Founder of “Change is Possible” Community & Accelerator where corporate professionals build influential brands & portfolio careers I Change Advisor to Leaders I Ex-Citi COO I Follow for modern leadership, career & change

Over the past 25 years, I have built a successful international banking career.
Most recently, I was the Regional COO for Citibank’s $2Bn business across 16 countries in Asia - leading large-scale transformations in digitisation and culture.

But in 2021, I walked away from my high-paying executive role.

Why?

Because I wanted more space.
More time with family.
More alignment between who I am and how I work.

But I didn’t want to start from scratch.
So I asked myself a question:
What if I could build a career around everything I already know - and love?

That’s how my portfolio career began.
And it changed everything.

Now, I help other professionals do the same.

What I’ve built since 2021:
→ A 6-figure portfolio business with 3 income streams
→ Founder of Change is Possible - a business community for professionals redesigning their next chapter
→ 100K+ LinkedIn followers (grew from 17K in under a year)
→ Coached 100+ professionals through successful career transitions
→ Host of a Top 20 global podcast on career change, Change is Possible
→ TEDx speaker, Forbes columnist, and Bloomberg TV guest

Want to build your own portfolio career?
🚀 THE PORTFOLIO CAREER ACCELERATOR (Launching January 2026) 
Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1thkmph_EwRxLGfuL9muCsRir1uKDdF2nXYeI7X_1oSA/edit

This is an 8-week program designed to help you:
→ Turn your expertise into income
→ Build a personal brand that opens doors
→ Create your first income stream - even before you leave your job

Only 20 spots. 12 already claimed.

Other ways we can work together:
✔️ Join my business community — Change is Possible https://changeispossible.co.uk/ - doors open for new members on Sept.10, 2025
✔️ Book me to speak — I deliver keynotes on leadership, change, career reinvention, and the future of work - send a DM.
✔️ Hire me as an advisor — I support companies navigating complex transformation - send a DM to meet and explore.
✔️ Book 1:1 coaching — For senior execs ready to design their next chapter - send a DM.
✔️ Book my LinkedIn Growth Bundle — A 2-session intensive where I teach you the exact system I used to grow to 100K+ followers. Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bLp7wmK8xhIpfFu8beImvD5JZQHYsbraTBx5Orjx0zs/edit

P.S. Still wondering if change is really possible?
🎧 Tune in to my podcast Change is Possible — where 100+ professionals share how they redesigned their careers and lives. Watch here - https://www.youtube.com/@ChangeIsPossiblePodcast

Ani Filipova

The first time someone told me the truth about my leadership, I wanted to fire them.

I did not, obviously.
But I wanted to.
"Who are they to tell me...." 🤯 

Most leaders say they want honesty.
Then someone actually gives it.
And they get defensive.

Start explaining why that person is wrong.
Or worse - they punish honesty.
Withdraw.
Get cold.
"Manage out" the truth-teller.

Do it enough times and people learn.
They stop telling you the truth.
They tell you what you want to hear.

Look around.
Scandals at every level.
Boards blindsided.
Leaders shocked by what "nobody told them."

Nobody told them because they made it unsafe to speak.

The first time someone tells you a hard truth, you will want to fight it.
Your ego will scream.
You will feel attacked.
Misunderstood.
Betrayed.

This is normal.
This is human.
This does not make you a bad leader.

Leadership is not being okay with hard feedback.
Leadership is what you do in the 10 seconds after hearing it.

How to train yourself to receive truth better:

→ Leadership is not being okay with hard feedback.
→ Leadership is what you do in the 10 seconds after hearing something that makes you want to defend yourself.
→ It is saying "tell me more" when every cell in your body wants to say "you are wrong."
→ It is thanking someone for their honesty even when their delivery was clumsy and it stung.
→ It is sleeping on feedback that feels unfair. Then waking up and finding that some of it is true and deciding to take it on.

You do not have to be perfect at this.
You just have to be 5% better than last month.

The more truth people tell you, the less scary it becomes.
Not because feedback gets easier.
But because you prove to yourself that honesty does not destroy you.

It builds you.

Follow me, Ani Filipova, for more on leadership and building a career on your terms.
♻️ Repost if a leader in your network needs to hear this.

-----
📌 Check my free webinars this month:
Future of work: https://lnkd.in/gT5S8Sbs
Portfolio career: https://lnkd.in/gf-ifWqj

Some people did everything right and still didn’t make it.

I think about them a lot.

They made smart decisions.
Built the right skills.
Were genuinely good at what they did.

And the break never came.

Meanwhile, I know people (myself included) who caught a moment of luck so precise, so accidental, that if you shifted timing by six months, or moved geography by one country, the whole story collapses.

