21: How did Ukranian entrepreneur, Sergey Lechshenko, find his first customers in the middle of war?

paris_vega: All right, welcome to the first customers podcast. Everybody today, we have Sara Gay lesson co, from K V sergey: M. paris_vega: Ukraine, He's the founder in Co sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: of Beverly English, a career coaching business that he started in Kiev, and it's been growing the business in Ukraine sergey: yeah, paris_vega: during this whole war in chaos and craziness that's broken out and he's still there now working on his business, So The first question is always you know, how did you get your first customers? But man, how in the world are you in K. V, starting and growing a business, Because from the outside looking in, it does not make any sense how that's even possible at this point? sergey: But first of all, thank you for having me as a pleasure of being here being able to talk to the world paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: to your followers, Listeners. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: well, a long story short, I didn't have much much choice. you know, we are here, especially man, We have some restrictions on the ability to go outside the country, But it's not to say that I was going to Leave. I'm kind of die hard, Ukrainian, and I don't want to leave my country, especially paris_vega: Sure, sergey: when it needs people who do business and who create, you know or places, And this is our contribution to the society as business people. Our president always emphasizes the fact that we need you guys who need entrepreneurs, especially who work with The people from from outside Ukraine. So we need the inflow of cash from from foreign countries, paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: and I'm trying to do just that, trying to do just that. paris_vega: Wow, sergey: So my first customers, Beverly English is my remote for now, remote coaching business coaching service, and help people, usually international applicants who ned A new job. They need to prepare for a job interview, for example, paris_vega: Hm. sergey: or people who need to close deals. the like, go around the world and try to close deals at different conferences. And actually my first customer came as a result of my content trategy on tik Tok paris_vega: Okay, sergey: and actulyyeah. Actually, not even Content strategy. I was just having fun there, men I didn't have. I didn't have much belief that something would transpire, but then out of the blue I was just sharing my wisdom there, sharing the knowledge that I have acquired over the years, building businesses you know internationally and a lady, Contact with me, she said, I'm a Uranian, now living in Lisbon and Particle, and I want to go and visit this web summit that took place, and may, I guess, and she asked, Can you? can you teach me? Can you help me? How do I do small talks? How do I kind of make connections? And how do I find investors? Because I have my experience working with investors As well, and paris_vega: Okay, sergey: off off we went. So that was my first customer who I prepared specifically to close deals at the Web summit in Portugal, paris_vega: Okay, all right, so you're kind of like a consultant for whatever kind of business goal someone has to advance their career. sergey: And on top of that I do this in English and help people to pick the right words, because still you can learn foreign language and all all tire your life, and still not paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: be ready to communicate with people from specific industries, especially as paris_vega: Right. sergey: she. she. She's got this gaming portal. It's called Dash fight. It's wonderful portal for everyone who want to go check out Uh games like fighting fighting games. Right, paris_vega: Okay, sergey: And yeah, she was looking for for partners and I was so excited to help her And she, and you know what my instantaneous desire was to help her basically free of charge, because you know how it goes for the first customers. You're willing to do this in exchange for feedback. Oftentimes paris_vega: Okay, sergey: but yeah, but She paid me in full, and that's a really good lesson that you got to get paid for the energy that you give away. paris_vega: Right, sergey: Otherwise, yes, it's not a fair exchange on a metaphysical paris_vega: Right, sergey: level. paris_vega: For sure. Okay, So that goes over the first customer that you got, And did you continue just putting out tik tok content and getting more customers through social media? Or did you get referrals from there? How did that lead to more customers? sergey: That's a really good question. So I thought at the time I was not familiar with the Tiktok algorithm. I thought that I'm golden, that I would just continue producing vireos of the same kind, and they would go wiral every single time and long behold didn't happen. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: So you got to you don't know. Sparta principle does not apply here. Maybe out of one heart It tries. You can get like one time. And plus Tik Tok is paris_vega: Okay, sergey: not built, is not built to serve like your followers base. I mean the recommendation page that the pre that you see when you open the app is always for you, and nine times out of ten you are not going to see the people that you're that you're following. Okay, So their elgrelgorithm always Show. Like wants you to show to see new new new new creators. Okay, and therefore I slowly transition to Instagram and realize that Instagram is the way to go Because this is the place similar to Twitter. Right, that is more popular in the United States. Not so popular here in Ukraine, But yeah, that's where it started growing my customer base, And they, by following me checking my dates on on a daily basis, they kind of started reaching out to me and asking me to help with our career, business and negotiation needs. Yeah, paris_vega: And is that still how you get most of your customers just through your social content? sergey: Social content Organic only. so I never bought any any ads and never invested any money into advertising. For now. It's paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: just also not the best time right now for me being in Ukraine. I got to have paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: you know some cash prepared for whatever happens, paris_vega: Right. sergey: But yeah, but every new opportunity to Get additional exposure Super. I'm super appreciative. That's why, like I'm super appreciate, appreciative for the opportunity to be here. Yeah, so I'm a big believer in the social currency and paris_vega: Okay, sergey: I believe that by spreading the word, we can go places we can grow our business one step at a time. paris_vega: Yeah, all right. So that's your current business? T's growing, getting more customers putting the content out there totally organic. sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: Um, but what did you do before that to get the expertise? You know. That makes you qualified to help these other people talk a little bit about your background. Um, that led to your current business. sergey: Yeah, So the first thing that people asked me all the time how many times you've been to the United States, and I say, never, not once, never paris_vega: Funny, sergey: ever been to the United States. But I've been always obsessed with the American culture. For some reason I just liked it. I played basket ball, and paris_vega: Okay, sergey: from fifteen years old I started watching N B A. Because we got the access to the n B A before before that we couldn't watch games and I would start watching games like crazy. You know what I'm saying, paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: and that's where my love for American pronunciation was born in Fast forward. This is where I first learned about in Bound marketing, and a company called Hop Spot In the marketing paris_vega: Hm, sergey: conferences that they done that they did, and I were listening carefully and just absorbing as much as I can because for some reason I just picked my interest in a big way. I just I felt like I will be doing business globally. I will. The English will be my language for doing bus Is, and my first job was a customer support representative. I specifically was looking for a job that required speaking English with with Americans paris_vega: Okay, sergey: and affiance found such a job and during the night we were working. Our our work was at night. Just like now. Pretty much we were serving customers of one company that Was producing digital content for for Americans, for for, not even Americans for people who are studying in in American universities. paris_vega: Huh, sergey: So it's It's sort of combination of tutoring and ghost writing paris_vega: Okay, sergey: won't be digging deeper for the sake of this conversation. if you don't mind a right. paris_vega: Okay, yeah, yeah, that's fine. sergey: and Uh, paris_vega: Ghost writing for college students. Okay, that's interesting. sergey: All right. Yeah, it's paris_vega: Got sergey: It's paris_vega: it sergey: walking a thin ice, Legally wise, And yeah, and my friend, this was the place where I've gotten my experience talking to customers doing sales over the phone and stuff of this nature, which then resulted into me and a dude who I wore. They're starting our own business in the same industry. So this company called Decks Digital. It had its onset, it like, beginning in two thousand Fourteen, and for the next seven years, For the next two three years we were boots strapping on our own. I would Ask money from my, borrowed, my borrowed money from a friend of mine who sold a garage for twelve thousand dollars to give. Give him. give me the money, and we were a. Yeah, We're just boot trapping grinding for three years traight before we realize that we can't make our ends meat. We need to pay salaries. We had roughly seven people on board and Then we started looking for additional Um. sponsorship. Basically found adventure fund the grain into Southern Twelve. It wasn't It wasn't a thing you could find on the class five, you know, like on. it wasn't something you can find easily. These people paris_vega: Okay? sergey: investors were not pop. Look right. paris_vega: Okay? sergey: And yeah, it took took us a lot of time to find them, but over the next two years we worked with them and then I left, and two years later after I left, I left into Southern Nineteen. Two years later after I left, the company was sold for one point five million paris_vega: Oh, wow, sergey: to another corporation. Yeah, so it could could be seen as a as a success, successful start up story paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: when they say that, on average, like one out of thousand startups work, I think that's paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: not S not far away from the truth. paris_vega: Yeah, no, that's great. An any time you can get an exit, you know, get a company bought. That's great sergey: Yeah, the