Balancing business and motherhood – interview with EDU Effective alumni

At EDU Effective, we believe in female power in business. Female leaders and entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in constructing the future of business, and we 100% support it! Thanks to the studies at EDU Effective, many of our successful graduates gain the necessary tools and confidence to start their entrepreneurship journey. And we are here for it. Encouraging and supporting new female founders is more crucial than ever. In this interview, we asked Mary Mc Bride and Kristina Ivancova about their work, entrepreneurial experience, and their experience with EDU Effective.

Two remarkable female entrepreneurs and EDU Effective alums share their stories with our community.

Balancing business, leadership, and family is challenging. But both ladies do it with grace and excel in all roles. Their stories highlight the challenges and wins of female entrepreneurs, offering inspiration and practical insights for future businesswomen.

Mary, thank you for joining me today. Your journey balancing a career as an English language teacher and a manager at SHAYNA ROSE Office Gynecology practice and being a dedicated mother is genuinely inspiring. Please share a bit about yourself, your career path, and how your experiences have shaped your approach to dual roles.

Thank you for the invitation, Radka. Regarding your question, I am an English teacher and a university graduate with many years of teaching experience. Then, by time processing, I managed the MBA, and of course, with EDU Effective, I realized my goal of a DBA practically. 

We, as women, have the capability of implementing various roles. This is my experience based on my professional, academic, and family background. I am a clinic manager at a medical and healthcare facility, clearly an OBGYN at Shayna Rose Clinic, and a teacher at hotel management (SHS) high school for a couple of years. In addition to being a mother of three kids and living with a love for family, I am a medical manager and doctor assistant at  Shayna Rose clinic. 

What inspired you to pursue further professional education, and why did you choose EDU Effective Business School? Was there a moment or event that catalyzed this decision?

We came to this world not only to improve ourselves from an educational point of view but also to make the world a better place and a qualified world to live in. So motivation is obvious, and as a lady, you don’t want to be only beautiful but also to be brilliant intellectually and have bright mentation. I tried to find the best way to conduct a DBA among different educational institutions and discovered that EDU was among the best the market offers. Starting the EDU seemed like a great idea, and I chose it because of its protocol and plan for DBA students. 

As a mother of three, do you think that EDU Effective offers the flexibility for anyone to enhance their skill set, perhaps even during parental leave or alongside work commitments?

Exactly, yes, in a real sense, I had the chance to continue my daily professional work. I was partly a housewife and mother of three children, studied hard, performed my duty as a DBA student, and managed the required steps to succeed. All are given by EDU a flexible and reasonable schedule for students. So, I individually did not have any obstacles to my professional or family tasks and commitments, though sometimes it was hard secondary to my massive daily work. 

Since graduating in 2021, could you reflect on the changes in your personal and professional life? How have the studies benefited you?

In the real world, you see the benefit of study….one can logically, practically, either directly or indirectly see, feel, and touch the difference in experience, respect, and success. The study esp. DBA has made me more aware, precise, and communicative, and I have more patience, understanding, and a friendly approach, as well as more ability and ideas. 

What advice would you offer to individuals, especially parents, contemplating further education while juggling work and family?

Being a parent is not easy because it demands a lot. Parents must work hard to support and protect the family, especially the kids. However, my advice to parents interested in higher education and a brilliant professional life is that there is always some time to work on their dream of study and qualification. All can be managed; you need patience, hard work, and discipline. 

Looking back at your time with EDU Effective, how would you describe your overall experience? Were there any study blocks or aspects of the program that particularly stood out to you? What was your favorite part of the studies?

Life has its ups and downs. It is a whole of love and happiness. The beauty of life is when somebody feels happy from the inside. The heart and mind work together, and the symphony of these elements is essential for a human being. 

Career development is an evolution based on time and quality. So, I am still working on this issue. Implementing different tasks is not an obligation but a wish. If we feel and think this way, personal happiness, and luck will be realized according to the excellent mindset we built in the past and continue to make every day toward our accomplishments. 

Kristina, can you tell us what led you to start the “I can eat” brand? What challenges have you faced in starting your own business?

