HWYD: Where were you born and what kind of family did you grow up in?

Inna: I was born in the city of Znamenka, Kirovograd region, into a family of railway workers. And it's really a family dynasty: my mom, dad, grandparents, and grandparents all worked for the railroad, going back several generations. On my father's side, one grandmother was a math teacher, and my great-grandfather was a prosecutor. But everyone else I remember and know from my family was connected to the railroad.

The family was absolutely ordinary. It was a small town-about 40 thousand people at the time. An ordinary kindergarten, an ordinary school. I grew up in the difficult and rather harsh 90s, when there was often a lack of basic things, and it was a difficult experience. I think many of our generation know this well.

HWYD: What kind of person were you as a child - more quiet or ambitious? What childhood memory do you consider important for understanding yourself today?

Inna: I have always been ambitious. At the same time, I was an absolutely normal child. I was popular in class, I wasn't bullied, we had a cool group of girls where we supported each other. We were friends with everyone - with boys and with each other - and we did well in school. I wasn't the star of the school, but I didn't have any problems either, neither with my studies nor with my friends. I was just an average girl from a small town in Ukraine.

The most vivid memory that characterizes my ambition very well is the story of textbooks. At school, there were simply not enough of them for everyone. And my persistence - or perhaps even my impudence - helped me a lot. I always had some kind of grip. My classmate Katia and I once came to the library and realized that there were no books we needed. But eventually we got them - by some miracle, we “scrolled through” this issue. I think this is very much about me. We had a crazy thirst for knowledge. We didn't say: “Well, okay, there are no books, so we won't study.” We literally broke through and received these textbooks among the first, in full, so that we could study.

HWYD: Who or what had the greatest influence on the formation of your character in those years? What were your dreams back then-what did you see yourself doing in the future?

Inna: I was greatly influenced by the fact that I lived in ordinary conditions and in a small town. I really wanted to “go beyond” this space. I wanted more - to be on TV, to become famous, to be visible. I saw myself as a star. It didn't matter in which field - acting or journalism. Journalism seemed the easiest way because I was a good writer. But even then it was important for me to choose the best university. My family also had a great influence. A combination of my mom's warmth, kindness, and empathy and my dad's severity. Although my dad is also very kind and sensitive, it was the balance of gentleness and demandingness that I think had a strong influence on my upbringing.

HWYD: Was there a moment in your life when you had to take responsibility early on?

Inna: I guess I took responsibility very early on, since I was a child. I have a younger brother, and it so happened that my parents worked a lot, so I was often responsible for him. In such situations, you have to grow up quickly. When you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for someone smaller, it forms a different attitude to life. Everything happened: I lost him, looked for him, took him to school, and actually got involved in processes that are not usually a child's area of responsibility.

In general, I was a very responsible child. Despite the difficult times, I had a music school from an early age - I started there when I was about six, even before I went to a general education school. Then there were clubs and classes. I didn't like music school very much, to be honest, but I graduated and played for about ten years. Plus, I was the school's head girl. That is, the sense of responsibility-for myself, for others, for the process-has been with me for a long time.

HWYD: Looking back, do you see any traits in that Inna that are still with you today?

Inna: Absolutely everything. Everything that happened in my childhood stayed with me. Shyness, perseverance, and the desire to achieve something. In fact, nothing has changed. I just became an older version of myself.

HWYD: What path did you choose after school and why?

Inna: My parents really wanted me to go to work for the railroad, just like they did. This has been our family history for generations. But I always wanted something bright, and it was definitely not the railroad.

HWYD: Did you immediately realize that you wanted to build a career in business?

Inna: No, not at all. For a very long time I thought that business was not about me. I imagined myself in a TV newsroom, creating content, programs, and stories. At that time, no one realized that classical journalism would gradually disappear, and entertainment content and YouTube would become dominant. I thought I would either go into news as the “fourth estate” or into entertainment formats. I got into business by accident. And just as accidentally, it turned out to be IT, and later - a traffic-related field.

HWYD: What was your first job and what did it give you?

Inna: My first job was as a proofreader in a publication. It gave me stamina and perseverance. There was very strict discipline and a very small salary. My first salary was 200 hryvnias. It was 2007.

HWYD: How did you get started in this field and what were your first impressions of the industry?

Inna: My journey began in 2010 with the Khreshchatyk poker club. Back then, I was a fourth-year journalism student and worked as a part-time journalist at the poker series. That's where I met Tolik. After several years of working in various companies and in the poker industry, he suggested that we start a CPA network together. That's how I first got to the conferences, the professional community, and the industry itself. It was from there that my first networking began to take shape.

Then came the main company, the parent structure, and the product line. Then there were various networks, teams, work formats, experiments. At some point, I even had a poker school. We were engaged in the gamification of products - to be honest, I've done a lot of different things over the years. If you don't count the two years of poker as journalistic experience, then in total, I have about 13 years of experience in the industry. During this time, I tried many directions. Not everything worked out, a lot of things didn't work out at all. But some of it has definitely worked out. And I recognize this.

HWYD: What seemed the most difficult or incomprehensible at the start?

Inna: The most difficult thing was to understand how traffic works in general. It seems obvious now, but 10-11 years ago it was a completely different reality. The explanations about “traffic”, “grids”, and “matchmaking” sounded very abstract. And here I am very grateful to my former boss, Ildar, who always said: “Inna, if you know the math, you know everything.” Even if your first business doesn't take off, knowing the basics allows you to try again and eventually figure out where you'll succeed.

HWYD: At what point did you realize that this environment offered an opportunity for scaling?

Inna: I didn't have a specific “moment”. We were growing up together with the industry. I came in and everyone was small, and I was small. There were big players, but it was a completely different league, with which we didn't even intersect at the time. So it felt like we were all growing and scaling in parallel.

HWYD: When did you feel ready to create something of your own?

Inna: It wasn't a sudden decision. There was no moment of “I woke up and realized that's it, I'm doing my own thing.” This is a story about circumstances, support, suggestions, and the right moment. Everything just worked out - one plus one equals two.

HWYD: What was crucial for you in building the affiliate program?

Inna: Two things: a large number of direct advertisers and a strong team that knows how to work with traffic. When these elements converge, the system works. When something falls out, everything starts to fall apart.

HWYD: How did you build the team and culture within the projects?

Inna: Initially, the team was formed from people who were already around and wanted to grow together. It was easy to start from scratch with them. Later, we started looking for people from the market, and it is much more difficult. People come with their own experience, which is not always relevant, and it is harder to build a culture.

There were several stages: a family atmosphere, then a more corporate structure with regulations and boundaries of responsibility. I don't consider myself a genius of corporate culture - it was a living, changing process.

HWYD: You are often called one of the key figures in the industry. How do you feel about publicity?

Inna:  I'm fine with publicity because I'm used to it. This is one of the facets of my personality. I didn't have a moment when I said to myself: “That's it, I want to be public.” It happened very naturally. I didn't have any goals to be recognizable or to specifically form a public image. It just happened over time that I communicate a lot with people who have been in the industry for a long time, and they know me. Whether I am a key figure is not for me to judge. It is better to let others evaluate this. One thing I can say for sure is that I really like the people I work with, I like what I do, and I like the environment I am in. There are a lot of strong people in the industry now who have been in it for a relatively short time but already have serious business results. And this is very cool. The industry is growing, and this is more important than any personal “titles”.

HWYD: How do you build trust with your project partners?

Inna: I always say it very bluntly: trust in any partnership starts with money. This is the foundation. People will work with you if you pay. If you don't pay, they won't work with you, even if you have good human relations. You can be friends, you can have great conversations, but if you don't fulfill your financial obligations, there will be no partnership. This is a basic thing.

But there is another side to it. You can pay on time and in full, but if you are an unpleasant person, if you are difficult to work with, if you have no respect, no one will want to work with you for a long time either. So for me, it's always a balance. It's about 50/50. You have to be an adequate, honest, open partner and always fulfill your financial obligations without exception. For me, this is the basis of trust.

HWYD: What were the most risky decisions in your career?

Inna: To be honest, I didn't have any one decision that I would call the “riskiest” one. Launching any new project is a risk. And not all of them were successful. Moreover, most of them were not successful the first time. This is normal. So for me, risk is not something exceptional, it's part of the process. Rather, what is important here is the ability to accept that something didn't work out. To accept your weaknesses, to accept the moments when you were not perfect, not the strongest. This is also part of maturity. The realization that you are a living person, not an infallible function. There were many risks. Not so many of them were successful. But they all taught me something.

HWYD: What is more important to you in the long run - the result or the reputation?

Inna: Over the long haul, it's definitely reputation. No doubt about it. If you want to build a “come, earn, and leave” business, then maybe a short-term result is more important. But if you are building something for the long term, if you plan to work in the industry for years, reputation is everything. You can show the result once, twice, three times. But you either have a reputation or you don't. For me, the answer is very simple: reputation.

HWYD: What does your life look like outside of work? What fills you the most?

