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Mieć Wenę – Who, When, How? Our Story and Beyond
Mieć Wenę – Who, When, How?
Our story — and more
September 2014 – That’s when I, Anastazja, co-founder of Mieć Wenę, moved to Poland to study. I secured a place at university thanks to my strong command of Polish and a real desire to turn my life around. I come from a small town in western Ukraine which, over time, began to feel too small for me.
Starting university, I knew I had to support myself. So I attended classes in the mornings, worked in the afternoons, and at night — whenever I could — I slept and studied.
How did I get through that period? I had an incredible drive to live, grow, and keep going.
May 2017 – A failed exam session, tough exams, and sheer exhaustion — that pretty much sums up that year. But there was also something beautiful in it.
In one of those moments when I felt completely stuck, I met Karol — my now husband and co-founder of Mieć Wenę — at a bus stop.
We went through a lot together, but those challenges gave us invaluable experience and the determination never to give up. Life throws all sorts of things your way, but what matters is getting back on your feet and moving forward.
March 2020 – The Covid-19 pandemic. We found ourselves stuck in a 30-square-metre flat, trying to figure out how to make ends meet.
I had just graduated and was asking myself: what next? For years, I had worked as a waitress, which allowed me to balance my studies with everyday life. With a degree in animal science in hand, I still wasn’t sure which direction to take.
As Covid spread and restaurants began to shut down, we had to rethink everything. Sitting in our small studio flat in Psie Pole, Wrocław, I asked myself one simple question: What am I actually good at?
People around me had always admired my Polish and often couldn’t believe I was from Ukraine. That surprised me — I had learned the language entirely on my own.
So I took a leap and posted on Instagram that I was offering Polish lessons.
What happened next? After just one month of teaching, I took a risk and left my job at the restaurant.
Was I scared? Yes.
Did I know I’d have enough students? No.
I simply followed what I loved — sharing my knowledge and creating my own teaching materials along the way.
November 2022 – By this point, I had been teaching Polish for two years. I was actively running my Instagram account, sharing language tips, taking on translation work, and developing my own materials.
There were times when I was running up to 40 lessons a week, preparing personalised materials for every single student.
Where did I find the energy? I honestly don’t know — I just loved people and being part of their journey towards something better.
I never struggled to find work because I put my heart into it and genuinely cared about my students’ progress.
But eventually, I ran out of time — and space. More and more people wanted to learn with me, and waiting lists stretched into months. I started to worry that I simply wouldn’t be able to help everyone.
December 2022 – A small, cosy restaurant in Wrocław’s market square. Me, my friend, and Karol — finally finding a moment to sit down together.
It had been a difficult year: the situation in Ukraine, relocating family, working through things with a psychologist. A lot had happened.
And yet, life goes on.
That evening, sitting there, I felt something shift. I felt boxed in — by the four walls, by the limits of my time, by the fact that I couldn’t take on all the students who needed help. I didn’t just want to work — I wanted to live.
Had I thought about starting a school before? Yes.
Was I afraid? Of course.
But one question kept coming back:
Would I be able to find teachers who care as much as I do? Who teach with passion and give their all?
I had been thinking about it for months. We didn’t have capital — but I had experience, knowledge, and a strong instinct for business.
January – February 2023 – We started planning the business. It wasn’t easy — especially doing it for the first time.
Our priorities were clear:
finding great teachers, earning positive feedback from students, and building a solid, well-structured system.
We set up the company — but just days before that, we received news about a 7,000 PLN debt from Karol’s previous business.
Despite the stress, financial pressure, and moments of doubt, we decided to keep going.
We invested our own 5,000 PLN and began building Mieć Wenę from the ground up.
February 2024 – One year later.
Today, our team includes six Polish teachers, two English teachers (yes — we’ve expanded!), and one Ukrainian teacher for Polish learners.
We regularly teach up to 100 students, most of whom attend classes one to three times a week — and we haven’t received a single negative review.
How did we achieve this?
We do everything with genuine care and a love for people. We’ve built a team based on open communication and mutual support. We focus on individual needs, on comfort — both for students and teachers — and on real results, not just profit. We spend time talking to our team and our students. We stay flexible, supportive, and approachable.
We’re not interested in Instagram numbers or picture-perfect feeds — we care about people.
It took us a full year to find the right teachers — people with heart. And we did it. I can honestly say: I’d happily take lessons with every single one of them.
We want to support, inspire, and bring joy — while teaching in a way that is both effective and engaging. And we want to be more than just teachers — we want to be someone our students can rely on.
Mieć Wenę means to feel inspired.
And we never run out of inspiration — to teach you, support you, and give you the very best we have.
Thank you for your trust and all your kind words.
Anastazja & Karol Nowaccy
Founders of Mieć Wenę