stock. My equity was not not not something that would like converting it, not something not into something that I would feed me till the rest of my days. paris_vega: Right sergey: but paris_vega: right. You sergey: that paris_vega: couldn't sergey: was paris_vega: stop sergey: worth paris_vega: working. sergey: while. paris_vega: necessarily. sergey: experience. Yeah, experience of a lifetime, Absolutely paris_vega: Yeah, For sure. Okay, So Been working had some success. And then what is it? twenty, twenty, one or twenty two sergey: Twenty paris_vega: When sergey: twenty two. paris_vega: the war started over there and talk to us a little bit about what was going on. You were doing business. Um, and then you said you had to pivot, so just talk to us about that transition of what it was like. You know, first hand experience durin Is historic moment. sergey: At the time I was, I actually started another thing in China in between of these two things, So I'll paris_vega: Okay, sergey: briefly mention this, I went to China. We started Beveral English. The name of my coaching center initially started out as as a online school for Chinese kids. You know, we were going to teach them in English, but that paris_vega: Okay, sergey: didn't work, but I still had my tik tok, the Original Chinese tik tok, and paris_vega: Oh, sergey: I was kind As everything started. Go the way went and February, I figured that my contribution or my mission here is to show Chinese who were the Ally of Russia paris_vega: Oh, sergey: in a big way. Now paris_vega: okay, sergey: I would show them what's really going on because paris_vega: Wow, sergey: they saw a completely different picture from their main stream media. You know what I'm saying, and the number of people who were waiting for my up dates on the daily basis was mind blowing men. paris_vega: Really. sergey: Some people told Like that they have friends in China who are waiting for this guy. Chris and Chris is my nickname that I've been paris_vega: Okay, sergey: using for a while, because paris_vega: Okay, sergey: when we first started the business, we didn't want people to know that we are creating an. That's a completely different story, finding your identity, But I'm paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: finally surge, Chris, but they were looking. They were waiting for Chris to go live to go to post the video And just tell them what happened today paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: and that was sort of just. I couldn't be unbelievable. That was, and paris_vega: See, sergey: I really like. I really enjoyed the fact that not even enjoyed. I appreciate it that there were people who ere sending the nations and who were super supportive even though the Chinese government wasn't so much. paris_vega: So before the show we're having a quick chat and you're like Man, It's safe or relatively safe. You know, you get used to getting shelled and that kind of thing, sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: which sounds crazy to us over here in the U. S. And you know other places people listen to this show. Uh, because you give us a little bit of that a little bit of insight into that. like how do you adjust to the life style or or just the situation? What's that like adjusting to that or It doesn't affect your daily life? You know, just some kind of a picture into your world. sergey: I was just thinking about this a couple of days ago when I was crossing the road and all the cars for standing, waiting for you to cross the role Because the red light, I think marched to thou than twenty two. If some of your listeners ever played G. T. A where they are paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: driving all across the city without any rules. paris_vega: Hm. sergey: That was the situation. For the first three months paris_vega: Really. sergey: Cars were just driving with no. No one would follow the rules on the road paris_vega: Okay. sergey: That paris_vega: So sergey: was paris_vega: kind of sergey: just paris_vega: some sergey: raising paris_vega: order? sergey: like an anarchy paris_vega: Yeah, okay, sergey: and N. paris_vega: Crazy, sergey: but that just just to illustrate a picture from like just something that your viewers, your your listeners could picture Like how it was just the magnitude of Chaos that took place. And now we, right now it's a car. Few, so we're not allowed to leave our apartments. Um past eleven p. M, So you can paris_vega: Okay, sergey: where you want during the day time, but by eleven p, M, like shut shut down the doors and you're not leaving your apartment. So the Cars that have special documents that can Go, but for like all people are staying put, staying at home, but right now we have military doing doing what they're doing on the East Coast and down down Boss area. There fierce fierce paris_vega: Right, sergey: fights there and men are not forced to are not obligated to go to the army. That Not something our government does unlike paris_vega: Hm. sergey: rush that that, I'm almost certain that if put in decides to steer the pot, he will make it amendatory ship, so that men, just man, will have to go there. Otherwise this is gonna be like you pick prison or you go to to a war. paris_vega: Wow, sergey: We don't have anything like that. We have our crania arm. Who's qualified enough, who had trainings with, you know fire, with the American army. We have. I know cases where our pilots are being trained above in Denver training. Yeah, paris_vega: Really. sergey: so yeah, man, so, uh, what I learned about my nation in my military is that where more than capable of learning the role Of new technology, even though we're not giving a lot of technology as much as we wanted, because we still don't have our sky covered fully right. paris_vega: M. sergey: But the system air rocket system works, so I'm I feel eighty percent safe paris_vega: Okay, sergey: being in the downtown of the capital of K. F. eighty percent safe. That rocket won't hit my building. That is going to be hit. Approaching my building right, But paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: still there is a risk. That's just the risk we're taking and we can't. We can't just live in fear. we can't be passive. