Paola Minekov

Meet Paola Minekov

Artists are interesting people, right? They’re often stereotyped as quirky, spaced out Bohemians living on the breadline, desperate to sell the next piece of work. But my Page 1 Woman is an artist who in no way reflects this stereotype. Quirky? Maybe. Talented? For sure. Bohemian? Well, she did experience a nomadic spell, before settling in London. She now runs a business as a professional artist alongside two other businesses. And if that’s not enough, she’s a Tropic Independent Ambassador and a mother of two young sons to boot.

She’s Paola Minekov, creative, courageous, energetic artist and entrepreneur. A social animal, who believes in the power of connections, she has used networking to immerse herself in local life wherever that happens to be. Of course, this has paid dividends personally and business wise. And in the process, she’s gained a fan club following of people like me who have become avid collectors of her paintings. Read on and discover more about Paola’s journey to success.

What do you do?

Paola: I'm an artist, from Bulgaria but I’ve lived in several countries. I’m creative in all sorts of ways. I’ve a degree in multimedia, and work on diverse projects involving videos, the web and animation. More recently, I've co-established the International Business Alliance (IBA) for Bulgarians in the UK. It provides a complete networking solution for Bulgarian business owners, professionals and investors interested in Bulgarian goods, such as cosmetics, clothes, shoes, food and wine. It also provides outsourcing information to Bulgarian suppliers, who are more reasonably priced than Western European companies.

IBA publishes in Bulgarian and English a free, glossy, business oriented biannual magazine, called ‘Elysium’. Alongside business news and trends, we also feature Bulgarian celebrities, culture and art. There are lots of Bulgarians working in the UK and across Western Europe. They’ve received some negative publicity since joining the EU and in relation to Brexit and it’s affected us adversely personally and business wise, especially in the UK. So, at ‘Elysium’, we aim to provide positive quality marketing of Bulgarian businesses and culture. The magazine is distributed to the Bulgarian diaspora worldwide and to key embassies, cultural institutions and trade missions. As creative director, I'm really proud of having achieved so much so quickly with a small team. 

My art is influenced by European tradition, but I also explore different styles. Some of my work is psychology based, focusing on what drives people to connect or disconnect. And I’ve a series of cityscapes of the many places I've lived in and visited - the UK, Bulgaria, America, Israel and the Netherlands. Because I love energy and movement, I’ve painted a series of dancers who seem graceful and delicate but are energetic, powerful and strong.

I’m now setting up a project for helping women who like to travel, work and live in different places. It will be launched this year and will provide networking opportunities, and help them to visit and settle in a new place safely and securely because it's the first time that women are traveling and working independently alone in foreign countries. We’re naming it ‘DigiBees’.

What essential steps did you take to get to where you are?

Paola: There’s a saying, “Beware of artists because they mix with all social classes”. Without knowing this quote, when I first left Bulgaria, aged eighteen years old, my father advised me to connect with all sorts of people and operate on their level, and that was before social media. It was great advice because I’ve made many different, interesting friends worldwide who’ve taught me so much. And it’s helped me to get ahead because it's all about connecting with people and showing them what I do as an artist. 

Art is very personal so promoting yourself and your work and getting criticised is hard. But, starting with friends makes it easier. So connecting with others and developing a wide, diverse network has been a real motivation. People find artists interesting, so, even if you're neither rich nor successful people still want to hang out with you.

When I was younger network building was unconscious and was more about forming friendships, going out and partying. But it happened naturally for me because I wasn't in my country, and I needed these extra contacts to live, socialise and be myself.

When I came to the UK, I was almost thirty and those in my age group already had their social circles. So, I had to reach out first. But I was married, and I realised that the formal way to do this was to go networking. People were open to these relationships so long as you, the newcomer, made the first step. And yes, it’s difficult, but there’s no other way because you’re new and need to socialise.

What was your greatest challenge?

Paola: My greatest challenge was when we decided to have children. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, which caused a number of miscarriages. And once diagnosed, I had to get things back on track and go back to trying to have babies.

Personal stuff is the biggest career hurdle, and can get you down. It affected me as I stopped painting for a while and I had to concentrate on figuring out what was wrong because the doctors didn't know. And once they knew they only gave me pills to take for the rest of my life. Not great.

I overcame this challenge by finding conventional and alternative ways to treat the condition. I read numerous books and changed my diet and I managed it myself. I discovered that it was genetic. For women, who it typically affects, it's a huge challenge because it’s not well understood. 

What was your greatest lightbulb moment?

Paola: My greatest lightbulb moment so far was realising I should find the right people to do the things I can't do.

When I first started painting I intended to do everything myself - website, network, learn marketing and sales. And there was no time left for painting. I'm a perfectionist artist. I put my name on a picture and then everything around it has to match my expectations. So, finding the right people who I could trust wasn’t easy. But I had to build a team around me who could help. 

Once I did that things became easier as the members of my team are like me, with similar ways of thinking and functioning. Many small business owners try to do everything themselves to save money, but you can’t do everything yourself, it takes time, energy and in the end it cost you more money.

What resource has been crucial to your success?

Paola: The support from my husband. When we came to the UK, he was okay with me doing my art rather than getting a job. And my parents, who are also artists, have always supported me with the children, their time, money and advice. And that's what made it possible.

What do you understand by leadership?

Paola: A leader wants to make a change, a difference and has a vision. They understand that sometimes they may need to make challenging and unpopular decisions and choices. And they still need to get support for it from their followers.

Do you see yourself as a leader?

Paola: My ambition wasn’t to be a political leader. But as an artist, I was leading when I created opportunities, by setting up my own exhibitions, making positive change, and developing new businesses. And I ended up building and leading a team for IBA.

I'm neither a natural born manager or trained. So, I had to find people who could support and complement me. I’m a bit strange - sociable in social situations, but happy working alone, too. So, working with other people every day has been challenging.

I find leading without being ‘a day to day manager’ easier. I don't have a problem making difficult decisions or with people opposing me. I create my own rules, and follow my values. And my team understands and trust my judgement. 

What are your three top tips for women who want to be leaders in their field?

Paola: First, be the visionary, and find the right people to implement your vision. Good leaders can see the big picture, and plan a few steps ahead. You also need to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses. For example, I'm visual; I'm not that good with words. So, I needed to get the right people around me who understand my thinking and could turn it into something that the rest of the world understands and appreciates.

Second, create your own opportunities rather than only joining other people's projects. And get the rest of the world excited about your own projects. 

The day things changed for me as an artist was the day I figured out I can get ahead much faster if I organise my own exhibitions. Of course, in my art career I’ll still collaborate and take part in exhibitions organised by others, so long as I like the concepts. In the business world you may call this a joint venture. Either way, the same concept is applicable to any field. To be a leader, you have to lead rather than follow.

And third, stand by your values because if your team and support network know that you’re true to your values, they'll support you even if they disagree with your decisions. And of course you’ll also function better because you’re being true to yourself.

To find out more about Paola's Portfolio click here: https://paola.art/

To purchase Paola’s paintings: https://www.lanternartgallery.com/collections/paola-minekov

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