Inna: People fill me up the most. My inner circle. This is my family, relatives, close friends. This is my foundation. Besides, I really like my lifestyle in general. The opportunity to travel, see new places, learn something new. It also fills you up and gives you a sense of life. But to be honest, my family and those people who are with me not because of work will always come first.

HWYD: How do you recover from difficult periods?

Inna: I am recovering in Cyprus. I just come there and spend as much time as possible by the sea - with myself. I walk a lot, read a lot, breathe a lot. I really like the Cypriot vibe, this island history, the sense of calm and simplicity. After four years, I realized that Cyprus suits me very well. I don't need to do anything special to recover - just being there is enough. A week is usually enough for me to feel alive, healthy, fulfilled and happy again.

HWYD: You travel a lot and are constantly on the move. How do you cope with flights, changes in biorhythms and jet lag? Do you often manage to go home and see your family, or has life on airplanes become an integral part of you?

Inna: To be honest, I don't feel jet lag at all. Flying is very easy for me. I can fly anywhere and feel like I've never been anywhere. It seems to me that my body is just used to it. I can fly for 4-5 hours, arrive and immediately be in a working or normal state of life.

It's more difficult with loved ones. I try not to fly for more than two weeks. I always come back to Cyprus. I rarely see my parents - two or three times a year. There is only the phone, communication and acceptance of this reality.

HWYD: How do you see your next professional stage?

Inna: In the future, I would like to focus more on my family and myself at some point. I can't say that I need to “rest” because I'm not tired. But I would like to be able to switch gears and have more freedom. It's important for me not to be on call all the time. Because at some point, when you have calls from morning to late evening, you don't have time to do anything, and at the same time, you have flights, logistics - it's not the work itself that exhausts you, but the pace. I would like to have more time to watch something interesting, to live an interesting life - without having to constantly run somewhere, call someone, be in the process 24/7.

And the next professional stage... I don't know. Maybe I would like to do something completely different. I even think sometimes: perhaps a restaurant by the sea. Or some basic consulting in an area that I understand well, just in a format that gives me more freedom to do what I want. But I definitely don't want to leave the industry completely. I'm interested, I like it. I think it's great for me and for the industry if we move forward together. It's like that.

HWYD: What challenges are you most interested in working with now?

Inna: I am always interested in new markets - it is a constant challenge. Because it's complicated: different rules, different people, different context, different logic. But that's what keeps you on your toes. I also find it very interesting when people set a high bar for themselves and then actually reach it. When someone first declares a “great level” and then confirms this level with their actions, it's a thrill to watch and be part of such a process.

HWYD: What impact do you want to leave in the industry in the long run?

Inna: It seems to me that I have already left him. If this is true, I am very happy about it. I think a lot of girls have come to believe that girls can do a lot too. And that they don't have to “shrink” to meet expectations. If at least part of this happened because I was just doing my job, being visible and not hiding, then that's already very cool.

HWYD: What is the main marker of success for you today?

Inna: For me, like for everyone else, the basic marker of success is money. It sounds trite and even mercantile, but it's true. Success is measured in money. If you have money, you are successful. If not, well, I'm sorry, no matter how it sounds. Then there are nuances: you can be an introvert and stay at home, you can be an extrovert and party, you can be super-public - it's all a lifestyle and a choice. But without money, the very fact of “success” is very difficult to confirm.

HWYD: Who do you feel like today, without roles and titles?

Inna: I'm just an ordinary girl. And, by the way, I don't really feel like a “woman” - I feel like a girl. I'm still very interested in everything: I'm interested in living, I'm interested in researching something, I'm interested in doing something, communicating with someone, learning something. I'm just interested in being a human being, and that's enough for now.

HWYD: What advice would you give yourself at the start of this journey?

Inna: I would advise myself not to be afraid of anything. To trust people more, to love people. Love your team, your family, your environment. Respect your competitors, treat everyone with dignity and not deceive anyone. This always comes back to haunt you on the course, both in a good and bad way.

HWYD: And the traditional HWYD question: what do you want to say to the people from the industry who are reading this interview?

Inna: Don't give up on your dreams - if they are real. Go ahead, because everything is real. But it is important to realize that this is not a fairy tale. You never know what will happen next. And no one else does either.

C'est la vie.

HWYD: Where were you born and what kind of family did you grow up in? What was the atmosphere of your childhood like?

Alice: I was born in Lviv, into a family of artists. I didn't have a question of whether I was interested in art or not - it was just around me. The smell of paints, sketches, conversations about form and meaning, constant «look closely». I was a very creative child, I drew a lot and learned early on to look at the world from a different perspective. It was the 90s, a difficult time, sometimes harsh, but at the same time very honest. And despite everything, I grew up in love and support. So when I think about my childhood, I don't feel nostalgic and painful, but rather a warm smile.

HWYD: What memory from those years do you still carry with you and why?

Alice: Most often, I remember family celebrations of the New Year. When everyone got together, the snow seemed real, and time seemed to slow down. I really loved being with my grandparents - there was a sense of security and silence with them that is difficult to explain in words. Another important memory is traveling with my parents to Crimea. The sea, long conversations, the feeling that the world is big, but now it's all yours. It was good then. Simple and real.

HWYD: Looking back, do you see any traits from your childhood that have stayed with you today?

Alice: I was a stubborn child with a temper and an «A» student syndrome. I remember how I could stand at a press kiosk for thirty minutes, make the saleswoman show me all the magazines, and then calmly say, "I need to think." And leave. I have always been for justice, did not tolerate falsity, and said what I thought-even if it was inconvenient. This inner straightforwardness has stayed with me to this day. As well as my love of solitude and my own rhythm - a typical business Capricorn, with an inner sense of the bar that I never lower for myself or for the process.

HWYD: You studied at an art school and later entered the Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. Why did you choose this particular field?

Alice: Without being too modest, I just couldn't help but draw. I have always painted. Not «when I was inspired», but steadily, like I was breathing. It was a passion, a therapy, and a legal way to disappear from reality when I got bored with it. Therefore, entering the academy was not a big life choice - it was a scenario without alternatives. Everyone wanted it: both me and my parents. A separate point of pride is the budget. I didn't even consider the contract. In my head, it sounded like «you fell short». I would not have forgiven myself for that. And yes, I still consider it the right decision.

HWYD: Who did you imagine yourself to be at that time-an artist, a director, a movie person?

Alice: But no. At that time, I could only imagine myself as a person who was definitely here for a reason. I didn't think much about my professional identity, but I was very aware of my «heritage». I come from a dynasty of artists, and this seemed to be a sufficient answer to all questions. My grandfather, Ihor Yanovych, was a painter and until his death he held exhibitions all over the world. My father started out as a painter, but later went into art direction and graphic design. My mom is an illustrator. At that time, I thought simply: if I am given this, then I will somehow realize it. The details came later.

HWYD: What did this education give you, not in terms of your profession, but in terms of your thinking?

Alice: First of all, I am surprised. I can actually «see» ideas. Generating them in batches is effortless. This is my natural mode. Secondly, a cold shower.

Once my art teacher said prophetic words: «Alisa, you're very talented, but you're a bit of a clinger,» and it really triggered me. I left the classroom feeling like I had just been insulted. And then life said: «No, it was a diagnosis.» Over the years, I learned not just to come up with ideas, but to bring them to fruition. I became structured, attentive to details and very intolerant of superficiality. Now, for me, it's either a result or not worth starting at all.

HWYD: When did you realize that classical art was not the only way for you?

Alice: At a time when I really wanted to have my own money. To buy beautiful things. My parents have always supported me, but I'm not one of those people who are okay with being «under the wing». And somewhere deep down, I already realized that the path of an artist is a thorny path without financial guarantees. And then advertising came along. My dad was working as an art director at the time, and they were shooting commercials, and I was looking at it with a thought: «Stop. Isn't that creativity?

In my third year, after a few vivid conflicts, I decided to leave the academy. I simply stopped going to classes because I was bored. The scholarship was taken away from me because of my failing health and safety (yes, health and safety), and it was the perfect sign from above. I thought: okay, universe, I heard you. I don't want to spend my time on something that doesn't monetize, doesn't scale, and doesn't bring me drive. I have no regrets about it.

HWYD: What was your first job and how did you get there?

Alice: My first job was as a model scout. I loved being photographed, but I realized very early on that a modeling career was not for me. I was 161 cm tall, had to go through constant castings, had to change my weight and conform to standards. And most importantly, I was not attracted to the idea that someone was choosing me.

I much preferred to choose and manage the process myself. This is a very pleasant feeling, by the way. In addition to finding girls, I also organized creative shoots, assembled teams, and thought about concepts. It was a great experience, but it quickly became clear that I wanted to have a bigger scale and impact.

HWYD: What did your work as a model scout give you?

Alice: The most important thing is the ability to find an approach to people. Absolutely different people. Understand motivation, fears, triggers, ambitions. At that time, I didn't know the word «affiliate» yet, but this particular skill later became one of the key ones for me.

HWYD: How did you get into SMM and digital in general? And do you remember the moment when you realized that digital was serious, not just a “temporary thing”?

