There are moments after which life can never be turned back. For Iryna Smylyanets, that point of no return was a divorce nine years ago that completely altered her reality.
Specially for Business Woman magazine, Iryna shared her story—a story of escaping control, emigration, physical pain, self-discovery, and the journey to a business that became her mission.
“My life was split into ‘before’ and ‘after’,” she admits.
After the divorce, Iryna was left alone with a young child. Constant pressure from her ex-husband, a lack of support, and fear for her child’s future forced her to make a difficult decision—to move to Spain, where her mother lived.
This was no romantic beginning of a new life. It was a period of pure survival.
Despite holding two Ukrainian university degrees, she had to start from the very bottom in emigration, working as a cleaner. While her daughter was at kindergarten, Iryna worked tirelessly, trying to stay afloat and provide her child with stability.
Years of hard physical labor eventually took their toll.
“I started waking up at night from the pain. Painkillers didn’t help anymore,” she recalls.
Yet, even in the toughest times, Iryna never lost her desire to remain a woman—beautiful, well-groomed, and full of life. Unable to afford even a manicure, she learned to do it herself. Over time, she realized this wasn’t just a necessity—she truly enjoyed it.
Thus, a new chapter of her life began.
Iryna completed training courses and became a manicurist. However, she quickly noticed an interesting pattern: clients weren’t coming to her just for beauty.
After the procedures, she increasingly heard:
“It feels like I’ve just been to a therapy session.”
Supporting people had always come naturally to her. She knew how to listen, empathize, and find the words that keep a person from breaking down. It was then that Iryna began searching for a tool that would allow her to help people professionally.
She studied numerology, astrology, and tarot, but felt that something was missing. Until one day, she came across digital psychology.
The word “psychology” itself became the key for her.
“I realized that this was the very tool that helped me see my true self, recognize my potential, and change my own life. Which meant—I could help others,” Iryna says.
This marked the beginning of her journey as a digital psychologist.
Today, Iryna Smylyanets helps people better understand themselves, their reactions, life scenarios, and inner resources. She works with topics of self-realization, relationships, finances, and finding inner strength, creating a personalized “manual” for each individual to lead a more conscious and happy life.
Her story is about a woman who refused to let circumstances define her future.
It is about a woman who journeyed from physical exhaustion and fear to a calling that helps others find themselves.
Because sometimes, the greatest crises lead us exactly where we were truly meant to be.
Photo: from the archieve of heroine