Polina Marinova
Verified
As seen in:
The Profile,
CNN,
CNN Travel,
Medium,
Business Insider,
Yahoo Finance,
Fortune,
Food & Wine,
Boston Herald,
Odyssey,
The Hustle
and
I profile the world's most extraordinary people.
My work: readtheprofile.com
My book: hiddengeniusbook.com
Interviews: youtube.com/@PolinaMarinovaPompliano
Articles by Polina Marinova
A Yahoo correspondent shares what she's learned from interviewing top execs at companies like Google and Salesforce
Julia La Roche is a correspondent for Yahoo Finance and an instructor at UNC at Chapel Hill. She's known for her exclusive one-on-ones with the business world's top executives and dealmakers. During a live Q&A with readers of The Profile, she discussed her career and interviewing strategies. Loading Something is loading. Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
US Colleges With the Most Athletes Competing in the Tokyo Olympics
Polina Marinova is the founder of The Profile, a newsletter that profiles successful people and companies. The following is a recent The Profile post, republished here with permission. In it, she breaks down the top 10 US colleges that are sending the most alumni and athletes to the 2020 Olympics. In March of 2020, Brooke Forde packed up and left campus as Stanford University and colleges around the nation paused in-person classes due to a global pandemic. Loading Something is loading.
This advertising expert grew an audience of 500,000 followers on his own media platform — here's what he says is key to staying consistent and going viral
Jack Butcher is the founder of Visualize Value, a $1M per year product business and media platform. During a live Q&A with readers of The Profile, he discussed new fatherhood and growing his business. As a creative, he says it's important to find people to collaborate with and be inspired on daily basis. See more stories on Insider's business page. Jack Butcher spent 10 years working in advertising as a creative director for multi-billion dollar brands.
Ex-General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt on guiding the company through crisis and why leaders need to be 'masters of chaos'
Jeff Immelt succeeded Jack Welch as the CEO of General Electric just after 9/11. With Welch known as one of the best CEOs in the history of business, Immelt had big shoes to fill. Immelt shared how he overcame challenges and what he would have done differently with The Profile. See more stories on Insider's business page. Jeff Immelt's first day as CEO at General Electric was on September 10, 2001.
The Profile: The king of weed pizza & the director behind Pixar’s biggest hits
In 2012, Kara Lynn Joyce was sitting in a tiny dark room with seven of her competitors minutes before the race that would determine who would win a spot to compete in the London Olympics. She needed to get first or second place in order to qualify for her third Olympic Games. By this point in her swimming career, Joyce had become an…
The Profile: The kings of shaving & the Bitcoin millionaires locked out of their fortunes
Good morning, friends! On Jan. 5, James Clear refreshed the page and watched his email list hit 1 million subscribers. The first thing he did? "I took a screenshot," he said in an interview with The Profile. "The thing about getting to a million subscribers is that it took me eight years, so I knew it was coming, you know what I mean?" Clear, the author of New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, has been writing on his website JamesClear.com since 2012.
The Profile: The kings of shaving & the Bitcoin millionaires locked out of their fortunes
On Jan. 5, James Clear refreshed the page and watched his email list hit 1 million subscribers. The first thing he did? "I took a screenshot," he said in an interview with The Profile. "The thing about getting to a million subscribers is that it took me eight years, so I knew it was coming, you know what I mean?"
The Profile: The king of weed pizza & the director behind Pixar’s biggest hits
Good morning, friends! In 2012, Kara Lynn Joyce was sitting in a tiny dark room with seven of her competitors minutes before the race that would determine who would win a spot to compete in the London Olympics. She needed to get first or second place in order to qualify for her third Olympic Games. By this point in her swimming career, Joyce had become an expert at finding her focus before high-pressure races.
The Profile: Wall Street’s greatest living economist & the spy for planet Earth
Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin takes up to eight showers per day whenever he suffers from writer's block to help revive his creativity. Author Malcolm Gladwell reads footnotes in books and articles to generate new ideas. TV powerhouse Shonda Rhimes uses a mental trigger that tells her brain it's time to focus.