Alice: I had an interview with Moreca Atelier, a Ukrainian brand with a very ambitious bid for the international market. At that time, we were doing things that few people in their 20s could boast of: global collaborations, including with hip-hop artists like Future and Jay-Z. The bar was immediately set very high. I wasn't formally an SMM specialist at the time, but my boss believed in me because of my soft skills. I was hired into the team and paid for an SMM course at Bazilik at the same time.

I clearly felt that the world was moving into digital, and it was not a trend, but an inevitability. That's why I didn't plan anything in advance - in a good way, I just went with the flow, watched and learned. I really liked the team, the process, and the product we were creating. And I am still grateful for this experience - it has largely shaped my future path.

HWYD: How did you first learn about affiliate marketing and iGaming?

Alice: Ha! It was a complete accident. At that time, I was at a classic point of uncertainty: very ambitious and very green at the same time. I opened my first agency (there were three of us co-owners), but to be honest, none of us really thought about unit economics and strategy at the time. I took on a bunch of projects, tried to handle everything at once, and quickly realized that I couldn't take it anymore. Burnout hit me hard. It was painful to close, but it was a forced decision.

At that time, I wanted exactly one thing: one normal project that would cover all my financial needs so that I could stop working like a horse. To give you an idea of the scale, I dropped out of my own blog for years. I was literally sick of social media. And from the word «SMM» too. Back then, there was no such thing as a beautiful word as «remote work» - there was an office. And I considered only Podil or the center. No compromises. I went for an interview and received an offer the same day. It was so fast that I started looking for the catch.

As a result, I ended up at a large holding company (many people have heard of it, but here is an NDA) and was simply blown away. The scale of the budgets and how easily people make decisions. I remember my first thought: «It doesn't work like that». Of course, I still didn't understand a lot of things at the time. But I was really gnawing at this place. We were deliberately put in a competitive environment with another guy and given the same task: «Find Indian bloggers».
When they asked for the result, I found 50. He got 6. The next day, he just withdrew. And in two months I became a team leader.

HWYD: What role did you start with and what did you do at the beginning?

Alice: My position was called affiliate influence manager. I was looking for bloggers, negotiating integrations, launching placements, and implementing the company's budgets. Later, I managed a team that did the same. And it was then that I first saw that there were numbers behind ideas, and real solutions behind the numbers.

HWYD: What did your path from a specialist to a managerial position look like?

Alice: Thorny. My next project was a startup, where literally before my eyes we assembled a team from scratch and launched a product. It was the stage when there are no right and wrong decisions - everything is tested in real time.

I was offered a higher position, and I accepted. It was at this company that I experienced my greatest professional growth: within a year, I was in charge of half of the marketing department. My perfectionism probably played a role - it was important for me to gain a foothold for a long time and show results. Of course, there was also «juggling»: competition, envy, and internal struggle. Each project is like the Borgia series: the strongest survive. But in each of them, I thought not about my own ambitions, but about the business and the team. Yes, I wanted to grow, but it was never an end in itself.

I enjoyed gathering people around me. We really had a strong team of creative, lively, ambitious people. This vibe is something like Silicon Valley: creativity, freedom, constant movement. And it is very important that the CEO did not micromanage, but trusted.

HWYD: Who was your biggest team - and what was the most challenging part of the experience?

Alice: My largest team consisted of 25 people. At some point, we split the marketing department into brand and acquisition, and I was responsible for the brand direction. The most difficult thing is the transition of roles: yesterday you are colleagues, and today you are a manager and a subordinate. That's why from the very beginning I tried to build a safe and comfortable environment where everyone's opinion is heard and individual, lively relationships are built with each team member.

A head is a bridge between the team and the C-level. It is about a high level of diplomacy: explaining with empathy why a promotion is not possible now, or why an idea needs to be reworked because priorities have changed. iGaming is about volatility and constant change of focus. And you are always balancing: between team expectations, business goals, and reality.

HWYD: How does the mindset change when you move from tasks to people and systems?

Alice: I have always known that I am not the best performer, but I am a very strong organizer. I know how to find people who can do better than me, create high-quality technical specifications and build processes. I love people, I know how to convey meaning - and my managers saw this, which gave me a career boost.

Consistency is something I'm still working on, because without it, everything falls apart. I saw crooked business processes very often in the companies I worked with. But the key thing to remember is that the lack of stable, honest communication can destroy even the most promising startup with good investments. Here I am again - balance. Between indifference and micromanagement. Between rigidity and softness. Management is the constant maintenance of this balance.

HWYD: What was the most painful but most valuable management lesson for you?

Alice: The most painful thing is to fire people. To give unpleasant news. But I have learned to do it in a way that doesn't leave people devastated. Once, after such a conversation, I was even thanked. This is part of the journey. And each such stage is an experience for which we should be grateful and move on. Whether we like it or not, business is focused on numbers and metrics. But a true managerial talent is to maintain humanity and good relations even after difficult decisions. I once fired an employee, and a year later invited her to another project because it was there that she could reveal herself to the fullest.

The second important lesson is not to be afraid of mistakes. I constantly repeat this to my students. Mistakes are not a failure, they are testing. The main thing is to understand the price of a mistake. Make a mistake, draw conclusions, and move on.

HWYD: You often say that affiliate is not just a profession. What do you mean by this phrase?

Alice: I really often talk about this and broadcast it on my blog: affiliate is a way of life. There is an a priori period when work becomes a priority. The 9 to 19 format is not about this sphere at all. It's a constant balancing act and a lot of inner involvement. I have long since accepted the fact that I hardly ever have a classic weekend. Sometimes it's hard to just relax and do nothing. But at the same time, there are moments when your usual routine changes to networking abroad - somewhere in London or Barcelona - and you clearly realize that this is also work. And that's when you realize what it's all about. Can you call it complete freedom? I'm not sure. For me, real unfreedom would be living from paycheck to paycheck. It is thanks to Affiliate that I have grown financially: an apartment, a car, a watch - this would not have happened if I had remained a marketing head in a «white» Ukrainian company. That's why I call it a voluntary captivity 🙂.

Another important aspect is connections. No matter what anyone says, it works in any country. Today you meet someone at a conference, and tomorrow they recommend you for a cool project. There are no geographical boundaries. Almost anything is possible in this field - if you allow yourself to dream and get out of your comfort zone.

HWYD: What does your life look like outside of work - and why is it important to you?

Alice: About three years ago, I developed a habit that comes before work - sports. For the last year, it has been regular tennis training. It is extremely important for me to have a hobby and keep fit - sports give me support, energy and inner stability. I have a family and my dogs are a big and very important part of my life. I also run a blog, and believe me, it takes as much time and resources as a full-time job. I have a team that helps me realize my ideas, and it's also about taking responsibility for it.

In general, I live a completely normal life as a Kyiv girl: manicure, beautician, household routine, billiards, movies, and friends. We all live a routine every day. And the only thing I would advise everyone is to make your daily routine enjoyable. Small rituals shape our lives, so they should not be neglected.

HWYD: Have you ever experienced a burnout period and how did you deal with it?

Alice: Apparently, it is not in affiliate. This is a difficult question. I try to constantly balance myself so as not to bring myself to this state. And sports helps me a lot. So does having a life outside of work. Money coming to your card on a regular basis is also a nice reminder that you are moving in the right direction. I love my job, although I don't idealize it at all. There were cash gaps, hard days, and difficult months. But this is part of the journey. Any development consists of highs and lows. I just try to think optimistically, and it works. In my opinion, the main counteraction to burnout is a strong, slightly obsessive goal that wakes you up in the morning and faith in yourself, even despite all the hardships.

HWYD: At what point did you get the idea to start your own school?

Alice: While working on my second project, in 2022. At that time, I had already trained about a dozen interns and worked with teams a lot. And it was this moment of sharing my insights-when you see a person grow, apply knowledge, and succeed-that became the greatest pleasure for me.

The idea for the school was born out of the logic of the Blue Ocean Strategy - I consciously chose a different path. It was a risk. At that time, most launches in the infobusiness revolved around familiar and «safe» niches, and it was unconventional and unobvious to go into affiliate. To be honest, I didn't know that it was worth starting with cashback. I created a product first, and only then thought about how to promote it. The first year was very difficult. I received a ton of hate because I chose the ecological way of building trust, month after month.

And then the feedback came. People started writing that their lives were changing. And at some point you stop thinking about money and start thinking about something much bigger. I really want to change as many lives as possible for the better, no matter how pretentious it sounds. Many of those who built their businesses on hype alone have failed because their entire business model was based on launches. I realized right away that launches were not my path. I built a systematic, boutique training, not for mass, but for results.

I am starting this year with a clear understanding of what I am doing and why. In a few days there will be a conference, and with each such event, there are more and more of my students there. This time, there are at least six whom I will definitely see. I guess happy students are my main achievement.

HWYD: What, in your opinion, is the most important thing that people who want to start an affiliate program from scratch need?

Alice: A system that is laid out on the shelves. Affiliate is an avalanche of information, in which you can «swim» for a very long time without any result. I give direction and only what really works and helps to move faster. At one time, it was soft skills that helped me build my career faster than technical skills. Techniques are developed, but the art of communication takes a lifetime of training. Confidence is what sells you at the first interview.

