My Simple Advice to Keep you Going

I'm often asked what keeps me so positive, and always motivated in life, especially given the experiences I have been through in the past few years. Daily, I encounter people eager to learn self-discipline, good work-ethic and professionalism from my workshops and published articles. If I have learned anything from life, is that all of us experience it in different ways, and there is no one proven system that works for everyone. Our experiences shape our outlook on life, and guide our way through it. You can go through life complaining, or let gratitude guide you. I choose the latter, and it hasn't failed me yet.

There are a few words that I like to use to encourage power, growth and progress. Use these words often, to expand your worldly experience, and amplify the magnitude of your existence. Make a conscious effort to use these words daily, and you will FEEL expansion in your lungs whenever you say them out loud.





1. Gratitude
Feeling grateful for what you have at the current moment encourages more good to come in to your world. We often become desensitized, and forget that we have so much to be thankful for. It's very easy to fall into the trap set by up the media - daily, we are encouraged to buy, buy, buy unnecessary items we absolutely "need". We are told to hate our "overweight" and "hairy" bodies, change our "big" noses, increase the size of our "flat" chests, when all we really need to do is be grateful for our health, eyesight, hearing, movement, clear thinking, and all the glorious things our bodies are doing for us 24/7!

You may not be feeling your 100% best, but realizing that you have good experiences, an education, health, a roof over your head, food, clean water, family/friends, electricity, a cozy bed, and whatever else you see around you brings a sense of being GROUNDED, and that is something many of us feel we lack, at times.

2. Honor
I love this word and use it often. When you look at your worldly duties from a perspective of privilege and honor, life will become grand, and your self-esteem will reflect it. Don't look at teaching someone as a chore, be honored that someone has trusted you enough to rely on your knowledge. Don't be upset by people cutting you off in traffic or in supermarket lines - take it as your noble doing to let them go through. Being a business owner, or a manager, is a great honor, and carries the responsibility to treat others with respect and understanding. Meeting someone is an "honor", and I like to let them know that by using this exact word.

When my mother got sick, people didn't understand how I completely abandoned my own life to become her sole caregiver, but it was really my HONOR. I'm honored to bring good to people, because it is a noble purpose.

3. Purpose
This is a very important concept, and once you truly "get it", life becomes fulfilling and easy. Your life doesn't have to be a struggle to make ends meet, when you feel a strong urge to engage in a certain type of work or business, give it a go! You will always be able to make a living doing what you feel you were born to do, because your drive will fuel your progress. Something you do exceptionally well doesn't have to stay a hobby- you are always able to create a life around your passion. A person with a sense of purpose has goals, values, and is never bored - there is always something to do! Some people discover their purpose early in life, and some may come to it later, but age is never a factor here, as long as you are perpetually grateful, the years will pass without regrets.

My mother's purpose was her work in skincare, and her beloved business. She started a skincare brand with a laughable $3,000, and was able to turn it into a thriving international corporation. In 2013, mom was diagnosed with Grade 4 glioblastoma (malignant brain tumor) the size of a grapefruit. She bounced back relatively well after the first surgery, although it left her with limited movement and no feeling on the right side of the body. She was a fighter, life was FOR her. All she wanted to do was work out to get her sensation back in her right side, to get back into the office with me and the staff. I invited a physical therapist home daily, and purchased all the necessary equipment for her to use in her spare time - all day she was using Therabands, the recumbent bike, and the treadmill. That woman had a plan, she was needed at work, where she belonged.

A year and a half passed, and she became weak again. She started jumbling up words, and the MRI confirmed our fears - our cancer came back. She had another surgery, and again started to exercise. She wanted to prove everyone wrong and go to work. When the third tumor appeared six months later, it was no longer operable... I knew she would never be able to go back to reading, even walking... the doctors gave us 3 months. She lasted less than 3 weeks from that point, but when even when hospice came in to help me care for her in the last days, I never ONCE have her the idea that she was close to death. Of course, at this point she couldn't talk, eat or move,but she could hear - I know it. I sat next to her 24/7, and told her that she will be ok, and she will finally go to the office, and get work done. I told her we were getting new facial machine prototype samples, and that I was working on new serums. She was holding on to life, even without food or water for the last 5 days, because she had purpose.

If a dying person would hold on to life by a thread, because she has a sense of purpose, why can't you? It's not too late to grab on to life and try your best to live it to the fullest.

I promise, it will all make sense to you once you give it a go. I love you.

Why People Tell Me I'm The Strongest Person They Know

Hi, my name is Dasha, and many people tell me I am the strongest person they know.

It all started on April 28th, 2013 when my mother had a seizure, and was unexpectedly diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor the size of an orange.  She was given 5 weeks to live, but I managed to pull myself together and prolong her life by two and a half years. Today, I sit in her bedroom, look at her face as she sleeps, and cry. She may even know it at this point, but the doctors say we have less than 3 months left together before she leaves me for good.

This is my story:

I have lived an average life, some would say. I came to the United States as a 12 year-old kid, after spending 5 years being raised by my father's mom, in my mom's absence. Mom was busy making money in Los Angeles, and sending every penny to me in Moscow. I was her pride and joy, and even when times were tough, I was taking English lessons, tutoring, vocal coaching and piano lessons. Our family motto was always "there's always something to do".

The first few years in America were strange, because I felt so disconnected from my "new" mom. We lived in a $300 single apartment on Fairfax, just below Wilshire. Mom worked all day, and I learned how to cook all on my own. Soon our grandma joined us, and we had to vacate the single apartment, because the landlord couldn't have 3 people in such a tiny space. With all the money we had saved up, we were fortunate enough to secure a down payment of $17k on a mortgage on a condo in the Hollywood Hills. At that time, in 1999, that beautiful place was $169k, prices that today are laughable. That condo is the most beautiful, and beloved space I have ever lived in, and it was our home for 12 years.

