a year-long recovery. It felt like my body was telling me enough…. Enough avoiding unpleasant feelings, enough running away and not living my truth, enough restricting my life to the cultural & societal rules. In my journey of recovery and retrospection, I gained clarity and a deeper understanding of who I am at my core, what my values are, and what my purpose is.
As the threatening nature of the symptoms subsided, I found myself with a renewed drive and energy to pursue what matters most to me. I quit law school and was compelled to honor my authentic self, live my truth, and serve humanity in a way that would give others inspiration and courage to step into their power and take action toward their dreams.
This led me to resume behavioral studies graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Science in Psychology from California Southern University and becoming a Certified Professional Coach.
I started asking myself daily, “How can I help people solve their challenges?” This guided me to pursue continuous improvement consulting. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and ASQ Quality manager, I supported organizations on their continuous improvement journey through the application of lean principles to rapidly improve Quality, Reduce Lead Time, Improve On-Time Delivery and Reduce Overall Costs. I utilized the combination of problem-solving techniques with emotional intelligence leadership to gain team buy-in and engagement to successfully implement improvement initiatives.
Using my coaching abilities to build a continuous improvement culture provided steady advancement ultimately landing me a position as the youngest member of the executive team of a publicly traded company. It was there that I really connected with my abilities to help people discover their purpose, find their passion, and become the very best version of themselves, revealing to me my passion, coaching. With the support of my loving husband, I resigned from my corporate position to focus on empowering other executives and leaders to discover their purpose, unleash their potential, and live authentically.
I’m not perfect, and I’ve nearly killed myself trying to be. What I am is a perfectly imperfect being that believes in the power of the human spirit and human potential, strives for excellence every day, and feels compelled to support others on their self-actualization journey. Having climbed the corporate ladder myself, I understand the unique challenges faced by executives and leaders. My mission is to help them tap into their full potential, overcome obstacles and fears, and lead their lives and careers authentically.
Embrace your authentic leadership and step into your fullest potential by signing up for one of my Leadership Development programs. Let's overcome your challenges and embark on a transformative journey towards your most authentic and successful life.
WHERE AUTHENTICITY MEETS LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE™
- ICF MCC ( Master Certified Coach)
- MSc in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Forbes, Official Contributing Member
- MIT, Learning Facilitator for Leadership and innovation program
- McLean/Harvard Medical School, IOC Fellow
- HBR Advisory Council, Official Member
- Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Associate Member
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
- ASQ Quality Manager
- Certified in the following assessments: EQ-i 2.0, EQ360, ELI-MP, MBTI, FIRO-B, STRONG, CPI- 260
- Organizational Analysis, Stanford Graduate School of Business
- MA in Developmental Psychology
- Extensive training in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT ( Acceptance Commitment Therapy), MBSR ( Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy) modalities applied in organizational settings
- Executive Leadership, Marshal Goldsmith's Method of 100 Coaches
- IPEC CPC (Certified Professional Coach)
- ICF Certified Mentor Coach