The Profile: The man searching for life-saving DNA data & the director behind Pixar’s biggest hits
One of the biggest discoveries I've made in the last few years is simple but overlooked: What you eat is who you are, and what you read is who you become. While most of us are willing to invest in our health, we often neglect our "content diet," which refers to the type of information we choose to feed our brains on a daily basis.
The Profile: The billionaire who lived a double life & the news giant cracking from within
Good morning, friends. My husband Anthony and I recently had a discussion about how some of the most important innovations have come from the world’s most unlikely sources. In other words, disruption happens at the fringes. One thing led to another, and I asked Anthony to write a guest column on this subject. I hope you enjoy. (You can sign up for his dai…
The Profile: America's wind billionaire & the startup that failed at launch
Good morning, friends! The late New York Times media columnist David Carr led a complicated life. When I read his articles in my college journalism classes, he was a celebrated writer whose prose we all worshipped. He was also a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who had abused women. In his 2008 memoir, The Night of the Gun, he writes: "If I said I was …
The Profile: The man helping you get out of debt & the company making hair loss cool
Good morning, friends! On Saturday, Joe Biden was elected to become the 46th president of the United States. I recently compiled 10 lessons on leadership I've learned from the world's most successful people. Shockingly (or not), none of them are politicians. Know the edge of your own competence. When Charlie Munger was younger, he struggled to overcome his…
The Profile: The man reinventing philanthropy & Amazon's biggest threat
Don't ever underestimate the power of a meal. When I was growing up, dinnertime was sacred. No matter if it was just me and my mom or if we had new friends over for dinner, we always made it a point to eat at the table each evening. I may not remember the food we ate, but I'll never forget the conversations we had. That's because a meal is never just abou…
The Profile: The refugee who went from rags to riches & the $2 billion mall rats
Good morning, friends. I know you guys read a lot of newsletters every day, so I want to make sure this one is worth your time. If you have a few minutes, please take this very short end-of-year survey so I have an idea on whether to make changes going forward. As always, I appreciate you reading week after week, and your opinions mean a lot to me. Take the Survey — THE PR…
The Profile: The man who builds impossible things & the obscure billion-dollar media giant
On Sept. 11, 2001, Noah Galloway was a college student in Birmingham, Alabama. After watching the Twin Towers collapse, he went on a run to clear his mind. The next day, he dropped out of school and enlisted in the military at just 21 years old. Galloway's first deployment was during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. He had finally found what he was look…
The Profile: The shepherd-turned-billionaire & the kid who cracked YouTube's algorithm
Good morning, friends! I hope you all had a lovely holiday! On Christmas Eve, I got a huge surprise when I learned that The Rock read the latest issue of The Profile! The latest Profile Dossier featured Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and it detailed his eventful life and career. You can check it out here as it's been vetted & approved by The Rock himself!
The Profile: The shepherd-turned-billionaire & the kid who cracked YouTube's algorithm
Good morning, friends! I hope you all had a lovely holiday! On Christmas Eve, I got a huge surprise when I learned that The Rock read the latest issue of The Profile! The latest Profile Dossier featured Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and it detailed his eventful life and career. You can check it out here as it's been vetted & approved by The Rock himself! — Now, on to today's column: For many of us, 2020 has been a year of desperately attempting to cling on to some elusive level of certainty.
The Profile's 2020 Year in Review
2020, man. What a year. I want to start by saying thank you to all of you who made this really challenging year one full of great ideas, fascinating conversations, and as Malcolm Gladwell puts it, intellectual play. Writing The Profile and meeting you guys virtually was a bright spot for me this year. The beauty of The Profile is that it documented the year pretty well via deep dives on individual people as well as world events. Here is 2020 through the eyes of The Profile.
