I am Maria Kassova – a human being, daughter, sister, auntie and partner. I am also a performance coach, facilitator, consultant, business woman, speaker and author.  I love helping people see, feel and appreciate their worth and personal victories. I love reminding that we always have a choice. We can choose to focus on what is right in our lives, what works and what we are grateful for, so we create even more of that!

I was born in Bulgaria, where my father was a diplomat. I embraced the nomadic lifestyle from the age of 6 when we moved from Sofia to live in Geneva (Switzerland) for 4 years.  Travelling, exploring cultures and connecting with people became part of my essence. I have explored, lived and worked in more than 58 countries, including making my home in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Ghana, United Kingdom and Singapore. By the time I was 15, we had lived in 4 countries and I had changed 4 schools. I had to build resilience, adapt fast and get accepted by the kids (at least some). The alternative was bullying and isolation. I did experience some of that too.

I returned to London in September 2015 after living in Singapore for over a decade. During that period I travelled everywhere in Asia-Pacific in the capacity of a senior leader working for global media corporations like Discovery Networks Asia, AMC and NBC Universal.

In the last 10 years I also studied and practised intensely in order to pursue my passion full time – executive coaching, speaking and facilitation. Since returning from Singapore, I am focusing 100% on my calling – inspiring people to be the best version of themselves through various online and offline touchpoints.

My mission is to bring more kindness, compassion and empathy in the corporate space. I believe that we can achieve much more through encouragement and positivity, than fear and criticism.

I adore my nephews Nestor and Ales who are the closest I have to my own kids. They are my friends, teachers, allies, muses and partners in crime (don’t tell their parents!).

Something else about me….. I love to dance, laugh and feel joyful for no reason. Bali is one of my favourite places on Earth. Yoga and meditation have given me much inner peace, power and hope. My soul rejuvenates when I am surrounded by mountains, blue skies, sunshine and birds churping. I love improv theatre. One day I will muster the courage to do stand up comedy. One day, I will also DJ at my own high energy motivational events, which I am in the process of creating.

Resilience has marked my life of adventure and change. I contemplated starting this blog for 5 years, but fear got in the way. Fear of baring myself, fear of sharing my ‘imperfectly’ written thoughts, fear of criticism. I’m taking the plunge!