I bring students to the offer, but at the interview, the person does everything on their own - and this is fundamental for me. My task is not to do it for them, but to give them confidence that they can do it. And she does. Most people want quick results, and this is a trap. Those who are willing to work for a long time and without expecting an instant effect usually get results much faster.

HWYD: How do you define Affio School's core value?

Alice: The main value is in the synergy between student and teacher. My format is mentoring, and it is always a bit about psychology. I am able to find the «key» that unlocks potential and restores a person's self-confidence. Anyone can give knowledge. But not everyone can give faith. But faith in your own strength is the 70% of success. Most students at the start are people who are burned out, tired, and have lost their bearings. They need a fresh perspective from the outside. And, honestly, each of us needs it - I am no exception.

HWYD: What is the most important moment for students for you-the first offer, the first interview, or the first failure?

Alice: The first failure. It brings you back to reality very quickly, and that's good. Often it is followed by an internal one: «Oh yeah? Well, now I'll show you.» The first interview is like roulette. You can fail, and that's okay. Or you can get a perfect match. The first offer is already a clear result. Like the first press cube or the first medal. A small but very important reminder: «I can do it».

So I will say this: all these stages must be there. They form wisdom and inner peace. Someone needs an offer, and someone needs another door. And they will definitely open. Yours will always find you.

HWYD: What motivates you to continue mentoring, even when it takes a lot of energy?

Alice: I just love my job. I feel that this is my destiny, at least at this stage of my life. You see people's sincere emotions, you see them grow, change and become happier. Yes, this is a very energy-consuming story. But at the same time, it's insanely resourceful. And there's nothing stronger than a message: «Alisa, I got an offer». At that moment, it's as if I'm reliving my first emotions. And it's incredible.

HWYD: How do you see the affiliate industry in a few years?

Alice: Definitely faster, tougher and much more professional.

HWYD: At what stage of your professional career do you see yourself now and where do you want to go next?

Alice: I am now at a very clear turning point. After the last conference in Rome - or rather, a month after it - I finally decided to launch my own agency. I clearly see the issues I want to work with. I grew up being hired. I'm 30, I have experience, a bigger vision, and the ambition to work with ecosystems rather than just one business. I want to have a broader impact: to help brands build strategies, not just close operational tasks. That's why Barcelona will be my first conference in a new role - as an agency founder and strategist.

HWYD: How do you see your focus shifting in the future - from roles within companies to working with brands on the level of strategies and systems?

Alice: During my four years of work at affiliate, I have seen one systemic problem. In 80% cases, budgets are merged not because of the market or traffic, but because the strategy simply does not exist. Companies think in the horizon of one month. They choose GEO, where everyone else is going. They copy other brands without understanding their role in the market or why the user should choose them.

I'm no longer interested in being responsible for traffic alone when the strategy is limping along at the foundation level. I'm tired of «patching up» the lack of vision with performance. That's why I'm moving on to working with brands at the level of architecture: positioning, influence systems, market entry, and long-term solutions. To be honest, our industry critically lacks bold and intellectually interesting brands. You can count them on one hand. I want the competition to be not just aggressive but smart. I want the affiliate market to develop no worse than the «white» industries - strategically, creatively, and systematically. This is where a strategic agency makes sense. Not as another contractor, but as a partner that builds the foundation, not just launches another campaign.

HWYD: What kind of meaning and scale of impact do you want to build into your next stage - and why is this important to you now?

Alice: My focus is on working with brands in high-risk niches. I see my role as an advisory partner who helps brands make sober decisions and protects their long-term interests. This is especially important for startups - those who have not yet managed to spend their budgets chaotically or whose growth is built on high expectations. It pains me to see good products being closed not because of the lack of a market, but because of the lack of a system.

A separate area of my expertise is working with influencers. Let's be honest: very few know how to build influence in a way that pays off. Most expect performance from a brand that is not ready for it. I don't sell individual campaigns. I build systems: a brand foundation, influence architecture, and processes that allow businesses to scale without chaos. This is what the name of my agency, Stratella, reflects. It's about strategy. About the structure. About the long game.

HWYD: Tell our readers about yourself in a few sentences. Who is Sasha Kufayeva today?

Sasha: I'm a person who creates, works, laughs, is inspired by the people around me, and loves my family, dogs, and good food. I just live and enjoy every moment.

HWYD: What was your childhood and school years like? What were you fond of, what vivid memories from that period can you share?

Sasha: My childhood was quite eventful. I studied at a physics school, so physics and math were top priorities (I still remember the drill and cosine 30° rule). This, in fact, helped me get into Kyiv Polytechnic on a state-funded basis.

In my free time, I played CS 1.6, went to show ballet, was fond of photography and retouching, and, of course, lived my teenage life with my classmates. It's like most people, but it was this mixture of technical and creative that really shaped me.

HWYD: How did you get into marketing? Why and what attracted you to it, and when did you realize that you wanted to develop in it?

Sasha: To be honest, I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time. After graduation, I was very selective in my first job search and went into SMM in an office supply store. I ran a TikTok account, was a model, a screenwriter, and an editor myself. I worked with influencers, came up with newsworthy stories - in short, I lived for creativity.

I liked to see how content really affects sales and brand awareness. That's when I realized that marketing was my thing, because it's about creativity, quick results, and the freedom to experiment.

HWYD: How did you find out about the industry? What was your impression of it?

Sasha: It was a pure accident. I was looking for a job, a friend sent me a vacancy, and I took it, and so I got involved in this arbitration quite unexpectedly. And, to be honest, I got involved in the golden period, and it just went from there.

The first days I really thought: «What kind of industry is this and why does everything look like a fierce scram?» But very quickly I realized that this is a big industry with big budgets, frantic dynamics, interesting tasks, and people who are really driven. I looked at everything that was happening here and caught myself thinking that I had caught my golden ticket. I was drawn into this abyss, and for almost four years now I have been living this rhythm and cannot imagine myself in any other field.

HWYD: What position did you take in the industry? What kind of company was it? What vertical did you work with? (here we give the first hints about your personal experience in the iGaming niche)

Sasha: I also entered iGaming through SMM. My first job here was in a large holding company that everyone in the industry knows very well. The verticals were gambling and betting.

She created content, ran social media, announced events, covered conferences, was part of PR communications, and even became the media face of the company at one point.

HWYD: How did you continue to move up the career ladder? In which project did you feel your own realization and competence?

Sasha: In three years at the holding, I've changed three positions and really developed myself in all areas of SMM and communications.

I've been doing all kinds of things:

• promoted the brand on social media;
• was building the media presence of the tops;
• was a presenter and brand person herself;
• attended more than 20 international conferences;
• built processes for content and event coverage;
• brought brand communication to the Ukrainian market.

I sincerely enjoy working with people - this is my superpower. I love building a community around a brand, uniting loyal people who stay with the company for a long time. After 3.5 years in the industry, I already had a full baggage of knowledge, strong expertise, and a willingness to move on - that's how I came to N1 Partners.

HWYD: How many offers met your requirements and wishes? Why did you choose N1 Partners?

Sasha: I was very selective. I spend most of my life at work, so it's important for me to enjoy what I do and have the freedom to realize my ideas. There were a lot of offers, but I knew for sure that I wanted to work for the international market, I wanted to be in the product, I wanted dynamics and projects where I could create something great. The product has more diverse tasks, more drive, faster growth, and budgets that allow you to realize even the boldest ideas. N1 Partners has fully met all these criteria, and I have never regretted my choice.

HWYD: N1 Partners is a leader in the iGaming niche. Have you analyzed the company in terms of the iGaming market? What achievements has the company made in this field and how did it gain trust among the iGaming community?

Sasha: Yes, of course. I have known about N1 Partners for a long time, even before I joined the team. The company has been on the market for more than 7 years, and the industry perceives it as a stable and trustworthy player. This is the case when you don't even need to ask about reputation, it is simply clearly visible in the community's reaction.

How did N1 Partners gain trust in the iGaming industry?

• Flexible payout models - CPA, RevShare, Hybrid, individual conditions, and various withdrawal methods. Partners get what is really convenient for them.
• Personalized offers tailored to geo and traffic type.
• High product conversion and a strong retention system: loyalty programs, bonuses, promotional materials that really work.
• Analytics and constant support from managers. Partners know that they will be prompted, helped, given a quick response, and supported 24/7.
• Trust from the community. This is important - N1 has good relations with the market, and many have been working with the team for years.

HWYD: How many iGaming offers are in the company's portfolio? What GEOs do they cover?

Sasha: In our case, offers = brands (casino and betting). Currently, we have more than 14 of them: N1 Bet Casino, RollXO, Lucky Hunter, Slot Lords, Spirit Casino, Jet4Bet, Slot Lounge, and others.

Our main focus is on Tier-1 markets (Austria, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland, etc.), which provide a wide range of geos with strong growth potential. We follow a flexible traffic strategy, effectively using SEO, PPC, ASO, Facebook, Email, SMS, UAC and other promotion channels.

