We had the good fortune of connecting with Irina Lipina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irina, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
This is a very important part of my life right now. Balance everything: work – personal life, learning – relaxing, even the process of achieving the primary goal should be balanced. It wasn’t always like this. When I just graduated from the University, I barely had any experience, but was very highly ambitious. It was extremely hard to find a good position, interesting job I could express my passion in. So once I got this “dream job” I started to work 80 hours a week minimum, since I was so “hungry” for success. I continued to work in this pace for many years, changing my dream jobs, succeeding and developing my career. Well, one day my body told me to stop it. It couldn’t proceed like this any longer. Everything has changed that particular moment. I developed major health issues and had to start to listen to my body, fix my mental and physical state by finding this perfect balance, where I can feel absolutely happy. It didn’t happen overnight, but took quite extensive period of time to realize what it is more important, what is less. I have only one life and would like to live it happily, with minimum stress, exhaustion and maximum satisfaction.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a marketing and sales professional. I have worked for so many amazing brands, such as AUDI, BMW, Societe General S.A. (French multinational investment bank), Mercedes, Amazon, etc. How or why did it happen? Well, I am extremely passionate about each brand I worked for. Customers and employees feel this passion from far and are very attracted to it. That what sets professionals apart from just regular workers. Passion! Be passionate about your work and you will never lose. It wasn’t easy at all to be involved or even survive for many years within businesses I mentioned above, but I loved it and am grateful for this experience. Right now I am on my way to change my career to something completely new and exciting for me. I am absolutely positive, I am able to achieve success in every business I start to work in. Just continue to be passionate!

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Miami is the best destination for every traveler. Here we have EVERYTHING one could ask for! From fashionable best-in-class restaurants, high-end night clubs, amazing ocean-front hotels to quiet parks and ethnical locations. It is a melting pot of so many cultures – Cuban , Haitian, Brazilian, Russian, etc. I love Miami for this reason. I don’t feel an immigrant in this city. We are all mixed up! The first thing I would recommend to visit are some historical places, like Viscaya Museum and Garden, Biltmore Hotel, Venetian Pool! Secondly, I would recommend to rent a boat and spend the whole day cruising around Miami: from Biscayne Bay to Haulover sand bar. Just relax and enjoy the most beautiful sunset in the world with a glass of wine or Champagne. I’d also recommend to visit Key West – another gem of Florida with its unique aura and vibe!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As strange may this sound, but I would shout out to myself and multiple podcasts I spent my time listening to. I took little by little from each and every person I listened to: their stories, their mistakes and how they fixed them. Without my personal huge desire to improve my life and myself, I wouldn’t achieve a thing.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irigraff/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-lipina-6a562176/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irina.lipina.3