ABLE ACTIVATOR

Able Activator is organised by The Association of the Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs (ABLE). I had the pleasure to be part of its first edition in the beginning of 2019 and very lucky to have won a scholarship for the whole program.

The application for the program was very unfamiliar to me. But I wanted to try to get in. I didn't believe in myself enough. But I was willing to change that. And to try hard.

To get into the program, I needed to write essays. I had to prove I am suitable for the program. I always think that if I never try, I will never know. So I did my best. It took me a few days to finish the essays. I went through a tough process because I was able to see all my doubts on the paper. They were in the choice of my words and in the structure of my sentences. I kept trying. Restructuring, rethinking, changing my mindset, and most of all learning to believe my own words.

For me the program started right there. It was like taking a step forward and believing with all my self it is the right step. Trusting that I can do this step. I had no experience. Just a certain motivation to do it. I was able to see a mental shift in a few days. I was talking to myself a lot, I journaled every time I felt low. No doubts were allowed in my mind. Meditation kept my spirit up too.

After sending my essays, a few days later I received an email with an invitation to go to the second round! Out of more than 100 candidates, 50 were invited to be interviewed! And only 30 would've been accepted. I was so happy! Second round! That was the tougher part. Interview. Talking to people, get ready. I had to prepare. Again. Mentally, emotionally. As I am very introverted person, most of the communications for me are challenging. I remember talking to my aunt about the interview. I had to keep my head up. No doubts. I can do it! Read my essays here.

When I went for the interview, I was very nervous. I was in a room with three more people waiting. It was my turn in a bit. First, I met Ivan. The person who was going to be looking after us all the time for the next 3 months.

I went into the room for the interview. It was in English. The whole program is. I remember 7 or 8 people in the jury. All looking at me. I was nervous. But I reminded myself to breathe. Keep my head up. Intense 5 minutes, no time to think. Just to answer. I presented myself and the questions started. My favourite ones were: "What are your weaknesses?" and "What is your biggest challenge?" And how the Activator would help me. A weakness of mine, is the perfectionism. Which they said is not such a bad thing. But often is a struggle for me. And my biggest challenge, I said, is communication with people and being around extroverts. Something I wanted to confront.

The aim of the interview was for them to see if I fit the program but also if my profile as a person is a good addition to the rest of the group. My background was very different from the rest of the people. It went well. I was proud of myself after. The results were going to be announced in a week.

I thought to myself if it is meant to be, I will get into the program.

I did get it! And I won a scholarship for it! I was so excited. For the first time I win something like that. The program was built to be around a month and half. Almost every weekend we we about to have lectures and practical exercises. First and last weekends were outside of Sofia. Everything was going to be an adventure.

The program was built in six intense weekends. We spent every weekend together including Friday evenings - studying, learning, testing, connecting. Wednesdays we had lectures as well.

The program began with Module 1 - the first weekend outside of Sofia. The organisers took us took us to a secret location. I won't spoil the experience for those that will apply. You should experience it for yourself! This weekend was about getting to know each other. We had a lot of games, different exercises, and lectures. These common experiences made us closer. In two days I made friendships! I had to get out of my comfort zone a lot. I even climbed a tree.

Every weekend was different, and very intense. Requiring a lot of concentration. Module 2 was a good mix of presentation and practical elements, stimulating and engaging. It felt like I was learning things very fast by doing. When you surround yourself with capable, active and motivated individuals, you want to move forward, keep growing and keep learning. Often times I was feeling awkward, especially when I had to speak in front of many people. That was my biggest challenge.

In the first weeks I almost didn't speak and didn't participate. I was taking it step by step. In Module 3 we had a matching session between teams and mentors. The teams we had to form before the weekend. After a speed-dating activity, each team was assigned a mentor to help us develop our ideas till the end of the program. During the third week we started working on our ideas for the final project at the end.

Module 4 was packed with lectures, hands-on workshops and amazing networking opportunities. It was the most intense weekend of all in terms of lectures.

Module 5 was all about knowing how to connect with potential customers and building relationships. We practiced our skills to do successful sales calls, negotiations and formation of the right go-to-market strategies. We had a week and a half to prepare for the final presentation in front of the main sponsors.

The project of my team was developing a Trivia Board game, Digitally Enhanced. Which opened a field of creativity for us. I did the artwork, Plamen Pekov worked on physical pieces of the game, and Ron developed the digital platform. We all worked on the invention of the game, the business plan and the marketing strategy.

We were the most introverted team, but my teammates presented in front of the group more than me. I volunteered to present our project at the end. I needed a lot of energy but also support, self-belief and confidence. I was sure about my decision. I was very nervous. I had to practice a lot, I had to write the text. I wouldn't have been able to overcome this fear if it wasn't for my team. We supported each other a lot during the program. This taught me that whenever you are working on something, you need good support. My team was my force!

The Demo Day was a Blast! Every team had one speaker to present the idea of the project! I have never done public speaking in my life. Talking and choosing the right words have always been challenging. I didn't learn my speech by heart but I knew it very well. The presentation had to be under 5 minutes! While I was practising, my tongue was twisting and every time it was more than 5 minutes. I took a week off from work to prepare. Practice and running is what I did. Keeping my mind clean, my thoughts pure. Only believing that I can do it. There wasn't a possibility for me to quit, even if I was very nervous.

This is my biggest achievement.. overcoming my fear of public speaking. Presenting in front of 100+ people. Thanks to Able Activator and the Able community for the amazing program, support and organization. Thanks to my team! I couldn't be happier!

Module 6 marked the end of ABLE Activator 2019. It was, by all means, a celebration of our success and that of the organisers! What came next for us was something even bigger and more exciting - becoming part of ABLE - a strong and impactful community of young leaders and entrepreneurs. We had a weekend full of conversations, speed networking, competitive games, fun activities, parties and of course, the official closure of the program.

We did a closing reflection on what we have learned and earned from the program, how much we've grown and what was about to come next after ABLE Activator. All of us received certificates for completion of ABLE Activator. We as participants, gave to the organisers certificates of appreciation and wooden metals. The certificates were handwritten by me. Plamen Pekov from my team handcrafted the medals.