Latest / Women in The Coaching Arena / 185 | From Redundancy to Replacing 90% of Her Salary in a Year - Krasi Toneva

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185 | From Redundancy to Replacing 90% of Her Salary in a Year - Krasi Toneva · Women in The Coaching Arena

• 0:00
  Jo: Today I'm really excited to be joined by Krasi Toneva.
• 0:03
  Jo: Krasi joined the business of coaching around 12 months ago, and has had amazing results, particularly I would say in the last six months or so.
• 0:14
  Jo: I really can't wait to have this conversation and to help you figure out what Krasi's key learnings were so you can think about how you can use them in your own practice.
• 0:24
  Jo: So Krasi, I'm so happy to talk today.
• 0:28
  Jo: You've had an amazing journey, and I especially remember you pitching me to talk on this podcast prior to joining the program.
• 0:39
  Jo: So it's super special that we are here today, in that moment probably a year or so on.
• 0:46
  Jo: So please do share a bit about you.
• 0:50
  Krasi: I'm Krasi, and I'm a rebel.
• 0:52
  Krasi: I wanted to start with who I am before what I do.
• 0:56
  Krasi: Just a bit about me.
• 0:57
  Krasi: Imagine 2003, I arrive from Bulgaria to UK with less than £200 in my pocket- knowing just one person, which was my husband, and a level of optimism that didn't even know what a council tax was.
• 1:11
  Krasi: So this was me in 2003.
• 1:14
  Krasi: But also, I carried the baggage because very unhelpfully some other Bulgarians were telling me, "Krassi, you can find a job in UK.
• 1:21
  Krasi: You can be a nanny, you can be a cleaner, or you can work in a dodge taxi office."
• 1:26
  Krasi: So I decided to rebel against all that advice and actually found a job within two weeks in a global consultancy, because I do have the belief that we can achieve more than other people give us credit for or
• 1:41
  Krasi: set limitations, for us.
• 1:44
  Krasi: So that's how I started, being in UK and on my journey.
• 1:48
  Krasi: My journey then took me into another global consultancy, and also I ended up working in local government.
• 1:55
  Krasi: And within 24-year career, by the end I was leading on recruitment, on workforce development, and organizational development for about 70 organizations in the education and nearly 3,000 people.
• 2:08
  Krasi: So by being a rebel, I actually really tapped into my own potential.
• 2:13
  Krasi: What you need to know about the coaching journey for me is that I decided to become a coach in my early 40s.
• 2:20
  Krasi: Loved it so much I did 140 hours of coaching because And I felt like I found my calling.
• 2:29
  Krasi: Then went into executive coaching c- qualification, and at 45 I decided to create my own company while still working full time for local government as well.
• 2:39
  Krasi: So it's I knew there was something I wanted to go, and I wanted to challenge myself.
• 2:44
  Krasi: And at 46, a redundancy came through, from my team and through local government restructuring, so I felt this was the best opportunity for me to go and challenge myself into something new.
• 2:56
  Krasi: And really for the last year now I have been concentrating on my coaching business.
• 3:02
  Krasi: So now you would know me as a leadership coach, as a change, specialist, and, somebody who develops accidental managers who are brilliant at what they do but actually don't know how to manage, people.
• 3:15
  Krasi: And, this really aligns with what I believe and my mission in life, which is to empower my clients to be the CEOs of their lives and careers.
• 3:24
  Jo: Oh, goodness me.
• 3:25
  Jo: Well, who better to do that?
• 3:26
  Jo: Amazing what you have built.
• 3:29
  Speaker: So thank you so much for sharing what's possible from a shaky foundation, starting here.
• 3:37
  Speaker: It's such an inspiration as to what is possible, and therefore helps all of us to see what- might be possible for us as well.
• 3:45
  Speaker: So thank you- so much for sharing your story so succinctly there.
• 3:50
  Krasi: That is the highlight.
• 3:52
  Jo: Oh, totally.
• 3:54
  Jo: And so you joined the Business of Coaching while you were still employed, actually.
• 3:58
  Jo: Can you remember a bit about what was going on for you at that time, and why you decided to join?