Of course, I’d be happy to. The impulse for starting the “I can eat” project was a combination of personal experiences and frustration. About four years ago, I lost 35 kg, and three years later, after my second childbirth, I lost another 20 kg. I went through many unsustainable diets. When I decided to get a figure in which I would feel good, it was clear that I did not want to restrict myself from eating. After a year and a half, I achieved a significant physical transformation, learned to eat correctly, exercise effectively, and improved my relationship with food.

However, I still encountered misunderstandings and myths about weight loss in my surroundings. I realized how many women are confused, suffer from the yo-yo effect, restrict themselves, and starve. This inspired me to start raising awareness about losing weight without drastic diets and exercise and still achieve the desired figure.

I published an e-book, “I can eat! I will lose weight at last,” purchased by over 1,000 women. This book is a practical step-by-step weight loss manual. Thanks to the positive feedback on the book, I established the brand “I can eat” I now offer online courses, group programs, and VIP individual collaborations focused on sustainable weight loss without starvation and changing food-related habits.

The “I can eat” project teaches women that drastic diets or fasting are unnecessary to achieve and maintain a slim figure. We promote a healthy approach to food that includes favorite treats like chocolate or pizza without guilt or a bad conscience.

I didn’t perceive any significant obstacles to starting a business. Today’s opportunities allow us to perform excellently and build a company from the ground up. The only limitation can be time, but if you have a passion for your work, you’ll find a way to manage it.

What led you to study for an MBA in Coaching, Mentoring, and Leadership at EDU Effective? What were your expectations from this program, and were they met?

Before starting the MBA in Coaching, Mentoring, and Leadership, I already had experience with mentoring and coaching, but I wanted to develop further and gain more practice. What I appreciated most was the ability to study thoroughly from home, which was ideal as a new mother of my second child.

I expected new perspectives in interpersonal relationships, client obstacle resolution, and enriching my mentoring program. These expectations were met. Studying in English and the microlearning approach were also significant benefits.

How do you apply the knowledge and skills gained during your studies in your everyday business? Can you give specific examples of how this education has helped you?

The knowledge from my studies intertwines with all aspects of my business, from strategy to client communication. To offer clients quality services, I need to be able to realize their ideas, which requires structure and expertise.

For example, the group weight loss program can be compared to individual collaboration. In the group program, I emphasize support and motivation, which requires team leadership skills that I learned during my studies. In individual mentoring, listening and gently pushing clients out of their comfort zone is crucial. EDU Effective helped me improve the program’s structure and ability to read clients’ hidden signals.

How has your education helped improve your approach to coaching and mentoring your clients? Based on your studies, what new strategies or techniques have you implemented into your program?

My approach to coaching and mentoring has shifted from personal experiences to professional guidance based on clients’ needs. I introduced clear topics for joint consultations in group programs and focused my lectures on solving short-term and long-term problems. Thanks to my studies, I created a better system for individual mentoring and coaching, increasing the overall professionalism of my business.

How do you manage to maintain a balance between your personal life and your own business?

As a mother of two and an entrepreneur, balancing personal life and business is challenging. I learned to eliminate unnecessary things and set priorities. Although I often work in the evenings, I have more time for family during the day. The key is practical planning and combining work with family responsibilities.

What are your plans for your “I can eat” brand and your business in general? How do you intend to use your education from EDU Effective for further development and innovation?

My long-term vision is to expand the “I can eat” program among as many women as possible and create a broad community that supports healthy and sustainable weight loss. Over time, I want to enrich my brand with more mentors and coaches who can pass on my know-how and provide individual support to clients. In this direction, I will use the knowledge from my studies, which focus on team leadership and effective management.

The knowledge gained at EDU Effective will help me develop and innovate the program and plan and implement new methods that will ensure an even higher quality of services. These steps will significantly impact and help more women reach their goals.

We hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire us. Their journeys highlight the incredible potential of women who balance the demands of entrepreneurship and motherhood, demonstrating that achieving happiness on the professional grounds while nurturing a family is possible.