HWYD: How many affiliates does the company have now? Do you plan to scale up? Social networks show that you care about your partners (including helicopter flights, various gifts, etc.) - how do you choose the approach and what is the principle of loyalty programs? What can a website that cooperates with you get besides payments?

Sasha: We do not disclose the exact number of partners publicly, but I can say that it is 10k+ affiliates around the world. Of course, we are planning to scale - I would say that this is the main task that all departments are constantly working on. We launch new products, enter other GEOs, provide partners with even more benefits, and simplify the scaling process as much as possible so that the cap expansion happens as quickly as possible.

Building and maintaining partner loyalty is one of our top priorities, so in 2025 we focused on the partner community. And judging by the results, we did a good job, so we will continue to develop this area in 2026. Social media activity, PR placement, awards, conferences, the launch of a flagship YouTube show, and, of course, N1 Puzzle Promo - is a campaign that the entire industry is talking about.

HWYD: What is the name of your current position at N1 Partners, and what are your responsibilities?

Sasha: My position is Head of SMM & Content. I am responsible for the development of all our social networks and all the content we create: visual, expert, event content, rolls, scripts - everything that shapes the brand externally.

HWYD: Tell us about the brand marketing department at N1 Partners. What are the main areas of work, what is paid special attention to, and what does the company focus on in terms of positioning itself as a brand?

Sasha: 

The brand marketing department at N1 Partners is divided into 4 key areas:

• PR
• Event
• Production
• SMM & Content

As part of brand marketing, we are engaged in shaping the company's image in the market, creating a positioning strategy (identity, TOV, key messages), maintaining the brand's reputation in the industry, content and communications, and developing partner loyalty. All areas of work are built around our main message - «Be Number One with N1», which underlies the entire brand strategy.

HWYD: Your direct department is SMM & Content. How many people work on content creation, what channels of information distribution do you use for this purpose? What types of content are “flying in” and for what audience? Who is your direct reader/consumer of information?

Sasha: A whole team works on the content: SMM managers, copywriters, designers, production, videographers, and brand personalities. It is always a team effort. We run several channels: Instagram, Telegram, LinkedIn, Facebook, as well as blogs and a website.

Each channel has its own formats and tasks:

• Instagram - more entertaining, dynamic content, rolls, interactives.
• Telegram and blogs - expert materials, longreads, news.
• LinkedIn - HR brand, company news, and team growth.
• Facebook - important announcements, newsworthy events, and a channel for additional diversification of traffic and reach.

Our audience includes affiliates, media buyers, teams, and business development in the iGaming industry. We customize the content and tone for each platform to make it really stick.

HWYD: What niche content do you consume/read, what do you follow to stay on trend and aware of the latest industry trends in terms of social media?

Sasha: To be honest, I consume absolutely everything related to the industry and social media. I am subscribed to all the key influencers in the field of iGaming, arbitrage, and marketing and actively follow each of them. In Telegram, I have a separate folder with about 50 thematic channels and from time to time I skim through them all to quickly gather context and understand what is trending. Every day I monitor competitors: what formats they launch, how they present information, what appeals to their audience. Plus, I am constantly in communication with the community - in closed chats, working groups, and internal expert discussions. I'm always in the flow, it's already part of my life)

HWYD: The company is regularly extremely visible with its presence (including stands) at the world's top conferences. How do you and your team prepare for such events from the point of view of your particular area?

Sasha: Conferences are an important part of our work, as they are major media events and a powerful tool for brand development. Therefore, we prepare for them in advance and systematically.

In 2026, N1 Partners will be represented at four leading events: iGB Affiliate, iGB L!VE, SBC Summit, and SiGMA Central Europe. From the brand marketing side, we set goals for each conference, develop a stand concept and activities that should increase awareness and interaction with partners.

The SMM & Content team works in parallel:

• prepare a content plan;
• we brief the production;
• We think about interactive activities that will gather coverage and new subscribers;
• We communicate at all stages.

Communication is organized in a before/during/after format:

• To: announcements, intrigue, signing up for meetings, warming up activities.
• During: live events, interviews, dynamic content from the stand, partner engagement.
• Afterwards: summaries, photo and video reports, case studies, and materials for the media.

Our goal is to make N1 Partners as visible and understandable to partners as possible during the conference, and to make the content work for recognition and engagement.

HWYD: What successes have you already achieved as part of the company? What are your goals for the future?

Sasha: In six months at N1 Partners, we have managed to do a lot. The number of subscribers has doubled, and the reach has increased by 3 times. I built the department so that everyone understands their goals, area of responsibility, and development trajectory. We rewrote the strategy, updated our approaches to content, and refreshed the corporate identity together with designers - now it is coherent and recognizable.

I am also proud to work with the HR brand: our LinkedIn page is now one of the most visible and active among competitors in the niche. My goal is not to stop. I want to continue to improve the visuals, messages, and tone of communication and build a level of brand presence that would make people know about us, want to work with us, and want to be part of our team.

HWYD: How did you start your career at Wild Wild Group?

Denis: One day I came across an announcement in an arbitration chat room that Wild Wild was looking for a BDM. It was then that I was actively looking for a new company. The offer, prospects, and the Wild Wild Group itself interested me the most, and my decision was made quite quickly.

I remember how our head Ivan asked me if it would be boring for me to take the BDM position, since I had a higher position in my previous company. But I took it as a small challenge and an opportunity to gain experience in the holding. Wild Wild Partners was just preparing for the release, and there was a lot of work to do - to raise all the contacts and negotiate really cool deals to break in at the start.

HWYD: What was your first project or role in the team?

Denis: I joined Wild Wild Partners in May 2024, initially as a BDM. The company was preparing for the announcement and release of an affiliate program, and everything had to be prepared quickly. I really remember the high of the work, when a team of true professionals works on one project and puts all their heart and soul into it, expecting a decent result.

HWYD: What did your growth look like within the company?

Denis: I started my career at Wild Wild Partners as a BDM. My area of responsibility included attracting new advertisers, maintaining relationships with current ones, scaling deals, providing the best conditions at the start and for skateboarding, analyzing competitors, and much more. Now I am a Team Lead BDM. All my previous responsibilities have been retained, but new ones have been added. Since May 2025, I've been managing the BDM department at WWPartners: building operations within the department, setting up processes, sharing my experience, learning, and teaching others.

HWYD: What helped you move to the next level?

Denis: I have always tried to take on a little more than is expected of me. Somewhere I went beyond my area of responsibility, somewhere I thought about the external factors of the company's work, somewhere I thought about internal processes, asking myself: "How can I be useful to the company not only as a BDM?". My head Ivan has always supported all my ideas and suggestions, and I am grateful that this has not gone unnoticed.

Once, at the holding's regular monthly report, our CEO said: "The company always needs 1.2 managers - those who give more than is expected of them." And then I realized that I was moving in the right direction. This is a way of life - to do a little more than is expected of you, and even more than you expected of yourself.

HWYD: How would you describe your "signature style" in your work?

Denis: I am a businessman with a lot of experience as a buyer. First of all, I understand what buyers really need because I have been working with FB since 2019. I understand how sours work both technically and mathematically. This helps a lot in negotiations with advertisers and in understanding with teams. In addition, I like honesty with partners, structured approach and ease of communication with both partners and colleagues.

HWYD: What achievements are you particularly proud of?

Denis: First of all, I am very proud of my team, proud to work with these people. I am proud of the partnership I have a hand in developing and building. If we look at specific cases and figures, the most recent is the FB storm in September-October. Our team felt the changes in the market, but we survived, adapted, and strengthened. And in the second half of October, we showed a result of x2 from the first half.

HWYD: What attracted you to the Wild Wild Group in the first place - and what keeps you there?

Denis: I knew about Wild Wild Group even before I joined it. In my previous company, I worked with both WWLeds buying and WWApps. Even then, I knew about the strong approaches within the WWG team. I was attracted to the holding, which was built with a responsible approach and formed a promising ecosystem.

Now I am sure that this is just the beginning. There are still many ideas and work ahead, and that is what drives us. I am confident that we will continue to be among the market leaders because we are doing everything possible for this. We employ professionals, and I want to grow, learn and work with them.

HWYD: What tasks drive you the most now?

Denis: Driven by the challenges of new realities. Is the auction getting more expensive? Okay, so it's time to negotiate the terms that previously sounded like something unrealistic. To stay in our field, you need to be flexible, constantly adjust not only yourself but also be able to convince your partners.

HWYD: What ideas do you want to realize in the near future?

Denis: I want to scale and develop what we have now. I want to implement an idea that no other partner network has ever successfully and on a large scale. I want our partners to say: "Only WWPartners can do this."

HWYD: How do you see your field or role developing in the future?

Denis: It's hard to be unique in our niche, but that's what drives me. I want to negotiate really cool and unique deals, develop my department, and see my employees learn from my experience and grow with me. I am especially pleased when advertisers write to me, with whom we do not yet cooperate, and say that they have heard about us, know about our cool traffic, and want to work with us. We do our best to make such cases even more numerous.

HWYD: What would you like to work on if you had no restrictions?

