On April 9, at the Roden Estate (Moscow Union of Artists), Nina Sinitsyna, co-founder of Friendly Regatta, shared how her passion and love for yachting launched a business project of her own—and how a dream and a love for the sea grew into a lifelong profession.
The event was held as part of the “People Beyond Professions” initiative. It turned out to be a candid conversation about our passion and about Friendly Regatta from its very inception: from the initial spark of an idea to its full execution, from earning that first certificate to building a school for captain graduates, including all the mistakes and challenges faced along the way.
Nina’s Story:
“Before taking the decisive step, I reached my absolute rock bottom—total emotional and physical exhaustion. During that period of my life, there were no vibrant colors, only relentless gray. I dressed exclusively in black and gray, the sky felt perpetually gray, and looking back at me from the mirror was my own faded, sallow face.
It wasn’t about external circumstances—those were no different than before. The hardest part was facing an honest test with myself. It was painful to admit that after a 15-year successful career sprint, I no longer wanted my executive position—or any position in any other company. It was painful to admit that I wasn’t being the mother to my children that I wanted to be.
Once I passed that stage of acceptance, an immense weight was lifted. I am a person of action; movement is where I feel comfortable and alive. I realized what I had to do, what needed to change, and where to go! I am grateful to my fears—they made me stronger. A person is capable of anything—even repainting their world!”
About the Event:
YouTube Video: PEOPLE BEYOND PROFESSIONS. Nina Sinitsyna (April 5, 2018)
“People Beyond Professions” is a project aimed at inspiring people to pursue what they love—first and foremost for their own happiness—providing actionable guidance on how to get started and delivering the necessary spark for change.
Project Motto: “People beyond professions—driven by love for what they do!”
