Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Victoria Livshitz

At the age of 18, I was a carefree freshman at the University in Vilnius, Lithuania, like millions of others – studying, partying and playing chess, my sport of choice. 2 years later, at the age of 20, I was married, with 3-months old baby and $500 bucks in a pocket, landing in the city of Cleveland, USA on a one-way ticket from Moscow, in search of more opportunities and better live.

Everything that happened in those two years– meeting a guy during a spring break, falling in love, getting married, deciding to follow my husband to America and discovering that we are going to have a baby – happened quickly and unexpectedly. The familiar from the childhood recipe for life – University, graduate school, academic career, then family  – got overwritten by the series of unanticipated events. Life can be that way.

My 20s were about settling down in the new country and building a family nest: finishing a college degree, getting a job at Ford in Detroit, expanding the family to 3 children.  The family was the uncontested #1 priority in life of a working mom, which revolved around the babysitters, afterschool activities and home chores.

I often dreamed about starting a technology company in my 20s, yet while kids were little it wasn’t possible, emotionally or financially. Eventually, they grew out of diapers and as I turned 35 the time has come to make my own professional interests a priority. So, I started my first high-tech company, Grid Dynamics. Then, I went on to also start Qubell.

What I wish I knew in my 20^th?

• Life is long and full of opportunities. I was often worried that having family early has ruined my chances to make something out of my own life. I should have been more confident about the future and enjoyed the family time more, without a pressure to hurry up and succeed in the professional field sooner.

• Balancing family, career and personal dreams is hard for everyone, at any age. There are no right or wrong answers. Pursue your own path, on your own terms – don’t be limited by the socially acceptable patterns or apologize for being authentic in your choices.

• The best things in life cannot be predicted, planned and computed. They happened when you least expect it.  Don’t be afraid to take the opportunity  – to fall in love, have a child, start a company… Have no regrets about your choices and make the most with what you’ve got, one moment at a time.