Here are two of mine:

1) A colleague in London mentioned, almost in passing, that there was a COO role available. I applied. I got it. That one conversation shaped the next chapter of my career.

2) Years later, I got invited to an event where entrepreneurs pitched to magazine editors. I saw what people were building. The energy in the room. The possibilities. That night is a direct line to me leaving my job.

Neither moment was “earned”.
Both changed everything.

And I know plenty of successful people have these moments too, but they rarely mention them because it complicates their success story.

We are sooo binary:

- Success is merit: work hard, decide well, win.
- Success is luck: hard work doesn't matter anyway.

The real version sits in the middle.

Decisions create the conditions.
Luck pulls the trigger.

Sometimes luck pulls the trigger for someone who didn’t deserve it.
Sometimes it never shows up for someone who did.

If you are navigating this, here is what I know:

1️⃣  Your decisions still matter a great deal.
They don’t guarantee the outcome.
But they are how you stack the odds in your favour.

2️⃣  Luck is real.
You don’t get to choose when it shows up. Acknowledging it keeps you hungry without making you bitter, and grateful without making you passive.

3️⃣  Make peace with the unfairness.
This is the hardest part.
Sometimes you do everything right and still don’t make it. The only move left is to accept and move on

The truth is: most success stories are part skill, part luck, and a lot of editing.

---
You can’t control luck, but you can control your odds.
That’s what we build inside the Portfolio Career Accelerator. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gpEqqqFs

or DM me

I used to think I handled feedback well.

Then I watched myself get defensive almost immediately.

I nodded. Said, “Thank you for sharing.”

Then spent the next three days arguing with it in my head.
And thinking, “Who does he think he is?”

Here is what most people get wrong about criticism:

They do not hear, “Here is how to improve.”
They hear, “You are not as good as you thought.”

That is why people:

▶️ Get defensive.
▶️ Justify themselves.
▶️ Go quiet.
▶️ Blame the delivery.

It feels like a threat.

The top 1% leaders do not hear feedback and think, “That is unfair.”

They think, “What is useful here?”

That shift changes everything.

Here is what that looks like:

▶️ Pause.
▶️ Let them finish.
▶️ Write it down.
▶️ Ask for an example.

Then leave the room and decide what is signal and what is noise.

Not all feedback is right.
But almost all feedback reveals something.

If you want to grow fast:

Stop protecting your ego.
Start mining for signal.

Feedback is uncomfortable.
But staying the same is worse.

Follow me, Ani Filipova, for leadership truths most people avoid.
♻️ Repost if someone in your network needs to hear this.

How to learn so fast it feels unfair.

Here is why this matters now more than ever:

- The half-life of skills is shrinking.
- What you learned 5 years ago may already be outdated.
- AI is changing industries faster than most people can adapt.

Learning how to learn is no longer a nice-to-have.
It is the skill that makes all other skills possible.

Leaving corporate was one of the biggest learning curve of my life.

- Suddenly, no team.
- No structure.
- No playbook.

If I did not learn fast, I did not earn.

So I devoured information.
And still felt behind.
Because volume is not the same as mastery.

When I interviewed Dr. Justin Sung on my podcast, he explained why.
The best learners do 3 things differently:

1️⃣ They pause.
Your brain needs time to organise what it just received.

2️⃣ They synthesise.
They teach it, apply it, turn it into something useful.
This is where real understanding happens.
And where you discover what you actually do not know yet.

3️⃣ They compare.
They connect new ideas to what they already know.
This anchors new knowledge into your existing mental frameworks.
It makes learning stick.

🎥 Watch the full podcast episode with Dr.Sung here: https://lnkd.in/g32j73jq

♻️ Repost if someone in your network needs to learn faster.

I built my first income stream with a Calendly link and 5,000 followers.

My only regret? Waiting until I left my COO job to start.

While you are at your job, you have the credibility.
You do not need the testimonials.
You have the big title as a crown, and you are sought after.

Who would not choose to be coached by a COO?

But I convinced myself I needed to leave first.
I thought it would look strange.

So I waited.
I left.
And then I started from almost zero.

It still worked.
But it took longer than it needed to.

Because once you no longer have the crown to vouch for you, you need something else - you need proof that you are doing a good job.

So, I started.

Just one offer: I will help you prepare for interviews or figure out your next career move.
No website.
No marketing funnel.

At that time I was posting three times a week on LinkedIn.
I remember refreshing my inbox constantly to see if I had new bookings.

One person booked.
Then another.
Then people started sending me messages saying, “That session changed everything.”

Those messages became my proof.

The testimonials replaced the title.

Imagine having the title AND the testimonials - you will have a much better start in your portfolio career.

