We’re looking forward to introducing you to Olya Kwiecien. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Olya, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
In December 2024, my husband and I bought our own truck — a brand-new 2025 Volvo VNL 760. It’s a perfect, reliable truck for traveling across the states and delivering essential goods to people. This was a huge step forward for us and a true reason to feel proud.
I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I’m incredibly happy to have my own business — to grow it, face challenges, and conquer the roads of the U.S. as an owner, handling every aspect and detail of our company’s operations.
Before that, I spent seven years working as a company driver, five of which were in Europe transporting hanging meat on hooks — a very difficult job with a high center of gravity that made the trailer prone to tipping over if turns weren’t handled carefully. For the past three years, I’ve been working in the U.S., including a year and a half I was a company driver. Now, with our own truck and company, I work for myself.
I consider this a major success. I often laugh remembering how it all started. I was born and raised in Ukraine, and I never imagined I’d not only conquer Europe but also come to the U.S. and build a new life from scratch — not just in terms of housing or survival, but by building a real business.
This is our first business, our first truck, and we’re growing it step by step. Ahead of us are big plans and new horizons to reach. I have so many ideas I want to bring to life, and I work hard every day to make them happen.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Olya Kwiecien, and I’m a truck driver girl. I’ve been in this profession for 8 years. At the age of 21, I decided to completely change my life and began studying to become a truck driver.
I was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, and I hold a degree in finance — but I found office work unbearably boring. I’m a person of action and achievement. By the time I was 22, I was already driving across Europe in a massive truck, delivering goods in a refrigerated trailer — mostly meat, fruits, and vegetables.
In 2023, I moved to the United States and continued working as a truck driver. But working for a company was never my goal. My husband and I decided to open our own business, buy a truck Brand New Volvo VNL 760, and become independent — working on our own equipment and building our future with our own hands.
Right now, our company consists of just the two of us, our truck, and a huge drive to grow and succeed. We’re a small but hardworking company on the U.S. market with big ambitions. Our goals include purchasing more trucks and our own trailers, building a team of drivers, hiring dispatchers and accounting support, expanding the company, and achieving everything we’ve set out to do.
Looking back, it’s almost unbelievable that I’ve come this far in just 8 years — but it’s the reality of my life, and I’m proud of every step of it.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My view of the world was shaped by the courage it took to choose my profession — to become a truck driver.
At first, I grew up with completely average ideas about what girls are “supposed” to be — how they should behave, what roles they should take, and how they should live. A small set of stereotypes lived in my head, and I didn’t see any horizons beyond that. I didn’t know that women could be strong, independent, free, and fearless. Or rather, I knew it — but in a very different way.
I was raised in a loving family — mom, dad, and me — and my worldview was always built within the boundaries of family life. I looked up to my parents and believed I should follow the path of building a family, being a good homemaker, and being a “proper girl.” But deep down, those roles never resonated with me. Still, I went with the flow, because that’s what was expected.
But after working different jobs and seeing office life up close, I started to feel uneasy about my future. Everything seemed “fine,” yet something was missing. I wanted more — something different. So I took the risk to change my life completely.
My husband has always supported me in that journey. We’ve worked hard together, reaching milestones side by side. He believed in me — and still does — more than anyone, and that support means the world to me.
Entering this profession — crossing borders, changing countries and continents, watching the scenery change through the windshield, hauling trailers in a job often seen as “not for women” — I finally felt alive. I found the life I chose myself. I discovered the adventure, the movement, and the respect from fellow drivers that truly speaks to my soul. I became someone I admire. And I still love that version of myself — the one who broke through walls of stereotypes and followed her true calling.
I remember driving through France, listening to an audiobook, and suddenly realizing with total clarity: life is not a script of “girl or boy.” There are no limits, no expectations, no predefined roles. There’s just you — and your life. Live it for yourself. Because no one else will live it for you.
Today, my world feels like a blank book with no limits on its pages. I write it myself, the way I want, the way I see it. I no longer drift with the current — I create. I build my life with my own hands.
I wish everyone could come to that same realization — to understand their own worth and take full responsibility for their life. That’s where true freedom begins.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, I would definitely say: “Sweetheart, anything is possible in this world — just believe in yourself and never give up. Always keep moving forward.”
That would be my message, without a doubt. Because, unfortunately, society often has lower expectations for girls. Many young women don’t feel confident or empowered, because men are typically seen as the ones who build careers, move forward, earn higher salaries, and have clear paths to success. And girls? Society expects them to work for a few years, then get married, have kids, and somehow quietly fade into the background.
Very few women reach true greatness. Very few grow up with unconditional support and belief in their potential — simply because of their gender and the outdated roles imposed by it. But I don’t believe that’s acceptable in today’s world.
Now, in the digital era, with growth opportunities in every field, women — regardless of children, husbands, or circumstances — can build themselves and their own empires. And not believing in them is simply wrong.
I believe everyone should have faith in themselves. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman — anyone can succeed in any field they’re passionate about. Yes, men often receive more support from society than women do. But today, every person should know that anything is possible.
Of course, there’s no magic. Success and money don’t fall from the sky. But if you believe in yourself and take action — everything is achievable. I truly believe that, without a doubt.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
Without a doubt, if I set aside my own ideas and desires, I can confidently say that I fully rely on and trust the ideas and decisions of my husband. He is a role model for me. We’re six years apart in age — he’s older — and I’ve learned so much from him.
He inspires me. He approaches even the wildest ideas with courage and strategic thinking and finds ways to turn them into reality. I can trust him with absolutely everything.
What I love most about our partnership is the freedom we give each other. We both bring our own ideas to the table, we discuss, reflect, weigh the pros and cons, and make decisions together about future steps and risks.
My ideas + his ideas + time for thoughtful discussion and decision-making = always successful outcomes.
We don’t compete over who’s in charge, who came up with what, or who made the final call. We operate as true partners, with a complete ability to listen to and truly hear each other.
I believe that any successful business, any family, and any strong relationship must be built on 100% trust between partners.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Without a doubt — yes, and yes again. Everything I do in my life, I do because I want to. My work, my home, my family, my business, my friends — everything that surrounds me and is part of my life is my personal choice.
So how could I expect approval or praise from someone else — and more importantly, why would I — if I’m doing what I chose to do?
I believe that if you do something only for the sake of being noticed or praised, you will never be truly happy or free. Your life will be stuck in a mode of waiting for validation. And when you’re constantly waiting for praise, you lose touch with yourself — your real desires, your body, your intuition.
You won’t feel fulfilled, because maybe today you did something great — but the praise you were hoping for never came. That makes the day feel meaningless, even if you tried your best. And that’s destructive to your inner self.
That’s why I’ve never believed that the world owes me praise. It doesn’t.
This is my life, and my choice — to do or not to do anything. And that is enough.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olya_kwiecien/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14G6bacgdSu/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@olyakwiecien
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@olya_kwiecien?_t=ZM-8yHUmwUNOiL&_r=1
Image Credits
All of this photos are mine
