Meet the team – Ivona Yordanova

The Lumina Learning team is continuously growing! Ivona has recently joined the global team at our office in the UK.

Ivona Yordanova – Lumina Learning Global Commercial

What’s your career background and what is your original connection to Lumina?

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. Whilst I was undertaking my studies, I would seek out internships and paid work, as I wanted to see where I could apply my knowledge in a practical way. I gained experience in Developmental Psychology when I worked in a nursery and as a Support Worker for people with special educational needs. I have also previously been a Tutor and a Teaching Assistant, which has expanded my knowledge of Educational Psychology.

I was first introduced to Lumina Learning during my Master’s Degree in the summer of 2020 when I came across an open invitation to students from my university to attend a virtual workshop. We participated in everything from the card exercise to standing around the mat and using the Splash App. My first impression of the workshop was that it was enjoyable, almost like a game. I was impressed with how well the complexity of the model was translated into a picture through the mandala and the Splash.

After participating in the workshop, Lumina Learning reached out to me regarding job opportunities that had opened up in the company. My educational background and experience led me to view psychology as a very open field and for me, Lumina is a gateway to further explore Organisational and Occupational Psychology and use what I have learnt throughout the years.

What is your top Spark Aspect and how have you found this beneficial to your role?

My top Spark Aspect is Discipline Driven. As part of the Commercial team, my role is to reach out and speak to clients, which often involves managing my schedule and the clients’ schedule, amongst other tasks. So being Structured and Purposeful in my approach to work has helped me manage the demands of my role and use my time effectively.

Ivona’s Lumina Spark Splash

What is your favourite thing so far about working at Lumina Learning?

My favourite thing about working at Lumina Learning is the team! Although everyone in the group is different in their own way, the managers have created a nourishing environment where our differences are encouraged and embraced by everyone in the team.

The culture at Lumina allows everyone to be themselves at work and thrive rather than being forced to fit a mould. We all work very well together, and I am always happy to be in the office as the atmosphere is upbeat.

Do you have any Paradoxes? How do you see these working in your role – If you don’t have any, what Paradoxes do you think might be useful for you to develop?

My biggest Paradox is between People Focused and Outcome Focused, and I have found this particularly beneficial when reaching out to clients. By being empathetic, I can understand and relate to the clients’ needs. When they are looking for a particular solution, I like to be accommodating to help them in any way can. Likewise, I always have a resolution mindset and aim to give a clear and logical response to what they may be looking for.

What’s a fun fact about you many people may not know?

I am a fully qualified Pet Paramedic. I am a pet sitter in my spare time, so after spending a lot of my time looking after animals, I wanted to qualify myself to handle any situation that may arise to the best of my abilities. I enrolled on a full-day intensive course, which taught me so much. For instance, I can now perform CPR after being trained on how to do this on an animal.

So far, I have only had to use my training once on a dog that I often look after. He injured himself on the back of his paw, so I had to improvise and make a bandage to avoid any further damage or pain before he was able to visit the vets. Luckily it wasn’t a bad cut, and the dog was not in distress, but I’m glad that I was prepared.