Meet Lana Shevtsova

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

Lana, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

When I moved to Florida as an immigrant, even though I had studied English my whole life, speaking it fluently was a big challenge. I also learned Spanish as a child, but I never got a chance to practice, so I had forgotten most of it. I felt guilty for not always understanding others or having trouble expressing myself.

Back home, I was building a promising career in PR and social media. I graduated from a top university, worked at international PR firms with well-known brands, and ran my own successful projects. But when I came to the U.S., I had to start from scratch. I needed to rebuild both my career and my relationships.

I felt like I was nobody here. Despite my experience and successes back home, no one wanted to hire me, and that was really frustrating. It had a huge impact on my self-worth.

For a few years, I felt stuck. I didn’t have the mental strength to offer much to the community. I tried a few things, but nothing felt meaningful.

Then one day, I woke up and realized I couldn’t keep waiting for things to change. I was fed up with myself and decided I needed to take action. I started trying different things, even though I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.

I created an Instagram community for hikers. I wasn’t expecting anything from it, but I used it to practice writing in English and connect with people. To my surprise, I quickly gathered a supportive group of hikers from all over the U.S. It was encouraging to see that I could connect with people here, and it really helped me build confidence.

I also tried creating hiking merch and sold a few items. It didn’t turn into a profitable business, but it gave me valuable experience.

Next, I decided to try working offline.

Since I love plants, I worked at a plant nursery. But it wasn’t the right fit for me—especially since I went home bitten by mosquitoes after every shift. Honestly, if you think that’s an easy job, it’s not!

I also love animals, so I worked on a well-known app offering pet-sitting services. It was fun and rewarding, but it still wasn’t enough for me. Maybe I’ll come up with something connected to animals later.

Acting was something I’d always wanted to try, so I joined acting groups, took classes, and applied for roles. I ended up in a music video, a TV commercial, a popular series that came out this year, and even a movie with an actor from The Matrix! If one had told me 10 years ago that this would happen, I wouldn’t have believed in it.

I really love acting, but I have two obstacles here: I don’t feel I’m particularly talented, and my accent makes it harder to pursue it professionally.

But I still want to keep it as a hobby because it’s been an amazing experience. The people I met were so supportive, which helped me overcome the fear of not fitting in.

Then, I ended up working for a marriage proposal company by chance. While I wasn’t impressed with the quality of their services, I quickly realized how much joy I felt in making people happy. It was a sense of fulfillment I’d never experienced before. In my past jobs, I was focused on numbers and engagement metrics, but this felt different. It gave me a deeper purpose.

I decided to start my own business, Forever Lovies, organizing love events like proposals, weddings, anniversaries, and more in South Florida. The process was tough, and I had to learn everything from scratch, especially since the paperwork and procedures here were so different from what I was used to. I had to ask a lot of questions and at times, I didn’t think I could do it. But I kept pushing myself, even with small steps.

I attended networking events where I met people who reminded me that even the most successful individuals started somewhere and faced their own struggles. They weren’t perfect; they just started earlier than I did.
Now, I’ve organized several proposals and have more love events on the way. Do I still sometimes feel like an impostor? Yes, but I don’t let it stop me.

In the end, overcoming impostor syndrome is about pushing past your fears and taking action. Even small steps matter.

Perfection isn’t necessary—what’s important is doing something and learning along the way.

I’m not sure where I’ll be in a year, but I do know that I won’t stop and isolate myself anymore.
If you feel stuck or afraid to fail, remember that failure is part of the journey. Nobody becomes successful overnight, but every time you fail, you learn and grow.

And always remember that everything around you was created by people just like you—people who decided one day that they wanted to make something happen.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

After working in different industries, I realized I wanted to focus on something more personal and meaningful. I love being part of special moments, like proposals, elopements, or memorable dates.

I saw how much joy these events bring people and wanted to help make them unforgettable. That’s why I started Forever Lovies. With my background in PR and social media, I combine my skills and passion for event planning to create experiences that reflect each couple’s unique story.

The best part of my work is seeing people’s happiest moments and knowing I helped create them.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The first quality that’s helped me is my genuine interest in life and people. I believe life only has meaning when we create it ourselves. For me, this means enjoying the little things, exploring what makes us different, and learning from every experience. This mindset has really helped me grow.

The second one is perfectionism. It’s held me back at times because I get caught up in making everything perfect. But it’s also helped me improve by pushing me to learn new things and get better at what I do. It’s allowed me to try things I never thought I could, like taking photos, editing videos, building websites, managing social media, and even doing floral arrangements. My advice is to keep learning and don’t feel stuck in just one area—life has so much to offer.

Finally, communication has been really important in my journey. While I’m still working on achieving bigger goals, being able to connect with people has been so helpful. It’s about listening, building relationships, and learning from others. My advice here is to really focus on listening and learning from everyone you meet. It opens doors and brings more opportunities your way.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was encouraging me to work on myself and always stay busy learning. I was one of the top students in school, and my childhood was filled with a variety of activities. I tried many things: artistic gymnastics, ballet, crafting, English, German, Spanish, journalism, and more.

At the time, I didn’t appreciate it because I just wanted to play and hang out like other kids. But now, I realize how much those experiences shaped who I am. They gave me a curiosity about life, and I’m grateful for all the skills I’ve gained. Thanks to my parents, I can honestly say I know how to do so much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.foreverlovies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreverlovies.events
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@foreverlovies

Image Credits

First image (me in a blue dress) – @marytar_pro (her Instagram)
Other images are mine (all except the picture with the red arch are screenshots from Forever Lovies videos)