ISDI Student Spotlight ft. Georgiya Yoveva
In this weekly series, we’ll be highlighting the student journeys and accomplishments of our future leaders in digital business.
This week features Georgiya, one of our students who has a unique international outlook on the world and has worked in the digital ecosystem for some time. Read on to find out some exciting facts about Georgiya!
- Tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to make ISDI a part of your journey?
I have always tried to do things outside of the workplace to help advance my career and I knew getting a Master’s degree was my next big step. I was looking for a program specifically in the digital space to gain a deeper understanding of all aspects of marketing (what I have done for the past 7 years) and broader understanding of business in general.
I actually had been looking for the right graduate program since 2013 and unfortunately had yet to find one that was worth the time, money, network, and opportunities post-graduation. When I was getting my Bachelor’s I was part of a co-ed business fraternity and I am where I am today in part because of the network and skills I gained from that organization. That kind of development, this time in a Master’s program, was something I was seeking again as it has served me so well in my career so far.
I originally learned about ISDI through my network — I had worked on a project for my honors program at SJSU with the co-founder of ISDI Amir Mashkoori and I received an invitation toISDI’s launch party. I learned about the curriculum and the people involved with the program and from there it was a no-brainer.
I’d like to be able to manage an even bigger team one day and it’s important for leaders and managers to understand what different business verticals do and how they impact a company. All the things I’ve learned from ISDI has given me a really great sense of that so I’m so happy to have joined and be a part of this ISDI community!
2. If your friends and family had to use 3 words to describe you what would they be?
Driven, Adaptable/Flexible, Positive
3. What is your proudest work accomplishment? Life accomplishment?
Work: One of my proudest accomplishments is building strong relationships with people on my team and in my company as a whole.
When you work at a big technology company, it’s a fast-paced work environment that’s just go, go, go. Often times it’s hard to share part of yourself with other people and find out who they are at a personal level.
However, I feel like I’ve found a way to cultivate and build enduring relationships through that fast-paced environment. Now that I’m currently in a career transition, I’m getting real-time feedback from all the people who I’ve cultivated these relationships with of just how much they’ve appreciated working together and how much they’ll miss working with me. It’s a lesson I will carry throughout my career to always pause and humanize a situation.
Life: Buying a home at 25 not just in California, but in the Bay Area. A lot of things went right for me to make this happen: 1) the support and financial education I’ve gotten from my parents and 2) the super open communication with my at the time boyfriend and now fiancee. Buying a house of course is super risky, but having the capability to view this as a long term investment, risk assess the whole situation, and manage it from purchase to maintenance to mortgage is something I’m extremely proud of. Although it is a still ongoing and continuous project it was a huge step moving into adulthood and I am very grateful to say I am a homeowner.
4. What is a surprising fact not many people know about you or something you wish more people knew about you?
I moved from Bulgaria to the United States with my family when 9 and I had to learn how to find my way in a completely foreign country. I had to learn to navigate the educational system not being able to fully express myself, which as a child can be daunting and frustrating. However, it forced me to truly find my voice and find creative ways to get my point across.
Even now English is still my second language and sometimes at work when I’m lacking energy it can take me a bit longer to process what others are saying or showing me. Sometimes I wish people knew I just needed an extra second to think about what I want to say in response — I want to come up with the it best answer and sometimes it just takes me an extra moment! Those who do know my background allow me the empathetic space to work and I very much appreciate it.
5. If you had to write a book about something, and you knew it would be an all time best seller (as in this message would be seen by millions of people) what would it be and why?
I would write a book about a mashup of my top 3 most important things in life: observation, self-confidence and travel. I’ll tell you why. The observation component is about being mindful of others around you. Fully observing what’s happening around you and learning from these small interactions is key to be able to understand and express yourself better. By simply observing how people react and converse, you can build up your emotional intelligence and learn a lot about the world.
Secondly, self confidence. A lot of people tend to compare themselves to others but everyone is so different and I think we should treasure that. I just posted this quote on Twitter: “The power of human nature is that each human’s nature is unique.” I believe if you have the confidence in yourself to go for your dreams you’ll have the confidence to explain and present yourself to the world in a much more honest and authentic way — which is what we need more of in this world.
Third is travel and is the reason why these 3 go together — from your travel experiences you learn about other cultures, people, foods, and learn to appreciate the beauty of all the differences there are in the world. I think we’re extremely lucky to be in diverse Bay Area, but not everyone is as lucky as we are. Traveling whether it’s to the other side of the world or only 20 miles away, getting out there is the key to helping make the world a better place.
6. If you decided to start a business tomorrow what would it be and why?
I really want to and will do before I die — own a Barre3 studio. I think Barre3 is a super cool exercise community. I’m a total believer in what they do and what stand for and I think opening a franchise would be so fun.
I’ve also been toying with this idea forever — in college for my quantitative business analysis class my project was centered around a wedding planning company. Now that I’m actually planning my wedding I’d want to create a one stop shop online platform for all wedding planning services. It would be very bride-oriented including exercise guides, dieting, tips, tricks, marriage blogs, project management assistance, and would be the single place a bride could turn to as she plans for her big day.
7. What is a product, service, company, book, or activity you WOM (word of mouth) advertise all the time to family and friends?
I mentioned Barre3 already but I’m going to mention it again, I love the brand, what they stand for and what they inspire others to do. It’s a very inclusive environment but it’s personalized for the individuals who attend. It’s so mindful of life and makes you be very present in the moment. Although it’s the same type of exercise, you focus on all different muscle groups to get a holistic workout. Just the other day I did an exercise I’ve never done before and I’ve taken thousands of classes in the past 5 years. That kind of variety while at the same time listening to your body and being present is a feeling I really love.
Besides that I’m a big advocate of regular self care, it care could be exercise, getting a facial, a massage, or whatever you’re into — the main thing is to make time for yourself. Making time for what makes you happy and relaxes you allows you to think more creatively and intentionally so I’m a big advocate for that.
8. Give us a digital tip or trick you’ve learned at ISDI!
Micro moments and micro tribes have been my favorites. Micro moments are nuggets of opportunities in any marketing discipline you can capitalize on. They’re so significant because technology allows access to people through micro moments to truly make a purposeful, demand-driven marketing intention.
I also loved micro tribes — cohorts of people who self-identify into particular behavioral groups. Whether someone defines themselves as super-moms or soccer players — it’s a gem in marketing if you can group people into these like-minded cohorts and really understand what their values and interests are. If you understand what they care about you’ll be better able to tailor your marketing efforts to be more effective.
Thanks for joining us on our Student Spotlight Series! For more ISDI blog posts written by our amazing students and our esteemed academic board, check them out at our ISDI Blog here.
