Content Strategist & Brand Messaging Craftswoman 💡 I help brands build meaningful relationships with the people who matter. ✨ Sharing strategic ways to create value-packed content and stellar brand messaging.

As a digital marketing strategist, I help brands build meaningful relationships with stakeholders and scale them through digital channels. I run Valchanova.me, a hub for my consulting practice and a blog on marketing, digital strategy, and growth.

My core competencies include strategic research and planning, content marketing, brand messaging, and copywriting. I have worked with brands in various industries, from e-commerce to SaaS, from business services to luxury design. I have also trained more than 2,000 students and spoken at conferences across Europe. In my spare time, I organize popular science events with Ratio, fueling the passion for science in those who don't know they have it yet.

I aim to share my knowledge and experience with digital professionals and inspire them to create impactful and engaging marketing campaigns. I am passionate about words which is the building block of both content marketing, brand messaging, and copywriting. You can easily get in touch by contacting me at v@valchanova.me. Read more at https://valchanova.me.

Vassilena Valchanova

There are only two ways to manage your executive or senior management career.

1. The Reactive Way
2. The Bold Way

Most 6-figure figure senior managers and executives fall into the first category.

➡ You're hoping the quality of your work will speak for itself
➡ Quality opportunities are scarce because you're avoiding personal marketing
➡ You're successful but maybe not fulfilled
➡ You feel ready for the next level and are stuck on how to make it happen
➡ Or something happens to your job, and you don't have a net

Which is why you're feeling stuck and undervalued.

On top of that, you're probably struggling with a lack of career vision; "Is it too late to create something that fills me up and utilizes my potential?" "What do I want for my next chapter?"

Now, imagine that you're truly thriving in your career.

➡ You are in the right role for you now
➡ You get to do work that lights you up
➡ Your career is a fuel source for your life [lifestyle, energy, confidence]
➡ You're in the driver's seat of your career advancement

"How am I going to get to that stage?", I hear you ask.

Here's how.

The first step is getting you into the right job. If you're ready to make a career move, by following my proven 3-step program, we will take you from "stuck" to "starting your next-level role" in 3-4 months.

Phase 1 ➡ we'll remove Doubt and get you "Market Ready" by creating a winning strategy and materials
Phase 2 ➡ we'll remove Self-Promotion Fear to get you "Sales Ready" by helping you uncover and generate the right opportunities
Phase 3 ➡ we'll remove Interview Jitters and get you "Interview Ready" so that you'll interview and close confidently, ready to make the right decision

And we'll work with you until you land your next-level role.

The second step is managing the business of YOU. We have a unique, proven approach to advancing your career.

Our results speak for themselves:

"Two promotions since our first call - not bad." [Preston - VP & GM]

"Their transformative approach equipped me with high-impact assets, insights, and strategies, empowering me to take full command of my career journey and unlock my professional potential." [Lisa - CEO]

"Paid out 10X what I invested in services" [Matt - SVP]

"If you're looking to elevate your career, look no further!" [Brandon, Asst GM]

Back to you.

Are you tired of stagnating and not having the career journey you deserve? Are you ready to land your next-level role and advance your career?

Then let's talk.

I'm a 22-year executive career coach, ex. executive recruiter and MBA career centre director.

DM me here.

Ian Christie

“Why did you leave X job?”

This question can sink a good interview fast.

Most people stumble, talk too long, get vague, or shift blame. When that happens, trust drops and the interviewer starts digging (or silently downgrades their interest). 

You want the opposite: a clean answer that closes the topic and moves things forward.

What decision-makers listen for:
- Clarity. One to three clean sentences about what happened. No fog words.
- Ownership. You don’t bad-mouth. You own your part and your choice.
- Judgment. You exited well and kept relationships intact.
- Growth. You learned something real from the experience.
- Direction. You know exactly what you’re aiming for next.

⚠️ Here are the common traps that trigger doubt:
- “Mutually agreed…” (sounds like you’re hiding the ball)
- “It’s complicated…” (invites a 10-minute probe)
- “Long story…” (signals you’re not in control)
- Rambling, defensiveness, naming names

Keep this in mind: leaving a job is less of a problem than how you talk about it.

Tight, calm, fact-based and future-focused answers earn trust. Long, foggy, or blame-heavy answers don’t.

The Infographic shares: 
1️⃣ A simple frame you can use for any situation
2️⃣ What to say (and not say) for 6 tricky scenarios
3️⃣ Delivery tips so you stop talking at the right moment

If you have an exit to explain, Save this for prep night and Share with someone interviewing this week.

