Year: 2014

When Doctors Told Me Not to Run

  “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.”― Michael Jordan Even though it was two years ago, I still have tears in my eyes when I think about that 5 km run on a chilly May day in Stockholm. *** The story began many years ago in my mother country, Russia, when my doctor cautioned me to not run or partake in any physical training. For an active kid like me it was quite harsh to accept. Even my parents, for my own good, took away my bike and roller blades! I remember that day clearly, so clear that I still see that bright white medical coat with the name badge reading ”Surgeon Ivanov.” “You will never run”, – I heard again and again. At the age of eleven, I developed a strange disease called phlebeurysm on my right leg. It looked so awful that I wouldn’t wear shorts or skirts for the following nine years, and I constantly wore bandages on my one leg to reduce pain.  At age …

Three Secrets and a Big Passion – Triathlon!

Today is a big day for our blog! With the help of our web developer, we are launching a new outlay and design—and premiering alongside a new look will be an exciting new topic as well… I’m sure all of you have noticed that I am notably passionate about investment opportunities, leadership, and entrepreneurship. However, I do have another passion that I’d like to share with all of you—a passion that will most certainly reveal another side of me that is absent in any of my past posts. Nevertheless, the time has come to let you all know that “big finance” is not the only ambition that drives me. My other big passion is…SPORTS. First Secret: The Ironman Triathlon is my goal Yes, my passion is sports—particularly triathlon, which is the one sport that most people have little understanding of and are somewhat unaware of how tough it is, both mentally and physically. Swimming, biking, and running completes a triathlon. Just to inform you, triathlon is like a drug. It involves lots of goal setting (years actually) in …

5 main steps for the perfect elevator pitch

If you an entrepreneur with an amazing idea and want to pitch it to your friends or even an investor, get ready to experience sweaty palms and rosy, red cheeks. Why? Because you never have a second chance to make a first impression! Here are some tips to avoid screwing it up:     I.         Make a plan and write it down.  Here is a plan: The American Express advice US makes it simple and useful.  FIRST BLOCK 1)    Name of your business 2)    Your product/services 3)    Market segment 4)    Problem solving  SECOND BLOCK  1)    Why your product is needed 2)    Which problems can it solve (this makes life easier, saves time and is more productive) 3)    Why are you better than the competition—USP  THIRD BLOCK 1)    Sales & Profitability Statement 2)    End with a statement about what you are looking to accomplish   II.         Repeat your pitch format again, and again.  In front of mirror or video camera, run through your offer at least a few times. Also, pitch your idea in front of friends and ask them to be critical by asking several questions. Overall, if …

If you would have only 2 years left

If you would have only 2 years left….

Lately I’ve been asking my friends if they are happy with how they live their lives. Actually, it didn’t take long for them to become completely sick of me and   I can absolutely understand why. I kept drilling the same set of questions into their heads every time we met. Eventually I began to wonder: “If you found out that you only had two years left to live, what would you do?”  “Would you continue working at your current job or quit and pursue your dreams?” Well, it generally took me about two years to achieve what I wanted to achieve, so two years is not a long time if you consider the learning curve, which is the bulk of the two years. Then, to see results is also time consuming. So, most of them said they would quit their jobs immediately and pursue “their dream job,” but were intimidated and probably would hold off because of the amount of competition facing them—for example, the fashion industry and journalism/novelist/ communications. Some folks decided they …

Start-Up Day 2014 from Stockholm School of Enterpreneurship

Previously known as “Good Morning” but now renamed “Start-up Day,” the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship organizes this one-day event where it gathers entrepreneurs with and without experience as well as attracting various investors, students, and motivational speakers—all on three different scenes. Being curious and looking for new opportunities, contacts, and of course inspiration, I decided to visit the event once again. I attended it four years ago and still remember the summing-up speech by Magnus Lindkvist. “Start-ups I believe in” This year  the event took place 26 th of April 2014 at Munchenbryggeriet. I was a bit disappointed with the Start-Up Day event. In fact the only speech “Start-ups I believe in”that I feel worth mentioning came from Hampus Jakobsson—a truly inspirational and successful entrepreneur as well as a happy father of three. Hampus is theco-founder and CEO at Brisk.io—a project that is currently operating under the Creandum family*. Earlier in his career when he was co-founder of a software licensing company known as The Astonishing Tribe, he was responsible for shipping over 500 million …

Financial Education Books

Let’s admit it—financial education studies at school suck! It doesn’t really matter which country you live in. Everywhere in the world, biology, history, and math are the main subjects in school. Such subjects as financial education and communication in society are not included in ordinary school curriculums. However, these two subjects are essential, and used in everyday life. It doesn’t matter how old are you or how much are you earn, there is always the possibility to spend money wisely. Rethink your spending behavior in order to protect yourself, your future and your family. Here are two books that I strongly recommend to everybody. It doesn’t matter if you have a financial education, or not. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki I remember the feeling I had after reading this book at the age of 18. I felt like the biggest secret of the world was all of the sudden, revealed. The book is very easy to read, the examples are easy to remember, but the idea of the book is worthless.  Stay ahead …

Black penny, red penny… Investing in stamps!

Almost everything in this world works in cycles: solar activity, tides, fashion, and even financial crises. As far as long-term investing is concerned, the “cycle” plays a vital role when deciding when to cash out, so predicting the optimal period during the cycle is “key.” Actually, you can increase the probability of becoming a successful investor if simply: You are a disciplined investor. You are a patient investor. You can forget about the money you have invested. Everything seems to be “too” rational and practical. Where then is the inspiration and enjoyment of investing—sitting back and relying on interest rates and investment trends to be in your favor, and hoping to be wealthy in the future? Is there a way to enjoy investing? There is a way – collecting! Investing in something you can physically touch is one way to enjoy investing, knowing also its value will increase over time.  Today’s topic is STAMPS. Philately is the study of stamps, postal history, and other related collectables—a movement that appeared in 1840, just after Great Britain issued …

How smart women invested in 2013?

In Sweden, declaration (tax returns) time has come again. Every citizen earning an income, recently received a large yellow form from a local taxation office reminding us to submit all sources of revenue, as well as expenditures. This year my income consisted of the usual source—my job and the firm that I own. However, there was a new entry included among my income sources—revenue from rising stock shares! The value of my portfolio rose 19% from last year. Smart girl! How smart women invested in 2013? “How smart women invest,” for me, was an interesting experience. Back in November of 2013, a friend of mine invited me to a seminar. It was more or less a breakfast meeting comprised of smart women, and Barbara Stewart, a researcher and portfolio manager from Canada, travelled here to Stockholm to share her financial insight and wisdom. The event was organized by NASDAQ OMX. Barbara, an elegant and charming woman, revealed to us information about what motivates smart women to invest, and how they make an investment decision. For her research, she talked to 100 …

April. It is all about money!

April. ‘It is all about money!’

Some of my readers claim that an investment blog should discuss more about actual money investments, and not only discuss the investment of assets like “time”, “lifestyle,” and “connections.” Let’s talk about “the real investments”- The process of investing money for profit. Red Alarm Bulb Some people say that happiness in life is not all about the destination – it’s more about the process. The same idea applies with “money investment” – you need to enjoy the process. If you’re not crazy about the idea of investing because of its association with “limitations” and “saving,” and the red alarm bulb consistently appears somewhere in your brain creating mild anxiety, then I would say it’s about time to learn where, how, and how much. This month I will tell you how to find and harness motivation, as well as save at least 10% of your monthly income, leaving you with a fabulous feeling!   The ugly truth The ugly truth is that I am not a disciplined investor. In fact, not at all.  I remember telling my …