We were lucky to catch up with Evgenia Baikova recently and have shared our conversation below.

Evgenia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?

I didn’t join a coaching firm – I actually left my corporate job to start my own practice. After years in HR at a large corporation helping others grow, I felt limited by corporate rules and wanted to do more. I was tired of one-size-fits-all solutions driven by numbers and politics.
Starting my own business was a huge learning curve. I had to figure out everything from registering my company to redefining myself as a business owner rather than an HR expert. Now, I juggle everything on my own, constantly learning what balance means and how to stay resilient when things don’t go as planned.
This choice allowed me to create a truly personalized approach. I now have the privilege to pivot, be creative, and craft solutions that actually work for each individual client. Unlike in the corporate world, I’m not bound by rigid protocols. Instead, I can tailor my coaching to each entrepreneur’s unique needs, challenges, and goals.
My journey started as an administrative assistant with big dreams. Through hard work, I rose to HR Director, learning valuable lessons along the way.
Life threw challenges at me – career building, team leadership, a tough divorce, moving abroad for my kids. These experiences gave me the wisdom I now use to help my clients.
In 2021, I took the leap and started my coaching business. It wasn’t easy balancing business-building with getting new certifications, but it was worth it.
While it wasn’t always easy, the freedom to shape my practice according to my values and the ability to directly impact the lives of female entrepreneurs made the journey worthwhile. It allowed me to combine my corporate experience, life lessons, and passion for empowering others in a way that felt truly authentic to me.

Evgenia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Evgenia, a success mindset coach for female entrepreneurs and emerging leaders. My journey into coaching is rooted in determination and self-belief.
In 2021, I stepped away from my corporate career to launch my own coaching practice. This transition was both exhilarating and challenging, requiring me to master everything from company registration to redefining my professional identity.
I view mindset as the soil in which the seeds of success grow. Just as rich, well-nourished soil provides the best environment for plants to thrive, a healthy mindset creates the optimal conditions for success to flourish. My role is to help you cultivate and enrich this soil, ensuring it’s fertile ground for your ambitions and goals to take root and grow strong.
What distinguishes my method is its personalized nature. I uncover hidden talents and strengths, especially in those grappling with self-doubt or limiting beliefs. My own confidence was tempered through adversity, so I understand it’s a quality that can be cultivated over time.
I favor simplicity and immediate action. My coaching revolves around three key principles:
1. Make it Real: Overcoming procrastination and mental blocks to gain momentum.
2. Do it with Confidence: Eliminating uncertainty to move forward decisively.
3. Follow Through to the End: Honoring commitments to achieve envisioned success.
My credentials include Co-Active coach certification, Associate Certified Coach status with the International Coaching Federation, and Gallup StrengthsFinder certification.
I assist clients in conquering self-doubt, cultivating a success mindset, making impactful decisions, balancing personal and professional spheres, and navigating entrepreneurial and leadership challenges.
The transformations I witness in my clients are my greatest source of pride. Seeing them unlock their potential and achieve what once seemed impossible is profoundly fulfilling.
My coaching philosophy is anchored in freedom, authenticity, and aligning actions with one’s true self. I advocate for purposeful and genuine living for entrepreneurs and leaders alike.
To potential clients: I’ve walked in your shoes. I understand the complexities of balancing multiple responsibilities and the apprehension of venturing beyond your comfort zone. My approach isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about empowering you to uncover your strengths and craft your own solutions.
I tailor my methods to each client’s unique growth journey. Whether you’re embarking on a new venture, aspiring to a leadership role, or aiming to elevate your existing business, I’m here to help you nurture the fertile ground of your mindset for holistic success.
Your goals are achievable. Sometimes, all it takes is someone to help you prepare the soil and plant the seeds. That’s where I come in, and I’m eager to be part of your growth journey.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

