Community Highlights: Meet Liliana Petrova of The Petrova Experience

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liliana Petrova.

Hi Liliana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in Sofia Square, Bulgaria, where the overthrow of the Communist regime taught me I must adapt and take risks to grow. This mindset drove me to move to America to continue my education and pursue an impactful career.

I began my US career at a casino in Atlantic City, where working in hospitality taught me how to manage a team focused on customer service. After graduating from St. Francis College, I joined Keyspan Energy where I discovered how organizational culture and community can make or break a company.

I developed world-class project management experience and other invaluable skills at the Royal Bank of Canada. Then I took another major risk and embarked on my MBA studies at New York University.

All this brought me back to the hospitality industry in a brand new way when I joined JetBlue Airways. In my seven-and-a-half-year tenure, I learned about the company from the inside out. At JetBlue, I ran marketing strategy across the US and Latin America and designed and launched a new lobby experience at JFK that services 1M+ customers a day.

As Director of Customer Experience, I helped customers “board in a snap” with the launch of a first-of-its-kind self-boarding program using facial recognition and mapped out JetBlue’s 10+ year innovation-led business strategy.

Finally, I took my greatest risk in 2019. I launched The Petrova Experience, a boutique international consulting firm that impacts customer experience on a global scale, across industries. Our goal is to make brands all over the world better, and their customers happier.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A major, and the somewhat unexpected challenge was navigating the move from corporate to entrepreneurship.

Shifting into entrepreneurial life taught me that having grit and experience is not enough. Sometimes, it even can hurt you. Entrepreneurs and business owners are questioned more and need to resell themselves in every new encounter. This is different than corporate settings, where your title sells you before you walk into the room.

You can be successful on paper while cash poor, especially in the beginning. Be comfortable with that dissonance and unpredictability, and never stop marketing and communicating.

We’ve been impressed with The Petrova Experience, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My work focuses on four pillars of customer experience: strategy, culture, customer experience design, and experience technology.

At The Petrova Experience, we work directly with clients to challenge and support them in shifting into a customer-centric mindset that improves customer happiness, employee experience, and organizational vitality.

Our clients come from a variety of industries and geographies. Whether we are working with clients in healthcare, technology, infrastructure development, or education, our values remain the same. We believe culture starts at the top, and that consistent, supportive communication powers successful change management.

And we work hard to put the voice of the customer (not the assumptions of a brand) into experience and technology design. That means we embrace the power of data – the right data, using the right ways – and aim to strengthen relationships with customers that build loyalty and breed happiness.

Some of our clients include innovators in life sciences and healthcare, and technology companies that improve business processes and leverage AI and machine learning. We are just as comfortable working on large-scale, decades-long infrastructure and transportation projects as we are helping mid-size businesses build an organizational culture and scale up to meet changing customer needs.

In addition to our traditional consulting work, as an entrepreneur, I value my ability to provide coaching services to individuals in the early stages of their careers, as well as those embarking on career pivots and business launches.

One of the values of The Petrova Experience is empowerment. That is also a personal value of mine. And it’s why I integrate community-level work into my business. Since launching in 2019, I have had the opportunity to work with non-profit boards and provide strategic consulting services to organizations that teach financial literacy, promote education, and improve healthcare access.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Of the many lessons I have learned since launching a business in 2019, a few stand out the most. First, do not hire full-timers immediately.

On the other hand, it is absolutely worth investing in a great website right away. The decisions you make for your website help to crystalize your brand. When you see that in the world, and when you can point prospects and partners to it, you help to bring your brand vision to life. And you start to form important connections.

Another lesson is that the sales cycle is often longer than you anticipate. This is important to remember for planning, business development, and budgeting.

Finally, the most important lesson of all: A great team will get you through anything. Care for the people you work with. Recognize and appreciate their contributions. And remember, you do not have to wait until you are a large organization to recruit and retain the best people around.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://thepetrovaexperience.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepetrovaexperience/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilianapetrova