blog
October 2019.
I was sitting in front of the computer writing 100500 follow-up email on the 13th floor of the office building in Oriente (business district in Lisbon) looking into the panoramic window on the city I truly loved.
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Why wasn’t I happy than? What was so wrong?
From the side I had an absolutely perfect life: finally moved to the city of my dream, constant travelling for business, very competitive salary, and some kind of promising relationships on the horizon. But I felt something was wrong.
I was 23 and I had everything.
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That’s where the story starts… wait, no.
My story has started long time ago but that’s where I decided to change it all.
I just couldn’t do it anymore.
I was dedicating 99.9% of my time to something that didn’t feel right anymore.
I couldn’t sell anymore.
Can you imagine what it is like not to be passionate anymore about something you need to sell to others? Not believing in it anymore?
That the end of a salesman, that was the end of me.
I didn’t see the point, I didn’t see “the big idea”, what was the purpose of it all?
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Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking right now: she is just a snobbish, posh Russian girl, who got all of her life way too easy and even though is still complaining.
Well, you are pretty much wrong, but that’s a story for another time.
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I am extremely grateful to Travel One Portugal for letting me give it a shot. I got a chance to sell my favourite country to my favourite markets, to do about 20 flights, change 6 countries, make 3 tradeshows and 1 week of sales calls in Moscow with Savoy Signature Group and this all in just one month.
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I also wanted to say huge THANK YOU to Belmond Reid’s Palace family for believing in me on the first place. For considering me for Sales position without any experience. Trusting me to represent their gorgeous property on the world travel market. I dived head first into the luxury world of big players and that made me become who I am today.
The next question was what do I do with all this understanding?
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Looking ahead I must tell you that time management & planning isn’t my strongest skill. So I just had heart-to-heart conversation with my boss, explained where do I stand for the moment, packed my notebooks and off I went to the sunset.
I had certain pile of money saved that would allow me to live for an N-amount of time figuring what do I do best, and most importantly what would make me happy. Being honest, the first month I was doing absolutely nothing: killed all seasons of “Mad Men” in 2 weeks, went on the several dates with myself around Lisbon and slept like tomorrow never comes.
Then, I thought: I have plenty of spare time, but I also gotta have a routine. I’ve missed studying. What was I delaying for so long, never finding good enough excuse to just start doing? Besides work I have two main passions (among others of course): reading and studying social medias.
So I took a month-long course of @veryire on writing, and two short SMM ones (just to structurize all the knowledge I already had into one big picture) from @anya_volchik and @devushkamarketolog .
Step by step, the idea of my perfect job started to loom out.
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I am pretty sure many of you are familiar with the Japanese “ikigai” concept which represents “a reason for being”.
If you are not – please do Google it, maybe you’re missing out something important.
Long story short: our life represents four interconnecting circles – Mission, Vocation, Profession and Passion.
Your happiness lies in the interconnection of these four circles.
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I strongly advice every each of you that did make to the end of this post to go and do your diagram right now.
There goes my own example for your inspiration:
– Mission (what you love): Travelling, Social Medias, Luxury. Art & Photography.
– Vocation (what the world needs): Quality not Quantity. Digitalisation.
– Profession (what you can get paid for): Hospitality, Tourism, Modelling, SMM.
– Passion (what you are good at): Sales, PR, Social Medias. Understanding of Luxury & Integration brands into fashion.
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Feel the vibe?
The whole new perspective on my life has opened up to me.
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For the past couple of months (years?), I have been giving out my skills for free, not actually realising the value of my knowledge and how much do I know I know of what other people don’t.
At this point I thank Elliott Nicole J. Waller and Nuno Miguel Freire for their amazing impact they somehow had on me, probably without even understanding it themselves.
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For those not aware, below I have listed several facts that would prepare you to meet my second-self:
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KNOWLEDGE
– I have a First Class Honours BA Degree in Hospitality & Design Management from IHTTI School of Hotel Management, SEG Group, Switzerland
LUXURY
– Right after the graduation I have received an offer to do a senior management training at the Europe’s Leading Island Resort (WTA ’19) / Portugal’s Leading Hotel (WTA ’19 – ’16) Belmond Reid’s Palace, where I eventually spent 2 amazing years working in Sales for #TeamBelmond.
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EXPERIENCE
– At my 23, I did more than 15 business trips around the world including IMEX America in Las Vegas and two of the Belmond Worldwide Roadshows in France & Spain and Russia & Eastern Europe
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FASHION
– Part time I am also a professional model (this one is the most obvious from my Instagram page I guess), and without putting much of an effort into it I did a catwalk for Fatima Lopes SS2020, appeared at the NY2020 issue of ”O Programa da Cristina” \and even have a cover done for Essential Magazine, Madeira Islands back in 2018.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
– Last but not least: I spend in average (!) of 4.30 hours (!) on Instagram (only!) daily. Get the skill?
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There it goes now, for all of you wondering WHAT have I been doing exactly for the past three months.
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Dear All,
Please let me introduce you my alter-ego EVENCOARSE | PR .
Varied range of services.Individual approach.Pure Luxury.
For those, who value their own time and appreciate the knowledge.
Love,
Zhanna