• 4:05
  Krasi: Jo, I was a lurker, which sounds awful, but actually I genuinely was.
• 4:10
  Krasi: I was listening to the podcast.
• 4:12
  Krasi: I was following you on LinkedIn.
• 4:14
  Krasi: I was taking notes, actually, one of those taking notes and doing actions.
• 4:18
  Krasi: I was learning throughout.
• 4:20
  Krasi: I was downloading the free materials that you were very generously sharing.
• 4:24
  Krasi: And what I was finding is these were a great start, and I kept learning through that initial snippets of information, but it also showed me there was a bigger gap I needed to fill in for, for me if
• 4:36
  Krasi: I wanted to make my business a success.
• 4:39
  Krasi: So it's great to start as a lurker, but it's actually...
• 4:43
  Krasi: it's better if you actually dig deeper into the learning, materials or the learning journey.
• 4:50
  Krasi: For me, that was the biggest, shift of, from a thought, "I want to learn," to, "Oh, actually, take something more to become a successful coach and, a business owner as well."
• 5:02
  Krasi: So what I did is I started to put myself out there.
• 5:07
  Krasi: I firstly attended your Dare Greatly event in November 2024, which really solidified and started to build the narrative of me being the CEO of my own company.
• 5:19
  Krasi: And there and then I decided I want to challenge myself and go out of my comfort zone and start posting on LinkedIn every single day.
• 5:26
  Krasi: So I'm a rebel.
• 5:27
  Krasi: I don't do things in half.
• 5:28
  Krasi: I, from zero posts to actually posting every single day.
• 5:32
  Krasi: So, and, and I did that based on the Dare Greatly.
• 5:36
  Krasi: And, what I then decided is I want to join that business of coaching program, but still have fear, doubt, guilt, all the kind of the normal culprits there that we all feel.
• 5:48
  Krasi: I actually took on a private HR project, that I fulfilled and generated the income from that.
• 5:54
  Krasi: So it wasn't affecting my family finances, but actually that money was mine, and I was able to invest in the business of coaching, program.
• 6:02
  Krasi: And I probably would have been a lurker a bit longer had it not been an email from you to say, you are interested in buying, bear in mind the cost will go up in July."
• 6:11
  Krasi: So from really somebody who was taking all the free resources to actually starting to come into your world and seeing the impact it was having on me, that was so powerful, and that's what helped me.
• 6:23
  Krasi: And I actually am still using those emotions of the journey I was having until I bought because my clients are having similar journeys as well and similar thought of, guilt of spending their own money, guilt of, combined with,
• 6:37
  Krasi: "But I want to develop myself.
• 6:39
  Krasi: I want to make a life, a different life for my family and for myself as well."
• 6:42
  Krasi: So all of those emotions, they are experiencing before buying co- from me.
• 6:46
  Krasi: So I'm using my own into that journey as well.
• 6:50
  Krasi: And I joined in June 2025 and wasn't too engaged initially as I was still ending, kinda winding up my job and was handing over my work with the redundancy.
• 7:01
  Krasi: But I fully engaged in September, and I remember within the first three weeks just the work alone on LinkedIn, just the work that we did within those first three weeks, that, got me from 250 people, followers on LinkedIn
• 7:16
  Krasi: to over 1,500 already within the first three weeks, was worth the money I invested in the program alone just because I really fully engaged.
• 7:26
  Speaker: Wow.
• 7:27
  Speaker: Oh my goodness, I didn't know half of this stuff.
• 7:29
  Speaker: So that is so cool that you started with a tiny network on LinkedIn.
• 7:33
  Krasi: Tiny, yeah.
• 7:34
  Speaker: Yeah, never posting.
• 7:36
  Speaker: And client-wise, any clients at all when you joined, can you remember?
• 7:41
  Krasi: You challenged, us on the day greatly to write a letter to our future self, which I did.
• 7:46
  Krasi: And my, my thing that I put in my letter is I have two paid clients.
• 7:50
  Krasi: At that stage, I had zero.
• 7:52
  Krasi: That is in November.
• 7:53
  Krasi: By January, I had two paid clients that were private, clients.
• 7:57
  Krasi: And that's, that's how I knew working with you would get me action, would get me the results I wanted.
