Meet Irina Budylina Jacobs | Business consultant & Classical Pilates Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Irina Budylina Jacobs and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Irina, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think about risk as an opportunity to materialize your dreams, a chance to grow, to expand your consciousness. One of my favorite quotes states “Life begins outside of comfort zone”. And it has been my life’s ‘motto’ since my early years as a student at the University. Stepping out of comfort zone requires taking risks. You need to have an open mind, prepare to work hard and to remain positive during this process.
Taking risks has played a major role in my professional career and life itself! It allowed me to live the life i’ve once imagined. It allowed me to learn a new language, to discover a new passion, and to be able to become my own ‘Boss’ 🙂
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Maka Consulting LLC is an Operational Consulting Company. I work primarily with Pilates Studio owners, helping them to optimize their day-to-day process, based on their current needs and future goals. We build very personal and trusted relationship, that allows for the most effective collaboration and exciting results. I am most proud of being able to share my expertise in finance, management and engineering background with my clients, to help them achieve their goals. During the years of operating Maka Consulting, i fell in love with Classical Pilates and got certified through Romana’s Pilates International to teach Classical Pilates. This allow me to get even more in depth of the specifics of the industry. Being able to stay up to date with always changing and evolving World of technologies is the key to having a successful Company these days. It is not an easy task. But being passionate about things you do and setting clear goals makes it possible. There are many lessons i’ve learned over the years operating Maka Consulting. The most important one for me was about how to handle the competition. Being a small Company, it is very easy to feel defeated, insecure when facing a more powerful competitor. I’ve learned that honesty, hard work and not being afraid to jump onto unknown subject to be able to delivery the best results to the client is the key. I tell my kids, it’s ok not to know the answer to every question. Every day is a perfect day to learn something new! We live in the most dynamic exciting Era with a lot of open resources to learn and grow.
What i want the world to know about me is that i am a living proof that dreams do come true! And you don’t even need a magic wand 😉 I know you’ve heard it a lot probably, but i’ll reiterate, it does require dedication, perseverance, risk taking and confidence.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh now this is a fun question and one of my most favorite hobbies outside of my business )) I love to explore new places, try new foods.
We will definitely start out on the beach) There is nothing more tranquil, then celebrating sunrise on the beach. For breakfast we’ll take a walk to ‘Under the Mango Tree’ vegetarian cafe. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to really enjoy this place!
Miami Beach Art deco tour will be a great way to walk up an appetite for lunch. There also an option for an Art Deco Cocktail tour;)
There are many many options for a place to stay in Miami Beach for any budget. Last year i’ve discovered this cute budget friendly hotel right on the beach – Marseilles Beachfront Hotel. You can reserve a private pool cabana and enjoy poolside drinks and music. When i mentioned that the location of this hotel is great, i meant not only its being on the beach, but also its within a walking distance from SLS Hotel! One of their restaurants is a must stop for a dinner.
Next stop is Design district! You can easily get ‘lost’ here for the whole day 😉 Institute of Contemporary Art, boutiques, delicious food. Quick stop at DIOR cafe for that signature cup of coffee and dessert.
Of course, we will have to include Wynwood in our itinerary. While in the neighborhood, we’ll stop by Zack the baker.
For a happy hours, we’ll visit one of the brewery in the area. Dogfish Head Brewery is a fun place with an awesome food truck.
There are so many more awesome and tasty places in the City!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to the most positive, kind, uplifting, encouraging person in my life, who taught me that kindness, perseverance and positive outlook on life will make you a happy person! And this is my father! Unfortunately i’ve lost my daddy just 5 months ago very sudden and unexpected. But will forever treasure his love and life lessons in my heart. He was always the first one to help people in need without ever expecting anything in return. Every day i am trying to be like my daddy and to find ways to give back. I have been very fortunate to meet most inspiring, dedicated and lively people here in the US.
My dearest friend and the client, Christi Allen, the owner of Pilates in Paradise in the Florida Keys. Christi was my 1st client and this year we are celebrating 11 years of collaboration/friendship. She trusted my expertise even with my far from perfect English at that time 🙂
Another very special person, who i would like to dedicate my shoutout to, is Daria Pace, the owner of Romana’s Pilates International in Fort Lauderdale. This incredible selfless human being helped me to transform my passion into a new career (in addition to my Consulting business).
And, of course, the biggest shoutout to my kids, Karina and Leon! They are my biggest motivation in life! My kids have taught me so much and they are my inspiration for my new project! p.s. Coming soon 😉
Website: www.makaconsultingllc.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iq_pilates/
Image Credits
One of the images are taken by Svetlana Skcphotography