Meet Margarita Kurtova

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Margarita Kurtova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Margarita, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

For me, confidence has never been something fixed or innate — it’s something that gets built when you look your fears in the eye and choose to act anyway.

The first thing I always ask myself is: Where is this lack of confidence coming from? If I feel uncertain about what I’m offering or unsure about my skills, the answer isn’t to fake confidence. The answer is to grow — to practice, to study, to sharpen until I can stand behind my work fully. Real confidence comes when you know, deep down, that your work holds value because you’ve done the inner and outer work to make it so.

But sometimes the doubt isn’t about skill — it’s about fear. Fear of being judged. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of failing in public. That’s when I pause and ask: What am I losing by staying in fear?

When you weigh it out — on one side, your dreams, the life you want, the people you could impact; on the other side, the fear of “not being ready” or “messing up” — the choice becomes clearer. Even if you stumble, is it really worse than living your life never having tried?

I’ve come to see that most insecurity is just the fear of imperfection. And that’s not a good enough reason to hide. So I choose to show up — not because I always feel confident, but because what I want is bigger than what I fear. When you understand that, confidence becomes a side effect of action.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a brand strategist, mentor, and founder of Cosmic Creations LLC, a creative agency. Together with my team, we help companies and individuals craft intelligent, emotionally resonant branding and marketing systems — from visual identity to digital strategy — rooted in clarity, elegance, and bold positioning.

Beyond agency work, I also lead The Radiant Method — my mentorship framework for creatives and founders who are ready to launch or to grow their own signature projects with presence and structure.

And as an artist, I continue to explore emotional depth through contemporary painting and fashion illustration — as a way to express beauty, presence, and the silent power of aesthetic impact.

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?

Looking back, there are three things that really shaped my journey: emotional sensitivity, strategic thinking, and the courage to be fully myself.

First — emotional sensitivity. Not just understanding others, but being radically honest with myself. I could always feel when something was off — in a project, in a conversation, in my own energy. That awareness became my compass.
Advice? Don’t numb your emotions — listen to them. That’s where your power is.

Second — strategy. It’s not enough to be creative or talented — you need structure. I started to look at branding not just as design, but as architecture: What’s the message? Who’s it for? What’s the system behind it?
Advice? Ask “why” constantly. Strategy is a muscle. Train it.

And third — I stopped hiding. I let go of perfection and just started showing up. As I am. Not louder, not safer — just real. People don’t choose “the best.” They choose what feels true.
Advice? Don’t wait to be ready. Let your presence do the work.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Overwhelm is part of the journey — especially when you’re building something that matters. I’ve had many moments where I felt like everything was too much: new country, no support system, big goals, high standards. But I’ve learned not to fight the feeling — I pause, I breathe, and I listen.

Usually, overwhelm is a sign that I’m trying to control too much, or that I’ve disconnected from the “why.” So my first step is always to reconnect — with my body, my breath, my vision.

I step away from screens. I clean the space around me. I paint, I walk, I slow down. And then I ask:
What’s really essential here? What can I let go of?
Because clarity always lives underneath chaos — you just have to create enough space to hear it.

My advice? Don’t fight the overwhelm. Don’t numb it or power through it. Give it space, get quiet, and let your inner voice lead. That voice always knows.

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Image Credits

Ibrahim Karaagac

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