Want a high-res PDF of this and all of my infographics? Get them here:
-> https://lnkd.in/gDBNs_MC 

♻️ Repost now to help someone interviewing this week. 
✅ Follow Ian Christie for career move guidance and how to become highly marketable.

Career Coach for Under-Marketed Execs & Senior Professionals ✦ Job search, pivots, interviews, personal brand, advancement ✦ You’ve done the work → now get the recognition ✦ Ex. Exec Recruiter & MBA Careers Director

An infographic with the caption "Master the Interview Question: Why did you leave your last job?" Followed by a framework. 

Hard Work Won't Get You Promoted

These 9 things will.

I am obsessed with helping senior professionals unlock their career growth potential. Too many are stuck. Not pulling the right levers.

If you want to advance, here's what you need to do:
1. Make Things Better
Make a difference through positive impact, not ego. Record your wins, then look forward: what opportunities do you see to create lasting change?

2. Self-Advocate & Seek Feedback
Hard work alone won't get you promoted. Advocate for yourself with confidence. Seek critical feedback with humility. Act on it. Repeat.

3. Escape the Career Traps
Recognize when you're stuck: accidental specialization, bad fit roles, pigeonholing, stagnation. See the trap. Decide it's worth escaping. Create your exit plan.

4. Don't Stall in Bad Situations
You know when things aren't working. Bad job fit. Toxic environment. Unsalvageable boss relationship. Cut the time between noticing and acting.

5. Solve for Self-Sabotage
Identify behaviours holding you back. Look for patterns in feedback and negative outcomes. What's getting in your way? Address it.

6. Build Communication & Story-Telling Skills
Great leaders communicate vision, strategy, problems, and solutions through stories. Develop this skill: it leaves lasting impressions and accelerates advancement.

7. Build Sight Lines
Being your boss's best-kept secret kills careers. Build visibility for your work. Cultivate relationships. Find champions. If they don't see you, they can't promote you.

8. Be Someone People Can Count On
Earn a reputation for reliability, results, and taking care of people. When others know they can count on you to lead and deliver, everything becomes easier.

9. Create External Profile
Internal performance isn't enough if higher-ups think you're invisible externally. Polish your LinkedIn. Network. Stay plugged into your industry. Show them they can't take you for granted.

The truth? Career advancement follows a formula.
Most people just don't know it.
Now you do.

Pick one strategy. Do something with it this week.
Which one will you start with?
---
♻️ Repost to help others solve the advancement problem.
✅ Follow me, Ian Christie, for more on becoming highly marketable, making next-level career moves, and building a career you'll celebrate

💬 What have I missed? 👇

An infographic with the caption "Hard work won't get you promoted: These 9 things will." 

"Why should we hire you?"
Every interview comes down to this question. Whether they ask it or not.

Most candidates fumble it. They list skills. They summarize their resume. They hope something lands.

Here's a better approach:

Step 1: Know your professional assets

Before you can answer "why you," you need clarity on what you bring. Five categories:
→ Experience — industries, company types, contexts you've operated in
→ Traits — work style, personality, natural strengths
→ Drivers — interests, values, problems you want to solve
→ Capabilities — skills, expertise, competencies
→ Reputation & Reach — track record, relationships, trajectory
This is your inventory. Most people have never done this work.

Step 2: Connect the dots

Your answer isn't about you. It's about fit.
Two parties: you and the buyer. Your job is to connect:
→ Their needs
→ Your assets

Step 3: Build your "Why Me" case

Organize your answer around 4 pillars:
Value & Impact — What can you do for them? Skills, experience, expertise.
Situational Fit — Have you done this before? (Growth, turnaround, scale, launch)
Motivation — Why do you want this role? (Not just any role)
Team & Org Fit — Why this company, this culture, this team?
Create 4-6 points. Have evidence for each. Put them in a logical order.

[Want a high-res PDF of this and other frameworks. See 👇]

Step 4: Don't wait to be asked

Seed your points throughout the interview. When they ask about an area where you're strong, lean in:
"Great question. This is actually one of my strengths—I have multiple examples. Here's one..."

And if they never ask the question directly? Close with a summary anyway.
Confident. Competent. Not afraid to sell.

📥 Want the full framework as a printable PDF? Download "Why Should I Hire You?" from the Bold Career Vault
-> https://lnkd.in/gDBNs_MC

♻️ Save this for your next interview.
✅ Follow the career coach for senior professionals - Ian Christie

An infographic that reads: "Master the Ultimate Interview Question: - Why should I hire / promote you" followed by a section on the Stakes, then the 5-part professional assets framework, how to connect the dots and delivery tips. 

