If you recognize yourself here, you must be an introvert. Most of this is certainly true for me I used to think an introvert was someone who  doesn’t like to spend time with people. But I actually LOVE being with people, doing live events, running retreats, and helping my clients.

However, there are certain things to understand about introverts that affects their communication and relationships.

• Respect their need for privacy.
• Never embarrass them in public.
• Let them observe first in new situations.
• Give them time to think.  Don’t demand instant answers.
• Don’t interrupt them.
• Give them advanced notice of expected changes in their lives.
• Give them 15 minute warnings to finish whatever they are doing before calling them to dinner or moving on to the next activity.
• Reprimand them privately.
• Teach them new skills privately rather than in public.
• Enable them to find one best friend who has similar interests and abilities; encourage this relationship even if the friend moves.
• Do not push them to make lots of friends.
• Give them the opportunity to have “down time” which involves no talking. Silence is golden.
• Respect their introversion.  Don’t try to remake them into extroverts.

How did you do?

How do you define success in your own life?

Freedom to do what I choose, when and where I choose.

What was the turning point in your life that began your success? In other words, when did things begin working for you?

When I realized that the world puts a huge value on knowledge and expertise, not on time.

What was the toughest personal challenges you have had to overcome, and how did you overcome them?

My mom and I in Las Vegas First Time, 2009

Most people think it’s immigrating to another country. However, I had very little to do with it. My parents made the decision and I followed them. Of course, the challenges came when we actually arrived - language, culture, and financial barriers lasted for a couple of years.

I had three main challenges after that.

Changing my career from music to computers. After spending the first 20 years of my life in music, it was a tough and painful decision to make. But computer programming promised to be a solid and reliable career, so I went for it.

Quitting my job to start my business was another big one. After struggling to find good day care for my one-year-old at the time, I finally took a plunge and gave my notice. My family couldn’t believe it, I would wake up in cold sweat for the first few weeks, but I knew somehow everything would work out. It just had to.

Realizing that I can’t do it all and building a team. Three years into my business building venture, I had more ideas than I could handle on my own. I knew I needed to hire someone, but that required a big mind shift: hiring someone to do what I could do myself? Impossible! Today I have 7-9 people on my team depending on the time of year, and love being able to delegate and outsource many projects and tasks.

What is the best piece of advice you can offer someone who is struggling to achieve success in any area of their lives?

Choose one idea, one strategy, one mentor, focus on it for a year, tune everything else and everybody else out.  That’s how I’ve been able to get ahead and build a business without any previous experience.

Who or what inspires you?

I love personal brands. It’s such a noisy world, everybody is an expert, everybody has something to sell. But when I see someone who used their personal story to create a compelling brand in their niche, built a product line for their customers, and was able to rise above this noise in the market, I feel inspired.

My favorite people who have inspired me are Michael Gerber, Seth Godin, and Nido Qubein

My daughter is making yummy crepes filled with banana and Nutella

Summer cooking camp has paid off! I made the crepes, my nine-year-old filled them with heavenly stuff that even her brother enjoyed!

Somehow when there’s nothing else to do, cooking is the most fun activity we always enjoy together.  No idea what this means in terms of her unique ability yet (too soon to tell), but I am watching closely to find a diamond in the rough and nurture it in her!

Clearly, these lions are still learning what they can and cannot do. Or rather, what they’re born to do naturally, and what they should stay away from. Chances are, if they keep trying, they’ll get better at it. But most soon realize that it’s easier to use their natural abilities … and instead of trying to climb a tree to go after a baboon, they simply chase a zebra.

Unfortunately, many humans never realize what their natural abilities are and keep trying to strengthen their weaknesses, ignoring the abilities they were born with and could master much faster and be much more successful in business and in life.

Somehow my birthdays changed since I was 10. My parents would wake me up with a big present wrapped in gift paper from last year. Then for the rest of the day I was jumping around waiting for my friends to come with presents and have a party with games and music.

Today I turned 36 (this might be the last year I am comfortable revealing my age). I woke up to a soft knock on my door and my two kids, 15 and 9, entering with a beautifully prepared tray with my breakfast in bed, which I gently hinted on last night.

• Banana Oatmeal
• Nutella sandwich (which I never eat for breakfast!)
• Fruit salad
• Glass of cold apple juice

…I was too sleepy to actually take a picture of it, so I am including a picture that looked very close to it

No big birthday party or gathering of 20+ people or me slaving in the kitchen on my birthday.

In spite of not being a very religious person (years in Soviet Ukraine are hard to exterminate), I thanked God for all the blessings in my life and the ability to enjoy it. I love what I do. I love where I live. I feel truly blessed and wouldn’t change a thing. And my husband got me a brand new air purifier - life doesn’t get better than this!

Medieval Times, Maryland

In about a week my whole family will be going to www.medievaltimes.com in celebration of my birthday - NOW THAT’S what “Lady Milana” can’t wait for!

Thank you for all your wonderful wishes, my friends.

Now, back to watching our favorite movie of all times with my kids, “Window to Paris” - the only Russian movie we have in the house that actually comes with English sub-titles, and the whole family LOVES!

So sweet… Husband and wife (both 90 years old), who have been married for 62 years, play the piano together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic.