UPgrade by Personal Buddy
Hire a strategy partner for the most valuable enterprise you’ll ever run: Yourself.
Big brands hire strategists to chart the course and turn up the volume on their story.
Why shouldn’t you have the same edge personally?
I’m your Personal Buddy: part navigator, part amplifier.
Together we’ll carve a clear path, forge a voice that sounds unmistakably you, and make sure that voice rings out in the rooms that matter. And then if you wish I’ll stay beside you until every bold plan becomes daily reality.
Why shouldn’t you have the same edge personally?
I’m your Personal Buddy: part navigator, part amplifier.
Together we’ll carve a clear path, forge a voice that sounds unmistakably you, and make sure that voice rings out in the rooms that matter. And then if you wish I’ll stay beside you until every bold plan becomes daily reality.
I received exactly what I expected – I was attentively listened to and received sensible and thoughtful outside perspective on my challenges. Flawless execution of all the promised – Maria devoted time only to me; in the course of relaxed and friendly dialogue found out and structured all my struggles; briefly and to the point summed everything up and gave me clear instructions. What has changed? I do not panic, and do not hastily run around. Already for the third evening in a row I am working on my life plan as Maria has taught me. I lacked a lot this rational outside view to streamline all my various projects, highlight the main focus, arrange all this, so that it becomes clear for myself where I want to go, and find my voice to engage others. The most important thing is difficult to describe, because it’s about feelings. Maria truly loves people and is sincerely interested in them. Thank you, buddy! (Eugenia Malinina, Illustrator, Graphic designer)
About me
I’m Maria - your personal buddy; your wise‑yet‑down‑to‑earth thinking partner, or as I call it "wise friend for rent".
By day I help companies untangle million‑euro IP puzzles; by night I referee homework disputes between my three kids.
In every arena, the skill that keeps the wheels turning is not brilliance (though that helps) but deep listening:
I extract the signal from the noise, spot the pattern, and translate big, scary challenges into tidy sequences of next
small steps.
Why that matters to you?
Why you can trust me?
By day I help companies untangle million‑euro IP puzzles; by night I referee homework disputes between my three kids.
In every arena, the skill that keeps the wheels turning is not brilliance (though that helps) but deep listening:
I extract the signal from the noise, spot the pattern, and translate big, scary challenges into tidy sequences of next
small steps.
Why that matters to you?
- You talk, I map. Give me the raw thoughts; I’ll organise them into a clear, actionable roadmap.
- Complexity becomes calm. Legal strategies, personal brand, career forks, life logistics... Whatever feels impossible, we’ll break it into small wins you can knock over one by one.
- Consistency on tap. I stay beside you, nudging, tracking and adjusting until “someday” becomes “done.”
Why you can trust me?
I’ve spent two decades as an IP lawyer (European Trademark Attorney) and strategy consultant, founded a law & strategy firm, chair the Quality in IP Management committee at I³PM, mediate for WIPO, tutor at CEIPI and the EPO, and still find time to write books, teach and keynote, without losing work-life balance or my sanity.
Those fancy titles prove I can navigate complexity; but my clients stay because I make their lives simpler.
If you need a strategic brain, an honest sounding board and the occasional kick in the motivation, I’m here for you.
I decided to work with Maria, because I was a complete mess in my head. I have several projects, which I knew that I cannot do all at once; besides I had no idea if that’s what I want at all. During our long conversation Maria just listened commenting along the way. The next day she sent me her written comments and material for reflection. I’ve done it all and everything just fell into its place. I understood what I needed to do in the first place, what I should work on, and what I truly want at this moment. This help was exactly what I wanted. (Victoria Alexandrova, Healthy lifestyle coach)
I turn hesitation into momentum, surfacing the questions others miss and staying beside you until every promise you make to yourself becomes a done deal.
It’s normal to lose the trail. I still do, now and then. The difference is I’ve memorised where the lifebuoys hang and which questions snap the compass back to north.
I won’t hand you a prefab route. Instead, I’ll walk beside you, teaching you how to read the currents, sidestep the hidden rocks, and turn each detour into a launch‑pad.
Ready for steadier footing? Reach out and let’s explore how I can help you navigate.
I won’t hand you a prefab route. Instead, I’ll walk beside you, teaching you how to read the currents, sidestep the hidden rocks, and turn each detour into a launch‑pad.
Ready for steadier footing? Reach out and let’s explore how I can help you navigate.
Perhaps the most unexpected after our conversation was that I could see myself from a different perspective. What I considered to be my clear disadvantage could actually very well act as my unique skill. Our talk lasted for just 1.5 hours, yet left me with so many ideas for reflection and thinking through! (Elena Fedorovich, Investor, Small business owner)
Big dreams fade when they never make today’s to‑do list.
Upgrade Momentum™ by personal buddy turns ambition into a daily cadence of quick, repeatable steps that lead to wins. Focused reflection, weekly tune‑ups, and light‑touch accountability build habits that hold even when life gets truly messy.
Give it six weeks and you won’t need pep talks; you’ll be running on a self‑powered operating system that frees your headspace and pulls the next milestone toward you like gravity.
Ready to feel that pull? Let’s talk.
Upgrade Momentum™ by personal buddy turns ambition into a daily cadence of quick, repeatable steps that lead to wins. Focused reflection, weekly tune‑ups, and light‑touch accountability build habits that hold even when life gets truly messy.
Give it six weeks and you won’t need pep talks; you’ll be running on a self‑powered operating system that frees your headspace and pulls the next milestone toward you like gravity.
Ready to feel that pull? Let’s talk.
I came to Maria without knowing her personally, though based on her online activity I had an opinion of her as a person with a rich and varied experience. During our interaction I discovered that Maria is also great at listening and hearing; thus even a short consultation with her effectively clarified my plans and thoughts. (Anastasia Gaasenbeek, real estate agent, lifestyle photographer)
contact me at:
To begin with, I want to point out that I am a “heavy” patient. At the outset of working with Maria I was amidst a postpartum depression and immigration crisis. I did not know what to want. I had a plan, but it had little to do with what I truly wanted. We started working. We talked a lot, Maria gave me homework, challenging even the most dormant cognitive performance. My “brain-processor” was boiling, but worked … And then – all the hustling was gone. Everything that took away so much of my energy disappeared. Good habits kicked in, I felt no more emotional roller-coaster, and most importantly also my laziness vanished. I just became myself again: relaxed, systematic, thorough. (Evgenia Vandenbussche, freelancer, chef)
I tried coaching before but got discouraged by many mundane and obvious questions I was asked. Maria is not like that – she really hears you! And she totally drills you! I wouldn’t want to face her as my opponent in court… It was not easy to follow all her suggestions but it gave me clarity as where I have to focus on next. (Maria Smirnova, Lawyer)
