Growing Up in the Soviet Union Taught This Founder to be ResourcefulBy spotting opportunity in limitations, she learned to create her own success.

I grew up in the Soviet Union, during a time of political and economic turmoil. Myparentsdidn't have much money, and so my childhood was one of hand-me-downs. I'd inherited my older brothers' books, clothes, pants, and even their tights -- the footed kind to keep you warm in the bitter cold of winter. I had a few cherished dolls of my own, though we couldn't afford to buy them shiny new dresses. So I put my brothers' old clothes to a different use: I cut off parts of them and fashioned the fabric into doll clothes. It would take me years to understand what I'd really done there. I wasn't just dressing a doll. I was teaching myself how to findpotentialin overlooked things.

Related:How This Immigrant Entrepreneur Is Helping Others Achieve the American Dream