Denis: I dream of having an in-house product. It would be a very cool experience to work not only with external brands but also with our own. Promotion, traffic acquisition, all operational processes - I am convinced that this would boost us a lot.

HWYD: How would you describe your work style in three words?

Denis: Flexibility, ease, confidence.

HWYD: What energizes you outside of work?

Denis: I like to have a tea ceremony, and then go to the gym and work out to a set by KOROLOVA. Or just take a walk with the music.

HWYD: What kind of team atmosphere motivates you?

Denis: I like a friendly and responsible atmosphere in the team. I like being asked questions: "What's this?", "What about here?", "How about this?", "How do I do...?"
This shows that the team wants to develop and is not afraid of questions. As Ivan says: "There are no stupid questions," and I completely agree.

HWYD: Sonia, hi! Tell us about the AFFX Academy: when and why did it appear?

Sonia: The idea to create the academy came from the personal experience of our owner, namely the lack of high-quality specialists in the market who could quickly integrate into the work and benefit the business and, accordingly, develop along with it.

When the full-scale war began and Ukrainians were forced to leave for safer cities and countries (both internal migration and migration abroad), people lost their jobs and the ability to provide for themselves and their families. That is why the main goal of the Academy is to provide knowledge and skills only in practical professions that can be quickly mastered and earned either during or immediately after training.

That is, the Academy set itself the following goals:

• creating educational programs that provide Ukrainians with the opportunity to earn money wherever they are;
• Filling the labor market with talented practitioners so that companies can fill vacancies with high-quality specialists;
• Assistance to certain categories of people - combatants and war veterans.

HWYD: Who are your students? Who comes to study arbitration nowadays? Are they elderly people who are disillusioned with classical work? Or are they mostly young people without experience?

Sonia: There are completely different categories - from mothers on maternity leave to practicing professionals. Most of them are people who are changing careers and looking for additional income alongside their main job.

We had doctors, managers, business analysts, logisticians, athletes, and those who tried to figure it out on their own but lacked consistency, knowledge, and certain technical points. The average age of our students is 25-30 years old. We are very happy to have a diverse audience of students and to be able to help them change their lives.

HWYD: What educational programs do you offer?

Sonia: We currently have 3 active educational programs:

• Affiliate marketing: Nutra vertical
• Affiliate marketing: Gambling vertical
• SMM: From Scroller to Creator

Information about them can be found on our  website.

And 2 more will be launched soon:

• Native
• Affiliate Manager

HWYD: How do you find and engage mentors? Who are your mentors?

Sonia: Mentors are searched for through various sources, from Instagram to Linkedin. Of course, not without recommendations and acquaintances. We also receive a lot of incoming requests like "I want to work with you."

The main thing when looking for a mentor and starting to work with them is that they should be inspired by our idea, be a practitioner (not the owner of beautiful statistics from Photoshop) and a responsible person. We always aim for a long-term relationship with mentors, while constantly checking the quality of training (it is very easy to measure in our country with the help of students' results), and if something goes wrong, we first look for ways to improve the situation, and in cases where the problem is in the mentor, we have to look for a replacement, which is always very painful for us). But our goal is to be the best on the market, so we only work with practices that have great results.

HWYD: How many streams have been released so far?

Sonia: 5 threads on Nutra, 2 threads on Gambling.

HWYD: How much does it cost to study at the academy?

Sonia: Tuition fees start from 399$. But we have excellent payment terms in installments, without additional % and commissions, so you can expect from 200$ per month.

HWYD: What are the additional benefits of studying with you? Perhaps employment right away?

Sonia: For each program, we have benefits: free services for work, ready-made tested connections, the best conditions from the top market players for students, and a mandatory component - job placement assistance. We have individual agreements with the best companies on the market, which are waiting for our students during their studies.

We work with students to prepare case studies and CVs, and hold online HR workshops so that they are fully prepared to apply to companies. And the companies, in turn, already know the level of our education and are "hunting" for our graduates.

HWYD: Who are some of the well-known market figures (people/companies) you have collaborated with? What was the result for you and the companies?

Sonia: Speaking of bloggers, you can see the entire list on our page and in the highlights as part of the large-scale advertising campaign "How can you do this?", in addition, we have media mentors with their niche telegram channels, and we never miss opportunities to collaborate with our partners Wild Wild Group, Everad, AFFHUB, Kupartners, SPT.

HWYD: How do you introduce newcomers to the world of arbitration besides teaching bays?

Sonia: Our students communicate directly with market leaders at online workshops, as they often come as invited guests and are happy to share information. We also practice networking at conferences with students and will soon launch the largest networking space in Ukraine, where themed meetups, events and lectures will be held. And let's not forget about the top media, thanks to How Was Your Day Media, our students will be able to learn about important people in the field, recognize their activities and navigate companies in the market.

I personally met Vika and Diana while shooting a New Year's Eve show for GreyHunter last year. They are cheerful, friendly girls, and most importantly, professionals in their field. At that time, they were preparing the show and acted as a producer and editor on the set. Since then, we have been working together on various projects and collaborations. I knew that both of them had left their jobs afterwards, but I had no idea where they went. Suddenly, this summer, I meet them in Kyiv in the morning at the YoSa Affiliate Morning Club, which was held with the support of 2B Digital, and we talk, but not for too long - I warn them that I have to run to the shooting of the mysterious Piarcia. At the time, I didn't pay attention to the way the girls looked at each other and smiled. But when I arrived at the location the same day, I saw familiar smiling faces. As it turned out, they were Piarcia. Surprise - surprise! The masks were taken off, Vika and Diana told me how they had created a new agency, and I realized that this would be a new attraction for HWYD. So, WELCOME...

Kostya Golubev, editor-in-chief of HWYD

HWYD: Tell us about your childhood. What kind of family did you grow up in? When and where were you born?

Vika: I am from the city of nuclear workers - Kuznetsovsk (now Varash). It is a very young city where every second person works at a nuclear power plant. That's why I have a third hand, which helps me a lot in my work. Hahaha, yeah, that's my humor)

Every summer, I spent time with my grandmother in the countryside: herding turkeys, picking berries, feeding rabbits, taking the cow from the pasture, and enjoying my childhood. However, the latter lasted for a week at most, and I liked the city better. But I wanted to leave my hometown all my adult life. It was too "gray" and cramped for me-everyone is too close to each other, and everyone knows everyone. In a city of 40,000 people, it's hard to dream big or do something completely new. Since childhood, I wanted freedom in everything: in actions, in movement, in ideas, in development, and even in dreams. That's why I decided to move to Kyiv to study.

Diana: I lived most of my life in Odesa. I had an ordinary family: my mother was a saleswoman and my stepfather was an automotive electrician. I was an excellent student at school and always wanted to be the first in everything. I loved studying, just like I do now.) We lived modestly, though not badly, but I always wanted something but couldn't have it. Since I was smart, I quickly realized that if you want something, you have to get it yourself. That's why I started working early.

HWYD: Describe your most vivid childhood memory.

Vika: You wake up at 9 in the morning because a small rabbit has been placed on your bed. The house smells like pancakes with jam. You go outside barefoot, wash your face with cold water from the street tap, there is still dew around... and you are already planning in your head what cartoon you will watch today. It seems to be nothing complicated, but it is in such trifles that true happiness is found.

Diana: Every summer when I was a kid, I used to visit my cousin and my grandmother. We were both very stubborn, which often led to fights and tears. It was constant.) And then one summer we came, and I realized how much I loved my sister. And we didn't fight anymore. Here I felt what it was like to become an adult.

HWYD: What did you dream of becoming when you grew up? Why?

Vika: I had several dreams in different periods of my childhood:

• A fashion designer-I spent hours drawing sketches and sewing dresses and other outfits for my Barbies and Ken out of old clothes.
• An actress, she has always loved being the center of attention: she would memorize her favorite scenes from popular movies and cartoons and organize "concerts" for the whole family. She was also a regular participant in school productions.
• Journalist - I liked the fact that I could express my imagination through text. I wrote texts and spoke for the local radio, went to a journalism class, and there is still a video on YouTube of me opening a Christmas tree in the city center. That's some reporting for you!

And you know what? I actually work in all of these professions now:

1. Designer - because we create merchandise for partners, teams, and products.
2. I'm an actress because I shoot videos for my own agency.
3. I am a journalist because I write texts in PR, search for or invent news stories for clients.

It turns out that my childhood dreams did come true, but in my own adult format.

Diana: When I was a kid, we lived in a private house, and my favorite thing to do was to look at the stars. Sometimes at night, I would take a blanket and a pillow, climb on the roof and fall asleep there. I always thought we were not alone and dreamed of seeing a UFO at least once.

That's why I always dreamed of becoming an astronaut, up until the 9th grade. I thought about entering our aerospace institute, but I realized that it was underdeveloped in Ukraine and I would not be able to reach the stars there. Then I thought about going to study abroad, but I had poor physical fitness for an astronaut, so I gave up on this idea.

HWYD: How did you study at school? What subjects did you like the most? Which ones the least? Why?