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: We should have active sense of life. We should move. We should do something and help bring the can and be back. paris_vega: Yeah, and so you were in China. You were doing the Beverly English as a like, English teaching service and then war started and you're like all right. Want to pivot to do something more local and that, sergey: So I was, I wasn't in China, so I went there for few days, so I was developing this thing. So where where I was targeting Chinese and I was going to give them some kind of lessons. I don't know why, but I always wanted to work with foreign customers. I don't know what it is, man. Something paris_vega: M. sergey: deeply ingrained in me that I always wanted to challenge. This. Tagusqua. always wanted to do something really freakishly dif difficult. You know, while I first worked with Americans that, then I worked with Chinese, while at the same time I have amazing amazing nation, paris_vega: Hm. sergey: just best people. As far as I'm concerned, being a Ukrainian, the best people on earth, and I am super excited, Thrilled. you know, grateful for the opportunity to help them to spread their wings and pursue their career and develop their businesses worldwide. So this is something that really feels like a perfect fit for me paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: Now. paris_vega: So sergey: Oh paris_vega: apparently you know there's still a lot of people in Kiev. How many people are still there? sergey: A lot, my men, a lot. we have Warsaw, Poland, Pol, Poland has been super hospitable Wars of is like people call it the second Key because so many citizens, citizens of just like when there, and they're opening restaurants there. Opening you know is like were r, a lot of a lot of people, a lot of people, a lot of people in Canada, A lot in Portugal, specially in crypto um Malta, paris_vega: Okay? sergey: Cyprus, for yeah, but still a lot of a lot of people. Well, I can. I can only engage it by the mere fact that we we still now we have the traffic jams again. That's the indication paris_vega: Okay, sergey: for me that you know we're back. We're back on track. I see paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: old familiar. good old days traffic jams. paris_vega: Yeah, So you said, most of the fighting are the most intense fightings in the Don Boss area and that's more towards sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: the eastern border. sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: Uh, and so, but you said, there's also the risk I guess of shelling deeper into Ukraine closer to Kiev. Is that the kind of that twenty percent risk that you feel, sergey: Ah, they do have rockets that they shot from the Crimea. That reach. They have the reach to paris_vega: Got sergey: get to paris_vega: ya sergey: Ka. and we haven't been given rockets that could shut to the stand, so that's I think that's a real where thoughtful decision coming from Nero and the Us. that we're not getting these rockets yet paris_vega: Okay? Got you sergey: So we're roly defending our country. Can you imagine if it was a full scale to direction paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: to due treat, paris_vega: Right. sergey: and we're like felling, like let's go, man, I mean, like we feel like let's go. You know what I'm saying, paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: Because paris_vega: and so sergey: our guys are ready. they're ready. It's just there is no politician. political will for this quite yet, And we don't want it. We don't want that. We want them just to get the fuck out of our country paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: and live in their third world country, Russia, which will be like that paris_vega: M. sergey: now. paris_vega: Yeah. So you guys? you were saying you're kind of in more defense mode? Is that? So you're saying you do have some like surface to air defense. Is what you were saying about sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: rockets coming in. There is some defense against that, but sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: you don't have the sergey: surface paris_vega: same kind sergey: to paris_vega: of sergey: er. paris_vega: offensive weapons sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: that sergey: we paris_vega: they sergey: don't paris_vega: have. sergey: have. Yeah, so I paris_vega: Crazy. sergey: don't want to be giving false information, but I'm paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: saying Like what I know from my friends talking to my friends. Everything I say is not be. I don't watch news. paris_vega: M. sergey: I don't watch news at all. everything I say or I've told during this conversation coming from like first hand source. