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girl. The culture was very much about survival of the fittest. Since the age of six, I took part in sports, starting with gymnastics. This fostered my competitive spirit. It gave me discipline and taught me how to focus under pressure. My father always told me that success was in my DNA. He said that, from the time I was two, I was very determined and had a strong will. You wrote a book in 2017, Lose the Gum: A Survival Guide for Women on Wall Street, Main Street, and Every Street in Between , which received fabulous reviews. What was your goal in writing the book? I wanted to prevent women from making mistakes that would hinder them from advancing in their careers. Having grown up with boys, I was very accustomed to the male habitat of Wall Street. In the end, the book became more about sharing the mistakes I had made, but the goal remained the same: to help women advance in an arena that’s difficult for them to navigate. You’ve recently focused your energies on career and business coaching through your consulting firm, TDL International. What types of services do you offer? Right now, I’m focusing exclusively on helping mid- to late-career professionals reinvent their careers, and I offer a program to help them achieve that. After watching so many professionals my age be pushed out of their jobs, I was compelled to help them. I’m passionate about this work and am personally vested in helping every client succeed. I also see this work as an intersection with my political career because I speak with professionals across the entire country that I would not otherwise have access to, living in New York. After listening to the challenges they face locally, I’ve discovered that we’re really all the same, with similar challenges. Other than work, what are you passionate about? I’m passionate about spirituality, personal growth, and the intersection of the two. I’m in perfect alignment when I’m co-creating and learning – writing, reading, speaking, inspiring others, serving. I’m deeply connected to kindred souls. I’m humbled by brilliance, whether it’s intellectual or creative genius. I’m in awe of nature and love the majesty of the outdoors. Harmony and beauty foster my imagination. I also like money – which has deeper meaning than it sounds on its surface. Within the Ukrainian community, I’ve been involved in Razom, a group that makes an enormous impact, and I reconnected with Plast a few years ago by joining the Chortopolokhy. I’ve always loved Plast, and my entire family was very active in the organization. You seem to be on the go all the time. How do you relax? I’ve always prioritized self-care – sleep, diet, exercise, and meditation create the foundation of my wellness and until recently were non- negotiable. As a new entrepreneur, I haven’t created any boundaries yet; I just started the transition from operating in a state of hustle to a place of flow. Creating a structure that balances all that I need has been difficult because, with Covid, I can't anchor to what is normal. In the past, I would enjoy travel, dinner with friends, sports, entertainment – none of that exists at the moment. But I’ll need something soon as I’m past the point of burn-out. Throughout your career, you’ve sought to help women succeed and advance in their own careers. Which women were an inspiration to you? I've never had a good answer to that question. As such, I try to be my own role model and set my own standards for my life. The one quality that most inspires me is courage, and I've yet to see any really courageous acts that challenge conventional wisdom and the status quo. That said, this year, I spent time with my mother's two sisters here in New York City. I never realized the challenges they had to overcome to break out and do something that was unconventional. I truly developed a newfound respect for them. They have grit and perseverance. If you had a single message to share with Ukrainian women, what would it be? Be all that you can be and never be less than you are. Don't lower your standards to fit in; simply find your tribe. AND support other Ukrainian women – they are not your competition, they are the tide that will help you rise. What’s next for you? Together with a colleague, I'm launching a podcast with a political bend, called The Bo Peep Podcast. We’re going to encourage critical thinking with some probing questions, starting with why, as a country, are we behaving like sheep and obeying without thinking – hence the title. Our politicians don’t deserve our blind trust. And yes, I haven’t ruled out another run for office ... Our Life | Наше життя February | Лютий 2021 27
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