English Club - Speak to Lead

🍂 ComfyLearning Fall 2026 Schedule Is Here!

Hello, Facebook friends! 💙

I’m happy to share the schedule for all our Fall 2026 English groups at ComfyLearning!

📅 We start September 7 and finish December 18 — just in time for Christmas! 🎄

Depending on the program you choose, you’ll meet with me or one of our ComfyLearning teachers once or twice a week, live online via Zoom.

We still have a few spots available, so have a look at the schedule and see what could work for you!

Not sure about your level? Every journey at ComfyLearning starts with a short evaluation call with me. We’ll chat in English, I’ll assess your current level and needs, and I’ll recommend the group or program that would be the best fit for you.

📞 Call or message Elena to book your evaluation.
And yes, you can contact me on weekends too. 😊

Come learn with us this fall — and let’s make English a bigger part of your life, your work, and your confidence. 💙🌿

See you in September!

I have a confession to make: I’m looking for a 9-to-5 job.

I love my school dearly, and I’m extremely proud of what I built during this first year. I worked with around 65 adults, met some amazing people, and even made a few beautiful friendships along the way.

ComfyLearning and Speak to Lead are staying. 💛

At the same time, when I look realistically at my family’s needs, I know that right now I need to do the practical thing and find a full-time job.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, I worked for many years in instructional design and Learning & Development. In simple terms, I help organizations figure out what people need to learn and then design training and learning experiences to help them do their jobs better.

So I’m putting this out into my little Facebook universe:

❤️If the company you work for is looking for an Instructional Designer, Learning & Development Specialist, or someone who can help with workplace learning and performance, please think of me.❤️

I’m open to a full-time position, and I’m also happy to consider contract work.

And meanwhile, I’ll continue teaching at ComfyLearning (alongside two awesome fellow teachers) on a smaller scale because I’m not ready to give up something I love so much.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this very interesting entrepreneurial year. And if you know someone I should talk to, I’d be very grateful for an introduction.

🙏 I’m hoping this fall brings each of us exactly what we need to continue building our lives beautifully, intelligently, with heart and care — but also with a clear understanding of what we need right now.

10 Lessons I Learned in My First Year of Entrepreneurship

Over the past 13 months, I've probably worked around 50 hours a week. I've made mistakes, celebrated small wins, questioned myself, grown, and learned more than I ever expected. Here are ten lessons I'm taking with me from year one.

1. Learn to hold space for uncertainty.
Entrepreneurship rarely gives you all the answers. You learn to move forward anyway.

2. Read your energy, not just your calendar.
Some days are for creating. Others are for thinking, connecting, or resting. Knowing the difference matters.

3. Self-care isn't a luxury. It's part of the job.
You are your business's greatest asset. Protecting your energy is protecting your business.

4. Community changes everything.
I've learned that community isn't just about networking. It's about learning together, supporting one another, and helping each other become the best version of ourselves.

5. Not everyone will celebrate your growth.
Some relationships naturally come to an end when your life changes. That's difficult—but it's also part of growing.

6. Curiosity is a competitive advantage.
The moment you think you know enough is the moment you stop evolving.

7. Communication is one of the most valuable professional skills.
Ideas only create impact when they're understood and shared.

8. Resilience is built one difficult day at a time.
You don't become resilient by avoiding challenges. You become resilient by working through them.

9. Discernment matters just as much as hard work.
Not every opportunity deserves a "yes." Learning what to say no to has been just as important as saying yes.

10. Long-term vision makes today's challenges easier to carry.
When you know why you're building something, temporary setbacks become part of the journey—not the end of it.

______________

If you're an entrepreneur, what's one lesson your business has taught you that no book ever could?

Photo credit: Tatiana Prijilevsky

Today marks a full school year for ComfyLearning: June 2025- July 2026!

As I look back on this first year, I feel grateful, humbled, and honestly a little amazed by everything that happened.

It all started with a leadership workshop for women in March 2025. About 25 women gathered to talk about self-leadership, confidence, and personal growth. That day planted a seed. Marina, thank you for that invitation!

