When you feel like you cannot go any further, don’t stop but speed up

The trace I would like to leave behind: every person, project or place which I have touched upon to become slightly better than before

Svetlana Prodanova:

07:03 22.04.2019 ~ 3 min read

Svetlana Prodanova is a National Director of BNI Bulgaria. She graduated the University of National and World Economy in Sofia and the Academy of Senior Managers at Vienna University of Economics and Business. She has held managerial positions in major international companies such as Bayersdorf and Gillette, having been responsible for the markets in Central and Eastern Europe. She is one of BNI's founders in Bulgaria. She is also a mother of three children, an avid fan of lifelong learning and vegetarianism, a lover of power yoga practices and running.

In life and on the job, I have learnt that a leader is the one that other follow because of who he or she is, because of one’s accomplishments, qualities and authority, regardless of the position they hold.

I felt like a business leader, when I realized that I had helped a man with a longer life and business experience than myself, whom I admire for his personal achievements, to gain additional confidence in his work and to find a solution to a situation with a long history in his company.

The way to the top - I remember the first time I climbed mount Vihren. We started at three o'clock at night (sacrifices have to be made) to make it all the way to Yavorov Chalet, nine hours, following a tourist guide (a long-term goal is needed). We followed the guide in silence because only he had a lantern and knew the way (trusting the more experienced and better prepared). We walked three hours longer than originally planned (be prepared for deviations from the original plan), eventually even running (when you think you cannot go any further, don’t stop but speed up). The whole time we knew we were making a choice between going and getting there or sleeping under the open sky (when there is no going back, you don’t give up).

I found out that my calling is to never stop developing and, thus, inspire people to walk the extra mile to their ever-better selves.

BNI – this abbreviation changed my life and the lives of hundreds of other people in Bulgaria.

If you are wondering how to grow your business, ask yourself how big of a change you are willing to do with yourself and who are the people you would like to grow up with.

After nearly 17 years of commitment to the FMCG marketing sector and over three years of marketing through recommendations, I got convinced that an authentic image and adherence to your personal values always win - both for brands and for people.

When numbers speak: 248,000 owners in 78 countries around the world have chosen BNI to develop their business.

The philosophy that has become my own - never underestimate the people you meet.

For every business, people are the alpha and the omega, they create it, they make it possible for it to thrive, they shut it down, if necessary, in order to start a new one. People are the creators, the catalysts and the ambassadors of a business.

A team is a group of enthusiastic believers who achieve goals together, sometimes neglecting their personal interest. And if we want to win, we start by identifying our strengths and weaknesses, and then building a team of people who complement us.

I am an advocate of the formula of "Lifelong learning", but also every single day. I learn from my partners, children and mistakes, from books, articles and situations. I learn to be better in business, love and parenting, to be a better person. Learn new languages, sports and recipes.

Building relationships means being honest in your intentions and keeping your word.

Running is freedom, unloading, a challenge, a flight. Long-distance running means endurance, persistence and discipline.

Eastern philosophy has taught me to stop and focus on my breath when I feel like I don’t have a second to spare and to remain silent when thousands of words resonate in my head.

The forecast for the future that affects me - the continuing global rise in temperatures. I try to reduce my carbon footprint anyway I can.

The trace I would like to leave behind: every person, project or place which I have touched upon to become slightly better than before.

BNI is an international organization that helps its members grow their business through a structured, positive and professional marketing program through word-of-mouth business recommendations. BNI is among the five Worldwide Networking Business Development Organizations recommended by FORBES for 2017.In Bulgaria, BNI opened its first company in 2015. At the beginning of 2019, there are 8 companies with more than 300 members in Varna, Ruse and Sofia, which, by the beginning of 2019, have implemented business based on recommendations for over BGN 15 million. BNI's philosophy is "You earn more when you help others earn!" (Givers Gain®) and this is one of the universal laws that make the world go around.