ABOUT ME

Welcome, I am Anna

Founder of don’tmarry.me and your CTI Relationship & Confidence coach.

As a citizen of the world, believer in female-empowerment and experienced manager I am passionate about supporting
modern women on their journey towards the fulfilled and extraordinary life they desire.

Are you ready to radiate the confidence you deserve to have?

Are you eager to not only achieve what you’re supposed to, but
to know what you want and feel empowered to go get it?

You’re already on your way.

When people at dinner parties and networking events ask me what I do, I often reply that I’m a "professional expat and specialist in cross cultural communications". Originally from Russia, I spent the majority of my life in Istanbul, Geneva, Luzern and Zurich.

anna

Prehistory

When I was in my twenties, I left my home, my friends and my comfort zone to follow my partner and his career to Istanbul. I had no job, no friends, no knowledge of the Turkish language and spent most of my days at home while my partner was gone for work. It was a lonely and very tough time for me, to say the least. If you have ever moved to a new country, you know how fascinating, yet difficult and frustrating it can be to establish yourself in a foreign culture, learn a new language, built new relationships, follow new rules, become familiar with new traditions, understand a new mentality... While I learned to adjust myself to the new environment in order to fit in, I reached a point at which I realized that I was giving up my identity.

I started to ask myself:
Who I am? What do I really want?
How do I know that I’m making
the right choices?

The moment of despair and enlightenment

There’s one particular day I still remember very clearly: an acquaintance had just cancelled our dinner plans, so I was sitting in my apartment in Istanbul by myself, feeling awful about my situation. The relationship that I had sacrificed so much for hadn’t survived the struggle, I had lost the feeling of connection to most of my old friends back home. I had pushed myself to go on a few dates here and there, but all of them ended up being rather unsatisfying. I felt bored at my job and didnt see a future in my field. It felt like all the doors were closing and I had nowhere to go. I started to wonder: Is that it? Is this all life has to offer? Should I once again move to a new place or try again to establish a new relationship? Have I already realized my full potential professionally? Tears running down my face, I wasn’t able to find answers and felt desperate.

moment despair

That moment, sitting there crying in pity for myself something clicked. I knew I had to stop feeling sorry for myself and start to fundamentally change my life. I knew I had to stop making compromises and start taking merciless responsibility for myself and for the situation I was in. I realized that I deserved so much more, that I was entitled to spend my days doing something that I feel passionate about and to relationships that give me energy, not rob it from me.

hrough hard work that is still ongoing, I was able to gain clarity and start cultivating the life I want to live, but I wish I would have known about coaching and its impact back then. I wish I would have had someone professional by my side, to direct me on my way to finding answers, finding new perspectives and a new life purpose.

My mission

My mission is to be this companion for you. I want to help you find your answers for your questions, I want to support you on your way to higher confidence and a fulfilled life. In my opinion, everyone - whether they’re at their breaking point like I was or simply want to improve in one specific area of their life - would benefit from working with a coach. It’s the best investment you can make in your future, that’s why I currently work with two brilliant coaches.

anna

If you’re still hungry for more background-info, here are some fun facts about me

  • I spent a decade working in commodities trading for companies like Glencore and Trafigura.
  • I studied General Management at the University of St. Gallen.
  • I fluently speak English, Russian and Turkish. I’m in the painful process of learning German
    and French.
  • I am so passionate about cycling, that I actually prefer going uphill to downhill. Most people
    (and even fellow cyclers) think I’m crazy for that.
  • I love skiing and dream about skiing in Niseko, Japan one day.
  • I like to spend sunny Saturday mornings on the golf course with friends.
  • One of my biggest goals on my bucket list is to take a year off and live in a new country every
    month. I would avoid staying in hotels, instead rent apartments and live like a local.