[25] MARIA SIROTNIKA: I had to decide; get a job or stick with being a business owner.

The Entrepreneur Next Door 🏡

I waited to release this podcast before the Holidays because my guest is so inspiring. You'll be drawn into Maria's energy, genuine care for people, fierce independence, and insatiable curiosity about the world and giving back.
Maria grew up in a small town in Russia. From a young age, she aspired to be a journalist, travel the world, and share what she experienced outside her home country.
At sixteen, she moved to Moscow on a full scholarship and studied international journalism, only to realize that it might not be a 'safe' career in her homeland. She and learn a new language; initially, she is assigned to German but wants to step outside her comfort zone decides to step outside and insists on switching to Arabic, followed by living for one year in Jordan.
While in school, Maria started an educational abroad consulting agency in the dorm with two fellow students. "We had no idea what we were doing." We built an ugly website and offered our services at a very low price. Their company helped students study abroad and later expanded to become an educational tour operator with five offices around the country.
Even though she's a natural-born entrepreneur, Maria dabbles with a few "jobs" that (not surprisingly) align with her views and passion. She works for Greenpeace, starts a nonprofit in Russia for an orphanage, and works on an educational project for the U.N. in Nigeria.
While running her company remotely from different countries, Maria realized she had to decide between getting a serious job or doubling down and focusing on entrepreneurship. "I am such a bad employee, and I should stop trying." She picks business.
Maria was moving around the world while managing her business between 2008-2014. While moving around the world, a practice that is not conducive to developing relationships, she "meets a guy in Capetown and ends up marrying him."
Maria is pursuing an MBA in Madrid, Spain, and settled in Lisbon with her husband.
Maria's current company is an eLearning platform called Art Heroes; it combines content with high-end mentorship for professional artists.
We speak about different aspects of entrepreneurship when Maria courageously reveals a personal aspect of her life that she's never shared before.
If you're a business owner and have never asked yourself, "what is my disaster recovery plan?" you need to listen to Maria's raw, genuine and inspiring revelation.