An introduction: Jenia Serebrin

Summary

Jenia is a resilient, bilingual entrepreneur and single mother who has overcome personal challenges and addiction in her family to pursue her passion for education, reading, and entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of taxation.

Abstract

Jenia is a strong advocate for self-education, reading, and independent thinking, values instilled by her parents. Originating from a tough neighborhood in the Ural Mountains, she credits her father's protective influence and his example of choosing a different path for her sense of safety and determination. Despite the hardships of her environment and the later challenges of her marriage, Jenia persevered in her studies and moved to the US, fulfilling her childhood dream. Her dedication to continuous self-improvement and her belief in the compound effect of small, consistent steps have shaped her career and personal life. As a "proud entrepreneurial tax nerd," Jenia finds joy in both solitude and social interaction, constantly strategizing her next professional move. Her journey has been marked by overcoming limiting beliefs, including those related to language and self-identity, and she remains passionate about making complex tax concepts accessible to all.

Opinions

Jenia values education, reading, and critical thinking as the cornerstones of personal growth.
She believes in the power of perseverance and the compound effect of consistent effort.
Jenia's father played a crucial role in her life, providing protection and inspiration to pursue a different path from their tough neighborhood.
Despite facing personal challenges, including her husband's addiction, Jenia has remained resilient and focused on her goals.
She identifies as an entrepreneurial tax professional who enjoys both solitude and social interactions.
Jenia acknowledges the struggle of overcoming limiting beliefs, such as not being a native English speaker, but does not consider herself a writer in the league of literary giants like Dostoevsky or Tolstoy.
She finds it easier to write about her professional passion, taxes, than about her personal experiences.
Jenia is open to connecting with others and is eager to learn about their stories, reflecting her appreciation for the impact people can have on each other's lives.

An introduction: Jenia

Hey there,

My name is Jenia and if you knew me well, you would know that: I believe in education and reading and most importantly thinking for yourself. My parents always stressed that and only when I grew older, I deeply appreciated the reason for it.

I come from a small town in the middle of the Ural Mountains, Russia. The part of the town where we lived was especially famous for robberies, murders, and some other crazy stuff that I never got to hear about. Ghetto as you call it. My dad grew up in this area and of course, he knew everyone and all “bad guys” knew him. He just chose a different path. After finishing the high school, he went into sports and got his college degree. Despite the bad area, I always felt safe there. I learned years later that my dad had made sure everyone knew the consequences if someone touched his girls. He has always been a proud dad of five daughters 😊.

My parents still live there and while a lot of things have changed, it is still a good place for me to visit, to reflect why I am who I am now and realize how far I have come. I was fourteen when my cousin came to visit us, and she asked what I wanted to do in life. I shared that I really wanted to learn English, become an interpreter, and leave the country to live in some amazing place and do something more exciting than 9 to 5 type of job. Ten years later I moved to the US.

It does sound easy on the paper as I am thinking about it right now. It was hard to stay in and study while most of my peers enjoyed their lives partying. As Darren Hardy says in his book, the invisible power of the compound effect rocks. It does pay off. I am a true evidence of it. One step at a time gets you closer and closer. One must be willing to keep taking that step. Day after day. Period.

My ten-year marriage to a smart guy who has been always supportive of my entrepreneurial ideas has ended due to his unfortunate addiction to alcohol and my choice of wanting more than being co-dependent and sacrificing my own life and my kids.

Now I can say it, I am a happily divorced single mom of two bilingual kids, a cat, and two guinea pigs. Again, if you have any experience with any sorts of addiction, you know it is not a fun ride. I just leave it like that. After all, my dad did not raise a cry baby 😊.

I did find my passion in the process though. That is what really matters at the end. Right?

I am a proud entrepreneurial tax nerd who feels comfortable around a crowd of strangers and happy while being alone masterminding the next step to get closer to where I want to be and who I want to become. It took me some time to get over some limiting beliefs here as well. Not being an English native speaker is one of them. I do not consider myself a writer after a few published stories. For me Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Swift are the writers. I am an interpreter… of some complex or boring stuff into an easy understandable read and comprehension… Just like I wanted to be at fourteen.

Also, let me know if you share the same feelings, writing (in my case interpreting) is not hard when you write about something you are so crazy passionate about. For instance, writing about a person who made a huge impact in your life or a life changing event. In my case, it is much easier to write about taxes i.e. boring to majority of people stuff than writing about myself.

Hopefully, the above gives you a little idea of who I am, and I cannot wait to read your story and learn who you are!

Thank you for letting me share this. Jenia