In a world where careers are rarely linear and clarity often comes after disruption, Katya’s story is one of conscious pauses, recalibration, and growth. With a background spanning HR, leadership, and coaching, and as one of the minds behind Career Reset programme at ILC International, she works at the intersection of structure and humanity.

I. Personal Career Journey

Q. Looking beyond the title of a “coach,” who is Katya?

A. If I were to describe myself with a weather metaphor, it would be a hurricane at times, and at others a cozy autumn evening. I am an active and social person, and at the same time an introvert who loves to remain in my own silence and in the silence of others. I prefer meaningful, reflective one-to-one conversations and find small talk very difficult.

Q. As you often like to say, you wear two hats - HR and coach.
What drew you to HR initially, and how did your perspective change once you stepped into coaching?

A. I can’t remember the exact moment when I told myself, “This is it.” Somehow, I just knew. As a child, I loved watching a TV series about profilers, and human behavior became far more interesting to me than my then-dream of becoming a veterinarian. That’s how I realized I would study psychology, and over the years, it has remained my passion and area of interest.

Gradually, my first HR role came along at Shell - a role for which I am still deeply grateful today. I met incredible people there, and this role gave me far more than I could understand at the time. I was fortunate to build my foundations in an excellent environment and alongside outstanding colleagues.

The coach’s hat came much later, with my next career step, once again the result of a wonderful opportunity, while I was working at VMware. This was a major turning point in my career. Those early years following VMware’s entry into Bulgaria were exciting and full of challenges, bringing me greater professional awareness, intensive learning, and the beginning of long-lasting friendships. It was then, with the support of my manager at the time, that I began my very first of many coaching trainings - something I will always be grateful for. That initial glimpse behind the curtain of the coaching approach came at exactly the right moment. A moment when I was searching for the answer to what truly makes the difference in learning and development.

When does new knowledge leave a lasting mark, and when does it remain just a powerful “aha” moment and a pleasant memory that gradually fades?

The principles of coaching resonated with me from the very beginning. Above all, the understanding that the client is whole, capable, and resourceful, and that the power and responsibility remain with them. This is deeply empowering because it places the focus on inner motivation, personal agency, and an active role in developing skills and shaping one’s professional path as a whole.

 Coaching focuses on the present moment.

 - It helps us build awareness of where we are now, clarify what we truly want, and define where we want to go.

- It works with a clear vision, goal, and direction, without which it is difficult to reach where we want to be.

-  It believes that every person has their own answers, that change happens from the inside out, and that growth comes with conscious steps.

Q. In what ways do these two hats complement each other?

A. They don’t always align seamlessly. At times, they even colide. Yet, it is precisely in those moments of tension that something meaningful emerges. When the structured, organizational perspective of HR meets the deeply personal focus of coaching, real learning and growth happen. Decisions gain both clarity and compassion; systems become more humane. This interplay allows me to bridge organizational needs with individual experience, translating strategy into human language and personal insight into organizational learning. It supports sustainable performance rooted not in compliance, but in ownership and intrinsic motivation. Within this space, psychological safety coexists with direction, and learning becomes not just an event, but an ongoing, lived process.

 Q. Did you experience any initial resistance or skepticism toward coaching along the way?

A. As I said, it was love at first sight. I was drawn to the tolerance and the non-directive nature of the approach. I experienced very little resistance - apart from the kind almost every coaching client encounters: the moment when you have to accept that you won’t receive ready-made advice or clear directions. Instead, you are invited to look for the answers within yourself and draw on your own resources.

- The coach may share observations, reflections, or even knowledge, but does not make decisions or give advice on your behalf. And that resistance usually sounds something like this:

“I don’t know… If I knew, I wouldn’t need to be talking to a coach…”

And it is precisely after that frustrated “I don’t know” that true awareness begins - the moment when growth becomes possible.

Q. If you were to describe “early-career Katya” as a character in a story, who would she be?

A. Earlier in my journey, I was an uncompromising idealist and a fierce fighter for justice. That part of me still surfaces from time to time, but today I choose my battles more consciously. Lately, I’ve noticed that with age and experience, doubts have increased, including doubts about myself and my decisions. This can sometimes feel unsettling, but it reminds me of one of my favorite books by Adam Grant - “Think Again”, which highlights the power and value of doubt and the courage to question our own beliefs and to reconsider them when new information calls for it.

I am learning to appreciate doubt as something useful and constructive, shaped by experience, and increasingly necessary in today’s fast-moving, constantly changing world. 