Vika: At school, I was a gold medalist, so I found learning easy. The only exception was physical education. Oh, those standards... I never passed them properly. Even the school principal asked the physical education teacher to "give me a passing grade so as not to fail the medalist."

The irony is that in my first year of university, I passed all the physical training tests with flying colors. I still don't understand how it happened. My favorite subjects were math, Ukrainian and English. These were the subjects I took for the External Independent Testing: my results were also good - 187, 194.5 and 180 points, respectively. I also liked chemistry because I could experiment.

Diana: She was an excellent student, hung on the honor board, participated in all the Olympiads and pissed everyone off 😂 I liked math and physics the most. My mom still has a bunch of letters of commendation, certificates, and results of the Olympiads. Do you remember this moment when guests came and your mom showed you how good you were? "Come on, tell me a poem." And I did.

I was a multiple winner of physics and math competitions. I used to annoy my classmates because I was always held up as an example. I was invited to parent-teacher conferences. I was there as a showcase child)) I also leaked information about who really started the fight in the classroom, because I never lied, and they believed me. And I realized that I pissed off all my classmates only after graduation) Although I had great friends)

HWYD: What clubs/sports did you attend?

Vika: I adored going to clubs, especially since they were all free. It really strengthened me: I could try myself in everything. My biggest dream was to sing. I came to a trial vocal lesson, but I was not accepted. I remember the teacher saying something unpleasant, and since then I have never sung in public. It was like a blow to my self-esteem.

But other clubs were more fun:

• I did needlework for a long time, and my mother still has my childhood crafts.
• Dancing - I performed on stage and enjoyed the attention.
• Journalism was my love! I was constantly writing, making up stories, appearing on local radio and even on the news.
• English was an additional class that helped a lot later.
• Swimming pool - I love water, so swimming was a pleasure for me.

Diana: I didn't go anywhere until the 9th grade, because I didn't have much money. Then I went to a college gym, and later I played volleyball. I really wanted to train in the gym, but I had no money, so I was allowed to go to a student gym at the age of 15. You can imagine the conditions there 🙂.

The coach there was training powerlifters. One day he offered me to train with them and promised that in six months he would prepare me for the competition. I was very inspired that my efforts were so appreciated - and I was a fucking idiot. I was almost about to join them, but one day a girl powerlifter came into our gym - a huge belly, their training belt, flat chest. After that, I never went to that gym again.

HWYD: Describe your most vivid memory from school.

Vika: My best school year was in the 11th grade. It was then that a story happened that was both the most pleasant and the most painful for me.
I was a creative person at school. And when the organizers of the graduation ceremony asked each class to prepare a video about themselves to show it in the city's assembly hall, we came up with an idea: to make a video in the style of "Expectations - Reality" about typical school moments - lessons, homework, tests, the way home, etc.

We were divided into teams: actors, scriptwriters, cameramen. I was everywhere - a scriptwriter, actor, cameraman, and editor. I edited the video myself (I had never edited anything before). It turned out so cool that even now, 10 years later, I watch it and think: "Wow, it was really cool for that time."

Moment X is graduation. In the House of Culture, we, parents, teachers, friends, relatives - a full hall of people (no joke - full) who shared this moment with us. I am in full parade, they turn on MY video and.... there are only 3 scenes out of 8. Imagine me in an evening dress, in tears, getting up and walking right down the center aisle to the head teacher with a question: "Why did you cut the whole movie?". In response, I hear: "This video could have ruined the school's reputation." I was very angry and disappointed. I had a lot of support from my friends who came to my graduation. I breathed a sigh of relief and said in my head, "It's good that you won't come to this school anymore." The next day, I posted the video on VK, and it was massively shared by my classmates. And do you know what, Galina Vasilyevna? There was not a single bad comment. On the contrary, there were a lot of views and great feedback.

This is a memory for me:

• The worst, because at the most important moment of my life at that time I was simply cut off and humiliated.
• The best one, because it was during the creation of the video that my classmates and I became incredibly close. Everyone participated, everyone had a role, we got together outside of school, spent a lot of time working on this idea, and we made something really cool.
• The result was top notch, and this moment will always remain in my memory.

Diana: Here I want to talk not about a memory, but about a person who inspired me. Because he really deserves to be remembered.

Mikhail Vladimirovich was my high school physics teacher. A man who was brilliant in everything: a musician, a scientist, a dancer. I don't even know what he didn't know or couldn't do.

After 9th grade, we took a physics exam to get into a physics and math class. And everyone got 11-12 points - even the failures. We were sent an inspection from the Rayon, and we took this exam three times. The result was the same-everyone passed with flying colors. Because our teacher was really the best.

HWYD: What university did you graduate from? Why did you go there?

Vika: I immediately realized that I might not be able to work in my specialty, so it was important for me to choose a university where I could learn English perfectly, improve my German, and possibly learn another additional language. I rejected the "In Yaz" program because I wanted something more than just language education - I was interested in specialties with the prefix "international".

I also had a dream of getting into Kyiv Polytechnic. For me, it has always been No. 1 among the country's universities. And I did get in: I was enrolled in the International Economics program at the Faculty of Management and Marketing at the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute." To be honest, I realized that I was not interested in economics during my studies. The only subject in my major that I really loved was international relations. And it was there that I fell in love with marketing. Although my only extracurricular activity during my 6 years of study was in marketing. My life is full of contradictions, as you can see) And in the year of my admission, the department canceled additional languages, pupupu.

I still have no regrets: I have a master's degree in international economics, but I still have to learn English, and I can only count or introduce myself in German or other languages))

Diana: Before entering the institute, I hesitated between three directions: to become a programmer, an aviation safety engineer, or a scientist. Kharkiv Aviation University really invited me to apply) And I chose to become a scientist because I was a physics Olympiad winner and was seriously thinking about doing it.

In general, the choice was between making good money or doing good for people. I chose the latter, you know what I mean)) That's why I'm a software engineer by education. And all the technical stuff in arbitrage, numbers - everything is my forte. I am a mathematician, physicist, and programmer.

HWYD: What was your first job?

Vika: I earned my first money as a child singing carols. The next ones came from selling blueberries, which my sisters and aunt and I used to pick in Belarus (sometimes we got caught because my grandmother's village was right on the border with Belarus). In my first year, I got acquainted with part-time jobs: an extra in a political show, a promoter on weekends - I handed out leaflets and convinced people why it was better to buy four yogurts instead of sausage))

Then I took a printer from home and turned the dormitory into a mini-business - I printed everyone's diplomas for money. And my first "serious" job was as a seller of Apple equipment and accessories in a well-known chain. At the same time, I started doing SMM, back when this field was just emerging. And that's how it all started.

Diana: At some point, my mother started working part-time, gluing wallpaper, and she would take me with her. It was back in school. In general, she did it for quite a long time, even when she had another job, because it paid well. My mom still does it. So I still do repairs and glue joints together.) Later, I worked without my mom, and I kept a page on Instagram about it, and brought us clients through the targeting) My clients still call me sometimes.

HWYD: How did you spend your first salary? What was it like?

Vika: My first "salaries" from caroling or picking blueberries were spent on sweets or saved to buy some clothes.
But I spent my first serious salary on a new phone. And with the next one, I bought a phone for my mom. It was my little dream, and then I felt a real thrill from being able to make a gift to my closest person myself.

Diana: I definitely got 500 hryvnias a day on my first day of work. I don't remember what I bought. I think it was some clothes for sure. I've always wanted beautiful things. To go to the mall for a sale and buy a couple of things, I could walk to school for six months and not eat lunch. Because they gave me 5 hryvnias a day. 4 for the bus and soup cost 1 UAH. So I definitely spent my 500 hryvnias.

HWYD: What did you do and where did you work afterwards (before you got into arbitration)?

Vika: I started out managing social media for various businesses, from a dessert business to a bank. Then I worked as an influencer, where I learned how to build cooperation with bloggers and brand ambassadors. Later, she was promoted to Head of SMM, then Head of Digital, and then became CMO.

Diana: At first I had my own clothing brand, which I promoted on my own. Then my friends found out about it, and so I started taking on several projects for promotion in parallel. I launched a targeted campaign, consulted on content. The projects were different. In the winter before the war, I invested all my money in the store's spring collection: we did a photo shoot, and I was already calculating the profit I was going to make in my head. I was also about to get paid for one project. And then - bam, war. I had $150 in my pocket, no one paid for the project, no one wanted my evening dresses because people didn't know if there would be anything to eat.

I had to go to work like normal people - in an office (not the one you think). And when I was invited to work at Renault, I was just delighted. It's a global brand, and they hired me! At the same time, I was also promoting the Harley-Davidson brand in Ukraine. I was recommended by store owners. I did so well in the projects, although to be honest, I was paid a pittance. Then I moved to Warsaw (for 3 months), changed jobs, and here I am 🙂.

HWYD: How did you find out about the industry? What was your impression of it?

Vika: The first time I heard about arbitration was when a video of Slobozhenko was posted on YouTube, back in the days when he had a strange mohawk and was a little overweight. I started to get interested, read, and learn more because I was always looking for something new. At that time, I didn't want to get into the field - I was more likely to be inspired and accumulate knowledge.

