95. Leading with Grace: Vaneli Martinov on Mastering Chaos and Building Legacy
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What does it take to run 500 events across 16 weeks and still make it home for bedtime stories? In this powerhouse episode, Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with Vaneli Martinov, Executive Vice President of Operations for the world-renowned Wellington International. Vaneli opens up about the reality behind high-performance leadership—juggling relentless operations, motherhood, and building a career from the ground up. From her early days as an intern at the most expensive golf club in the world to project-managing $200M developments, her story is a masterclass in grit, grace, and grounded leadership. You’ll learn how she balances chaos with calm, leads massive teams with empathy, and why being the "swan on the surface, but paddling like hell underneath" is one of her greatest strengths. Timestamps: 00:00 – The Swan Mentality: Grace above, chaos below 01:10 – Meet Vaneli Martinov 03:00 – Managing 500 events in 16 weeks 05:45 – Operational teardown + seasonal rebuilds 07:00 – Balancing career, marriage & motherhood 08:45 – Living in fight-or-flight: Thriving in chaos 10:00 – Hustling her way from intern to executive 14:45 – Saying yes before you’re ready 17:00 – Early career lessons in elite service & proactivity 21:00 – Building trust through “nothing is beneath me” leadership 23:00 – Predictive thinking vs reactive firefighting 26:00 – Scaling up from operations grunt to strategic executive 29:00 – 80–100 hour weeks: Was it worth it? 31:00 – Redefining hustle with purpose and family in mind 35:00 – The truth about toxic relationships and healthy ambition 38:00 – The hidden challenges of being a woman in male-dominated leadership 44:30 – How Vaneli leads with feminine strength and authenticity 48:00 – Modeling the right leadership style through lived experience 52:00 – Networking with purpose vs performative connection Key Takeaways & Resources: 1. Say Yes Before You’re Ready Vaneli’s career is built on courageous action—even when she didn’t feel ready. She leaned into the unknown and learned through doing. 2. Leadership Is Earned Through Action She models respect by showing up in the trenches. From hauling trash to handling investors, no job is beneath her—and that credibility compounds. 3. Early Career: Hustle + Humility Wins What set her apart wasn’t grades—it was drive. Her advice to young professionals? Show up curious, proactive, and willing to do anything. 4. Learn to Anticipate, Not Just React Whether managing elite clientele or massive operations, success lies in predicting needs and solving problems before they arise. 5. Redefining Feminine Leadership Vaneli rejected the “bulldog boss” stereotype and leaned into emotional intelligence, empathy, and warmth—without sacrificing strength. 6. Balance Isn’t Static—It’s Intentional As a wife, mother, and exec, she’s constantly pivoting. Her north star? Show up with positivity, and choose grace over perfection. Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedwaynekerriganpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwaynekerriganpodcast/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwayne-kerrigan-998113281/ Website: http://www.dwaynekerrigan.com Disclaimer The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.