Women in Marketing – Bulgaria · Autumn 2026
The Mentorship Programme
A structured, 12-week mentorship cycle that pairs you one-to-one and moves you from a clear goal to visible, lasting progress — supported by Business Psychology and Professional Coaching.
One form for mentees & mentors · Applications close 24 August 2026
What it is
Twelve weeks. One focused pairing. Real momentum.
The Women in Marketing – Bulgaria Mentorship Programme is a 12-week cycle built around six two-week cycles across three phases. You’ll be matched one-to-one with a mentor (or mentee) and work steadily on a single goal or project that matters to you right now.
What makes it different is the backing: every cycle blends evidence-based frameworks from Business Psychology with reflective, question-led Professional Coaching — so you get both the structure and the self-awareness to actually move.
How it runs
A light weekly rhythm, well supported
⏱️
Regular 1:1 sessions
A focused 30-minute session each week — or a 1-hour call every two weeks, at the pair’s discretion — plus a short (~5-min) debrief to keep momentum visible.
🎓
Onboarding workshops
Two kick-off workshops — one for mentors, one for mentees — so everyone starts confident and aligned.
📞
Monthly cohort calls
Three group calls (one a month) with the whole cohort and both expert partners.
💬
Slack support
Dedicated channels for mentors and mentees, with weekly office hours and Q&A from our experts.
📚
Weekly materials
A short, ready-to-use tool or template each week — usable inside your 30-minute session, no prep required.
🥂
Closing dinner
We finish with a celebration dinner for all mentors, mentees, and partners — fully covered by our sponsor.
The journey
Three phases, six cycles
Phase I · Weeks 1–4
Discovery & Goal-Setting
Build the relationship and set the foundation. Surface where you want to grow, then turn a loose ambition into one clear, structured goal or project — signed off by the end of the month.
Phase II · Weeks 5–8
Action
Break the goal into a realistic roadmap, design a weekly rhythm that fits your real energy, and work through the blockers and limiting beliefs that get in the way. Mid-point recalibration built in.
Phase III · Weeks 9–12
Systems, Reflection & Sustainability
Turn early wins into repeatable systems, grow your visibility, then consolidate and measure what changed — and leave with a concrete plan for what comes next.
Who it’s for
Apply as a mentee or a mentor
🌱 Mentees
For community members who want to make focused progress on a goal or project over 12 weeks, with structure, accountability, and an experienced guide beside them.
You don’t need a perfect goal to start — you’ll shape one in the first two cycles.
🤝 Mentors
For experienced marketers who want to give back in a structured, well-supported way — all the materials, frameworks, and facilitation are handled for you.
You’ll receive a certificate, join a peer community of practice, and be recognised at the closing dinner — and above all, the opportunity to support the growth of a professional who needs your expertise and guidance.
Open to Women in Marketing – Bulgaria community members. The commitment is a 30-minute session each week — or a 1-hour call every two weeks, at each pair’s discretion — for 12 weeks, plus a short debrief. Pairs are matched on your goal and a mentor’s expertise, language, and working style — and never across a conflict of interest (no line managers, direct reports, or direct competitors).
The team behind it
Guided by an administrator and two expert partners
Both expert partners create the programme materials, lead the three monthly cohort calls, and are available for Q&A in the dedicated Slack channels for mentors and mentees throughout the cycle.
Programme Administrator
Lazarina Stoy
Founder, Women in Marketing – Bulgaria
Lazarina coordinates the programme end to end — recruitment, pairing, the weekly rhythm, and the check-ins that keep every pairing on track. A marketing consultant, trainer and speaker specialising in SEO, machine learning and data science, she founded the WiM-BG community and the MLforSEO training platform.
Business Psychology
Dr. Julika Novkova, PhD
Business Psychologist & Executive Coach · Juls’ Psychology
Julika brings the evidence-based lens — diagnostics, goal-setting theory, resilience and measurement. With 15+ years in business psychology and the creator of the InnovaCeption model, she helps leaders find personal meaning in their work without burning out, turning “powerlessness” into tools for self-empowerment.
Professional Coaching
Vasya Vankova
ICF-certified Coach (ACC) · Co-founder, Courageous Coaches
Vasya brings the reflective, question-led lens — accountability, action planning, and the powerful questions that unlock lasting change. An ICF-certified coach with a background as a Scrum Master and Agile Coach, she creates safe spaces where people broaden their perspective and take real steps toward what they want.
Made possible by
Our programme sponsor
This first cycle is made possible by Majestic. Their sponsorship covers the closing celebration dinner and the contribution fees for both of our expert partners — which is exactly why the programme is completely free for participants.
Majestic is an SEO backlink checker and link-intelligence toolset. Established in 2004, Majestic maps the web to bring you the link data you need to dominate your market.
Key dates
The 2026 cycle at a glance
Before you apply
How to write a strong application
Please take a little time over your application — the more detail you give us, the better the match we can make for you. Here’s what a strong answer looks like next to a vague one:
“What are your goals?”
✕ Needs improvement
My goal is to improve my marketing skills.
✓ Good
I want to move from executing campaigns to owning strategy. Specifically, I’d like to be able to build and defend a quarterly channel plan with a budget rationale — right now I can run the paid social calendar, but I freeze when leadership asks why we’re allocating the way we are. In six months I’d like to have presented one full plan to my director.
Why it works: names a starting point, a target, and a concrete artifact that shows progress.
“Describe your past mentorship experience.”
✕ Needs improvement
Past mentors were not a good fit for me.
✓ Good
I’ve had two mentors before. The first was in a formal program where we met monthly with no agenda, and I came away realizing I need more structure — I do better when I bring a specific problem to each session. The second was informal and worked well because we both worked in email marketing, so the advice was immediately usable. I’m looking for something closer to the second: regular, focused, and in my discipline.
Why it works: takes ownership instead of assigning blame, and turns the experience into useful information about what you need.
“Why do you want a mentor right now?”
✕ Needs improvement
I think everyone can benefit from having a mentor.
✓ Good
I was promoted to team lead in March and I’m managing three people for the first time. I can handle the work itself, but I’m second-guessing everything about giving feedback and delegating. I’d like someone who’s been through that transition to sanity-check how I’m handling it.
Why it works: explains the timing, which tells the reviewer this isn’t a generic application.
“What are you looking for in a mentor?”
✕ Needs improvement
Someone experienced and supportive who can guide me.
✓ Good
Someone who’s worked in-house at a mid-size B2B company, since agency advice hasn’t translated well for me. I’d rather have someone direct than gentle — I’ve found I improve faster when feedback is blunt. Seniority matters less to me than relevant context; someone 3–4 years ahead would be ideal.
Why it works: specific enough that we can actually match on it.
“What’s your biggest challenge?”
✕ Needs improvement
Time management and work-life balance.
✓ Good
I take on too much because I struggle to say no to cross-functional requests, and then my own projects slip. Last quarter I missed two deadlines on my core work while delivering favors for other teams. I know what the problem is; I don’t know how to push back without damaging those relationships.
Why it works: moves past the label to the actual mechanism and cost.
Ready to apply?
One short form for both mentees and mentors — you’ll choose which at the start. It takes about 10 minutes.
Applications close 24 August 2026
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cost to take part?
No — the programme is completely free for participants, including the closing dinner. Our sponsor, Majestic, covers the dinner and the contribution fees for both expert partners.
Who can apply?
Women in Marketing – Bulgaria community members can apply as a mentee or a mentor. Not a member yet? Join the community first, then apply.
What language are the sessions in?
Sessions run in Bulgarian or English — we match each pair on their shared language preference.
What’s the time commitment?
A 30-minute session each week — or, if you and your pair prefer, a 1-hour call every two weeks — for 12 weeks, plus a short (~5-minute) debrief, three monthly cohort calls, and a kick-off onboarding workshop.
How are pairs matched?
Primarily on your goal and your mentor’s expertise, then language, seniority gap and working style. We never pair across a conflict of interest, and there’s a no-blame re-matching window if a pairing isn’t working by the end of week 3.
Do I need a specific goal already?
You don’t need a fully-formed goal, but you should come with a general direction or a project you’d like to tackle — and share it in your application, so we can match you with the right mentor for the best possible experience. You’ll then shape it into a clear goal or project together in the first two cycles.
Questions? Email team@womeninmarketing.bg
English (UK) 
Български