Did I mention that I lived an average life? It was a very busy life, and some may say I grew up too quickly. I started working at the early age of 14, and at one point, I was getting my bachelor's of science in Marketing, working as a receptionist at a spa, going to beauty school for my esthetician diploma, helping my mom launch the skincare brand, and dancing in a gypsy dance troupe at night on the weekends. In fact, we took such a long time to get the business off the ground, I had to sleep in a room full of cardboard boxes filled with cosmetic jars, lids, sprayers, and bottles for the first 3 years. Those first 3 years were the toughest - we literally filled bottles and jars all night, and in the mornings,  woke up at 5am, packed the car, and drive to a beauty school to do a demo. We often drove to San Diego, Lancaster, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and anywhere else they would allow us to do a demo. Some days we made $500, and some days $80, and that covered our gas and lunch... but we were always together, and every day was special and fun.  That' how we got our start, and met our very first clients. 

The same clients are still with us today, almost 9 years later.

As I am typing this, tears roll down my eyes, because things will never go back to the way they used to be. I may never hear my mom speak to me again, and that is painful. My mom had the most beautiful voice in the world. She was a professional singer, and she has put out some incredible albums. Now music helps me... you know how? The first day we transferred her into the hospital bed, she refused to eat. She shut her teeth, and wouldn't allow me to feed her. After many failed attempts, I sat down on a chair next to her and, shaking in tears, started to sing. I sang all the Russian songs I knew, one after another, crying, but with a smile on my face...and she opened her mouth, and ate! Her head was rolling to the side, so I had to prop it up with my left hand while I spoon fed her with the right. That's how we still eat. She falls asleep sometimes while I feed her, and that scares me, so I have to quickly wake her or literally force her to spit the food out, so she doesn't choke... and it takes me a good hour to feed her like this, but it's the only way. While she eats, I tell her about my day at work, and even though it hurts, I tell her she needs to get well soon so she can come back to the office. I know it won't happen, and I'm sure she knows it as well, but she loves to be at work so much,  that I can see that thought literally breathing the life-force into her. It is a sense of purpose that makes life worth while, worth wanting to stay alive for. 

I sit like this with her, while she moans in confusion, unable to move or speak, and talk to her, sing to her, and feed her. I only stopped singing once - when I started a song we usually sang in a duet, and she realized she couldn't sing along. A tear ran down her cheek, and I understood this was painful for her, too.

Grandma is 85 now. She is frail, and using a walker after her recent fall and hip surgery. She can't be in the same room with mom, because the sight of mom being so sick is too much for her to handle. It's ok, I guess... different people cope in different ways. 

As for me, I don't have any other family - it's just me, mom, and grandma. I have promised myself to keep strong, and never give up, because for the past two and a half years I have been responsible for the lives of 3 people. In my hands lay the duties of running a corporation and providing enough business to keep my employees fed, taking care of my sick mom and elderly grandma, staying grounded, positive and healthy, looking youthful and radiant as the brand ambassador of a skincare company, and making sure I have no regrets.

Many people tell me I am the strongest person they know. Perhaps, and I'm sure life has a beautiful plan for me.

Corazon de Vida Foundation

As you know, one of the causes near and dear to my heart is the Corazon de Vida Foundation helping provide essentials for orphanages in Tijuana, Mexico. I have been very blessed to know many kindhearted people who have contributed by buying the kids new blankets, purchasing toiletries in bulk, and helping bring cheer by joining me on a trip. My stories and photos touched the hearts of the wonderful NASN's organizer, Denise, and she is helping by rallying up essential supplies from other vendors at their July 20th educational event. I am posting this to let you know that you are welcome to bring any of the supplies below to my North Hollywood office, as we will be transferring those to Tijuana after July 20th! This is just easier - to get things together at once, and arrange for a pickup to Baja.

Toilet Paper, Detergent, Bleach, Dish Soap, Mops, Brooms, Large Trash Bags, Toilet Paper, Diapers, Feminine Products, Shampoo, Hair Conditioners, Deodorant, Toothpaste, Baby Wipes, Pine Sol Type Cleaners, Toilet Paper, COSTCO GIFT CARDS

Love you all, keep in touch with any questions!

Life is Beautiful!

There is a cashier at the Hollywood Whole Foods Market that I always get in line to see - Alex. He is a tall, white-haired elderly Russian man, probably in his late sixties. This man used to work at the Sunset and Fairfax Rite Aid when I was still a teenager - this is when I first started chatting with him at the register. The other day he looked very sad when I came up. 

When I asked Alex what was wrong, he admitted that he was bored with life, and felt like he is missing out. "Have you been to Europe?" He asked me. "Sure, Europe is very refreshing and full of interesting places to explore!" "Well, I haven't. I haven't seen many things, and I can't get a long vacation. I feel like my life is terrible." "Life is beautiful, Alex! Don't ever say otherwise! You are so lucky you live in the USA, you are so lucky you are healthy! You have to be grateful you are employed, look at this beautiful store! Look at these nice people, and clean environment! Be happy!" A smile graced his face. "5 minutes with you, and everything just changed! I can't believe it, you just breathed life into me again, you're absolutely right! I'm healthy, I'm working, I can't believe it, you really changed my whole mood!"

Sometimes when people grow older, retire, get weaker, they don't feel appreciated, especially when they see bustling life around them... Please breathe life into those who need your affirmation. It will make you happy, too!