I infinitely love what I do: Evgeniya Blyznyuk on inner balance and mindfulness

Evgeniya Blyznyuk is a sociologist, entrepreneur, founder of Gradus Research, and expert of the "Woman of Ukraine" award. She has transformed public opinion analysis into a high-tech tool for business and society.

Evgeniya combines experience in media, public sector, and entrepreneurship to better understand and anticipate social change. In her work, Evgeniya relies on data, the courage to experiment, and the ability to learn from mistakes.

Especially for LIGA.Life, Evgeniya Blyznyuk spoke about life principles that help you build a career, maintain flexibility, and remain honest with yourself even in the most turbulent times.

Rules of life of Evgeniya Blyznyuk

— Living consciously is not just about noticing that the world is changing, but also understanding why.

That's why I think my business is full of Zen. After all, that's what we do in every project. Even in a personal sense, mindfulness for me means eating on time. I practice this type of mindfulness every day, when I'm trying to get everything done and not forget about myself.

— War teaches that time is not money, but something much more valuable.

Now decisions are made faster, and priorities are clearer. For me, people are the first priority. Professionally, it feels strange, but behind the numbers, I see a huge number of stories. Personally, I see incredible value in everyone and everyone around me. So decisions and priorities are built based on that.

— In the public sector, you focus on achieving a common goal, in private business, you shape this goal and find ways to achieve it.

Gradus Research was a game, a form of entertainment for me. It was interesting for me to go through all the stages of creating and launching a project "from scratch", from an idea to a sustainable business. I endlessly love what I do: I am interested in social processes, clients' business tasks, and scaling. The workload is heavy, but I get great pleasure from the process of building Gradus Research.

— What discovery did you make about yourself when you created Gradus from scratch?

That I am able to effectively create projects that attract people — teams, clients, partners, audiences.

— Data or intuition?

Data gives confidence, and intuition gives courage and the impulse to act. It works like this for me.

— Success is living your best, happiest life.

— Inner balance is when your anxiety doesn't keep up with your ambitions.

Seriously, anything that slows me down helps. Walking, reading paper books, music, live communication with loved ones and friends, and paying attention to myself.

— I'm giving myself time to reboot.

There were crises. It went differently, it really depended on the context. However, each time I gave myself time to regroup. It is impossible to resume movement without giving myself a rest, disconnecting from the crisis situation and understanding where I am heading.

Blitz poll

• What is the thing that you can't start your morning without? A ritual of morning silence, without reading the news or social media.
• A book that changed your way of thinking? " Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne — when I read it to my son. The essence of life's wisdom and healthy indifference.
• Strength or softness – what is more important for a leader? I wouldn't prioritize. Strength+softness+speed+empathy are important for a leader.
• What rule do you never break — in life or in business? Don't cheat on yourself.
• Your motto or life credo: Everything is for the better.
• What inspires you: The people around you. We have incredible people, both in the country and at Gradus Research.
• What is the best advice you have ever received? Do what you love.

What would you definitely disagree with, even if 80% of those surveyed said it?

As a researcher, I am neutral about survey results (although I do carefully check the quality of the data). However, my personal opinion quite often does not coincide with the majority opinion.

The material was published as part of the media partnership between LIGA.net and the National Award "Woman of Ukraine" , which has existed since 2016.

The 15 categories honor women who create change, shape new meanings, and inspire millions. The award is an independent initiative that recognizes women's contributions to society without political or commercial bias.

Among the laureates of previous years in various nominations were Ada Rogovtseva, Jamala, Lina Kostenko, Ella Libanova, Marta Levchenko, Lilya Hrynevych, Olga Kharlan, Viktoria Tigipko and other women who inspire with their example.

In May 2025, the award will be held for the fifth time after a four-year hiatus.

Voting is scheduled to start on May 12, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for May 28, 2025.