You do not need a business plan to start.
You do not need a big audience.
You do not need to quit your job first.

You need one skill.
One person willing to pay for it.
One session.

That is how it starts.

Most people already know what that skill is.
They just haven’t treated it like an offer yet.

I walk through the exact steps to build a portfolio career - including how to start while still employed - inside the Portfolio Career Accelerator. Cohort 1 is underway, and Cohort 2 is starting on April 27, 2026

Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gpEqqqFs

Career Strategist I Change advisor for Leaders | I help successful professionals build freedom, income & impact through portfolio careers | Speaker I Ex-Citi COO | Follow for modern leadership, career and change

I have appeared on Bloomberg from a desk that looks like a crime scene.

Papers everywhere.
Cables tangled.
Notes scribbled on random sheets.
Three pairs of spectacles because I can never find the right ones.

Chaos.

Or so it looks.

Here is the secret: I know exactly where everything is.

That mess is my system.
It works for me.
It has always worked for me.

From this desk I have recorded over 100 podcast interviews.
Run webinars.
Taught in my community and accelerator.
Coached clients.
Appeared on Bloomberg.
Delivered keynotes.

No fancy studio.
Amazing sophisticated office.
Just me, a microphone, and a desk that looks like a crime scene.

We spend so much energy to look "professional."
The clean background.
The perfect setup.
The polished image.

Meanwhile, the real work, the “magic” happens elsewhere.

You do not need a fancy studio to be taken seriously.
You do not need a minimalist setup to be credible.
You do not need to hide your chaos to be professional.

What you need is a system that works for you.
Even if nobody else understands it.

Most people are optimising how they look.
Very few are optimising how they work.

♻️ Repost if your workspace would never make it on camera.
Follow me Ani Filipova for leadership and career stories without the performance layer.
------

📌 Check my free webinars this month:
Future of work: https://lnkd.in/gT5S8Sbs
Portfolio career: https://lnkd.in/gf-ifWqj

LinkedIn Ghostwriter for Founders & Entrepreneurs | I'll help you to save your 5+ hrs/day of writing content that gets 10 impressions | DM me "GHOST" to get started now!

You've spent 4 hours on LinkedIn.

You missed the train to work.

You missed breakfast with your partner.

The last time you walked your child to school was many months ago.

You have a to-do list the size of Mount Everest.

And you also missed the meeting this morning.

Why? Because you were trying to write that damn LinkedIn post.

So you press "post" in hopes it will generate leads for your business.

The result?

Only your best friend and colleague liked the post.

Now imagine if you could:

- Get 4 inbound leads in your inbox predictably
- Grow your business through content
- All while spending valuable time with your partner + family

How much better would your life + business be?

Hi, I'm Shivangi a content strategist.

I've driven 100s of leads for Founders & Agency owners on LinkedIn.

If you want to take a step back and enjoy yourself.

While I take care of your LinkedIn stuff.

DM me "GHOST" and let's chat.

Shivangi Kumari

You know how hard it is to sound professional on Zoom when temple bhajans are playing outside your window

Coming from a small village in Bihar, India

I never dreamt of:

- Catering clients from 25+ countries
- Earning in $$$ and spending in INR [₹]
- Working with different languages, races, services, and mindsets 

Instead, I *always* dreamt of becoming an IAS officer and serving my nation.

I always fell into the bracket of those “nerds” who studied and talked about books and events (honestly, I was disgusting back then..)

But the online world not only opened up opportunities for me but also opened my mind that I can do something outside of this place.

I mean, I haven’t met a single person in a range of 100km from my home who is building an online business. 

As it’s not at all easy.

People love safety, security, and status from society so much  that they’ll die but won’t try something that is conventionally “risky.”

But I never let my ears even hear their whispers of negativity, and hence I feel that ignoring has somehow made me resilient and loyal to my own thoughts.

That’s why you don’t need another fancy location to be called a “hustler.”

Sometimes, all you need is a stable internet and a low-end PC.

And, you’re all set to rock from a “bullock cart” lol 😂

So, what’s your Behind The Setup story? 👀

I help early stage start-up founders build on LinkedIn | LinkedIn Content Strategist & Ghostwriter | DM me “GHOST” to know more about it 👆

Here's how I saved my writing business by NOT being a "WRITER."

After I saw a reckless decline in my writing Gigs, 

I pivoted to content strategy, lead generation, and full-growth management.

And then, instead of getting fired by my clients, 

Because of "THE CHATGPT"

I started getting more referrals, more work, and retainer projects.

As I started my writing journey in 2022, yes, the same year when ChatGPT was launched.

I was damn sure that this would come, so I made up my mind already for this.

Now?