The Profile: The most original thinker in tech & the power couple taking on Tesla
2020, man. What a year. I want to start by saying thank you to all of you who made this really challenging year one full of great ideas, fascinating conversations, and as Malcolm Gladwell puts it, intellectual play. Writing The Profile and meeting you guys virtually was a bright spot for me this year. The beauty of The Profile is that it documented the ye…
The Profile: The man searching for life-saving DNA data & the director behind Pixar’s biggest hits
Good morning, friends! One of the biggest discoveries I've made in the last few years is simple but overlooked: What you eat is who you are, and what you read is who you become. While most of us are willing to invest in our health, we often neglect our "content diet," which refers to the type of information we choose to feed our brains on a daily basis.
The Profile: The man who builds impossible things & the obscure billion-dollar media giant
On Sept. 11, 2001, Noah Galloway was a college student in Birmingham, Alabama. After watching the Twin Towers collapse, he went on a run to clear his mind. The next day, he dropped out of school and enlisted in the military at just 21 years old. Galloway's first deployment was during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. He had finally found what he was looking for — the military had given him a sense of purpose. He served one deployment, and then he re-enlisted.
The Profile: The man reinventing philanthropy & Amazon's biggest threat
Don't ever underestimate the power of a meal. When I was growing up, dinnertime was sacred. No matter if it was just me and my mom or if we had new friends over for dinner, we always made it a point to eat at the table each evening. I may not remember the food we ate, but I'll never forget the conversations we had. That's because a meal is never just about the meal. Dining together is a tiny act that quickly becomes an expression of friendship, connection, and intimacy.
The Profile: America's wind billionaire & the startup that failed at launch
Good morning, friends! The late New York Times media columnist David Carr led a complicated life. When I read his articles in my college journalism classes, he was a celebrated writer whose prose we all worshipped. He was also a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who had abused women. In his 2008 memoir, The Night of the Gun, he writes: "If I said I was a fat thug who beat up women and sold bad coke, would you like my story?
The Profile: The billionaire who lived a double life & the news giant cracking from within
Good morning, friends. My husband Anthony and I recently had a discussion about how some of the most important innovations have come from the world’s most unlikely sources. In other words, disruption happens at the fringes. One thing led to another, and I asked Anthony to write a guest column on this subject. I hope you enjoy. (You can sign up for his daily newsletter on business, finance, and Bitcoin here.) — Society has been obsessed with the concept of traditional education for decades.
The Profile Dossier: Debbie Millman, the Designer Helping You Build a Better Life
As a complement to the regular Sunday newsletter, the Profile Dossier is a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. The dossier editions are only available to paying subscribers. — When she was 8 years old, Debbie Millman drew a picture that would predict her whole life. Although she had never been to Manhattan, she drew a picture of her and her …
The Profile: The CEO of America's most mysterious company & the improbable podcasting expert
Brandon Stanton is part street photographer, part storyteller. He's spent the last 10 years of his life capturing the fascinating stories of ordinary people. His popular blog, Humans of New York (HONY), features portraits of strangers who share intimate stories of strength, addiction, redemption, regret, and love.
The Profile Dossier: Tara Westover, the Relentless Student Who Overcame It All
As a complement to the regular Sunday newsletter, the Profile Dossier is a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. The dossier editions are only available to paying subscribers. — Tara Westover was 17 years old when she set foot in a classroom for the first time. Born to survivalist Mormon parents in the mountains of Idaho, she grew up isolated …
The Profile: The CEO of America's most mysterious company & the improbable podcasting expert
Good morning, friends! Brandon Stanton is part street photographer, part storyteller. He's spent the last 10 years of his life capturing the fascinating stories of ordinary people. His popular blog, Humans of New York (HONY), features portraits of strangers who share intimate stories of strength, addiction, redemption, regret, and love.