• 8:03
  Speaker: I cannot wait to continue the conversation.
• 8:06
  Speaker: So tell us more then about what made the difference.
• 8:10
  Speaker: Maybe within the program, but maybe also your key lessons along the
• 8:14
  Krasi: The one thing about the program itself was the community, and that's for me, that is the biggest, plus.
• 8:20
  Krasi: You have loads of resources and, anything that we need, and you're incredibly res- responsive.
• 8:25
  Krasi: But for me, it's the community of other coaches that are similar journeys on, like myself, and, it's the level of brainstorm, of accountability, of ideas generating, the challenge that we have for each other in a very good, in
• 8:40
  Krasi: a good way, that for me was priceless.
• 8:43
  Krasi: And also that I was able to be my rebel self and my weird quirky self as well within the community.
• 8:49
  Krasi: And, so for me, that was, phenomenal.
• 8:52
  Krasi: And also within that, I loved that within the program we have the life challenges.
• 8:56
  Krasi: So I remember I brought to the group, saying, "Guys, I'm an introvert, I'm a sales shy.
• 9:01
  Krasi: How do I pitch to, to, to global consultancies or corporate clients?
• 9:06
  Krasi: Because I want to secure corporate."
• 9:07
  Krasi: So it was the whole group kind of rounded around my own issue, and, we all kind of came with a plan.
• 9:14
  Krasi: So that was, something so powerful.
• 9:17
  Krasi: We also challenged each other.
• 9:18
  Krasi: I remember with one other coach who was very video shy as well, we challenged each other of how to, how to, record a video and put it on our, LinkedIn.
• 9:27
  Krasi: By that time, I had been posting on LinkedIn every single day, but I only had one video.
• 9:33
  Krasi: So I was very video shy as well, so all of that was going in the program.
• 9:38
  Krasi: But at the same time, there were lessons I learned, and I want to share this with everyone because they, those lessons are really valuable, and that we worked through the, within the program.
• 9:48
  Krasi: One is about niching.
• 9:50
  Krasi: I came to you not knowing what I want, very confused, thinking I can do everything, I can be in leadership, I can be in change, I can be redundant, everything, but not really clearly, thinking what, what specifically that
• 10:02
  Krasi: is.
• 10:02
  Krasi: And working with you and the group helped me to really niche down.
• 10:06
  Krasi: Probably changed it about three times, my niche, and, but that is part of that journey, and, I loved it.
• 10:11
  Krasi: Number two is a lesson I wanted...
• 10:13
  Krasi: So I have five lessons.
• 10:14
  Krasi: So n- niching was number one.
• 10:16
  Krasi: Number two of, as a lesson was you don't need permission, just go and do it.
• 10:20
  Krasi: So being an em- employee somewhere, you always have a boss you have to look for, "Can you approve my training?"
• 10:26
  Krasi: or "Can you, can we invest in that?
• 10:28
  Krasi: Let's go."
• 10:29
  Krasi: You don't have that as a CEO of your own company.
• 10:32
  Krasi: And, so for me it was the mindset change that I had to go.
• 10:36
  Krasi: And bear in mind, I'm somebody who has a Bachelor of Economics.
• 10:39
  Krasi: I've been leading nearly 3,000 people.
• 10:41
  Krasi: I have 24 years experience.
• 10:42
  Krasi: No, I didn't, and actually, that's why I realized I need to, to really build those skills through that program that you were, you had.
• 10:51
  Krasi: I just needed to accept I needed help, so that was, powerful as well for me.
• 10:55
  Krasi: Number three of the lessons, it's about the utilizing and building the network.
• 10:59
  Krasi: So this is, this is going out of your way to, to build relationships, authentic way, in an authentic way with others.
• 11:08
  Krasi: Take that coffee break with somebody once a week, go and have a chat.
• 11:12
  Krasi: Go to those, the training sessions, the, I...
• 11:15
  Krasi: And I would challenge everybody, which I challenged myself, was at least twice a year to go on face-to-face training or conferences and start building those, the relationships outside of my very close, colleagues and the clients itself.
• 11:29
  Krasi: This created my little black book of future clients.
