Gentlewoman of the affiliate industry or how to create an affiliate while giving birth to your third child! The story of Gentle Partners CEO Anna Sukhanova.

HWYD: Tell us how Gentle Partners came to be?

Anya: Gentle PartnersI just couldn't help but appear. It was something that was already in the air. Now it seems to me that it was fate. I had a very difficult period in May. I didn't expect such a dramatic turn of events at all, because I was preparing for childbirth, not a job change. My dismissal from the position of CEO at the previous company was very painful news - it was very difficult for the team to take. All my tops with whom we worked, built, and grew took it to heart. That's when the idea was born that we could build a new team. Gentle Partners. Because business is based solely on people and personal relationships, and nothing else. And we had every opportunity to do that. And because we didn't get along very well with the previous team, we just decided to fully immerse ourselves in the new one.

HWYD: How long did it take you to create your own new brand from scratch?

Anya: When you have professionals and personal experience, you don't need much time. If you have a taste, a vision, an understanding of how everything should look, and you follow the right examples, two weeks is really enough to create something of high quality. I can't say that everything was perfect right away - no. Of course, there were some gaps and it took another two weeks to fill them. In fact, it took a month from the idea to the finished product. Why did it happen so quickly? Because we have professionals. Almost all of the employees who are with us now are people I've worked with for many years in various projects. They are not just friends, they are specialists whose results I have seen with my own eyes. That's why we managed to assemble a strong team. And when they come together, it happens quickly. Even in two weeks, or even earlier.

HWYD: Why the name Gentle Partners?

Anya: Gentle - This is about us. Our policy is that we care about both our partners and our team. Gentle - is tenderness, politeness, something pleasant. And these are our values. We have a small team, so every employee is very important. We have no staff turnover. People work steadily - without running from one team to another. For us, this is a red flag, because we invest as much as possible in training our staff and aim to build long-term relationships with the team, where everyone is focused on the result. So the name "Gentle"In addition to sounding good, it fully reflects our values and positioning. The brand name has a lot of meanings that resonate with the team and partners. It looks great in communication, style, and design.

HWYD: How did the partners you have known and worked with for many years react to your transition and the creation of the new PE?

Anya: I wouldn't say "transition". This is the creation of a new company. And here, everything was decided by the reputation that we have all been working on for years. Every employee who is now in our team has always cared and cares about their own reputation, regardless of the brand they work under. This is a rule that we have all been following for many years. That is why we have received a lot of support. Our partners have shown loyalty and trust. There was practically no negativity - everything went as smoothly as possible. Many offered to invest in a new project, which was very nice. And we are still considering offers, deciding who we are ready to join forces with and who is ready to share our values. In general, the market has received us well. Of course, everyone wanted to know "what happened," but globally, everything is fine.

HWYD: Ania, how did you take the news of the shake-up in the company you represented?

Anya: I was not ready for this at all. I was preparing to give birth. I was scheduled for the end of May. And that day in the evening, I still had a stream - and I did it, without a single hint of negativity. We talked about important topics and joked around so much that no one suspected how difficult it was for me.

Before the stream, I even wondered whether I would be able to physically withstand these two hours for such a long time. And after what happened, it was even harder. Although, if you watch that broadcast, I look as calm as possible there. Because I had already set myself up internally to hold on. But after the stream, my emotions were overwhelming. I started to cry. Because when you build something from scratch and see a positive result, it's hard to believe and accept such a decision.

HWYD: We know, thank God, you are doing well, you gave birth! We congratulate you on that! Tell us how the labor went, who did you give birth to?

Anya: Because of my nerves, I, of course, went to give birth earlier than planned. But, thank God, everything went well. It was not without complications for me, but I got out of it. And I was motivated: a new future awaited me. The idea of creating a new company and team. And you know, when I first saw my son, he took my finger, so tiny but so strong... At that moment, I realized for sure: I can do anything. For him. And for myself.

HWYD: So, the idea of creating Gentle Partners arose during the last days of pregnancy? How worried were you at that moment? Describe your feelings.

Anya: I can't say what exactly happened in the last few days. We already realized that we were leaving the previous project. But it was not yet clear what would happen and how. After giving birth, when the stress subsided a bit, it became obvious that we would have a new company. We knew exactly what to do, because it's not a product, it's people. And I didn't even have the opportunity to go on maternity leave. I wouldn't wish anyone to go through dismissal, childbirth, and business launch - all in two weeks.

