My name is Iryna Bulai, and I want to share with you my story of how I turned a simple hobby into a business. Back in the summer of 2020, when the pandemic had us all stuck at home, I was looking for something to do. One day, I was scrolling through Instagram, and a picture of these colorful, delicate macarons caught my eye. They were so pretty, and even though I had no experience, I felt this instant connection and thought, "I want to make these." My husband mentioned that macarons are really hard to master, but that just made me want to try even more.
What started as a hobby quickly became a passion. I spent months trying out different recipes, taking online classes, and practicing over and over. I had plenty of failures—cracked macarons, hollow ones, and many late nights wondering if I’d ever get it right. But with each batch, I learned something new. Finally, after a lot of trial and error, I made macarons that I was proud of. My husband encouraged me to start selling them, so I took the leap and began my business, even though I had no idea how to run one.
Things took a bigger turn in 2022 when the war in Ukraine began. Many Ukrainian women moved to Denmark, and Google teamed up with Ukrainian experts to help them start businesses. As part of this effort, I met some amazing women who were also trying to get their ideas off the ground. Through this initiative, I connected with the European-Ukrainian Hub, a network that became instrumental in my personal and professional growth.
The European-Ukrainian Hub offered many valuable courses and workshops, which were incredibly helpful. I attended sessions on managing taxes and growing a business, both of which gave me the practical knowledge I needed to handle the financial and operational sides of my business with more confidence.
Have you ever felt the fear of public speaking? Well, I did. When the Ukrainian Hub invited me to speak at events and share my story, I was terrified. I had never spoken in front of large groups before. To overcome this, I wrote out my speeches in advance and practiced them over and over, even rehearsing in front of my husband to get the nerves out. But the first few times were still nerve-wracking. What I learned, though, is that it’s okay not to be perfect the first time. Each time I spoke, I gained more confidence, and that experience made me better for the next time. The important lesson here is to just do it—you don’t have to be perfect to start, but you do need to start to get better.
Over the years, my involvement with the European-Ukrainian Hub deepened. As my business grew, I became more active in the community, even helping with their content creation. Managing my own business’s online presence had equipped me with the skills needed for this role. This allowed me to strengthen my ties with the Ukrainian community in Denmark while continuing to grow my business.
Today, I teach macaron classes from my home and sell macarons online, sharing the joy of baking with others. The path wasn’t easy—it was filled with self-doubt, countless mistakes, and a lot of late nights. But it was also filled with growth, new friendships, and the satisfaction of seeing my hard work pay off.
Looking back, I’m proud of how much I’ve grown by staying open to new opportunities and pushing through my fears. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead to the most fulfilling destinations.