• 11:34
  Krasi: M- maybe not necessarily them, but it's put, you know, that they, that needs my help, and that is the level of conversation because you can build this, know, like, and trust relationship with, with those people.
• 11:46
  Krasi: And bear in mind, I'm an introvert, so it's not something that is easy, but it's something that actually becomes much easier because it's so genuine, and this is part of that, the bigger journey later on.
• 11:58
  Krasi: Number four is the industry.
• 12:00
  Krasi: We all come out of our industries really burnt out and make the sweeping statement, "I want to go back there.
• 12:06
  Krasi: There is something better out."
• 12:08
  Krasi: For me, it took about six months to say, "Hold on, Krasi.
• 12:11
  Krasi: You've built these relationships for 20 years in this, education industry.
• 12:17
  Krasi: Why not go back to that?
• 12:19
  Krasi: Because people know, like, and trust you."
• 12:20
  Krasi: Because they have seen how I work, and I know them.
• 12:23
  Krasi: I know their issues, I know their problems.
• 12:25
  Krasi: And this is what unlocked for me, and the program allowed me to really see that because others were sharing similar experiences.
• 12:33
  Krasi: So to go back into my own industry and from one email I managed to get six new clients just from that one email because I went and tapped into my own expertise, absolutely stunning.
• 12:47
  Krasi: And number five, which you're, preaching every day, which is messy action.
• 12:51
  Krasi: Just take action.
• 12:52
  Krasi: And I could be doing that, regardless from the LinkedIn posts, I update my LinkedIn banners and background about, once every couple of months.
• 13:01
  Krasi: It's a constant development, growing, and, something that actually shows me I can do it, and that builds my confidence as well.
• 13:09
  Jo: Yeah.
• 13:10
  Jo: Goodness me, what amazing lessons.
• 13:13
  Jo: And so many people will resonate with the idea of putting off contacting those that they used- Mm to know from previous careers and things.
• 13:22
  Jo: So it's great to hear that it did take you six months, so it is a emotional journey as well as a practical journey.
• 13:29
  Jo: Like, whilst I might try and say that in week two or week three, it takes people time because- Yes like you say, we all think it's shinier and it's more exciting to build those- Yeah relationships from scratch.
• 13:43
  Jo: And whilst, yes, we'll be building your brand alongside, which you've totally talked about and done, it's great that you can also utilize your previous 20 years' experience.
• 13:53
  Speaker: And
• 13:53
  Jo: I'm trying to remember the moment that something shifted.
• 13:57
  Jo: Was it hearing other people in the community?
• 13:59
  Jo: Tell us, do you remember, what made you send that one email after all these months- Mm of avoiding doing it?
• 14:04
  Krasi: It was the other people in the community, particularly seeing those messy actions and people taking actions all the time.
• 14:12
  Krasi: And, I remember there was one, person, Andy, who is a TV executive, nothing to do with my own industry.
• 14:18
  Krasi: However, it's the actions and the understanding of the business is very similar.
• 14:24
  Krasi: So he said he opened his little black book, contacted every single person that he found there, and reconnected with them.
• 14:32
  Krasi: And I thought, "Why am I not doing that?"
• 14:33
  Krasi: So this was, almost like my little permission slip I needed.
• 14:37
  Krasi: Even though I'm telling you we don't need permission slip, but obviously I did at that stage.
• 14:41
  Krasi: And as I said, I needed this first six months to really get to grips with what, who I am as a CEO and how I want to develop.
• 14:49
  Krasi: So for me, I needed to stay in the program for 12 months.
• 14:52
  Krasi: That was my own journey that I felt much more comfortable with.
• 14:56
  Krasi: So seeing those actions from others really unlocked it, for me and, I thought, "Do you know what?
• 15:02
  Krasi: Let me just go and contact the people I really love working with," but for some reason I felt I shouldn't.
• 15:09
  Jo: Oh, totally.
• 15:11
  Jo: So tell us what's different now in your life?
• 15:14
  Krasi: So I finished with those two programs before I fully joined the coaching, the business of coaching.
• 15:18
  Krasi: Then I found a role as an associate coach.
• 15:22
  Krasi: I then built in, some of my own private coaching.
• 15:25
  Krasi: I then delivered the leadership training in the program, two cohorts, with executive coaching in between.
• 15:32
  Krasi: I was tapping into my own HR expertise as well, and I was delivering as well HR projects.
• 15:38
  Krasi: And suddenly it's like, why am I just concentrating on coaching itself?
• 15:42
  Krasi: I have all that other expertise.
• 15:45
  Krasi: So now I have 30 leadership clients that I'm work- senior leaders that I'm working with.
• 15:52
  Krasi: And, I wanted to share about one w- which is humbling.
• 15:55
  Krasi: I could recognize when I started with her, and I said, "Sarah, I can see you as a CEO, not just a senior leader within local government."
• 16:04
  Krasi: And- Through the work that we did, within 12 months she could secure that CEO role, and, uh, she was saying to me, "'Cause see, I will have 1,000 people under me.
• 16:15
  Krasi: I'll be leading on all these, uh, big projects so for me, this was humbling that I could make a difference to those, executives, to grow even further.
• 16:24
  Krasi: So 30 senior leaders I'm working as an executive coach.
• 16:28
  Krasi: Leadership programs I've delivered, in that one year alone.
• 16:31
  Krasi: I've, done HR projects and now have my own HR consultancy with clients buying into my own, HR services, and I'm delivering mediation, I'm delivering, things that I actually love doing rather than the things I have to do within
• 16:44
  Krasi: the HR area.
• 16:45
  Krasi: Because the things I don't want to do in the HR, I have an associate now working with me to deliver those things.
• 16:52
  Krasi: I have, other clients now from September joining, into my HR consultancy, so a lot of growth.
• 16:58
  Krasi: I think I was reflecting, probably I'll be getting there, but probably it will take me about three or four years time to get into that space.
• 17:05
  Krasi: But by being into the business of coaching actually accelerated that, and now I did it within one year, which is-
• 17:13
  Jo: Wow.
• 17:13
  Speaker: And so income-wise, I think you have an amazing stat as well.
• 17:17
  Speaker: Do share.
• 17:18
  Krasi: So I've actually been able to generate 90% of my salary from, that I was earning before I was made redundant in my first year.
• 17:28
  Krasi: And it was all through that messy action, trying different things, and, showing the results, and, being, an associate my own, selling, and, being consistent on LinkedIn.
• 17:38
  Krasi: So yeah, 90%, in my first year.
• 17:41
  Krasi: Amazing.
• 17:41
  Jo: I think there is this weird gap that everybody has, 'cause I have lots of clients who are really successful who still seem to think everybody else is more successful than they are, and I'm like, "No, no."
• 17:53
  Jo: "This is outstanding."
• 17:55
  Jo: So, huge congratulations.
• 17:57
  Jo: how would you describe your experience of working together?
• 18:01
  Krasi: So honestly, Joanna, The best thing about working with you is that you didn't try to make me as a standard coach.
• 18:07
  Krasi: I was able to be my own rebel coach, and somebody that is quirky.
• 18:12
  Krasi: So I felt that you built a space for me and an environment where I was able to identify, what I really wanted and not what suit others, what others or the industry prescribes for you.
• 18:24
  Krasi: So you specifically built the wonderful space of a supporting and challenging environment to actually identify what is it I really wanted, and then spring my wings in that area, where I could build not just a coaching business, but
• 18:39
  Krasi: coaching and HR, business.
• 18:41
  Krasi: So that really hit that balance of, growth and challenge, for myself.
• 18:47
  Krasi: Now I'm going to say here, I really don't always like the challenges, like the four-week sprint that you gave us earlier in this, this year.
• 18:55
  Krasi: So as somebody who is sales shy, it challenged me in many ways.
• 19:00
  Krasi: But actually, I learned so much from it and really started to unlock into, hold on, I can talk to anybody, so why not go back into my industry?
• 19:08
  Krasi: So that was also part of that journey into going back into my own industry.
• 19:12
  Krasi: I also really enjoyed the fact that you were listening to us, you were finding, themes of the challenges that we all had, and you found ways to go and create a space for us to go and solve those
• 19:25
  Krasi: challenges with the resources, with the conversation, with the speakers, with your own experience.