If nothing changes about how you're managing your career, where will you be in 3 years? 

Not "what are your goals?" Not "how was your year?"

This question. The uncomfortable one. 

[Reposting as it is a message people need to hear.]

Most professionals won't ask it. Because the honest answer might sting.

Here's what I see constantly:
Smart, capable people who are doing well by most measures, good title, decent pay, reasonable stability, but who've slowly drifted off course.
They didn't make a bad decision.
They made no decision.
They just kept going.

And somewhere along the way, the career stopped being something they were building and became something that was happening to them.

Career drift is silent. There's no alarm. No clear moment when it starts.
Just a slow accumulation of "this is fine" that eventually becomes "how did I get here?"

The end of the year is one of the few natural pause points where you can actually see it.

So I built a worksheet to help (see below).

The Year-End Career Reckoning Worksheet walks you through:
→ The uncomfortable question (with prompts to go deeper)
→ A 4-part self-assessment of your career assets
→ How to identify your ONE constraint
→ A simple 90-day system to address it

30 minutes. Brutal honesty. Real clarity.

Save this post as a reminder OR 
Get the free Year-End Worksheet here. Stop the drift with -> https://lnkd.in/gTDm26jr

♻️ Repost to help others make 2026 the year they become the CEO of their career.
✅ Follow Ian Christie for daily insights on your career and marketability.

An infographics with the caption - "The Year-End Career Reckoning". Question: "If nothing changes, where will I be in 3 years?"

Your career is a system.
And systems don't reward what you plan to do.
They reward what you actually do. Consistently, over time.

You meant to update your resume.
You meant to reach out to that contact.
You meant to have the conversation with your boss.
You meant to finally get clear on what's next.

But you didn't. And another quarter passed.

The road to career stagnation is paved with "I'll get to it next quarter."
Q1 2024 was going to be different. So was Q2. So was Q3.

Here's the pattern: You think about your career in bursts. Usually when something goes wrong. Then the urgency fades, the busyness takes over, and you're back to reactive mode.

Your career doesn't care about your good intentions. It only responds to inputs.
The inputs are simple:
→ The relationships you build (or let decay)
→ The skills you develop (or let atrophy)
→ The visibility you create (or avoid)
→ The opportunities you pursue (or ignore)

Miss enough inputs, and the system produces predictable outputs: stagnation, frustration, and the slow erosion of options.

Here's how to build a career system that actually works:
1. Schedule it
Your career doesn't manage itself. Block 1-2 hours per week, non-negotiable, for career development. Networking, learning, reflecting, planning. This is where you wear your “CEO of You Inc.” hat.

2. Track the leading indicators
Not just "did I get promoted?" Track: How many meaningful conversations did I have this month? How many meaningful relationships did I add or deepen? What new skills am I building? Who knows about my best work?

3. Solve for bottlenecks
Most career stalls aren't about effort. They're about undiagnosed constraints. Maybe you lack clarity on what you actually want. Maybe your confidence is shaky because you haven't articulated your value. Maybe your positioning is weak, your visibility is low, or your action plan is scattered. Identify the real bottleneck. Then solve for that, not everything at once.

4. Create forcing functions
Annual reviews aren't enough. Set quarterly career check-ins with yourself. Review your goals, assess your progress and risk, adjust your actions.

5. Make the first action stupid simple
If you're stuck, the next action is too big. Break it down. "Advance my career" becomes "send one LinkedIn message today."

Stop treating your career like a thing that happens to you. Treat it like a system you operate.

1. Need help being the CEO of You Inc? Send me a DM. 
2. Want this and other system infographics in high-res PDFs? 
-> https://lnkd.in/gDBNs_MC
--
♻️ Repost if someone needs this wake-up call.
✅ Follow Ian Christie | Career Coach to Under-Marketed Execs & Senior Professionals

💬 What's one career input you've been neglecting?

An infographic with the caption "Your Career is a System. And systems don't reward what you plan to do. They reward what you actually do - consistently, over time."

37% at the lowest level. 60% in the bottom two.
That's how senior professionals rate themselves on being approached for opportunities.

Think about that.

These are accomplished people. Directors. VPs. Senior managers and other senior professionals with strong track records. And most of them are waiting for the phone to ring.

It's not ringing.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: if you're not getting approached, you're not visible. Your network has decayed. Your reputation doesn’t have reach. You're working hard inside a company, but invisible to the market outside it.

