In life, everything has a price, including success. Even getting into heaven requires us to pay with good actions. The price I’ve paid to be where I am today has cost me my health, personal life, and freedom. Am I happy where I am now? I’d say I’m satisfied. But to feel the happiness I know I deserve, I need to achieve more—grow my company globally, find a balance with work, and have success in my personal life too.
To start my story, I want to make one thing clear: I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Who I am today is the result of hard work, sleepless nights, and endless effort. I grew up in a strict Catholic family where a woman’s place was traditionally seen as at home or in church—not exactly ideal for someone with big career dreams. Even now, as a self-made woman, I don’t feel the support I wish I had from those close to me. While I admire them greatly, it hurts that they don’t fully understand my drive or why I’m so focused on my career. For them, a good education was about securing a solid marriage and preparing for motherhood, not building a career.
When I was 16, I dreamed of studying tourism to see the world. But every conversation about my future always came down to two options: law or medicine. I’m not one to back down, so I chose international law and litigation, knowing it would help me see the world. My first year in university was like swimming with sharks—a small fish in an ocean of elitism. I faced public humiliation from professors as a 16-year-old girl from a small town. But that tough year taught me how to swim with confidence.
My first year was a disaster, and I started planning an escape, saving what I could from the money my family sent. At 18, I signed up for a summer program in the U.S., planning not to come back. But things didn’t go as I expected. With limited English, no connections, and little money, I ended up working as a hotel housekeeper—a job I struggled with and swore would be my last in something I didn’t love. Determined, I returned to Ukraine and poured myself into my law studies, transforming into someone fierce and relentless. There was something about the men in my family—they came from law, medical, or religious backgrounds and were wise, sharp, and highly competitive. Nobody would stand in their way.
Like the Kennedy family, we were close-knit, but we always went to sleep one hour later than anyone else and woke up one hour earlier. My family loved the quote by Al Capone, “Never stop fighting till the fight is done.” And they fought. Maybe it’s the Ukrainian blood in us, as we’ve been fighters throughout our history, or maybe it’s just in our nature. But every man in my family lived by this rule. So, I decided to learn their skills and become one of them.
When I earned my master’s in international law with honors, my family was proud. But they expected me to settle down. My dream of working internationally worried them, especially my father, who saw me as a gentle, wise, kind woman—a perfect wife and mother. While I’m not against that future, I won’t just sit around waiting for my prince. So while he’s out there looking for me, I’m busy building my empire.
As for my accomplishments, my favorite journey has been my business. After university, I planned to travel the world for a year before starting my own company, but that changed when a client offered to invest in me. Suddenly, at 21, I was a CEO, still working as an interpreter for competitors while growing my company. I worked 20-22 hours a day, with no weekends or proper sleep. We got clients within two months, but my health started to take a hit. Ignoring my body’s warnings came at a high price: an accident that put me in the hospital, unable to walk. My advice? Take breaks before your body forces you to. The day I walked again was a blessing, but the recovery was tough.
Just as I regained my strength, my landlord sold the apartment I lived in, and I needed to move. During my search, I met someone relocating to Vietnam and said, “Go where the money is.” Inspired, I decided to give it a try. Within a week, I moved to Vietnam, where opportunities came without even needing a resume. I started as a university professor, became a communications officer in an international company, and worked part-time on a blockchain project. I even launched a company in Hong Kong. If not for COVID, we might have been huge, but timing wasn’t on our side.
When the war in Ukraine began, Vietnam no longer felt like home. The local community was supportive, but the government’s stance on Ukrainians was politely dismissive. When I looked into relocating elsewhere, I faced rejections. Many countries offering support to Ukrainians had strict criteria: they prioritized people who were living in Ukraine just before the war. Since I had been living in Vietnam, I didn’t meet this criterion, which made me ineligible. Even though I felt displaced by the war, my situation didn’t match the guidelines these countries set up for humanitarian aid, making it challenging to find a match.
After facing rejection from several countries, I finally made my way to Canada—not my dream destination due to the cold, but a place I was grateful to reach. Starting fresh in Canada was humbling. For nearly two years, I struggled to find work that matched my experience, facing rejections and offers for positions that felt beneath my skills. After battling depression and feeling like a nobody, I finally found the courage to create my own opportunity. That’s how Royal Media Group was born, and we’re thriving. When I say Royal Media Group will go global, I mean it. In just four months, we’ve gained recognition in Canada and the Emirates, attended major tech and political events, and hosted our own. And this is just the beginning.
This is who I am: a girl with resilience in her bones, a fighter with big dreams, and a relentless drive to build something meaningful. My journey hasn’t been easy, but every setback has only fueled my determination to keep moving forward and reaching for more. I’ve shared my story because I believe we each have a story worth telling, filled with struggles and triumphs.
What’s your story? I’d love to hear it. Feel free to reach out and share—who knows, maybe your story will inspire others and change someone’s future. After all, each of our stories has the power to make a difference.
