At just 21 years old, Mike Kolev was thrown into the deep end of business when he stepped up as the General Manager of his family’s boutique hotel after the sudden departure of the previous manager. It was a challenging, overwhelming experience, but it taught him valuable lessons about leadership that no textbook ever could.
Leading Through Trust: A Business School Lesson in Real Life
Mike’s quick rise to the GM position was a pivotal moment. With no formal training or experience in the hotel industry, he realized that the most effective leaders don’t have all the answers. Instead, they create systems that allow the business to thrive even when they’re not present. Under Mike’s leadership, the family hotel rapidly became one of the top three hotels in Skopje, Macedonia. The secret wasn’t in his brilliance, but in his ability to trust his team, empower them, and focus on what truly moved the needle. It was here that Mike began to understand the importance of systems and processes in scaling businesses.
This experience became the cornerstone of his approach to leadership, shaping how he would later grow other businesses, particularly in the SaaS space. “The best results come from creating clear processes, empowering your team, and measuring what matters,” he says.
The Power of Transition: From Marketing Agency to Underground Ecom
Mike’s journey didn’t stop at running a hotel. After years of running his own marketing agency, he had a major realization that changed the course of his career. While his agency had given him the freedom he longed for, he recognized that the marketing industry was evolving rapidly. Clients needed more than just traditional campaign management—they needed scalable solutions that could sustain long-term growth.
When Underground Ecom approached him with an offer to join their team, Mike initially hesitated. The role was a step down from what he had previously held, but he saw an opportunity to revolutionize the industry from within. It wasn’t about individual success anymore; it was about creating systematic solutions that could help businesses scale efficiently.
Now, as the Head of TRS at Underground Ecom, Mike leads a team of 180 experts. Together, they don’t just execute campaigns—they build data-driven marketing systems that help businesses grow sustainably. “True marketing leadership isn’t about working solo; it’s about amplifying your impact through the right team and technology,” Mike says.
A Family Man and a Leader: Balancing Work and Personal Life
While many business leaders often struggle to find balance between work and personal life, Mike has managed to excel in both areas. His biggest achievement isn’t found in the growth of his businesses or the success of his marketing strategies—it’s in learning how to be fully present in his personal life, especially as a father.
Moving to Dubai with his family while heading TRS, Mike found that success wasn’t about choosing between work and family. Instead, he learned that it was about excelling in both by bringing your whole self to each role. “I’ve developed the ability to be completely focused on what matters in that moment,” he shares, explaining that this shift in mindset transformed not only his leadership style but also his relationship with his family.
By adopting this philosophy of authentic presence, Mike has been able to foster more innovative solutions at work while also being deeply engaged with his children at home. His team has adopted this mindset as well, leading to stronger relationships with clients and more effective work environments.
Overcoming Setbacks: The Foundation of Resilience
Mike’s journey wasn’t always smooth sailing. At the age of 18, he launched an agriculture business in the Balkans, only to see it fail under a corrupt system. However, rather than seeing this as a failure, Mike viewed it as a crucial learning experience. It taught him that success isn’t just about having great ideas—it’s about understanding the system you operate in.
This setback led him to the family hotel and later, to launching his own marketing agency. Those early years were tough—he went eight months without landing a single client, draining his savings and questioning his career choices. But each failure became a valuable lesson, helping him refine his approach and develop the resilience that would eventually shape his leadership style.
A New Approach to Marketing: Revolutionizing Recovery Systems
Mike’s current focus is on revolutionizing how businesses approach marketing recovery. In a world where traffic losses and market instability are common, Mike and his team are developing systems that don’t just react to challenges—they proactively address them.
Their new marketing recovery framework has already shown impressive results. By analyzing key marketing indicators across various channels, they can spot potential issues before they impact revenue, helping clients maintain consistent growth even in volatile markets. This proactive approach is changing the way businesses think about marketing recovery, turning potential crises into opportunities for growth.
“It’s not just about restoring lost traffic—it’s about transforming how companies think about marketing stability,” Mike explains. His long-term vision is to shift the industry from reactive problem-solving to proactive growth strategies that can sustainably support businesses in the digital age.
The Mentorship That Shaped Mike’s Leadership
While Mike’s success can be attributed to his hard work and innovative mindset, he credits much of his personal and professional growth to his father. Watching his father build a successful business from the ground up taught Mike invaluable lessons about entrepreneurship, but it was his father’s wisdom that truly shaped his leadership philosophy.
One piece of advice that stuck with him was: “Success isn’t about doing what everyone expects, but finding what fulfills you.” This advice gave Mike the courage to make unconventional choices, like leaving his successful agency to join Underground Ecom in a lower role, proving that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about creating value.
Resilience Through Perspective: Learning from Every Setback
Mike’s approach to resilience is grounded in a system he developed early in his career. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of failure, he treats each setback as data for improvement. This mindset has been essential throughout his journey, from the early struggles in his agency to the challenges he faced in the family hotel.
“I combine a workout with an educational podcast every morning—it’s non-negotiable. This ritual isn’t just about physical health; it’s about strengthening my mindset,” Mike shares. This daily practice helps him maintain perspective and stay focused on long-term goals, even during difficult times.
Empowering Teams: The Key to Scaling Success
One of the most important lessons Mike has learned is that leadership is not about micromanaging. When he first started leading a team of 180 people at TRS, he tried to control every decision, which led to bottlenecks and damaged morale. Over time, he learned that true leadership is about empowering others and creating systems that can scale without his constant involvement.
“I focus on setting clear frameworks and trusting my team to execute,” Mike says. This shift in leadership style has been instrumental in his success, both professionally and personally. By building systems that scale and empowering his team, Mike has been able to create lasting impact without doing everything himself.
Success Redefined: Purpose Over Financial Metrics
For Mike, success is no longer defined by financial metrics or traditional achievements. It’s about mastering strategic simplicity—identifying the few actions that create the most significant impact. When a marketing campaign transforms a client’s business, when his team innovates without his involvement—that’s success.
“I’ve learned that success isn’t about adding more; it’s about focusing on what truly matters and eliminating the rest,” Mike says. This philosophy has allowed him to create extraordinary outcomes without sacrificing personal fulfillment or family time.
Legacy: Building Systems for Sustainable Success
Looking to the future, Mike hopes to be remembered not for specific metrics or achievements, but for transforming how businesses approach marketing challenges. By focusing on creating sustainable systems, he believes that true success lies not in quick fixes, but in long-term growth strategies that empower others to succeed.
Mike’s legacy will not be defined by his role as a leader, but by his ability to build environments where everyone can excel. Whether in business or family life, Mike is proof that success isn’t a solo journey—it’s about creating value through others. Do follow him on Instagram.
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