(Editor’s note: This post is the first installment in a continuing series featuring expat entrepreneurs.)
The dilemma as to whether to leave full-time (or part-time) employment and to start your own business is a common one. Full-time employment leads most people down a path of stability where your salary increases as you gain experience. On top of that, life is relatively predictable. You know exactly how much money will hit your bank account and when, your pension gets paid automatically and your responsibilities are limited to your job description.
The job might even come with perks such as a gym membership or a health insurance plan too! All is well and good until unemployment strikes. It doesn’t matter how many degrees you have, how much experience or how many good references you have. In a climate where AI can replace many junior roles, lay-offs find the best of us and that’s reflected by the rise in unemployment across 2025.
This is certainly the case for Ukrainian national, Iryna Digtiarova, whose story involves a pivot from the world of corporate finance to starting her own career as a communications coach.
Iryna’s education and employment history
Iryna moved to the Netherlands in 2008 for a BA in International Business Management at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, part of the University of Groningen. Her graduation in 2012 saw the snowballing effects of the 2008 financial crisis, where the Netherlands’ strong position in world trade was turned against them and unemployment was high.
Despite this, she was committed to finding a job in finance. Since every company has a financial department, this was her best option. Over a 14-year period, she worked in the financial department of an engineering company, RH-DHV; at ABN AMRO Commercial Finance; in financial administration of TU/e, pairing PhD students with subsidies; at Ricoh; at Alliance Healthcare; and SuccessDay. In these various roles, she had exposure to the monthly closing cycle with high pressure to report and present to stakeholders. She learnt that financial expertise was not enough. The key was in the way that this complex information was communicated to senior colleagues and board members.
Her commitment to gaining expertise is demonstrated by her decision to study a part-time masters at Nyenrode University. This took place whilst Iryna was employed for 32 hours per week. It was hard work and all advice given to her was, “Do not do this masters if your personal life isn’t stable”. During that period, Iryna leaned on her supporters and was somewhat pleased that the pandemic of 2020 meant that her courses were all online.
The switch to entrepreneurship
In February 2023, the part-time master’s degree was complete, but the journey to get there had been tough. Iryna was on the edge of a burnout. Her demanding job was not fulfilling and money was not enough. Within a large-scale company, you are replaceable. Results aren’t tangible and the work often doesn’t feel meaningful. She had the urge to see that her effort matters.
She began to take acting lessons with the Meisner Academy which, at first, began as a hobby but evolved into a real passion. In May 2023, she joined Toastmasters, an international organisation to practice public speaking and by January 2024 she was already participating in competitions.
Although she didn’t consider herself perfect, the point was not having fear.
At Toastmasters, the threshold for Dutch-speaking competitions is much lower than in English. She challenged herself to compete in Dutch (her fourth language) and won the area competition!
The acting classes had taught her how to speak while being her authentic self and to deliver concise, powerful messages. Ultimately communication is a soft skill that can be trained. Soft skills (including listening, delegating, explaining clearly) are what elevates your career. From her own experience, Iryna knew how important it was to present complex information in a credible and captivating way. There was potential to add value to others’ careers by teaching and sharing these skills.
When Iryna joined Business Nest in October 2025, she knew she’d do something with public speaking. Over the course of the programme, she has refined her business idea to a public speaking coach, otherwise known as a confidence and charisma trainer. Now, she is the founder of The Confident Voice Academy.
Within Eindhoven’s entrepreneurial scene, Kateryna Supranova (co-founder of Business Nest) is known for her commitment to helping first-time entrepreneurs. Iryna met Kateryna in October 2025 while both were guest speakers on a podcast called Unlocking Hidden Stories, founded by Upiek Riptoningrum, who is also the founder of the Uxores community for expat spouses and a data scientist at the pharmacy department of Maxima Medisch Centrum in Veldhoven. (Their episode is yet to be released.) The podcast aims to inspire, encourage and empower women by bringing real-life success stories of international women who have built their careers in the Netherlands.
When making the leap to entrepreneurship, the stakes are high. The greatest sacrifices are probably salary cuts, especially in the beginning, and the amount of “free time” you have.
Office hours fly out the window and unplugging comes with immense guilt.
How entrepreneurship changed her perspective
This is what struck Iryna: if she takes care of herself, eats well, sleeps well and exercises to maintain a healthy lifestyle, she will gain confidence in her personal life. She had to learn this the hard way. Additionally, being self employed, if she doesn’t look after both her physical and mental health, there is no employer to pay her sick leave. Put simply, no one can just take over her role. This personal empowerment, however small it may seem, and this commitment to her empowerment, will ultimately lead to greater success in her business.
She realised that throughout her life, she had never really been taught to put herself first. But as an entrepreneur, this is fundamental. Now that she’s a founder, she must act like one. As the only representative of her brand, how she presents herself is key. She is the face of the company and must build a good reputation. Her attitude to her business reflects her self worth as an individual. Most importantly, how she is perceived will affect the way that the brand is perceived.
She says that since her switch to entrepreneurship, she is more aware of her own body and its capacity. She has learnt to put boundaries and to say, “No!” when she has enough on her plate. With a trajectory of 3, 5 or 10 years in mind, her steps must be in line with the lifestyle she wishes for herself. Entrepreneurship has helped Iryna to prioritise her own needs and wishes for the future. She hopes to pass on this wisdom onto other entrepreneurs in pursuit of sustainable business success and confidence.
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Read more about first time entrepreneurs in Eindhoven here.
Read more from Zoẽ here on Dispatches.
Co-CEO of Dispatches Europe. A former military reporter, I'm a serial expat who has lived in France, Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands.
