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.