Paskal Zhelezov: "Home Is Where the Heart Is, and Bulgaria Has Always Had Mine"

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Paskal was born in Burgas, a city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. His childhood centered around his family, and he spent many an afternoon caring for his younger sister. But in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and so too did the Iron Curtain. What followed was a time of great political and economic uncertainty in Bulgaria, so Paskal's family decided to emigrate to the United States.

“I was 15 and did not speak a word of English back then - it was just a cultural shock, to say the least. That new chapter was contingent upon learning as much English as possible and as quickly as possible. I learned English by talking to people, and my first part-time job as a cashier helped me tremendously.”

When Paskal graduated with a degree in economics in 2015, he was living in San Francisco, then the hub of start-up activity. "Every other person you met either worked at a start-up or was involved with something start-up-related." It was a great place to live, and the sense of excitement and possibility was everywhere.

There's no place like home

Although he lived in the U.S. for many years, deep down, Paskal always felt a sense of homesickness. "You get used to life in the USA - you learn the language, build friendships, but you always know that home is somewhere else."

In 2020, he was working for a software company that helped businesses manage travel expenses. It was a job he loved, but when the pandemic hit, everything changed. Lockdowns and global travel restrictions impacted him both professionally and personally. What was once a bustling city became empty - everything came to a stop. So after living in the U.S. for 13 years, Paskal sensed that the time was right, and he headed back home to Bulgaria and to his family and friends.

‍Omnipresent is reimaging the future of work

While it was great to be home, Paskal still needed a job, a way to build a life for himself. And that's when he discovered Omnipresent. Having been taken by our mission and values, Paskal joined the Omnipresent sales team in July 2020, focusing on making sure clients are educated about the wealth of opportunities that Omnipresent has to offer. "I spend my day communicating with people, presenting, educating, and answering questions about how Omnipresent solves painful and complex issues for our clients."  

"I believe that remote work is the future, and the fact that Omnipresent is a key player in paving the way for this future is hugely exciting," says Paskal. "It is quite remarkable that thanks to us, people have greater choice and freedom around where they choose to live. Businesses, too, can now find and hire talent anywhere  - they can tap into a global talent pool and select the very best people."

Discovering the amazing potential of remote working

Paskal is the first to admit that it did take him a little time to warm up and fully appreciate the benefits of remote working. “Like many things in life, you hear about something, and you tend to be skeptical at first. But when you get to try it and you get to live it, and you get to experience it directly, you think, ‘wow, this is so liberating.’”

Besides the freedom and flexibility it offers, remote work also brings many other opportunities. Paskal knows firsthand what the ability to work from anywhere in the world means. He can now be close to loved ones and take full advantage of the benefits this ever-interconnecting world we all live in presents us. ‍

“If it weren’t for Omnipresent, I don’t know if I would have a way to come back to Bulgaria permanently. It always just puts a smile on my face knowing that what I’m offering out there is something I’ve personally benefited from. I’m living the Omnipresent lifestyle.”