The Profile: The founder making jetpacks a reality & USC's dying quarterbacks
We held a worldwide meetup to see if the readers of this newsletter would actually go hang out with fellow Profile-reading strangers in real life. (They did!) Readers from across the world — from Los Angeles to Bengaluru — met up for an evening of new ideas and great conve…
The Profile Dossier: Bob Bowman, The Coach Who Produces Champions
As a complement to the regular Sunday newsletter, the Profile Dossier is a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. The dossier editions are only available to paying subscribers. Bob Bowman was a coach at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club when he spotted a really fast 11-year-old named Michael Phelps. Bowman saw something special in the young s…
The Profile: The investors betting big on crypto & the billionaire who fell from grace
Time (or the lack thereof) has haunted me for as long as I can remember. My husband likes to joke that before I even finish talking about an idea, I'm already working on making it a reality. It's not that I rush through the days, it's that I'm hyper-aware of how few of them we have and how many of them we waste. I've been thinking about this since Wednesday, when I published a Profile Dossier on Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the popular musical Hamilton.
The Profile: The $60-billion woman & the best investor you’ve never heard of
When the pandemic first hit, we thought our lives would get more simple. We no longer had to worry about our outfits. We no longer had to figure out the logistics for getting to work, dropping the kids off, and making plans with friends. Our calendars were wiped clean. But even though everything was stripped to its most bare-boned form, we still found things to worry about. We started getting on Zoom calls, and suddenly, we began obsessing over our pixelated appearance.
The Profile Dossier: Cheryl Strayed, the Wanderer Who Found Peace
As a complement to the regular Sunday newsletter, the Profile Dossier is a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. The dossier editions are only available to paying subscribers. — In 1995, Cheryl Strayed was a 26-year-old waitress whose life hit rock bottom after she lost her mother to cancer just a few years prior. Her mom's passing left a deep…
The Profile: The billionaire who thrives in crisis & J.P. Morgan's crime ring
In 2009, glassblowing artist Jim McKelvey lost a sale in his St. Louis-based studio because he couldn't accept American Express cards. Fueled by the frustration of losing that sale, he got the idea for his next company. McKelvey asked himself: Why is it so difficult and costly to accept credit card payments? He called his friend Jack Dorsey to see if there was anything they could do to alleviate the problem for small business owners.
Brandon Stanton, the Photographer Who Captures Our Humanity
As a complement to the regular Sunday newsletter, the Profile Dossier is a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. The dossier editions are only available to paying subscribers. — Brandon Stanton has spent the last decade of his life capturing the stories of complete strangers through his blog Humans of New York. It all began in 2010. Recently f…
The Profile: The founder living in an alternate reality & the biggest dealmaker in medicine
Power is the ability to influence, and influence is the ability to bring about change. This week, we saw power in its finest form. It all started when the popular blog Humans of New York (HONY) shared a multi-part profile narrative on Stephanie, a 76-year-old woman who worked as a burlesque dancer named "Tanqueray" in the 1970s. Her story is one of great hardship, relentless determination, and an unyielding optimism that she could live a better life than the one she was dealt as a child.
The Profile: The billionaire who will die broke & Google's wartime leader
Good morning, friends. Some of the most important innovations have come from the world's most unlikely sources. In 1857, the members of the Philological Society of London decided that existing English language dictionaries were incomplete. They thought up a crazy experiment: What if they could create a revolutionary new dictionary? It would be one that encompassed all sorts of words in the English language — from street slang to technical jargon.
The Profile: The billionaire who will die broke & Google's wartime leader
Some of the most important innovations have come from the world's most unlikely sources. In 1857, the members of the Philological Society of London decided that existing English language dictionaries were incomplete. They thought up a crazy experiment: What if they could create a revolutionary new dictionary? It would be one that en…
What the Dramatic Origin Story of the Oxford English Dictionary Can Teach Us About Innovation
Some of the most important innovations have come from the world's most unlikely sources. In 1857, the members of the Philological Society of London decided that existing English language dictionaries were incomplete. They thought up a crazy experiment: What if they could create a revolutionary new dictionary? It would be one that encompassed all sorts of words in the English language — from street slang to technical jargon.
