Maria Gvardeytseva: Mistakes Are More Valuable Than Victories

Maria Gvardeytseva is a mother of four, the director of the communication agency PRCI.Storytellers, and the chairwoman of the Association of Communication Consulting Companies (AKKK). She is also an invited speaker at business events and the author of the Instagram blog @family.feast, which focuses on organizing family celebrations and has nearly 20,000 followers.

Background and Career

Maria’s adequate ambitions and strong energy are her personal formula for success and high efficiency. She has always aimed to enjoy her work and align it with her inner values. Her career took off rapidly, and by the age of 21, she had already established her own PR agency.

Maria knows how to fill life with a special mood, unite the family, and bring genuine joy. Inspired by the bestsellers of Martha Stewart and Tori Spelling, she enjoys organizing grand parties for her loved ones and is preparing to publish a book on family celebrations. Her family has lived in Belarus, the USA, Ukraine, Latvia, and currently resides in Malta.

Education and Early Career

Maria graduated from the journalism faculty of Belarusian State University, specializing in information and communication. She has been working in PR and communication consulting for nearly 19 years. She helps brands and companies build reputations, handle crisis management, and implement social projects.

Her high school years were intense, and university life felt slower in comparison. She began working in her second year, participating in competitions and winning awards. She received a UNHCR prize for the best media coverage of refugee issues and a year-long UN scholarship for her scientific research.

Maria loved working. At 19, she started as a journalist at the republican newspaper “Family” and became the editor of a department within two months. Her career progressed rapidly, and after a year and a half, she moved into PR. She worked as a press secretary at the National Center for Marketing and Price Conjunctures and later became the head of the PR department at “Belkhard Group.” After two years, she felt ready to start her own business. At 21, she co-founded the PR agency “Priority Solutions.”

Lessons and Mistakes

Maria acknowledges making many mistakes, especially with her first project for a bank, which failed. However, she persisted and succeeded with the second project, leading to a series of successful and large-scale projects. She believes that energy and enthusiasm are crucial in business.

Reflecting on her journey, Maria admits that she might have rushed into opening her agency. She values mistakes as opportunities to pause, reflect, and understand what went wrong, ultimately leading to greater achievements. She notes that society often fears mistakes and focuses solely on success, which can hinder personal growth.

Influences and Personal Life

Maria’s parents significantly influenced her life. She feels the strength of her lineage, which gives her energy and a sense of power. Her internal freedom and creativity come from her parents. Her mother, despite having a technical education, was passionate about poetry and literature, fostering Maria’s love for reading from a young age.

Maria’s family moved to the Shabany district when she was seven, which was a cultural shock after living in a refined area and attending an English gymnasium. She preferred spending time in the library, becoming a bookworm. Her history teacher recommended the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum named after Y. Kolas, where she studied from the 7th grade until graduation. The lyceum encouraged freedom of thought, ideas, and self-expression, shaping her personality.

Family and Career Balance

Maria married at 19 and continued to grow and develop as a person alongside her husband. She never had to choose between family and career, as having children and a family was never an obstacle to self-development and self-realization. She respects personal boundaries and believes in creating the world as one desires.

Maria and her family emigrated to the USA when she had two sons and was pregnant with her daughter Lisa. She took a break from work, enjoying her role as a homemaker. She believes in prioritizing different aspects of life at different times, such as focusing on children when they are young. She later earned a diploma from the University of Denver, completing a master’s degree in New Media and Internet Marketing.

PRCI.Storytellers

After returning to Belarus in 2013, Maria founded a new agency, PRCI.Storytellers. The agency’s team has evolved over time, with a focus on nurturing young talent. Students often join the agency for internships, and many stay on as employees.