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: Basically my friends Ere I got folks who figfighed, I got a classmate who died recently. paris_vega: Man, sergey: He went. He was drafted, you know, he. he decided to go there. And yeah, so paris_vega: Sorry about that man. I hate that war has to happen at all. It seems like we'd be advanced enough at this point in history that it would be unnecessary to do such things. M. sergey: This is a political context and I hope the business is something that Can give us hope, paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: And there's going to be time where it's going to be a lot of investors and the capital that is brought from the outside to restore all the damage paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: I'm looking forward to these times. paris_vega: Yeah, kind of the recovery process After all this is over with and sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: settled and then it's time to grow. sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: Yeah, that's a good perspective. sergey: I think the more new new entrepreneurs, the new wend shirts we have, the better it is because I feel an amazing amount of support From people like you from from people all around the world who are just lending the hand, you know, and saying Hey, like be my guest, And paris_vega: Yeah. sergey: just because I'm a Ukrainian, I feel so much support and welcome to different podcast paris_vega: M. sergey: And that's amazing that that helps me, but it also helps me to tell how like about great people that we have that we are not Third World country. That we have a lot of entrepreneurs. We have a lot of A tech companies that serve people in the Us. In Canada, In the Uk, we create create startups that paris_vega: Yeah. sergey: are known all over the world, So it's an opportunity for me to to just speak the truth about my country, which has been paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: in a shadow for Russia for too long, man. I don't know if you've heard about Ukraine before the war started, Did you paris_vega: I've heard of sergey: have paris_vega: Ukraine sergey: you heard? paris_vega: before. Yeah, I just you. I didn't know as many of the details of the history and the kind of back and forth or you know the details of the relationship between Russia and Ukraine. You know, I didn't know about that as much until you know. everything has been the news. Non stop. sergey: In a way? It helped us to gain our true independence in a way, Because you know if everything happens for a reason and everything does happen for a reason, I believe that maybe this is something where we finally separated and we finally found our own identity. paris_vega: Yeah, interesting. so wild man, just getting a view into your world and the fact that you've been building a business throughout all this is amazing. Um, Yeah, it's almost unbelievable just from my perspective, watching sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: the news and everything, and sergey: yeah, paris_vega: you know, if you're scroll in social media, you might see ten different clips sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: that are all negative, but you're just seeing them over and over and over because that's sergey: yeah, paris_vega: the only you know what I mean. That's the thing that gets the most views or sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: something. And so you're just seeing some missile sergey: Like a sensitive paris_vega: exploding sergey: content. paris_vega: or yeah, or just yeah, just some random war footage And it's like So you, That kind of perspective that you develop of like the the war that's going on over there. It just looks like. Depending on what you're seeing in your own feed on social media, it can look like and it's just pure sergey: M paris_vega: non stop chaos and destruction over there because you know something of just a quiet street isn't going to get any views you know on social media, or just you know, some people having coffee in a cafe or something that is not going to get any views, But that's probabl Going on there. I mean, you guys are doing business. sergey: Meeting people doing dancing before before eleven paris_vega: M. sergey: P. M. So we get a go, Was supposed to lay. I was supposed to paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: go with our life, just that paris_vega: For sure. sergey: you. only, you only do this till till midnight Then you go home. Then we switched parting to to you. Now home. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: our paris_vega: Wow, and so there sergey: M. paris_vega: wasn't any curfewse or anything before this all happened. sergey: Oh, For sure, No, paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: No, paris_vega: yeah, sergey: like it's only happened. Ah, so it's been a year. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: So this February twenty fourth marked a year since everything started, And when I read history books, I was like Jesus. They had worked for like four years, five years. It was like. Why couldn't they just decide everything? paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: Not not like. Why do they need to go for? such Should have such a long time, and that always paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: been a year. paris_vega: Wow, Man. well, I hope everything gets cleared up as soon as possible, and wishing you all the best luck and business growth and all that, Um, what advice would sergey: Thanks paris_vega: you have for either other, Maybe entrepreneurs in Ukraine or anywhere in the world? What advice you have for people looking to start a business or get their first customers? Because you've done it in the midst of a crazy situation, So if you can do it, I mean, I don't think anybody has an excuse when it comes to starting a business and getting something go And taking that risk if you can do it in the idle of the war zone. sergey: Say that we. I have to listen to ourselves if you got paris_vega: M sergey: this something going on. If you got this got feeling that there's some. There's not enough for you and you deserve more. You want more. You have this ambition. There are so many examples of people who have done it, and one of the the wisest things I was, I was taught is that we should start thinking that our case is you, Neque. Because when we think that we are unique and no one and no one has ever experienced something that I experience, we are being mistaken. If we look around. If we open, B, become open to you know, the network of people that surround us and our opportunities. We're going to see that there are people who can help who can become your first customers. even from Your friends, paris_vega: Sure, sergey: right You just got to have this open mind mentality paris_vega: M. sergey: and just go for it and take one step at a time like this trajectory s trajecttrajectory, where you always you take two steps, for you take one back backwards and it go like that. So you always Grow like this. It's never paris_vega: Hm. sergey: like a steady growth. You always paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: kind of back batta ittle bit, But you just have to keep pushing and yeah, listen to your to your God. I think that God is underestimated God. feeling is so underestimated. paris_vega: M. sergey: Yeah, so that's that would be my advice. paris_vega: That's good. And so what did that mean sergey: Oh, paris_vega: for you Like? Listen to your gut, Is that that was kind of the reasoning for starting your current business. sergey: M. paris_vega: It was just feeling so strongly that you wanted to do something to bring business back to Ukraine. That seemed like the clearest path to do that. sergey: We like When we listen when when we do something with we have. we still get the reaction from the market. So obviously, if there is no market fit, the best thing that you should do is to probably not persevere for so long, because if you're paris_vega: M. sergey: just you're if you're just rock hitting the rock bottom or like you're not just getting an attraction, you should probably also listen to. paris_vega: The sergey: Maybe paris_vega: results. sergey: other people results. Absolutely paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: so some paris_vega: yeah, sergey: people, they just waste so much time Following what they think are there calling or whatever their destiny. paris_vega: Gotcha sergey: But you got a still look. objectively. what's going on? and for me the instrumental moment took place when I was through through my entire life. People around me would ask me, Where did you learn English man, and where did you learn to communicate like this? And And I never paid attention to this up till up until that moment where I decided that I will finally start helping these people and I will finally answer their call right, because when there is a demand you just sometimes you just have to look. Look what, On the opportunity that present presents themselves Now I feel like it's a perfect fit for me, specially with so Ucranians looking for you know opportunities outside paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: Ukraine Because because right now you. paris_vega: Yeah, Okay, my curiosity is overtaking me. Now you mentioned that sergey: Oh, yeah, paris_vega: When the war started, there was a sergey: Y, paris_vega: three month period of just anarchy kind sergey: yes, paris_vega: of chaos. sergey: sir. paris_vega: So were you just like sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: on your laptop, trying to get work and looking out the window like it's crazy out there, but I'm gonna like. Can you walk us through a little bit of like Because I remember the first night that it happened. I stayed up all night on like twitter spaces or like clubhouse, just listening to people like give reports on what was happening. I was like what this is crazy. So what was that first? Like twenty four hours to three months Like of actually living there? sergey: It was in towns. we didn't know what didn't know what to expect. A lot of people were fleeting, leaving their houses. You couldn't buy food because people would stay in the line for like four or five, six hours in the super markets. paris_vega: Wow, sergey: Total nonsense, total chaos and I was not so much developing the business. I would. I would most vireos for Chinese paris_vega: That's right. sergey: viewers Asking for donations because my business revenue are pretty much donations that I were able together to to Yeah, to arrange for my country and I would donate to our army that all the Ucranians will do. They would send money. You know, our army. Yeah, but paris_vega: Interesting. sergey: I was actually this the picture that you you have in your mind Is it's actually pretty close Because Was I was also doing some freelance project. Had a friend who he's an n f D has got business where they paris_vega: Hm. sergey: aggregate like an n f D calendar where they posed the latest drops, paris_vega: Okay, sergey: and I and I distinctly remember how like sitting here. Read