How the World's Most Creative People Bring Their Ideas to Life
Coming up with a brilliant idea is the easy part. Bringing it to life is where the real work takes place. The best artists, writers, and innovators have a creative process that requires rigorous iteration. They cut, edit, slash, rip apart, and start over many, many times before the final version of their work comes to life. It’s frustrating, and it’s beautiful. My friend Ali recently introduced me to Songland, a show in which undiscovered songwriters pitch their original songs to recording artists.
The Profile: The man who killed Hollywood & the sports gambling hustler
Good morning friends! Coming up with a brilliant idea is the easy part. Bringing it to life is where the real work takes place. The best artists, writers, and innovators have a creative process that requires rigorous iteration. They cut, edit, slash, rip apart, and start over many, many times before the final version of their work comes to life. It’s frustrating, and it’s beautiful.
The Profile: The man who killed Hollywood & the sports gambling hustler
Good morning friends! Coming up with a brilliant idea is the easy part. Bringing it to life is where the real work takes place. The best artists, writers, and innovators have a creative process that requires rigorous iteration. They cut, edit, slash, rip apart, and start over many, many times before the final version of their work comes to life. It’s frustrating, and it’s beautiful.
The Facebook billionaire’s second act & the conscience of Silicon Valley
As a reporter, I’ve always been most comfortable writing. Not speaking on stage. Not appearing on video. Not moderating panels in front of hundreds of people. My job was to put other people in the spotlight. But I was hyper-aware that those were skills I needed to gain if I wanted to have a career in media. The problem was that the mere thought of an on-stage interview in front of a live audience gave me heart palpitations.
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The Profile: Robinhood’s billionaire founders & TikTok’s secret weapon
These days, people love to make small talk starting with the following: “Man, 2020 has been a really shitty year.” While I understand the sentiment, I can’t bring myself to nod in full agreement. This year has been absolutely devastating for a myriad of reasons, but it has also had a few bright spots. I got married, left my job, started a business, and moved to a new apartment. When I was younger, I would let one awful event ruin my day, week, or even month.
The Profile: Spotify's biggest dealmaker & the corporate kidnappers
The year before my family moved to the United States, my dad was helping me learn basic English. I was 7 years old at the time. We had the following exchange: Me: “So Americans speak English, but they think in Bulgarian, right?” Him: “Uh...what do you mean?” Me: “Like they think in Bulgarian, but then they translate it to English when they speak?” Him: “No...they just think and speak in English.” This insight blew my mind. At the time, English was an exotic language that no one I knew spoke.
I just got married, and I asked more than 100 couples for their best secrets to a successful relationship. Here's their advice.
The author Polina Marinova with her husband. Eloise Photography Polina Marinova is the founder and author of The Profile, a newsletter that features interesting longform profiles on successful people and companies. A newlywed herself, Marinova has been gathering relationship advice from her readers and asking for their best tips on having a successful marriage.
Why Talking to Strangers Can Boost Your Mood
In 2018, I went to a conference, and one of the organizers helped me find my seat. It was really loud, and all I heard him say was that I would be sitting next to “David … something something ... you know, the NRA.” And I thought, “Oh gosh, I know nothing about guns, but here we go.” David asked me about my job, we chatted about the conference, and he helped me find the agenda in my little conference booklet. David from the NRA was incredibly pleasant, and we had a lovely conversation.
The Profile: Hollywood’s newest billionaire & China’s detention camp prisoners
All over the world, young people are fighting for a democratic future. University students in Belarus marked the start of the academic year by joining in the demonstrations against long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko. Often referred to as “Europe’s last dictator,” Lukashenko has been in power for the last 26 years. Mass protests erupted in major cities across the country after the August 9 presidential election in which he claimed he received 80% of the vote.
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