HWYD: How many employees does the new brand consist of?

Anya: Now there are 20. We are actively recruiting more. So welcome!

HWYD: How difficult was it to recruit the team?

Anya: We are still in the process of recruiting. I cannot say that we are fully staffed. But it was not difficult. The personal brand is working. And many thanks to our marketer Olya - she did a great job of promoting everything, building communication, explaining to people what was what.

HWYD: What values does the company share in terms of recruiting "your people"? Gentle Partners?

Anya: We have our own mindset. If a person shares it, he or she is ours. We are about trust, sincerity, humanity, and partnership. And the result, of course. We are not about dancing around. We are about business. All of us are professionals. And, by the way, we have an interesting trend - a company of young mothers. Someone is always pregnant. We even have a baton. We are loyal to mothers with small children because we know what it's like.

HWYD: Who do you need now?

Anya: At the moment, we need affiliate managers the most.

HWYD: Do you hire people exclusively from the industry, or are there exceptions?

Anya: We hire not only people from the industry - we are ready to train them. We already have many years of experience in this: if a person has the right skills and shares our values, we can adapt them to us. Of course, there are positions that are difficult to teach from scratch, but adaptation is almost always possible.

HWYD: Let's emphasize once again: Gentle Partners - Is it not a rebranding or a branch of the old company?

Anya: No, this is a completely separate, new project. Gentle Partners - is a new company where the co-founders are me, Anya and Sasha.

HWYD: Who manages this flagship?

Anya: The managers are Anya Sukhanova, Anya Shemyakina, and Sasha Lotharia. Each of us has extensive experience in affiliate marketing - more than 8-10 years. These are different verticals, but for the last 4 years, we have been working in iGaming.

HWYD: How much time has passed since the launch and public announcement of the new company?

Anya: We officially went public on June 9.

HWYD: What successes have you achieved?

Anya: I don't want to talk pathetically about "super successes," but in a short period of time we managed to build normal working relationships with our partners. We received a lot of offers from advertisers with good caps. And most of the websites that have been friends with us for a long time decided to support the launch of our brand and began to actively pour with Gentle Partners. And I consider this to be a result as well.

HWYD: What fears did you have at the launch stage? Did you believe in success?

Anya: Honestly, I had no more fears. After being laid off a few weeks before giving birth to a child, what could possibly scare me? We knew what we were doing. If you know your business, you are confident in the result. I emphasize again: reputation is the most important thing. We had it, and it continues to work for us. Build brands on trust, no matter how pretentious it may sound, and then any fears fade into the background.

HWYD: If things hadn't happened the way they did, Gentle Partners would have appeared?

Anya: I cannot fully answer this question even to myself. I think not. Because I get very attached to the people I work with, I give my maximum energy and time. And I would hardly dare to make any drastic changes. It's not about me at all. But life has decreed otherwise, and I can say with certainty that I am grateful for this case. Now we, and you, have Gentle Partners.

HWYD: What are your plans for the future?

Anya: We need to reach our revenue and margin targets as soon as possible. And we are actively looking for a reliable holding company or investor. This partnership should be not only about money, but also about attitude, approach, and values. We are about efficiency, results, and humanity.

HWYD: Do you plan to scale up? In what way?

Anya: Of course. We have a growth plan for the rest of the year and for the next year. But first of all, we need to understand with whom we are moving forward and in which direction.

HWYD: Do you plan to participate in conferences?

Anya: Yes, we are planning it. Now the big conferences are over, and it's even good for us, because we have enough time to focus on fulfilling our internal goals. And in September, we will all meet in Lisbon at the SBC Summit, and then Kyiv Conversion, and then Rome SiGMA Europe Summit.

HWYD: We are very pleased that you have entrusted us to be your first messenger to the media world on behalf of Gentle Partners! We really appreciate your trust, and that's why we are speaking so sincerely and heartily! But do you plan to enter the large-format media market?

Anya: Yes, definitely. And in the near future, we will intensify our communication. Now we are at the stage of collaborations with partners, and then we plan a large-scale entry into the public field with a focus on marketing and PR. Our marketing manager Olya has everything ready for this. So, subscribe to our social media and follow the updates.

HWYD: What would you wish yourself for the year ahead?

Anya: Honestly? I went through something I didn't think I could handle. But I persevered, drew conclusions, and built my company. So I wish myself only one thing - success. And I am sure that everything will work out. Because if you have the right mindset, you live positively, you think about good things, then everything will be just so.