It's never too late for a successful business.

In this material, Stoyana Natseva, founder of the Happy Life Academy, will show us through her personal story that it is never too late to become successful.

Why did you decide to start your own business after so many years of experience in another field? How did you do it?

For over 27 years I was in the senior management of one of the largest financial companies in Bulgaria. I felt the need to search for a deeper meaning, I wanted to discover what my mission was, not just to continue working in an office and grow in my career. I started writing personal development books and structured my system of coaching and constellations, patented as Direct Change Solution. And I am now sure that this is my path.

Have you had any anxiety or doubts about starting a new venture at an older age or gained new confidence?

At first I had my doubts, of course – I was still leaving a secure job to jump into a new field for me as a creator, entrepreneur, business owner, employer. I was encouraged by the fact that I had previously experienced the theories I teach in practice and knew they worked. I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and the results exceeded my wildest dreams. And it's not just about the awards that literally pour down on my academy, but also about the simple human words of gratitude that I receive every day.

What was the reaction of your partners, your first customers?

I received unconditional support from my loved ones, and the relationship between me and my clients remained long-lasting and full of trust. Building an Academy

Happy Life was the necessary next step and they followed me to where my team of professionals continue to do their best.

Does age matter when starting a new business or professional venture?

I realize that many use age as an excuse to move on with their lives, but I am not that type of person. I constantly encourage others to overcome the crippling fear of the new, of change - both in meetings with clients and in my books, this is a frequently discussed topic, most fully developed in my bestseller The Fear Free Life. A person learns and develops while he is alive, and in the end he only regrets the things he did not do - this is a proven fact.

If you have sought credit or support from other businesses or funds, do you have an impression of how starting a business is perceived by a more mature entrepreneur?

I myself started without an initial investment, if we do not count the accumulated experience and knowledge. With me, a quick accumulation of funds happened naturally from conducting trainings and selling books. Maturity gives advantages because one already knows who one is and what one wants, has many contacts in different environments, and, if one is brave and combinative, will find a way to handle a start-up business.

What do you think are the advantages of start-ups run by more mature entrepreneurs? What are the main challenges?

Even Darwin said that it is not the strongest, nor the most intelligent that survives, but the one that is most adaptive. This is the most important quality that every entrepreneur must develop in himself to be competitive in the market. As already mentioned, the more mature entrepreneur has more experience, contacts and access to resources, but he should not fall into the trap of routine, he should not stop learning, developing and being curious about the new.

Finally, what are your three pieces of advice for mature people starting their own business for the first time?

1. Keep learning and get out of your comfort zone, because the investment you make in yourself today will return to you tomorrow, multiplied many times over.

2. Set a goal, collect a resource, make a plan and act!

3. Even if everyone else doubts, you don't stop believing in yourself! I did it, you can too!