My clients don't just hire me for writing (it's just a small part, tho now)

They hire me for:

- editing their content
- creating their content strategy
- starting their conversations and DMs
- choosing the best graphic format for VIRALITY
- creating a system for LinkedIn and other social media platforms

Because, if I didn't, my client won't be saying this today...coz he knows what I bring to the table, when AI is eating writers without even roasting lol :)

P.S. How do you save your business?

Content Creation, Outreach, Sales, all of them are a number game...

You can't think of going Viral if you don't post 10 different formats

You can't think of getting 1 response if you're not sending at least 10 DMs

You can't think of closing 1 deal if you're not up for at least 10+ sales calls

Because it's not how well you're playing it, it's about:

- how you're getting better each day
- how you're showing when things are not in favour
- how you're putting in the reps when every door closes

So, don't play if you're not ready to take atleast 0.1% of the shots.

Peace 🤞

In 2023, I wasn’t able to prove my authority in a Sales Call, that’s why charging even $100/month was a BIG thing for me…

Imagine you’re starting out with:

- No niche knowledge
- Knowing nothing about business
- Knowing nothing about how to build your authority

Because all you’ve done is:

“Build your own personal brand, and nothing else.”

 So, I wasn’t able to prove my competence on this, and tell prospects that:

“Please let me handle your account, and I’ll get you leads and authority.”

And, to your surprise, there was hardly any content available on YouTube regarding ghostwriting.

So I gained experience by working in multiple niches, then things changed completely for me:

1) 1 client’s post crossed 2K+ impressions
2) Another client got 2 leads on the same day with my strategy
3) Another client was happy because I wrote exactly as his tone

Gaining experience does not always mean a full-time job. 

You can build it in other ways as well.

And, I kept sharing what I learned and did for my clients along the way, and hence things changed for me.

P.S. So, when was the last time you felt you’re not qualified enough for this? 👀

The reason LinkedIn is full of bots talking to bots

People don't support other's:

- small wins
- paying off debts
- cracking a deal worth $5

All people here do is:

- like a motivational quote 
- "agree" with anyone 
- acting BIG

P.S. What do you think about community engagement on LinkedIn, lol?

LinkedIn is not designed for normal people; you'll get a heart attack after reading success stories here...

One day you'll feel so good, so fun...

Another day?

You'll feel you're stuck in a mental asylum where everyone is the same on a mental level, but with different faces.

The only thing that can help you survive on LinkedIn, whether you run a business or are looking for a job, is; 

"Getting good with DMs."

- DMs will land you interviews
- DMs will show you rejections
- DMs will give you deals and eventually clients
- DMs will introduce you to the ultra-rich people, not just in terms of money but also mind.

So, when you're approaching with DM, don't forget to add a first point of contact; it can be a comment before DMing someone.

Try doing this, and let me know how many responses you're getting with it.

As I got referred by a Billionaire last year, just because I commented genuinely on his posts.

Hope it helps :)

Most founders don’t know this.

You can have 300,000 followers on LinkedIn.

But you can only have 30,000 connections.

One of my startup-founder clients learned this the hard way.

When she started posting consistently:

- Her content gained traction
- Her profile started growing fast
- 1000s of connection requests came in

So she did what most people do: she accepted everyone.

Every request. Every profile. Every “looks relevant.”

When I reviewed her account, something felt off.

Her connections and followers were almost equal.

That’s usually a signal.

On LinkedIn, followers can grow easily, but connections can only be limited to 30K.

Here’s what most founders miss:

Connections are not validation; they are limited real estate.

Every irrelevant connection:

Reduces feed quality
Weakens algorithm signals
Weakens your network positioning

So I told her one simple rule: "To connect intentionally."

Let everyone else follow.

She started removing irrelevant connections and became selective about who entered her 30,000-seat room :)

So, the result?

- Cleaner feed.
- Stronger engagement.
- Better inbound conversations.

Authority on LinkedIn isn’t about collecting people. It’s about iterating proximity.

If you’re building a serious brand here, treat connections like equity or stock, and pick wisely.

So, if you’re looking for someone to help you with LinkedIn growth for your profile, let’s talk. 

DM me ‘GHOST’.

your that toxic client checking your LinkedIn, be like:

POV: That guy with his pitch on my client's profiles 

"If I can get you an extra 20 calls per week, could you handle that kind of volume?"

*When my client is an Employee and isn't in the mood to start his business*

Me:🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

taplio

The Battle

Ani Filipova

Shivangi Kumari

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAni Filipova's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreShivangi Kumari's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Ani Filipova

Shivangi Kumari

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ani Filipova's LinkedIn Performance

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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAni Filipova's LinkedIn Performance