this spot with the windows being fully closed, you know, and just was making deals and I would. I was worked. I would work and I would make sales. That was, that was incredible paris_vega: Wow, sergey: and I needed that so much and I actually appreciated the fact that people kept living because paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: a lot of Ucranians had sort of dubious feelings about other contrits for people who didn't openly support us, and we kind of took offense to other people who were just Going on with their life. But paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: these feelings are now like, because we were so so depressed man who are so angry at everyone paris_vega: Right, sergey: was horrible. and yeah, and but right now psychologically we have grown men. We now understand that it's every person's choice how to go around the thing. Some people are still checking news. Some people are still Like super super concerned about what's going on and some people just go on with their lives. I don't say that, I say, oblivious to paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: what's going on, but I decided that I could contribute much paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: better if I go with my life. make money. create work paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: spots, and you know, paris_vega: be productive. sergey: just send donations whenever I can paris_vega: Wow. sergey: and spread the truth. Kay. paris_vega: Yeah, So were there moments when you were literally working and like an explosion would go off somewhere that you could hear like, sergey: Yeah, so I had the corridor over here and I would. I would stand between two walls, because this is the the thickest place in my apartment, paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: And we would, and we would kind o convince ourselves that if we stay between the thickest walls it would. It would rescue us from the rockets. That was, paris_vega: Wow, sergey: That was insane paris_vega: yeah, sergey: because we got four fed up. Were we spent nights in the in the sub way paris_vega: Okay, sergey: and there were people are filled like all over the place, And I couldn't spend this ship, so I may be spent two nights subway. And then yeah, I would just stay with with my friend. paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: It's a girl. She, She now lives in Frankfort. She paris_vega: M. sergey: never, she spent a night at my place, and in the morning and the Stickly remember she turned out turns on the light at five a M. and I got this lightning red red lightning. You know, I got different colors right, paris_vega: Okay, sergey: and she turned and when you hit hit hit hit the turn button Like random light would come. O come out and she clicked. She, guessing what my room she hits hits the turn on and the red light pops up and she says The war has That. That was the beginning of sucking. And I remember so much tension in the air. I was already feeling that there's something happening because it felt like something is wrong. The air was super tense. You know. paris_vega: Really sergey: Yeah, man, when things like that paris_vega: Crazy. sergey: happened, you can feel it on the metaphysical level. It's just fear paris_vega: Wow, sergey: an cergeincy when you. it's but it kind paris_vega: Crazy. sergey: of helps your character. Oh, paris_vega: Yeah, For sure, you know, survive and gets stronger For sure. Wow, Okay, so I guess like you mentioned that girl, she's moved to Germany. Uh, Is that how it is like most of the women had to leave or chose to leave, sergey: Oh, paris_vega: Or is that sergey: Most of the women chose to live some part. I don't know which part I belive. The minority came back Because the paris_vega: Okay? sergey: life. it's not for every want to you know, adapt and just be okay with totally different culture and everything. paris_vega: Sure, sergey: And paris_vega: leaving your sergey: yeah, paris_vega: home sergey: but women for the most part left You paris_vega: Crazy. sergey: beautiful Uranian ladies left, but we still got a lot of ladies left, so I'm good. paris_vega: Okay, sergey: You don't feel sorry. paris_vega: We're getting into the details of Uranian life. Now this sergey: Oh, paris_vega: is crazy. Okay, Wow, So from our perspective out here, That's interesting to map what I was seeing to what you were going through. and like where I live. we have tornadoes, like crazy storms, and they can destroy houses, sergey: Oh, paris_vega: so we have similar situations where we'll be. You know, you go to the strongest part of your house, Like you were saying, the strongest part of your apartment, and we have to go there. And you know, hope that the tornado doesn't hit our house, because it will just you know, destroy it, and so in the south and the Us. That's a common thing that you have to deal with every year during the certain Seasons of the year. Um, And so it's nowhere near sergey: Oh paris_vega: the level of the situation that you're talking about, But it is just interesting to me that I can see that parallel of that experience sergey: Yeah, paris_vega: of just being in a little safe spot, just hoping something Yu have no control over you. Just hope well, I hope the sergey: And paris_vega: the sergey: in a way, paris_vega: Paos doesn't sergey: kind of paris_vega: hit sergey: like, paris_vega: me today. sergey: kind of like a phoenix. You get your life back every single time when you start paris_vega: M sergey: depreciating it and you start