On Fleeing Zhitomir, Russia to Becoming a Corporate Executive - A Conversation with Resilient Lena Polyakova (Episode #12)

[Correction: In our intro, we mistakenly mention Chernobyl as Lena's native town from Russia, when in fact she is from Zhitomir, Russia]From fleeing Zhitomir Russia, as a young girl to Corporate Executive, Lena’s journey is a story of grit and resilience.At the tender age of 2, during the heat of communism in Russia, Lena and her family lived behind a closet in a one-bedroom apartment issued by the government.At the age of 3, Lena and her family are forced to escape her hometown of Zhitomir because of the poisonous gases.By the time she is 7, Lena flees Russia with her parents and two sets of elderly grandparents without a dollar to their name and no worldly possessions. Escaping to the US as refugees in pursuit of a better life.This young girl goes on pushing through all obstacles, translating for her family, growing, learning, prevailing against all odds. Never giving up and pulling her family and loved ones along with her with a heart of light and gratitude.Lena is now a technology leader, a corporate executive director of the technology enablement vertical at TEKsystems, a mother of two increíble children, a wife to an amazing man, someone who uses her voice to help those around her, even when she’s tired.Lena encourages others to know that YOU are enough and nothing is impossible with a light heart, persistence, and humor. This life is meant to be lived and we are all here for a reason so let’s.Live. Do. Be.Staying sharp outside & grounded within?Live a mindfully integrated life. 2 free spaces for the spiritual solopreneur.Amplify You™ Masterclass — practical AI skills for visibility and business:Collective Consciousness Circle — pause, meditate, reconnect What's really running underneath — inside you, and inside your business?Grab the Quizzes: two free 5-minute tools for the spiritual solopreneur. One names your natural pause archetype, the inner compass you lead from. The other exposes your systems state — where friction is quietly draining you. Two lenses. One clear view of who you are and how you work.✨ The conversation doesn't stop here AI strategy. Mindfulness practice. And a lot more than fits in an episode.👉 Subscribe to the OmniMindfulness™ Newsletter