We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mishka Borzova, Director of Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mishka Borzova below.
Mishka, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?
I owned a marketing and event production agency in Central Europe- Slovakia. For the past 16 years, as an Events Director, I was blessed to work with inspirational people and produce large-scale concerts, events, or conferences for up to 6,000 people. I had a chance to work with Snoop Dogg, Jay- Z, Marilyn Manson, Fugees, Alice in Chains, Black Eyed Peas, and football legend: Luis Figo. I was responsible for artist fees negotiation, budget, PR, and show production management. On the surface, this sounds like an exciting and glamorous job, and but it’s a lonely ride. Your private and social life is practically non-existent, and with every single show, working 24/7, for several months, you are constantly at the edge of burnout. But yet, I loved it; with all of its ups and downs, privileges and struggles. At the beginning of my career, I was hyped, dynamic, and all over the place. I adored the showbusiness high-speed dynamics of concerts backstage with all of its drama. Later on, at some point in my career, I saw a business opportunity in large conference management so I went after it. Step by step, I created a team of production managers, choreographers, dancers and competed in multiple business acquisitions. My team and I worked with Charles Elachi; former NASA Jet Propulsion Lab Director who landed Curiosity Rover on Mars; Google, Adidas, Reebok, and hotel Hilton. I remember standing in front of the stage during an A-class artist’s concert, with a massive and loud audience behind me. The whole stadium was bouncing and dancing, but I felt nothing. No butterflies in my stomach, no vibes, it felt empty. I understood that it was time for me to leave showbusiness and let other, 20-something years old production directors to take over. I had absolutely no idea what to do next, I was a professional volleyball player once but business-wise, I only knew the show business management world. One thing is for sure, that day, when I stood in front of a roaring audience and felt nothing, I knew that whatever career move will come next, I need to be moved and inspired daily and it must feel more like a lifestyle rather than work. I understood I will begin from scratch but in order to discover my true strengths and weaknesses, I had to step out of my comfort zone.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
After my 16 years long career in showbusiness management, I was searching for a meaningful change in my lifestyle. During my close encounter with orcas in Iceland, in the middle of a windy expedition, all of the sudden, I felt complete. I felt at peace, and everything made sense after a very long time, I was finally happy and those cold, Icelandic waters and the presence of orcas felt like home, like a place where I belong. I tried to analyze what moved me that day, and I invested in Marine Mammal Naturalist education. Later on, I reached out to multiple whales, orcas, and cetaceans researchers who specialize in orcas’ behavior or brain. This was my gradual introduction to the orcas’ underwater kingdom and currently, I am guiding ethical and responsible orca swimming expeditions above Arctic Circle. Daily, we cruise the freezing Norwegian fjords and observe orcas, humpbacks, minke, or fin whales in their natural habitat. If we are truly lucky and harsh icy weather permits, we swim with these gentle giants. I am passionate about orcas’ behavioral research, their emotions, and social display, therefore, during the expedition afternoons, I am offering our guests presentations about orcas research. Cetacean academic research includes lots of fancy terminologies, but I try to translate its content into more human, friendly language, so everyone can identify with it better. I am making science fun through creative storytelling, using experience directly from my travels and swims with cetaceans. I currently visited 38 countries and I had a chance to swim with orcas, humpback whales, whale sharks, nurse sharks, dolphins, mobulas, and manta rays, just to name a few.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When I established by a Facebook fan page dedicated to orcas and their behavior, I was posting like crazy; multiple times a day, with several stories and reels. I guess lots of people make the same mistake at the beginning of their blogging journey, as it takes time to fully understand your audience, and what works and what doesn’t. It’s important to find your writing voice, and tonality and make sure you are authentic. My advice is to never forget your roots, and your story and involve a little bit of “you” in the topics and stories you write about. On a practical note, write shorter, to-the-point, and catchy stories, because, at the beginning of your post, you have only a few seconds to grab your reader’s attention. Remember to create emotions, and connect with your audience with reliable, true, and moving facts!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I believe that in order to grow a decent amount of clientele and build a strong reputation within your respective market, you need to understand its foundations; review its past and focus on envisioning its bold future. It’s beneficial to have an overview of your market key players, but don’t obsess about others’ business too much. Try to find a gap in the market, trust your instincts and stay true to your skillsets and talents. There is only one you and there is a high chance that your journey, and personality will make you unique. All of this will translate into your business narrative and make you different. Coco Chanel once said that “in order to be irreplaceable, one must be different”. So, I believe that once you build a business on authentic foundations, and you will own every detail of your practice, a strong community of clientele will follow. I invested time and energy in interactive posts on social media, live zoom video calls, and workshops, but nothing replace one-on-one meetings at tailored-made workshops while traveling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.usea-diving.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishka_borzova
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SlavicValkyrja
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mishka-borzova-908685158/
Image Credits
Mishka Borzova & Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance