My name is Dorota Sierakowska,
but my loved ones call me Doris.

I’m a leading expert on commodities investing in Poland,
ranked The Analyst of the Year in 2017.

I run 2 businesses: a publishing house and an online marketplace
for outdoor sports.

I’ve been an editor-in-chief in a magazine on investing and wrote
a best-selling book on commodities markets.

I regularly appear in media and love teaching.

I’ve invested my own money for more than a decade.

I’m a passionate traveler, sailor and diver.

What’s the definition of a good life to me? Finding joy in big successes and small pleasures, trusting my intuition, staying true to my emotions, financial independence and freedom of choice. The good life is not about avoiding responsibilities and having all the free time in the world.

My name is Dorota, but I can’t remember the last time any of my loved ones called me that. My nickname, Doris, stuck with me a long time ago—and it’s far easier for my non-Polish friends to pronounce!

I grew up in a small town in south-eastern Poland, and have always had a fearless way of thinking, a curiosity for the world and an ability to ask uncomfortable questions. Although functioning in the business and investment worlds taught me harsh lessons, I didn’t give up my inner idealist. Cynicism and distrust seem costly, and they’re not my style.

During my studies, I chose economics and investment banking as my majors, because I wanted to understand what happens around me, become financially independent and, simply, be smart in everyday life. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became by the extent to which the global economy influences our daily lives.

We live in times when the U.S. rating downgrade and disappointing data from the Chinese industry raise mortgage payments for homeowners in Warsaw and Mumbai, even though they don’t know what the rating is, and have never been to China.

We live in an era of corporations so big t hat they can finance flights into space—and, at the same time, so huge that their bankruptcy would take down lots of small businesses and employees.

We live in times of expanding crypto-economy and complicated financial instruments, detached from tangible goods. They can both make people become crazy rich and cause them to spiral into debt.

Business and investing are still male-dominated worlds, but to me, financial independence is within anybody’s reach. Taking control of your finances is a big step toward success and happiness in general. It may sound cynical, but you only stop worrying about money when you… have it.

It all sounds so bizarre and fascinating, yet many people still consider the financial world to be technical and boring. Sure, I get it (I hated the accounting lectures, too). But the world of investing—putting your money to work—is completely fascinating to me.

Strangely enough, financial markets revolve around emotions more than numbers. It’s the fear and greed that move them.

I’ve always had problems with respecting teachers’ authority. Questioning old theories and schemes is deeply rooted in my character. This is ironic, because I’ve become an eager educator myself. Shortly after entering university, I started my own magazine, Trend, which was about financial markets and investing. Establishing a business has been a great adventure of mine, but what I love about it the most is that it’s been a business with a purpose.

Writing for Trend was actually the first step in my career in finances. Because of this project, I was offered a job as a commodity analyst in a leading brokerage house in Poland. Since then, I’ve regularly appeared on TV, on the radio and in the press. But my career as an advocate for investing in commodities (which was a little-known market in Poland back then) truly flourished when I wrote my first book. The world of commodities (in Polish, Świat surowców) explained the subtleties of the commodities markets in plain language and became a bestseller in no time. In fact, a second edition came out.

Since then, I’ve spoken at numerous conferences and for investment courses. I taught high schoolers how to manage their money and career, and gave lectures at a few universities, including my alma mater, the Warsaw School of Economics.

Famed racecar driver Mario Andretti once said, “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” I’ve been living by his words for a long time, juggling between multiple projects and roles in life. But multitasking is a messy thing. Organized on the outside, I often struggled to find time for myself, and everything seemed urgent.

I studied various approaches to time management and discovered that the best ones are usually the simplest.

In fact, being involved in many projects and tasks simultaneously can be a blessing. Multiple streams of income are just one huge advantage. But, apart from that, I’ve learned how not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve started to pay attention to only things that matter—materially and emotionally.

But I’ve never dreamed of quitting jobs and everyday projects to become a full-time traveler.

This is because first, I love what I do, and I don’t need an escape; second, traveling on a budget or competing with hardcore explorers is not really my thing; and third, I find joy in returning home.

I love those words. To me, fascinating journeys are not only about the geographic destination but more about our attitude of openness, empathy and embracing the change within us. As a curious traveler, I analyze all the colors of the world: diversified societies, groundbreaking changes, powerful emotions, big money and luxuries, as well as micro tragedies and the daily struggle for a life of dignity.

I’ve had a lot of dazzling experiences, but at the same time, I feel as though my journey has just begun.

TL;DR

My name is Dorota Sierakowska,
but my loved ones call me Doris.

I’m a leading expert on commodities investing in Poland,
ranked The Analyst of the Year in 2017.

I run 2 businesses: a publishing house and an online marketplace
for outdoor sports.

I’ve been an editor-in-chief in a magazine on investing and wrote
a best-selling book on commodities markets.

I regularly appear in media and love teaching.

I’ve invested my own money for more than a decade.

I’m a passionate traveler, sailor and diver.

What’s the definition of a good life to me? Finding joy in big successes and small pleasures, trusting my intuition, staying true to my emotions, financial independence and freedom of choice. The good life is not about avoiding responsibilities and having all the free time in the world.

My name is Dorota, but I can’t remember the last time any of my loved ones called me that. My nickname, Doris, stuck with me a long time ago—and it’s far easier for my non-Polish friends to pronounce!

I grew up in a small town in south-eastern Poland, and have always had a fearless way of thinking, a curiosity for the world and an ability to ask uncomfortable questions. Although functioning in the business and investment worlds taught me harsh lessons, I didn’t give up my inner idealist. Cynicism and distrust seem costly, and they’re not my style.

During my studies, I chose economics and investment banking as my majors, because I wanted to understand what happens around me, become financially independent and, simply, be smart in everyday life. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became by the extent to which the global economy influences our daily lives.

We live in times when the U.S. rating downgrade and disappointing data from the Chinese industry raise mortgage payments for homeowners in Warsaw and Mumbai, even though they don’t know what the rating is, and have never been to China.

We live in an era of corporations so big t hat they can finance flights into space—and, at the same time, so huge that their bankruptcy would take down lots of small businesses and employees.

We live in times of expanding crypto-economy and complicated financial instruments, detached from tangible goods. They can both make people become crazy rich and cause them to spiral into debt.

It all sounds so bizarre and fascinating, yet many people still consider the financial world to be technical and boring. Sure, I get it (I hated the accounting lectures, too). But the world of investing—putting your money to work—is completely fascinating to me.

Strangely enough, financial markets revolve around emotions more than numbers. It’s the fear and greed that move them.

Business and investing are still male-dominated worlds, but to me, financial independence is within anybody’s reach. Taking control of your finances is a big step toward success and happiness in general. It may sound cynical, but you only stop worrying about money when you… have it.

I’ve always had problems with respecting teachers’ authority. Questioning old theories and schemes is deeply rooted in my character. This is ironic, because I’ve become an eager educator myself. Shortly after entering university, I started my own magazine, Trend, which was about financial markets and investing. Establishing a business has been a great adventure of mine, but what I love about it the most is that it’s been a business with a purpose.

Writing for Trend was actually the first step in my career in finances. Because of this project, I was offered a job as a commodity analyst in a leading brokerage house in Poland. Since then, I’ve regularly appeared on TV, on the radio and in the press. But my career as an advocate for investing in commodities (which was a little-known market in Poland back then) truly flourished when I wrote my first book. The world of commodities (in Polish, Świat surowców) explained the subtleties of the commodities markets in plain language and became a bestseller in no time. In fact, a second edition came out.

Since then, I’ve spoken at numerous conferences and for investment courses. I taught high schoolers how to manage their money and career, and gave lectures at a few universities, including my alma mater, the Warsaw School of Economics.

Famed racecar driver Mario Andretti once said, “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” I’ve been living by his words for a long time, juggling between multiple projects and roles in life. But multitasking is a messy thing. Organized on the outside, I often struggled to find time for myself, and everything seemed urgent.

I studied various approaches to time management and discovered that the best ones are usually the simplest.

In fact, being involved in many projects and tasks simultaneously can be a blessing. Multiple streams of income are just one huge advantage. But, apart from that, I’ve learned how not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve started to pay attention to only things that matter—materially and emotionally.

I’ve become a convert:

a messy girl turned into a minimalist

But I’ve never dreamed of quitting jobs and everyday projects to become a full-time traveler.

This is because first, I love what I do, and I don’t need an escape; second, traveling on a budget or competing with hardcore explorers is not really my thing; and third, I find joy in returning home.

I love those words. To me, fascinating journeys are not only about the geographic destination but more about our attitude of openness, empathy and embracing the change within us. As a curious traveler, I analyze all the colors of the world: diversified societies, groundbreaking changes, powerful emotions, big money and luxuries, as well as micro tragedies and the daily struggle for a life of dignity.

I’ve had a lot of dazzling experiences, but at the same time, I feel as though my journey has just begun.