paris_vega: right. sergey: filing Like. What have I done like? Am I living my life and I living to my full potential? paris_vega: Sure, sergey: Right moments like this are super valuable. paris_vega: So what's your goal sergey: That's paris_vega: for sergey: why paris_vega: your current business? sergey: the goal for my current business is too Help. I'm not a hare percent altruistic. I want to make paris_vega: Sure, sergey: money. I want to profit from this, but I want paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: this to be world like. Like a brand recognizable within business. Net works not on Crane, but in the Us. and help as many people as possible. I'm not saying that That's like the direction that I have chosen. That will be the only one paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: is going to be like educational services. Some people reach out to me asking for pronunciation courses, So that's being able. You know, I like leadership studies so much. I'm following Simon. Cynic. This guy you got. paris_vega: Hm, sergey: He's an amazing and the way leadership is something that is being taught In the United States. It's not something that we got here. It's not. We're not quite there yet, you know, and I want our corporations in our managers. learn what what it means to be empathetic leader means what paris_vega: M. sergey: you know how to give praise. How to just now criticize people. Though so they're not. It's all. Should I really like the this approach where you create organization That where people want to come to work every single day paris_vega: Yeah, sergey: and they're not telling each other you like your job. You're so lucky I want people find the job that's really truly fit them. That's why I help people to ask proper questions. That's where I dig deeper to understand what they really want and where if organization can facilitate that right. paris_vega: Okay, sergey: So paris_vega: yeah, sergey: I think it's so so It's so fascinating How we should like how how this find mid common ground can be achieved through just you know, some some tips that I can give. paris_vega: Yeah, who's your ideal target customer? sergey: So my ideal target customer is an individual who wants to work on international company as a middle senior executive, and also, I really want to work with more entrepreneurs who need to present their businesses to venture fans. To just do Velo business all across the world and where they lagged the communication skills. This is where I come on stage. That would be perfect to two segments. paris_vega: And so it's Is it? Mostly people like who are not English speakers who are trying to okay? sergey: Yes, so yeah, that's a really good point. I want to help more people feel confident because confidence is attained through. It's easier said than done. but I think that it's a combination of things. if you work on little things like your speech, like your vocabulary. How you listen. All these things combine could make you a better communicator Right so I find my application application of my knowledge, both in like helping people to come across, you know, So that other people could understand them, and at the same time you know held their businesses like using, using some specific terminology and stuff that I've learned over all these years. Yeah, paris_vega: Okay, cool. Um, sergey: Yes, paris_vega: So this has been an amazing conversation. sergey: Oh paris_vega: Um, Now it's late there. I appreciate sergey: yeah. paris_vega: the time you've spent with us already. M. Why don't you give just a quick pitch? Like if let's say a group of your target customers, they're listening right now. Um, what would you tell them to to show the value of your service or try to convince them to use you as a service provider? sergey: So if you're looking to nail a job high standing position, Amazon, or any taggin, for example, if your developer, if you're highly qualified Sor engineer, and you can't communicate your professional experience, you can describe how good of how great of a professional you are. This is where I can help can help you press And yourself on the level that would really gain you the position that you re worth worthy Off. and if you are a team, your recruit, recording team, Har department, or your support team, working with English speaking customers, and you want to understand how to make how to provide better assistance, how to make repetitive sales. I can also be of help. You're a entrprener who goes somewhere, pitch their business. Find strategic partners or investors and you don't know how to present your business. I can help you, because I've been there, my friend, I've been. paris_vega: M, sergey: I've solved the business. paris_vega: Hm. sergey: I worked with strategic partners with people from Asia from the United States, from Soria, Abe, you name it. That's why I feel like I'm qualified and I'll be honored to help paris_vega: Awesome, So if sergey: Ye. paris_vega: you land in any of those specific target audiences, reach out to Sarah Gay, let them help you get where you want to go, sergey: Oh paris_vega: Um Sara gay again, Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. That's another episode of the first customers podcast. We appreciate everybody listening. If you got any questions, don't hesitate to hit us up on social media. We'll have links in the show notes to everything Saragasism is Involved with H, and we'll see everybody next time. thanks sergey: Thank paris_vega: again, sergey: you paris_vega: Sergey. sergey: so much. I thank you by guys.