Who the hell am I?

I grew up in post-communist Poland, a time of limited opportunities. It was a society where you were raised to blend in, not to stand out.​

Despite this, I refused to settle for a mediocre life. I was determined to find a way out, make something out of myself and have a better life.​​

At just six years old, I discovered tennis, which started as an after-school activity but quickly became my passion, obsession and mission to break into the top 100 WTA rankings.​

On an emotional level, it was tough. I practised all day long, eventually having to be home-schooled. I had few friends and no parties. Tennis was my whole life.​

I kept playing professionally until I was 18 years old. I bootstrapped my way to reach the top 400 in doubles and 700 in singles on the WTA. And I knew it would take me another 3-5 years and some serious money to get to the top 100 – the kind of money I simply didn’t have.​

At that point I hit a crossroads, I was heartbroken, bitter, lost, frustrated and scared as I never had a plan B.​

Nevertheless, I had to quickly decide to shift my focus towards getting the best education possible to create the life I desired.​

After investing all my money into my professional tennis career, I had to leverage my tennis abilities to secure a full scholarship for higher education.​

So, I packed my bags and move across continents – leaving behind everything familiar – to pursue my studies in the United States.​

My educational journey began at a small community college in Kansas. Later, I moved to Baylor University in Texas, but I didn’t quite fit in and ended up leaving after just a year.​

After a rocky start to my academic journey, I made another transfer, this time to my dream school, the University of California, Berkeley – one of the best academic institutions in the world with a top Division I tennis program, where I received a full scholarship.​

Despite many setbacks along the way, standing on the graduation podium at UC Berkeley as the first in my family to earn a college degree was one of the proudest moments of my life.​

After graduating with a prestigious degree and high GPA, finding job opportunities wasn’t easy – especially in Investment Banking where competition is fierce. But after six months of networking, applying, and endless interviews, I finally landed my dream job in Investment Banking.​

The only catch? I had to pack my bags again and start a new life in London.​

As the initial excitement of securing an Investment Banking job faded, I quickly realised that getting the job was actually the easy part. I found myself surrounded by incredibly intelligent, driven, and hardworking individuals in a fast-paced environment where a 100+ hour work week was the norm.​

It was tough, yet strangely familiar. It reminded me of my days as a professional tennis player, except this time I was competing in the game of banking.​

Despite having a great job, the internal calling to pursue entrepreneurship became impossible to ignore. After much contemplation, I decided to leave my high-flying banking job and embark on a new venture—a restaurant business in London. ​

I went from wearing my fancy Ferragamo shoes and Armani suit in the office of a sky scraper to wearing a kitchen apron and crocs, chopping carrots, and putting up fires in the basement kitchen.​

As much as I thought my athletic and banking background prepared me for the realities of entrepreneurship – I was wrong! I felt completely out of my depth.​

Through many ups and downs, I learned invaluable lessons from the entrepreneurial journey that can’t be taught in school or found in books. They must be lived and experienced first-hand.​

The harsh realities of entrepreneurship humbled me and gave me a newfound appreciation for those who have the courage to chase their dreams.​

Sadly, my business venture didn’t succeed as planned. Despite pouring my life savings and investor capital into it, I made the difficult decision to close its doors after three years.​

But as they say, when one door closes, the other opens…​

It turned out that my unique combination of banking expertise and entrepreneurial know-how was highly sought-after in the Venture Capital space.​

Embracing this opportunity, I dove headfirst into a world of high-profile start-up entrepreneurs, helping them raise capital, launch new products and services, and improve operational efficiencies to increase their future exit options.​

Unfortunately, the pandemic hit and our VC fund struggled to secure capital, ultimately leading to its closure.​

Feeling lost and unsure of my next steps, I turned to my coach for guidance. Through reflection and coaching sessions, I experienced a profound moment of clarity.​

It was then that I realized coaching is my true calling in life where every experience I’ve had prepared me for this role.​

With a wealth of both successes and failures, I am able to deeply connect with my clients and help them tap into their true purpose, break through limitations to create life that is truly fulfilling and meaningful.​