My story - Vesselina

I grew up in a remote neighborhood of Stara Zagora. The city of linden trees, poets, straight streets and, as I recently realized thanks to Stefan Valdobrev - also of cypresses. I graduated from the Romain Rolland High School with a German degree, but I never liked the language. I was just preparing to take exams at the Goethe Institute when my parents said that Germans go to study in the USA, and that's why I would study there too. I started quick preparation for TOEFL, SAT 1, and SAT 2. The family team distributed the duties. My mother had chosen the universities well, and thanks to my decent exam results and my perfect A in high school, I received a full scholarship to the small town of Elmira, New York. I left, alone with two suitcases. I had never been on a plane. It's a good thing it was before September 11th and I saw what a glass cup and metal utensils were like on a plane.

In the US, I got more excited. I graduated in three years, instead of four, with a degree in business administration with two majors - Marketing and Management. I was most impressed by my sales professor, who connected us to the real business - Corning Glass (optical glass), Swarovski, I met Tommy Hilfiger's sister, who managed Jennifer Lopez's booth. But... I was most impressed by a lady who had created a team of consultants - all women from the corporate world who left to be mothers. After I graduated, I returned to Bulgaria. My father was insightful. He told me that now Bulgarians are not returning, but staying in the US (2004). A path would open up for me.

And it opened. I passed a personality and cognitive test, along with three interviews, and was appointed as a key account manager at Procter & Gamble Bulgaria. There I learned trade marketing - how to aesthetically arrange a shelf, manage a category, come up with promotions, find white spots and talk to wholesalers. We earned money with 7 new clients and opened discount stores in Bulgaria. I thought I knew what trade was and how to do calculations.

But it wasn't... I started working at Fikosota Synthesis. I understood how to make calculations, how to make commercial terms, what is the difference between sales of washing powder, toilet paper, snacks, waffles, cheese and yellow cheese. We made Savex the No. 1 brand in Bulgaria, we launched the first advertisement for Terter cheese in Bulgaria. I also had the opportunity to work briefly on the Romanian market. Unfortunately, my daughter was small and I was not able to fully take advantage of the opportunities of the Romanian market, because I preferred time with my little girl.

That's how I ended up in Carlsberg Bulgaria... and learned sales. Initially, I was responsible for key clients - that was my specialty. Later, I became a director. I was responsible for the company's business in HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, cafes). I had to manage a lot of people. I had to learn how to control a large sales force and a large distribution network. From company No. 3 among beer producers in Bulgaria, Carlsberg became company No. 1. In 2018, Carlsberg Bulgaria was named the best company in the Carlsberg Group, beating China. It wasn't easy, but it was interesting. In the meantime, I had become a mother for the second time to a boy. At one point, there were very intense and dramatic emotions on my son's part. So I put my children at the forefront for the second time in my life.

After my separation from Carlsberg Bulgaria, three weeks later, another corporation showed interest in me. My ego was pushing me to say yes, to fight... but for the first time I felt relief and no pressure from the need to do it. As a woman and mother working in a corporation in a senior management position, I had no time to raise my children, I had no time to pay attention to their emotional state, I was not happy. I made a decision that at this stage of my life I did not want a job in the corporate world. My husband supported me, for which I am very grateful to him.

A period of sorting out my thoughts began. I appreciated that I had learned a lot and was infinitely grateful that life had brought me great teachers - Elena, Svetlana, Dimitar, Iliya, Ilina, Krasen, Deyan and Zhana. I realized that these were people on whom I had relied a lot for moral support over the years and I am very glad that I had met them.

In September, I decided it was time for a literal cleaning. I called a company to wash the sofa at home. They didn't come. The girl on the phone was so worried that she offered to come in person and do it for free. She did. It was Elena, 22 years old, the owner of the company. This is the second Elena - an incredibly energetic and sunny girl. I talked to her while she was cleaning and shared about her problems with the staff. I suggested that since she gave me her time for free, I would pay her with my time. She should come and talk about her business. Elena came.

I felt happiness, helping Elena. And so I remembered that dream of mine that was born at Elmira College - a team of mothers who work on a project basis while raising and educating their children. That's how we came together - Vesselina, Tatyana, Svetlana, Petya and Daniela. I will tell more about each one in the coming days.

see more at: Our story with Svetlana