“Create something that genuinely inspires you
to become a better person.“–Daria Rakitskaya
Have you ever noticed that some folks just seem to have entrepreneurship flowing in their blood? Whether they are born into a family business or they simply have an entrepreneurial flair, it’s in their blood. For others though, it’s as if entrepreneurship just kind of sneaks up, grabs the heart and then changes everything.
Baylor student, Daria Rakitskaya grew up playing tennis in Russia. She picked up her first tennis racket at four years old and was playing in tournaments by eight. Daria had plans to play in the Olympic games and to later be a professional athlete. She even documented all of her tennis traveling adventures on Instagram and quickly gained a devoted following as a social media influencer. Tennis was her life. Tennis was her dream. That is, until…
It was during a tournament in Russia when the then high school senior met Joey Scrivano, Baylor’s head coach for women’s tennis. College was never part of the plan, but Coach Joey convinced Daria to make a visit to Baylor. Daria immediately fell in love with Baylor. She was impressed with the Baylor athletic department and knew she wanted to be part of it. So much so, she submitted an application to Baylor.
Daria was ultimately accepted to Baylor and played collegiate tennis her freshman year. Then that sneaky little entrepreneurial spirit started creeping in. Daria started to realize that she had an unrelenting passion for social media. She was confident in the skills and knowledge she gained as an influencer. As a matter of fact, she was pretty good at the whole social media thing. So, now what?
When Daria officially retired from tennis during her sophomore year at Baylor, she was ready to pursue her entrepreneurial dream. She took on the role of social media brand manager for the new, student-run Entrepreneurship Club, and she also launched her own business, Instapreneur. Instapreneur is a social media marketing agency designed to help influencers and business owners enhance and grow their social media presence.
Ultimately, Daria says she wants to create a space where people can grow and work together. She hopes to inspire other students to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Daria offers some advice to students, “Create something that genuinely inspires you to become a better person, something that makes you grow and makes you happy.”
So, entrepreneurship definitely grabbed Daria by the heart and didn’t let go. We think she’s Insta-fabulous!
For more information about Instapreneur, follow on Instagram at @instapreneur_smm.
For more information about the Baylor Entrepreneurship Club, follow on Instagram at @baylor_bec.
For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.