It’s time for the latest installment of our Student Spotlight Series! We’re so dang excited here at BB headquarters today, because this gal is seriously #girlboss goals!
This spotlight features a student who hails from Europe originally, and has fully embraced the digital nomad lifestyle. From her corporate job, to booking her first client in a week, she’s killin’ the entrepreneur game!
Want to know a bit more about our Student Spotlight Series?
Each month, we sit down with one of our incredible Bucketlist Bombshells Academy graduates, who have successfully chased their dreams with a fierce fire, taken the entrepreneur world by storm, and are now totally rockin’ the online biz world.
Wanna get to know our next kick ass Bucketlist Bombshell? Let’s do this thing!
MEET ELENA GENCHEVA
Name: Elena Gencheva
Age: 25
Hometown: Frankfurt, Germany & Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Business: Create & Elate
Services she offers: Branding, Web Design & Video Editing
We had the chance to sit down with Elena and chat about her own personal girl boss journey, what she’s learned as her business has evolved, her favorite place to work, and her biggest piece of advice for aspiring Bucketlist Bombshells!
What inspired you to take the courses inside the BB Academy?
For my whole life, I’ve desired freedom with my career and I knew that a corporate job wasn’t the solution. I saw an ad for the Bucketlist Bombshells Academy and after taking the free course, I felt motivated to continue and inspired to learn more!
With their enthusiasm, Cassie and Shay inspired me to trust myself, and I was sure that there was no way that I would regret taking the courses. So I took the chance and making the decision to join The Design Skills Course & The Tech Skills Course turned out to be one of the best in my life!
What was the moment that you decided to ditch your 9-5? Did you have an “aha” moment?
I always knew that eventually I want to do something on my own and to be my own boss, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon!
For me, starting an online business as a side hustle wasn’t an option, because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to fully commit to my side hustle nor to my corporate job in the way I wanted to. So, making the bold choice of leaving the 9-5 job was the only one for me in order to start my entrepreneurial journey!
View this post on InstagramHappy Monday ???? ???? 5 quick tips for Monday morning motivation: ⚡️ Make a list of everything you are excited about ⚡️ Be positive ⚡️ Dress for success ⚡️ Make someone else happy ⚡️ Be thankful for every single day A post shared by Brand + Squarespace + Video (@createandelate) on
What does a “day in the life” look like for you now that you’re running your online biz?
I’m definitely a morning person, so I still wake up and start my day pretty early. However, now that I have more flexibility I’ve incorporated some small habits in my routine such as journaling, reading and exercising that I truly didn’t have time for before!
In all honesty, every day differs and can end up completely opposite from the way it was planned, but I know the importance of good time management and productivity. So I really try to do my best to stay on top of everything because I know that as an owner and decision maker of my business I am fully responsible for its success.
How do you stay motivated and inspired running your own online biz?
I truly believe in what I do and in my pursuits of creating value for my clients and building an engaged community. Besides doing the actual work, I think it’s very important to continue enriching my horizon by listening to podcasts, reading books, doing extra courses, attending workshops and connecting with other inspired female entrepreneurs.
How long did it take you to say see-ya to your 9-5?
It took me around 4 months to leave my corporate job. I was waking up earlier than usual to work on the courses and to plan everything related to my future business.
My weekends were also mostly occupied with training and preparation, but I was very determined and passionate about my goal so I did everything with lots of love and commitment!
How has the Bucketlist Bombshells Academy helped you on your girl boss journey?
They helped me realize that I can pursue a successful and inspiring career outside of the corporate cubicle.
The courses encouraged me to continue developing and expressing myself in a more creative direction which ultimately led me to a happier and more meaningful life!
What’s the most challenging part of runnin’ your own online biz?
Keeping the contracts, finances and taxes in place is probably the most challenging part about running a business. It can drain a lot of your time and energy and it’s really important not to get discouraged and unmotivated. Thankfully, there are more and more tools and systems which can help you automate your business and in my opinion investing in some of them totally worth the money.
In addition, working from home can become very lonely sometimes, and it’s so important to change the environment, try to work often from cafes or co-working spaces and most importantly connect and surround yourself with like-minded and passion-driven entrepreneurs.
What was the one thing that kept you going when you felt like giving up?
I knew that my entrepreneurial journey would be full of ups and downs. One thing I promised myself before I started my online business was to document all small wins I have along the way.
When I’m having bad days, I remind myself of these little events that hugely impacted my life and I celebrate them! I also like to take some time off and practice self-care when I’m not feeling fully myself. Once I’m recharged and refreshed I come back stronger and full of motivation!
How long was it until you landed your first client online?
It took me less than a week to book my first client!
Now that you can work anywhere, what is your fave travel destination to work from?
My cozy home office and Lisbon at the moment! I would love to experience working from some exotic place like Bali for several months – definitely on my list!
Why did you choose the digital nomad lifestyle?
I was drawn by the possibility to travel the world, work from anywhere and be completely location independent. But what’s more important for me is that this lifestyle turns me into a more emboldened person, I learn a lot about courage and responsibility which ultimately improves every aspect of my life.
What’s one travel item you can’t live without?
My laptop, for sure!
What’s your go-to podcast that you’d recommend to other girl bosses?
She Did It Her Way, The Kelly Trach Show & WorkParty — I love these podcasts! They have a huge impact on my entrepreneurial thinking, the way I perceive success and failure and on mastering my mindset by shifting it in a more positive direction.
What was your biggest setback, and how did you overcome it?
I was very lucky to get clients from the very beginning, but this also means that I didn’t have enough time for marketing my own business in the early stage.
My lesson learned here is that no matter how much client work you have, dedicating specific time per week on working and promoting your own content is absolutely essential for scaling your business.
What’s the best part about being your own #girlboss?
There are so many amazing parts about being my own #girlboss – starting from the core of my business which allows me to choose the direction of my career development all the way to choosing where I work from – from the couch at home to the most charming cafes in Lisbon.
I feel so genuinely happy to have created this lifestyle. I try to balance between working really hard and practicing self-care, all while taking everything at my own pace.
Okay, and our absolute favorite question: What is your #1 piece of advice to aspiring Bucketlist Bombshells?
Don’t allow your fears to stop you from chasing your dreams!