‍

II. Rethinking Everything: Motherhood, Identity & New Perspectives

Q. You said that becoming a mother was a moment that changed everything. What shifted inside you during thatc hapter of your life?

A. Everything changed… and one of many significant shifts was my perception of time. On one hand, of course, I realized just how much free time I had before, but, as is often the case, we only recognize that in retrospect. More importantly, I grew braver and less tolerant of “wasting time.” Now, I strive to use it intentionally and in alignment with my values.

Q. After becoming a parent, did you ever consider stepping away from your professional life entirely, or was it more about integration?

A. I have never imagined stepping completely away from my professional life to dedicate myself solely to parenthood. I love what I do, and part of being a parent is being happy and fulfilled as a person, and showing that example to your children. I want to show my daughters that they can grow both as mothers and as professionals - or choose to focus on just one path. That is a personal choice, and fortunately, we live in a time when integrating the different roles we have is increasingly possible. I admit that after becoming a parent, I have had to make tougher professional and life decisions. But for me, this has been more a matter of integration, and sometimes of timing, life phase, and business needs. This dynamic balance and ongoing integration are what I strive for every day.

Q. Did motherhood teach you something about leadership, resilience, or presence that no professional role ever could?

A. Parenthood teaches me and continues to teach me so much, without a doubt. It’s no coincidence that people say children are the greatest teachers, and not only when it comes to parenting. From the very moment a woman’s body begins to change during pregnancy, you start learning surprisingly much about yourself, and that continues through every stage that follows. For example, it is very difficult to be my best version, or even just a reasonably good version, when I’m sleep-deprived, exhausted, hungry, or slightly ill with yet another “kindergarten” virus. And yet, precisely this builds, on the one hand, surprising patience, resilience, and the ability to organize my time. On the other, it has taught me greater efficiency, clear prioritization, and the ability to remain calm in critical moments and during emotional outbursts, like tantrums, which, let’s admit, sometimes happen even to us “grown-up” adults. Learning to set clear boundaries has been incredibly valuable for both relationships with children and in leadership. This is something I continue to practice every day. One of the most important lessons I have learned, and continue to revisit every day as a parent, is that showing empathy and care to oneself is essential to genuinely offering it to others. You cannot be truly empathetic toward another if you are “deaf” to your own inner world.

Sure, you can fake it - but do you really want to, and wouldn’t it feel different?

‍

III. Career Reset

Q. What is the 'Career Reset' programme, and why now? How would you describe it to someone encountering it for the first time?

А. For me, Career Reset has been a long-awaited dream and a “rough” idea that the ILC team not only embraced but helped develop further. Together, we made it even better than I had imagined at the start. I really love the word that Galya Hubanova, PCC from our team once used to describe the purpose of the program, and I think it fits perfectly:

Career Reset is a career calibration.

It is not a sudden turn or an escape, but a conscious pause, a moment to realign oneself with who you are today - your experience, values, and the life context you are in. This is not a career counseling program in the traditional sense, offering ready-made answers or universal solutions. It is not limited to a single professional or a single approach. Participants have the opportunity to work with several specialists, each bringing a different style and perspective, which makes the process flexible and tailored to the individual’s real needs. In some cases, parts of the coaching sessions can be replaced withwork with a therapist, if that is more appropriate. This structure makes Career Reset valuable at various professional stages and life situations - from career transitions and rethinking your direction, to exhaustion and burnout, to periods that require deeper inner stability before taking the next step.

Why now?

Because today, many people, for various reasons, feel confused and lost, somehow “miscalibrated.” Successful, engaged, and competent, yet tired or anxious, with a quiet sense that the path ahead is no longer entirely theirs. Career Reset is an invitation to give yourself time and space to reflect, reorganize, and choose your next professional chapter with clarity, inner alignment, and confidence.

Q. Looking back, how did you move from supporting individuals as a coach to creating a comprehensive framework like Career Reset?

A. I see every individual coaching process as a journey. It moves through different phases and “stops” along the way, and sometimes even the final destination changes during the course of the journey itself. For me, it has always been important that the client clearly understands what coaching is and isn’t, what it can do, and what it cannot achieve.

- Coaching is not a panacea, but used at the right moment, with the right mindset and realistic expectations, it can work wonders.

That is why we designed Career Reset as a journey with maximum visibility - a clear route, starting points, a crew, and a framework, while the final destination remains in the client’s hands.