And here's what makes this worse in 2026: quiet hiring is rising. Companies are skipping job postings entirely. They’re researching LinkedIn, asking their networks, and reaching out directly to people they've already heard of.

If you're not on their radar, you're not in the conversation. The best roles are getting filled before they're ever advertised.

This is fixable, but not by "trying harder." It requires a different approach:
→ Strategic visibility (being known for something specific)
→ Active relationship maintenance (before you need anything)
→ A clear professional identity people can refer

Opportunities don't find the most talented. They find the most visible.

Where do you stand? Take the Career Power Audit and find out.
→ https://lnkd.in/gZErtdD8
---
♻️ Repost so that others get the message that this is fixable.
✅ Follow Ian Christie to close your marketing gap

Image of a graph. The caption reads: "How frequently are you approached for relevant roles, interviews, or networking introductions?". 

Q1 is the highest-leverage quarter for career momentum.
Budgets are fresh. Leaders are planning. Your competitors are still "getting back into it." While they drift, you can build.

But here's what I've learned from career coaching senior professionals for 20+ years: Information isn't the problem.

You know what you should be doing. You've read the books. Saved the posts. Watched the videos.

So what is the problem? There are four, and they have to be solved in order.

1. Clarity
You can't execute on a fuzzy goal. And clarity isn't just about direction. It's about your offering. What do you bring? If you're fuzzy on your own value, you'll face a confidence crisis that holds you back from taking action.

2. Positioning
Clarity without positioning is a secret no one knows about. You might know your value, but does the market? Most senior professionals are under-marketed: strong track record, weak visibility.

3. Strategy & Sequence
Knowing what to do isn't enough. You need to know what order to do it in. I watch people burn months on tactics that should come later.

4. Execution
Finally, yes: execution. Alone, it's hard to stay consistent. Systems beat motivation.
The right sequence: Clarity → Positioning → Relationships → Opportunities → Conversion.

Skip steps, and you'll spin.

Your Q1 framework:
→ Weeks 1-4: Clarify (what you want + what you bring)
→ Weeks 5-8: Build (positioning, visibility, relationships)
→ Weeks 9-12+: Move & Growth focus (now or setting up for future advancement)

One action per week. 12 meaningful moves by March 31.
That's how momentum gets built.

💾 Save this post for your Q1 planning.

📊 Want to know where you actually stand? Take the Career Power Audit (link in comments). 5 minutes to see your score across the dimensions that drive career success.
--
♻️ Repost to help someone build momentum this quarter.
✅ Follow Ian Christie for more on career strategy, positioning, and making moves that matter.

An infographic with the caption: "Your 90-Day Career Action plan: Q1 Momentum Builder - Q1 is the highest leverage quarter for career moves. Here's how to use the next 90 days to set yourself up." 

Tired of watching others soar while you feel stuck?

You do everything "right":
• Deliver great results
• Support your team
• Hit your targets
• Stay humble

Yet watching others zoom past you feels like...well, it sucks. 

The real problem might not be your performance.

Maybe you didn't learn the rules (or decided not to play)

Your colleagues aren't just working - they're:
→ Positioning their wins
→ Designing their next move
→ Building visibility strategies
→ Creating strategic relationships

Here are 4 of the key things you need to do to advance: 
1. Start treating your career like a business
• Create quarterly career OKRs
• Track & measure your professional ROE (return-on-effort)

2. Make your impact visible
• Document wins (quantitative & qualitative)
• Share insights, not just updates

3. Build relationships before you need them
• Schedule at least 2 strategic coffee chats monthly
• Actively contribute to industry conversations

4. Create opportunities instead of waiting
• Volunteer for high-visibility projects
• Solve problems nobody asked you to fix

The path to success isn't just about what you do.
It's about how you position what you do.

Ready to play the game at a higher level? Let's connect.

---
♻️  Repost if this resonated - your network needs this wake-up call too.
✅ Follow Ian Christie to become highly marketable, make next-level career moves, & create the career journey you deserve.

💬 What's the biggest career lesson you had to learn the hard way?👇

Image of a man taking notes while watching colleagues. The caption reads "How smart & ambitious professionals play the advancement game" 

"Why do you want to leave your job?"
(Also asked as: "Why are you looking?")
This question isn't a trap.

It's your moment to show you're not running FROM something—you're moving TOWARDS something.

Most candidates blow this question.

They focus on what's wrong:
→ The frustrations
→ The limitations
→ The politics
→ The bad manager

Or they give a vague, uninspiring answer that makes the interviewer wonder: "Is this person failing in their current role?"

Here's what hiring managers actually want to hear:

Where you're going. Not where you've been.