• 19:31
  Krasi: And also, you're very generous in terms of your time, your expertise, and, I really felt supported across the journey.
• 19:39
  Jo: Oh, my goodness.
• 19:40
  Jo: Amazing.
• 19:41
  Jo: What a wonderful day for me to hear all this amazingness, 'cause like, obviously I worked so hard to create this, so it's really lovely to hear that.
• 19:53
  Jo: Everything that you're sharing is exactly what I want.
• 19:55
  Jo: Yeah.
• 19:55
  Jo: So thank you so, so much for telling me.
• 19:59
  Jo: And what is your biggest takeaway from the program?
• 20:04
  Krasi: Keep challenging ourselves and find the
• 20:09
  Speaker: community Perfect.
• 20:10
  Speaker: Such a good one.
• 20:11
  Speaker: And what's next for you then?
• 20:14
  Krasi: So I decided to go out of the program after one year and really go and do the actions I promised myself I would do.
• 20:23
  Krasi: So because you give us so many actions, I felt like I haven't done enough, so I want to really go out and do those actions, and probably I would rejoin the program because for me, the community is something
• 20:34
  Krasi: I want and need, so I would rejoin it again at some point.
• 20:37
  Krasi: I want to go and build the HR consultancy, have more associates working, with me, and also make a difference to those senior leaders that I'm working and for them to be the CEOs of their lives and careers.
• 20:50
  Speaker: Yeah.
• 20:51
  Speaker: Exactly.
• 20:51
  Jo: Would you recommend the program and, if so, who to?
• 20:55
  Krasi: I would definitely recommend it to anybody that is not sure who they are and what they want, but they know that there is something more out there.
• 21:04
  Krasi: This program allowed me to go and solidify for myself that I have a space, and these are the people when, if you have doubts, if you have, worries, this is the space for you to identify who you are
• 21:17
  Krasi: as a business owner and what is it you
• 21:20
  Jo: want.
• 21:20
  Jo: Yeah.
• 21:20
  Jo: And where can people find you if they want to get in touch?
• 21:23
  Krasi: I'm very active on LinkedIn, so I'm Krassi Toneva, and you'll be able to find me on LinkedIn.
• 21:28
  Krasi: I post every single day on leadership, on change, on careers.
• 21:33
  Krasi: I would love to connect with you there.
• 21:34
  Krasi: I would love to have a chat if you, are worried about something, Even if it's not a, if it doesn't lead to a project, for me it's about let's connect with people.
• 21:43
  Jo: Thank you so, so much for sharing your valuable lessons that can genuinely save other people years by being inspired, just like you were, to take that messy, scary action, and what a amazing result it has led to.
• 21:58
  Jo: So thank you so much, Krasi.
• 22:01
  Krasi: Thank you, Joanna.
• 22:02
  Jo: I hope you loved learning Krasi's key lessons in her coaching business journey.
• 22:08
  Jo: I love the fact that she has built a full business, including loads of different services as well as coaching.
• 22:17
  Jo: So even though my program is called The Business of Coaching, I would say 80% of clients also do leadership training or other work that amounts to their full business.
• 22:31
  Jo: So never think that you only have to do coaching.
• 22:35
  Jo: Obviously, if you want to, that's totally fine.
• 22:37
  Jo: But I also encourage you to bring all of your skills and experience to the table and serve people however you can.
• 22:48
  Jo: If you would like support on your own coaching business journey, no matter how long you have been in your coaching business, the Business of Coaching can support you to keep learning, to stay ahead, to have that community, to
• 23:01
  Jo: have that courage, and take fast, messy action, which will result in amazing outcomes for you.
• 23:09
  Jo: You will find the link to the Business of Coaching in the show notes.
• 23:13
  Jo: Do have a browse at amazing results like Krasi's on the page.
• 23:17
  Jo: And if you would like to apply, then do scroll to the bottom of the page, and there is a form you can complete, and I will get back to you personally, showing you a behind-the-scenes of the program and
• 23:30
  Jo: letting you know how I can support your personal circumstances.
• 23:35
  Jo: And like I always say, trust yourself, believe in yourself, and be the wise gardener who keeps on watering the seeds