For example, a session focused on recognizing self-sabotaging behavior and thought patterns - the internal automatic patterns that often hold us back without our awareness. Another session, based on personalityassessments, helps participants see their strengths, values, and currentpatterns of motivation and work more clearly. In addition, there are self-pacedonline modules that participants complete at their own pace. These initial stations provide the language, structure, and awareness upon which the entire process is built. Where the journey ultimately leads, and what the final destination looks like, depends entirely on the client.

Q. What sets Career Reset apart as a program built on the strength and synergy of an entire team, rather than a single coach?

A. For me, one of the most valuable aspects of Career Reset is that it is not a program based on a single coach and a single approach. The client enters a process in which they have access to several specialists, each with a different style, experience, and perspective - this combination brings tremendous value. The synergy between team members is key. Each of us views the process through our own professional lens and contributes in a unique way, which makes the overall effect richer and deeper. Often, a single question, observation, or perspective from another colleague unlocks new levels of awareness and forward movement. The program also allows for real flexibility. If at any point therapeutic work is more appropriate, some coaching sessions can be replaced with sessions with a therapist. This makes the program adaptable to different professional stages and life situations, rather than a “one-size-fits-all” framework.

Q. Based on your experience, what are the most common obstacles people encounter during a career change?

A. A lack of clarity about our direction and even about our current position - these are some of the greatest challenges we face.

Often, the hardest part is not achieving what we want, but understanding what we truly want. It is much easier to articulate what we don’t want or what we “should” want or what is “expected” of us. Sometimes, under the influence of fear, pressure, or external ideas, we change our own desires so much that they begin to contradict our values. That’s when we end up feeling like there is movement and a lot of effort, but no real progress.

Career change, like any change, is often like sailing through a stormy sea.

You need to know your course and your final destination, but also where you are right now and what conditions surround you.

The most direct route forward is not always possible or the best choice. For example, in a storm, sailboats rarely sail straight into the waves. Instead, they use the technique of tacking - moving forward at roughly a 45° angle, diagonally to the wind and waves. In this way, the sailboat can advance steadily and safely, even when a direct course is unattainable. The same applies to careers.

We may need to move forward not in a straight line, but through a series of small, diagonal steps and adjustments, guided by reality, capacity, and readiness. This is not a deviation from the path, but part of the wisdom of reaching our destination with greater resilience.

Q. What is one practical step you would recommend to someone who feels stuck professionally?

A. We need to give ourselves the space to reflect and be honest about what's going on which includes - where do I truly want to go, and what matters most to me? My advice is - write your reflections down, and take one small step in the direction you set each day. That step can be so small that only you know how and why it connects to your goal. Because it is the accumulation of these small, consistent actions that leads to meaningful progress and results. Even the most inspiring visions for the future, all the positive thinking we are capable of, risk remaining just a New Year’s wish if we don’t support them with real actions.

Change begins with movement, tiny as it may be, but every single day.  

‍

IV. Legacy, Impact & What Comes Next

Q. What impact do you hope to leave on the people you coach, not only in their careers, but in how they see themselves?

A. Wow, that is truly a big question. In my coaching work, I don’t aim to leave a legacy in the grand or monumental sense of the word. My role is to support people at a very specific stage of their journey - to help them move through chaos, reorganization, and doubt, and to look beyond what currently feels possible to them. This is a unique kind of work. We are there to see potential, to broaden perspective, to hold focus, and to support forward movement. But the achievements and the “trace” that remains always belong to the client. My fulfillment comes from being a true partner in that process.

The impact I strive for lives in real, lasting change.

When one person, especially a leader, receives the right support at the right moment and acts in alignment with their values, that impact naturally ripples through teams, culture, and the people around them. And if my work helps even one person do this more consciously, that alone creates a positive impact on many others. Ultimately, it contributes to making the environment in which we all work and live just a bit better.

Q. Finally, if you could send one message to someone standing at the edge of a major life change, unsure of their next step, what would it be?

A. When you find yourself on the edge of a major change, it’snatural to feel uncertainty and fear. Allow yourself to pause, take a breath, and declutter the noise - external expectations, other people’s voices, and the pressure to have it all figured out. Then ask yourself a simple question: What truly matters to me right now, and why?From that place of clarity, ask: What is the first small step toward change that I am willing to take today? You don’t need the full picture, nor do you need to know every step ahead.

Clarity comes through movement, not before it.

‍

Thank you for this wonderful conversation, Katya. It was a pleasure.
For those of you who stayed with us until the end - remember that you can book a free consultation with Katerina Georgieva, PCC, directly from our website and ask her any questions you may have.
https://www.ilc.one/about-us

‍