We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katerina Leva. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katerina below.
Hi Katerina , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
Imposter syndrome basically means one of two things: you are either a great specialist in your field or the worst specialist in the field. And the solution for both versions is to learn more while faking it. In 2020, I opened my first successful business. It all started with a single online course on a topic I was barely qualified to talk about. I have just finished a single 3-day course on the subject (psychological profiling), so I was nowhere near being an expert, but I still opened that course. Was it a fraud? I don’t think so. The main thing that didn’t make me a fraud is that I never lied. I targeted people who knew nothing instead of 5% of what I knew, I put the lowest price possible, and I openly said that I was just a beginner. I sold this course for 5$. Fast-forward 5 years later, my cheapest course was 750$; I scaled that school to more than 5000 students and while doing all of this I continued learning and became one of the best experts in the niche.
The same happened when I shot my first film. I remember the whole crew looking at me with the same question in their eyes: “So, what are we doing, boss? ” Even though I had absolutely no idea, I gave them answers. Some were correct, and most of them costed me stress and money in post-production, but at least I had answers, and that was the most important thing.
People will always gather around people who know what they are doing… or confidently pretend to know.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Today, I am working on my first feature film about the war in Ukraine and opening a new business: a marketing and producing agency for filmmakers. I have a strong background in marketing and social media management. I learned everything myself, having done it to all the businesses I previously owned: my psychology school and producing agency. I was also always good at marketing myself; my socials are constantly growing, and now I have over 120k thousand followers across the platforms. I want to combine this experience with my filmmaking expertise.
After graduating from NYFA and being a part of more than 40 projects, I have a strong understanding of the whole process of making a film. I have written, directed, and produced 3 short films that are starting their festival runs. With the abundance of talented directors, writers, and actors, the only thing they are truly lacking is cheap, affordable marketing for their films. So many projects go to die with 150 views on YouTube just because you don’t know how to make people watch them.
My second most significant project is my first feature film. This is a project I relate to on a personal level. I am Ukrainian, and, as you may know, right now, my country is under attack. I cannot believe that in the 21st century, humanity still hasn’t learned how to solve conflicts by speaking rather than killing, and it pains me to see how many ruined lives fall victim to the ambition of political leaders. This is a challenging project, emotionally and financially. Still, I believe that in a couple of years, you will all see it in theatres.
Please follow me on social media to follow these projects.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Marketing and sales
Fortunately or unfortunately, we live in capitalism. And in capitalism, if you don’t know how to sell yourself and your product, you will never achieve anything. There are so many people who say: “If my project is good enough, it will market itself; I don’t need to persuade people to buy something or watch my film.” And they are all wrong. We all fight for attention; the markets are overflowing with talented people, mind-blowing projects, and life-saving products. The one who is the loudest will get attention. The one who knows how to sell will get the deal.
2. Communication
People do not know how to talk and understand others; it is horrifying. Everything you will achieve, you will achieve through people, and if you don’t know how to talk to them, I have very bad news for you. Who is going to give you your first job? People. Who is going to invest in your movie? People. Who is going to help you out when you are in trouble? People. People need people, and in order to get them, you need to know how to communicate with them.
3. Psychology
Achieving goals, building relationships (romantic or not), and feeling better about yourself are all psychology. If you have a goal that you can’t achieve for years, it means that something in your head is stopping you, and you need to fix it. Understanding how your brain operates and how the brains of other people operate will save you time and stress.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My life has been pretty challenging lately. War in my country, immigration, all of this is pretty heavy stuff. I also recently learned that my cat was diagnosed with cancer and now we are gathering money for his treatment. I think the most important thing to survive all the difficulties is to be a good parent to yourself: letting yourself sleep more, when you need to, reminding yourself that you are a human and are allowed to make mistakes, treating yourself and saying kind word yo yourself.
I am also really grateful for the people in my life that are with me during all the hardships, I want to say thank you to all my friends and especially my boyfriend who is supporting me though everything.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kataaleva/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerina-leva
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
