Tsvetta Kaleynska shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Tsvetta, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Since becoming a mum, the idea of normality has faded. At any moment, I might get a call from daycare about a sick child, and while that can be challenging, it has made me value every minute even more. My days are often filled with calls, and I find myself becoming more present in each one because my time feels more precious. I also cherish the little pockets between calls when new ideas spark, and I share them with my team to explore what we can make of them. Entrepreneurship may never be predictable, but it offers creativity and freedom, and I choose to embrace both in my days.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Tsvetta Kaleynska is an award-winning marketer and TV commentator who appears weekly on multiple channels, helping brands succeed in a rapidly evolving world. She is the founder of RILA GLOBAL CONSULTING, a NYC-based boutique research consultancy that blends consumer insights with AI to help Fortune 500 companies connect with audiences and grow strategically. Her work ranges from decoding consumer conversations to unifying media data across linear, streaming, social, and marketing spend, delivering bold strategies rooted in real-world experience with industry leaders. An immigrant and mother of two, she brings both global perspective and personal grit to every project, embodying the spirit of the American dream.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I already knew who I was. Even as a young girl growing up in a time and place that didn’t celebrate being outspoken, I had a clear sense of my own voice and vision.
At 14, in 2002, I started my first entrepreneurial venture in my hometown of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. While my high school friends spent summers partying, I transformed a traditional costume into a small business. I stood on the cobblestone streets where tourists wandered, with a metal can in front of me, exchanging photos for coins. By the end of that summer, I had earned more than my mother’s annual salary, and the next year, I even hired an assistant to help me grow the business.
Some people laughed at the idea. Others thought it was embarrassing. But I learned early that the fear of judgment is far more limiting than failure itself. Years later, when I launched RILA GLOBAL CONSULTING, I saw the same hesitation in colleagues and mentors who dreamed of starting their own companies but couldn’t take the leap.
Before the world told me who to be, I was a girl who believed in her ideas, trusted her instincts, and acted on them. That hasn’t changed, and I still see every new venture as just the beginning.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would share a few timeless lessons that may be overused, but the sooner you truly understand them, the better and then they apply equally to life and business.
First, hard work really does pay off. Second, nothing should be taken personally, it drains energy you could use to move forward. And third, never ever overlook the small details!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
If I look at the marketing space as a whole, not just social listening, there’s a common belief that the industry is already too saturated for anyone new to stand out. I believe the opposite is true. Every person brings a unique mind and heart to their work, and there is plenty of room for those willing to work hard and intentionally carve out a brand for themselves. The idea that the market is “too full” is just one of the lies the industry tells itself.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I definitely feel most at peace when I am with my loved ones.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rilaglobal.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsvetta/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsvetta/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