A few months later, I created Speak to Lead, a program that combined three things I care deeply about: English, self-leadership, and meaningful conversations among women.

Within two weeks, 12 women enrolled. Vio, Natalia and Aurelia, thank you for your amazing support THROUGHOUT this whole year!

Since then, ComfyLearning has grown into a community of women learning English, building confidence, and finding their voice.

During this first year, I:

✨ Taught 65 adult learners across multiple cohorts
✨ Built and facilitated Speak to Lead and Business English programs
✨ Ran English classes from Level 1 to Level 4
✨ Hosted three journaling workshops Elena MG and Lilia, thank you for your support there!
✨ Launched a Brené Brown book club and explored The Gift of Imperfection and Daring Greatly together with my amazing girl Kathryn and all the other ladies who have joined us!
✨ Organized an Open Doors celebration for students and graduates, thank you Ala for your support and Cristina for your advising
✨ Spoke at networking events and women's communities, and here I have to thank the wonderful Meryem, Nika and from .
✨ Wrote three books:
• 20 Life Lessons from 20 Years in Quebec
• Inner Home
• How Moldovan Women Heal (coming soon)

Most importantly, I witnessed women do things they didn't think they could do. I watched them speak English when they were afraid.
Apply for jobs.
Lead meetings.
Set boundaries.
Trust themselves more.
Take up space.

And somewhere along the way, I changed too.

This year taught me that personal growth is beautiful, messy, lonely, courageous, and absolutely worth it.

At 46, I discovered that life really can begin again.

Thank you to every student, every workshop participant, every book club member, every friend, and every woman who trusted me to be part of her journey. Lilia, thank you for your kindness and support!

Year One was never just about building a business.

It was about building a community, finding my purpose, and creating a place where women can find their voice—in English, in leadership, and in life.

Here's to Year Two. ❤️

My July 2026 has been marked by people. 💛

Honestly, these are all people I love, and I’m so happy we had the chance to catch up, hug each other, and enjoy a coffee or dinner together.

I think it’s so important for us to go back to spending time together in person. We do so much of our work online, and yes, it’s convenient. But I don’t think we should let that replace real conversations, shared meals, and genuine human connection.

Looking back, I realize that over the past three weeks I’ve seen so many friends, and my heart is full.

I’m an open-minded and curious person, and I truly believe I’ve learned something from every single one of you. Every conversation gave me a new perspective, a new idea, or simply reminded me of what really matters.

Thank you, my friends, for being part of my life. I feel incredibly grateful.

Now, August… I’m ready for you. I hope you’ll be just as full of beautiful people, meaningful conversations, and little moments that make life so rich. 🤍

This is the best piece of information I have seen on boundaries.

What are boundaries?

Boundaries are the limits that define what you are responsible for and what you are not.

They're not walls that keep people out. They're more like the fence around a garden. A healthy fence doesn't stop people from visiting—it simply protects what is growing inside.

At their core, boundaries answer questions like:

What am I willing to do?
What am I not willing to do?
What behavior will I accept?
What behavior won't I accept?
Where do I end, and where do you begin?

Here is a simple formula - Notice the difference.

❌ Not a boundary:

"You have to stop yelling."

✅ A boundary:

"If you continue yelling, I'm going to end this conversation."

You cannot control another person's behaviour.
You can control your response.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JHazK4aBn/

Codependency convinces you that caring about someone means making their feelings your responsibility and erasing your own needs to avoid conflict. That's not love, that's losing yourself.

You can care deeply about your partner's struggles without taking on the burden of fixing them. You can have empathy for their distress without making it your emergency to solve. You can protect yourself and set boundaries without it meaning the relationship is over.

Healthy boundaries aren't about being selfish or uncaring. They're about recognizing that you can't pour from an empty cup and that real partnership requires two whole people, not one person sacrificing themselves to keep the other comfortable.

And here's the thing codependency doesn't want you to know: temporary tension from expressing honest needs is always better than the permanent resentment that builds when you constantly erase yourself to keep the peace.