The Fearless Path: How Ditching Plan B Creates Your Plan A

What if the secret to making bold, life-changing decisions wasn’t about having a safety net, but removing it entirely?

In this energizing episode of Be The Ripple Podcast, Sabine sits down with Tatyana Staneva, an entrepreneur and business strategist whose career is a masterclass in fearless execution. Tatyana shares her powerful and unconventional approach to decision-making: instead of asking “What if I don’t?”, she convinces herself that the path she chooses is the only one that exists.

Join us for a conversation about creating unstoppable momentum, the profound impact of leaders who champion you, and how a career path that looks less like a ladder and more like a “lateral flow” can lead to the most rewarding destinations.

Beyond the Ladder: The Power of No Plan B:

When we face a major crossroads in our lives or careers, it’s natural to ask, “What if I don’t do this?” We weigh the risks and imagine the consequences of inaction. But what if we reframed the question entirely?

My guest on this episode, Tatyana Staneva, does exactly that. Tatyana, whose story of determination is featured in my book Beyond the Ladder, has a unique philosophy: she makes her chosen path the only alternative.

What unfolded was a conversation brimming with energy and insight into how commitment, courage, and a little bit of self-described “recklessness” can forge an extraordinary career.

Here are some of the key insights we explored:

A Shared Foundation, Different Paths: Tatyana’s career has been anything but a straight line. From investment banking in New York to consulting in Germany, and from leading digital health initiatives in major pharmaceutical companies to founding her own strategy firm, Clarity for Action, her path has been guided by one principle: learning.

She calls it a “lateral flow,” a journey defined by curiosity rather than a climb. This mindset is rooted in her powerful approach to decision-making. When deciding to move to the US for college or pivot into a new industry, she created “tunnel vision.” As she puts it, “I sort of framed my brain in the… this is the only thing, there is nothing else.” By mentally removing the backup plan, she forces herself to succeed, channeling all her focus into a single outcome.

The Power of Seeing Potential. A central theme of our conversation was the incredible gratitude Tatyana feels for the leaders who shaped her journey. She lovingly refers to an “army of people” who hired her at pivotal moments—not for the experience she had, but for the potential they saw in her.

She named them one by one, from her first roles in banking to her last corporate positions, acknowledging that these managers, mostly men, invested in her, coached her, and gave her the freedom to learn and even fail. It’s a powerful reminder that one of the greatest ripples a leader can create is to see something in someone and give them a chance to prove it. As Tatyana said, “I just want to say thank you for investing in me, really, to all of them.”

Legacy as a Daily Act of Clarity. We ended our conversation by talking about legacy, not as a future monument, but as a present-day action. For Tatyana, her legacy is intrinsically linked to her unique gift: creating clarity. Through her company, she helps entrepreneurs and leaders untangle the complexities of their vision and find a clear path to execution.

She wants to be remembered as the person who “helped me get the clarity I needed to execute on my vision.” This mission was born from her own need for clarity and her brain’s innate ability to connect dots and find patterns. It’s a beautiful example of turning your personal superpower into your professional purpose and legacy.

This episode is a powerful call to action: to commit to your decisions, to thank the people who have been a ripple in your life, and to build a legacy that is authentically yours.

The Story Behind the Episode

Tatyana Staneva is one of the inspiring leaders featured in Sabine’s book, Beyond the Ladder. Her story of navigating multiple industries from finance and consulting to pharma and now entrepreneurship is a powerful example of curiosity-driven growth. This podcast episode looks into the mindset that fuels her journey, exploring the courage it takes to commit fully to a decision and the gratitude she holds for the people who created ripples of opportunity in her life.

Key Takeaways:

• A Career as a “Lateral Flow”: Tatyana’s journey shows that the most impactful careers are often built on learning and exploration, not a linear climb.

• An Army of Ripples: A heartfelt look at the leaders who saw Tatyana’s potential and invested in her, proving that sponsorship can change the trajectory of a career.

• Legacy in Action: Learn how Tatyana is building her legacy every day by helping others find “clarity for action” and turn their own visions into reality.

• The “No Alternative” Mindset: Discover how framing a decision as the only option can eliminate doubt and focus all your energy on success.

Watch or Listen:

YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcast

Shortened Transcript Highlights

• 02:48 – Tatyana’s reframe of the “What if I don’t?” question.
• 03:55 – The power of having no alternative when applying to US colleges.
• 08:20 – Creating “tunnel vision” to make the move to London happen.
• 12:25 – Gratitude for the “army of people” who hired and invested in her.
• 19:06 – Describing her non-linear career as a “lateral flow” of learning.
• 20:10 – Defining her legacy as helping people find “clarity for action.”