The Framework:
1. Start with what you've accomplished
Show you're leaving from a position of strength, not desperation.
"I've successfully led three major product launches and built a team from 5 to 15."

2. Show your readiness for more
What bigger problems, scope, or leadership are you ready for?
"I'm ready to take on P&L responsibility and scale operations at a larger organization."

3. Explain what's pulling you toward THIS opportunity
What about this company, role, or mission attracts you?
"Your international expansion is exactly the kind of challenge I want to be part of."

Strong answer example:
"Things are going well. I've had 4 successful years building out the sales function. But I'm ready to lead a larger team and take on more strategic responsibility. I don't need to leave, but for the right opportunity, I would. This role fits what I'm looking for."

Multi-pronged answers win:
"I'm looking for three things: the chance to work in fintech, lead a larger team, and contribute to international expansion. This role checks all three."

The Mindset Shift:
❌ You're not desperate → ✅ You're selective
❌ You're not escaping → ✅ You're elevating
❌ You're not complaining → ✅ You're clarifying what's next

Remember: You have more market value when you're looking on your own terms.

The best answer signals confidence. You know exactly what you want next, and this role fits.

What NOT to say:
🚫 Badmouthing your current employer
🚫 Venting about your boss or culture
🚫 Sounding like you'll take anything
🚫 Making it all about what YOU want (vs. what you bring)
---
Save this for your next interview. [To download a high res PDF of this and all my infographics, go to https://lnkd.in/gDBNs_MC ]
---
💬 What's your go-to answer for this question?
♻️ Repost to help someone prepping right now.
✅ Follow Ian Christie to get "market-ready"

Career Coach ✦ Land your next-level role, Get promoted, Pivot to your Career 2.0 ✦ 2000+ management to C-suite clients ✦ Ex. Executive Recruiter & MBA Careers Director ✦ Follow for the career journey you'll celebrate

An infographic with the caption "Master the interview question: Why do you want to leave your job?" followed by sections on 
- The trap vs the goal
- The 3 step framework
- Answer examples
- The mindset shift

Most people treat their careers like a neglected car:

Only looking under the hood when the engine starts smoking.

I've coached 2,000+ senior professionals. The ones who stall almost always have this in common: they worked in their career, but never on it.

No visibility strategy. No relationship maintenance. No story development.

Then something happens: a layoff, being passed over, an industry shift, and they're scrambling.

Here's what proactive career management actually looks like:
1. Regular Career Audits
→ Quarterly: Am I building the right skills for where I want to go?
→ Monthly: Who haven't I talked to in 90 days that I should?
→ Weekly: What wins am I documenting? What am I learning?

2. Watch the Warning Signs
→ Your projects are getting less visible
→ Growth conversations have gone quiet
→ Your industry is shifting and you're not adapting

3. Build Before You Need
→ Relationships: cultivate them before you need a referral
→ Reputation: invest in visibility before you need a job
→ Skills: develop them before they're required

The senior professionals who land the best roles aren't the ones who "deserve" them.

They're the ones who were ready.

Prevention beats panic.
Your career deserves more than crisis management.

Do a crucial preventative maintenance task today -> Take the free career power scorecard to discover your score and the areas that need maintenance.
https://lnkd.in/gZErtdD8 
---
♻️ Repost if this resonates. Help someone avoid the scramble.
✅ Follow Ian Christie for more on building a career you won't have to rescue.

💬 What's one proactive career move you've made that paid off? 👇

An infographic with the caption "If you want a great career, don't only work on it when it's on fire".

Not all visibility is good visibility.
I've watched senior professionals sabotage their reputation while trying to build it.

Humble-bragging that makes people cringe.
Engagement farming that gets likes but loses respect.
Being "always on" until their audience tunes out.

They're doing what they think works. But it's backfiring.

Here's the thing: at senior levels, being good at your job isn't enough. People need to know you're good. Visibility matters.

But the wrong kind of visibility is worse than none at all.

After coaching 2,000+ professionals, I've seen what actually builds reputation, and what quietly destroys it.

Swipe through for the honest breakdown →
✅ 3 visibility plays that work
❌ 3 visibility plays that backfire

💾 Save this for your next "should I post this?" moment.
--
♻️ Repost if your network needs this reality check.
✅ Follow Ian Christie for more on becoming visible without becoming insufferable.

💬 Which of these have you tried? What worked (or backfired)?

taplio

The Battle

Vassilena Valchanova

Ian Christie

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taplio

The Battle

Vassilena Valchanova

Ian Christie

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ian Christie's LinkedIn Performance

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