You know, when I think about resilience, I can’t help but chuckle at my early days as a coach. There I was, fresh out of the corporate world, thinking I knew it all. Boy, was I in for a surprise!
Let me tell you, starting a business when English isn’t your first language, with zero network, and no clue about sales or marketing – that’s quite the adventure. But here’s the thing: I don’t see these as problems. They’re challenges, experiments even.
I remember sitting at my desk, staring at my empty calendar, and thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then I’d remind myself, “Evgenia, this is just another experiment. Let’s see what happens!”
The funny thing is, clients would come in waves. One month, I’d be working till midnight, juggling more clients than I knew what to do with. The next month? Crickets. It was like feast or famine, and I had to learn to ride that wave.
Now, I won’t lie – there were moments when I thought about throwing in the towel and heading back to my cozy corporate job. But you know what kept me going? My optimism. Even in the toughest times, I could always find something good. Maybe I didn’t have clients that week, but hey, more time to improve my English or learn about marketing!
I started seeing every challenge as an opportunity. No network? Great, time to practice my networking skills! No clients this month? Perfect, I’ll use this time to refine my coaching techniques.
Slowly but surely, things started to click. I got better at managing my time during busy periods and making the most of quieter times. And you know what? Each challenge I faced made me a better coach and a more resilient person.
Today, when I work with my clients, I share these stories. I tell them, “Look, I’ve been where you are. I know it feels tough, but trust me, it’s just another experiment. Let’s see what we can learn from it!”
This journey has taught me that with persistence, adaptability, and a positive mindset, you can turn any challenge into an opportunity. And that’s not just my story – it’s a story I help my clients write for themselves every day.
You know, life’s too short to have the word ‘problem’ in your vocabulary. Challenges? Bring them on. Experiments? Even better. That’s where the real growth happens!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

in my corporate days, I thought being perfect and making everyone happy was the key to success. I’d spend hours polishing presentations, trying to anticipate every possible question. And saying ‘no’? That felt like a foreign language to me!
I remember this one time, I was working on a huge project. I was so focused on making it flawless that I barely slept for weeks. When I finally presented it, my boss just glanced at it and said, “Looks good, thanks.” All that hard work, stress, and lost sleep for just a casual “looks good.” That was my wake-up call. I realized I had been pouring my heart and soul into something that, in the grand scheme of things, didn’t require perfection – just completion.
But old habits die hard, right? When I started my coaching business, I brought this perfectionism with me. I’d agonize over every email, thinking, “What if my English isn’t perfect? What if they don’t like my approach? What if they don’t buy?”
And don’t even get me started on people-pleasing. I’d bend over backwards trying to accommodate every client request, even if it meant working at ridiculous hours or taking on projects that weren’t really my forte.
It took a while, but I finally realized something important: perfection is the enemy of progress, and you can’t please everyone without losing yourself.
I remember the day it really hit me. I was on a call with a potential client, and I caught myself trying to mold my coaching style to what I thought they wanted. Suddenly, I stopped mid-sentence and thought, “Wait a minute, this isn’t me!”
That’s when I started my ‘imperfect experiment’. I decided to be authentically me – grammatical errors, unconventional ideas, and all. And you know what? Clients responded so much better to the real me than the polished, people-pleasing version I was trying to be.
As for saying ‘no’, I started small. I set office hours and stuck to them. I turned down projects that didn’t align with my values or expertise. It felt uncomfortable at first, but it was also incredibly liberating.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I still strive for excellence. But I’ve learned that excellence doesn’t mean perfection. It means giving my best, being authentic, and knowing when good is good enough.
This journey of unlearning has made me a better coach too. Now, when I see my clients struggling with perfectionism or people-pleasing, I can say, “Hey, I’ve been there. Let me show you another way.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fcc.coach/
• Instagram: @evgenia_baikova_coach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evgeniia.baikova
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evgenia-baikova-cpcc-acc/
• Twitter: –
• Youtube: @EvgeniaBaikova
• Yelp: –
• Soundcloud: –
• Other: TikTok – evgenia.baikova

Image Credits

Victoria Odecomaya for the first portrait