The second episode from the family series is live! Happy Birthday, grandma!  
Днес хванах под прицел рожденичката, баба Мани. Тя ще ви разкаже една история за момиче, което не обичаше да й обръщат внимание. Жена, която не обичаше да готви и шие, но беше влюбена в работата си. Майка, която почти се гордее с децата си. Баба, за която да имаш out of body experience си е в реда на нещата. 

This is the first episode of the Family Series all of which will be in Bulgarian. Apologies to all 5 English speaking fans!

I decided to take on this project because I realized I rarely have barefoot type of conversations with my family. And you might ask, why publish it? And my answer to this is because sharing that intimacy and awkwardness if you will, carries with it a spark that can provoke listeners like you to have that conversation. To start inquiring about the people who are closest to you. 
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Днес ми гостува Стоименка (also known as баба Тинка), която ще ви разкаже малко повече за това какво е да израснеш покрай Искъра, да започнеш работа на 11 години и да ходиш на бригада без да ти плащат и стотинка за труда.    

Ще ви научи как да намерите бъдещия си мъж на танцова забава във Враждебна и ще разкрие тайните на нейния work life balance, балансирайки между семейство, работа и нива с над 20 култури.

A year ago, on one of our days off, I got Keaton to share his story of how he decided to quit his secure job and take on his own craft.  

During our conversation, we talk about: 

• summertime in Nantucket  
• getting a real job  
• dealing with parents
• pursuing your craft 
• his daily routine and workflow  
• dealing with insecurities  
• the promise of security  
• the importance of boredom   

During our conversation, we talk about Megi's early days and her relationship with her parents and how their beliefs made her feel special and gave her confidence but also some anxieties. 

I then ask her a few questions from our mutual friends so you get to hear her amazing laugh.

We also talk about:

• empathetic listening 
• the good and the bad use of marketing 
• its connection to philosophy 
• sharing your inner demons with other people 
• saving your time and monetizing your efforts 

Megi Hamza is a Digital Marketing consultant and an AUBG graduate in Economics and Business. She's currently pursuing an MSc. in Strategic Marketing Management from BI Norwegian Business School. She’s also one of my to-go people when you have a broken heart or a life dilemma. 

Why do we continue making bad decisions? Behavioral economics might have the answer to a better you. 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Milena Nikolova, Ph.D. about the role of behavioral sciences in education, business, and personal life. 

We discussed:

• how her interest in human relationships and dynamics led her to study psychology 
• making the most out of our time in university
• bridging the gap between professors and students
• the dark side of behavioral insights 
• increasing the millennials’ engagement 
• the role of immersion in education vs short attention span engagement 
• Can Tiki Tok be used for good?
• implementing insights about human behavior in business 
• sustainability and the future of tourism
• examining the success factors of regional entrepreneurship 
• The Elevate Accelerator

Milena holds a Ph.D. in Business (Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Tourism) from The George Washington University (GW) School of Business. She has 13 years of combined experience as academic educator and researcher at The George Washington University School of Business (2003-2008), the Department of Business at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) (2011-2018) and most recently as Professor of Business and Co-director of the Graduate Program in Entrepreneurship at Varna Free University / Bulgarian Entrepreneurship Center (2018-currently).

She is currently working on a book on behavioral economics for tourism (Elsevier) as a single author and recently published a book on the startup ecosystem in the Balkans called Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Unexpected Places. 

"Philosophy would not give you many answers, but it will teach you how to pose the right questions” 
During our conversation, Prof. Diego Lucci shared the questions that led him to study philosophy. He soon realized that the unexamined life is not an easy life. We discussed the promise and practical side of philosophy and how it helps people live a better life, he stressed the importance of employing reason vs tradition and the role of curiosity and clarity. We talked about the paradox of liberal mentality, the philosophers that have helped him personally, the role of philosophy in business, misconceptions about happiness, acquiring status, fantasies vs outcomes, relationships, and Stoicism as an antidote to panic and suffering.  

Prof. Diego Lucci holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from The University of Naples and now he teaches at The American University in Bulgaria. 

“Whatever plan you make, life always surprises you” - Jean Crombois' life story is a clear example of that.

During our conversation, we talk about how we both ended up in AUBG because of women. He told the story of how he started from being a journalist, covering European Union stories for magazines in Brussels, then establishing academic traditions in European Studies in non-EU countries like Russia and Morocco, and eventually coming to Bulgaria to be a professor in AUBG. As a native Belgian, and someone that holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History, he shared his perspective on the European Integration Process. and European vision. We discussed the two competing narratives in the union and the tension between nationalism and federalism, the need for global cooperation when it comes to global issues and crisis as a moment of truth. We then delve into the Bulgarian context and its relationship to the EU, Bulgarian salaries, the need for entrepreneurship and the future of Bulgaria as a member state. 

In this second part of our conversation, Lynnette shares her research on virtual identity, social media, and how people identify with their avatars. She mentions the implications of having online identities and the perks and issues of free speech. We then talk about hitting the share button and the problems with privacy, getting meaningful content in the marketplace of ideas and why bad ideas spread faster. We also talked about the needed marriage of ethics and persuasion, the problem with Google search engine and the responsibility of social media platforms. We then finished off with the importance of reimagining society and giving yourself space to be messy and creative in this crazy pandemic times. 

The record-breaking 2h 30min had to be broken down into two episodes. In this first part of our conversation, Prof. Lynnette Leonard and I talked about her connection with baking, being an introvert and having moments of silence versus being an extrovert. Lynnette told a fascinating story of how she came to Bulgaria with her husband and the things she had to overcome while doing so. We talked about how to have better conversations, the role of status and curiosity in communication & social awkwardness during cocktail parties. We also discussed how difficult it can be to get to know yourself and what you truly stand for. Finally, she shared her perspective on the influence of American culture, specifically, the culture of productivity and consumption and how that affects their response versus the response to the pandemic in Bulgaria.  

The global economy is experiencing a downturn like never before and there are lots of signs that hint a depression similar to the one in the 1930s. In today’s conversation, I speak with Ali Termos, who is a Finance Professor in AUBG and is also known for contributing to the strategic and impactful studies funded by the World Bank and the EU on economic development in Lebanon. During our conversation, we cover topics like the flaws of the financial system and the circumstances that led to the crisis, the consequences of the crisis and what can we expect in the future. The vicious cycle of economic downturn, government, and corporate reactions, what’s the most efficient channel to allow the money into the market in a way that we survive the crisis, the major debates countries face - one of them being supporting wall street (meaning businesses) vs main street (meaning the public); the need for global collaboration - the possibility of a global digital currency, the economies of the future and measures taken in Bulgaria.