This base was expanding every year. Before the war, I already had experience in related areas - crypto, Web3, innovative digital products. And during the war, I was invited for an interview, which turned out to be in the arbitrage niche. That's how I plunged into this industry.

Diana: I knew about this field back when it was not mainstream, around 2018-2019. I was the person who bought courses on pre-roll and tried to launch something. I started my career in marketing with targeting.

I followed Slobozhenko, Traffic Devils, learned about cloaca, mommy, and other things that not every arbitrageur can do nowadays, but who knows.

I really wanted to get here: I looked for vacancies, applied, tried to get in myself, tried from all sides. That's why I didn't hesitate when I was offered a job here and less money than I expected. I quit my old project because I felt I needed to come here.

HWYD: What was your first position in the industry? What kind of company was it?

Vika: I entered the industry right away as CMO at GreyHunter. Although, to be honest, in fact, it was something like a "turner, baker, and pharmacist" in one person. I was one of the first employees of the company, and for a long time I remained the head of the marketing department... without the department itself. But gradually we began to grow, results appeared, tasks became more and more numerous, and it was already clear: we needed a full-fledged team.

Diana: I didn't have a position, the name was invented later) In fact, they were looking for a CMO assistant at GreyHunter. But at that time, I had 5 years of experience in marketing and a good list of companies: Renault, Harley-Davidson, Nissan, and more. I had built my own clothing brand from scratch, participated in the development of the NFT collection, had experience in launching advertising campaigns on Facebook, Google, and had knowledge of SEO and various tools. I was a pure digital marketer. That's how the position was named)

HWYD: How did you continue to move up the career ladder? In which project did you feel your own realization and competence?

Vika: At my first job, I understood the inner workings of the market well: its side, processes, and the pains of its participants. But, of course, I didn't know everything. So, at the same time, I started taking on additional projects for consultations and partial services that did not require my strong involvement. This gave me the practice and knowledge to work not only with recruiting but also with teams, partners, and software.

Over time, I realized that I no longer wanted to make someone else popular - I wanted to develop myself and my own brand. That's how I came up with the idea to create my own agency. I nurtured this idea for a long time, studied even more, invested my own money in traveling to conferences to understand the industry more deeply and communicate with people directly.

And then came the moment of X: I firmly decided that the agency was going to happen. I began to take the first steps, invited Diana to become a head, and a few months later - a partner, because I saw in her both a strong desire to create and faith in this project.

Diana: And then Vika and I realized that we could achieve much more. And no company, management, or any internal processes should affect our results. We want to give these results to those companies that understand the value of our work - that are ready to become stronger, brighter, more visible and make a statement.

HWYD: You met at GreyHunter. Tell us about your acquaintance, friendship, and work at GreyHunter.

Diana: I love the story of how we met. Vika wrote to me one day, almost no information about the vacancy and immediately asked if I was ready to complete a test task. At that time, I had a lot of offers, so I immediately wrote that the vacancy was unclear and that I was considering a rate of more than that. I know that Vika wanted to send me. I wanted to send her too. Then I was sitting at night, bored, and wrote a test. The next day we called up, talked for 5-10 minutes, and she invited me to work, but offered me a lower salary than I wanted. She gave me time to think about it. But when I heard the word "arbitration," I immediately agreed)

Vika: We became friends very quickly. Although Diana was living in Odesa at the time, she came at her own expense to all the shoots where I needed help and attended absolutely all the conferences where we had breakthroughs. This initiative immediately showed that she was a really cool and dedicated employee.

Later, she moved away and became the only one of the team who lived near me. It was easier for us to meet at a hookah bar and work together than individually. So we started seeing each other more and more often, talked more, and unbeknownst to us, we became very close. It happened that on business trips to conferences, we even shared a bed if there were no separate beds)) We also complement each other very well: I am responsible for creative and PR, and Diana is strong in performance and technology. Together, it turned out to be a perfect match.

HWYD: How did PIARCIA come about? What about this other project?

Vika: "Piarsia is an affiliate marketing agency that combines numbers and creativity, which always leads to a monetary result.
We're talking about creative that really performs: campaigns that help a company achieve its goals, from recognition to profit. And in fact, we have a lot of ideas sitting around. I'm not kidding, we have a ready-made bank of ideas for various manifestations in this particular niche. And we want to realize it. This is how we assert ourselves))

I personally just turned my hobby into a business. And I get a kick out of it, that I can do what I love, while also helping people and getting paid for it. Kamon, isn't that happiness?

Diana: "PR is a project about freedom and creativity. We put all our experience, knowledge, and soul into it - if not more. We see how marketing and PR are developing in the industry, and we know for sure that we can have a hand in it. We love to see cool results in the projects we promote and hear from people that we are really cool. We want to set the standard, to become trendsetters - those who are looked up to, the best. No. 1. I am also annoyed that many arbitrage specialists have not learned how to set up targeting and contextual advertising for lead partners. They have learned how to cast a kazik, but not this. We are going to fix this situation. So come to us - I'm kicking our digital department's ass for every single figure. We have a good conversion rate.

HWYD: What successes have you already achieved and what are your goals for the future?

Vika: For me, success is when I meet a new person at a convention and they say, "Wow, I know you, I saw you on Instagram, you made such a cool merchandise." Then you don't even have to continue the conversation with me - my heart has already melted, and I'm ready for anything.

But seriously, we have grown a lot. Now Piarsia is a big team, not just the two of us, hahaha. We promote our clients in a way that can be seen in all indicators: recognition, KPIs, financial results. As an agency, we are invited to speak at conferences, people want to collaborate with us, we are respected by very important people in the niche and discussed on the sidelines. And this is the best indicator of our work. As for our goals, they are very ambitious. But I'm not one of those who talks in advance. So just subscribe and follow us.

Diana: A year ago, Vika wrote us goals for the year. I told her that she was a crazy person and that it was unrealistic to do it in such a short time. But we wrote them down anyway to work towards it. What can I say?" We exceeded that plan.

Recently, at a conference, one girl, a CMO, was squeaking because she saw the merchandise we made for another company and was trying to find out who made it - and it was us 🙂 Another indicator for me is that we are recommended a lot, and really big companies come to us. Sometimes I stop and think: "Wow, we're already here". I don't even have time to realize who we are already working with and who is coming to us.

Fellows Team - a team that built itself without slogans and advertising, but with a deep respect for people and processes. The company was founded in 2020, when traffic arbitrage was still a wild market of experiments. The founders did not pursue scale and were not looking for investors. They wanted to create a place where they could work honestly, without pathos and without artificial rules.

We started with a few buyers and one direction, gradually building a structure based on trust. In five years, the team has grown to more than eighty people with an office in Warsaw, launched its own product, Fellows App Sales, focused on Facebook Ads, SEO, UAC, PPC, and ASO traffic, and today has an annual turnover of more than ten million dollars. But, as Fellows says, it's not the numbers that matter, it's how they're achieved. Success here is not perceived as a reward, but rather as a side effect of systematic work.

The Fellows philosophy is simple but mature: trust instead of control, responsibility instead of fear, stability instead of chaos. There is no status cult here: the owners work alongside everyone, make decisions together, help in crisis situations, and do not avoid difficult conversations. Mistakes are not seen as faults, but as part of development. It is thanks to this that the team managed to create an atmosphere where there is no need to play roles. People remain themselves and at the same time take maximum responsibility.

If a campaign is not profitable, it is analyzed and restarted. If there is an idea, it is tested, not postponed for later. If a decision is needed, it is made here and now.

This approach gave the team stability and speed. Buyers have full autonomy in their work, but they are also fully responsible for the result. Here, everyone understands that trust is not a bonus, but a credit that needs to be confirmed every day. And perhaps that is why the Fellows Team remains stable even in times when the market is experiencing another turbulence.

The infrastructure at Fellows is not a matter of pride, but a form of respect for people. They don't shoot videos from the office, or build a brand around coffee machines or chat zones. Everything you need to work effectively is simply there. Decent conditions, timely payments, clear HR support and technical facilities are not a privilege, but the norm. Because in a professional environment, comfort should not be a competitive advantage - it is only the basis for results. And this is also where the restrained approach comes in: no demonstrations, no unnecessary noise, but with deep humanity.

The years 2024-2025 were challenging for the industry: algorithm changes, falling conversions, and reduced offers. Many teams lost momentum, some simply disappeared from the market. Fellows Team stayed - not because they were lucky, but because they acted. When the market was stormy, they gathered the core of their people, shared responsibility, and kept moving. The company is not used to running away from problems, but rather to analyzing them. This allowed them to survive and even grow.

Today, the Fellows are not just stable - they have become an example of how consistency and honesty still matter in a field where hype often wins. Many professionals who once left to try other teams eventually returned. The Fellows do not hide the fact that such stories are the best testament to their culture. "It's humanly better here," say those who have returned. And this simple phrase captures the essence of the company: no loud promises, but real relationships based not on words but on mutual respect. It's hard to be real in a world where everyone is trying to be liked.

Fellows Team They do not create an ideal image, do not engage in excessive self-promotion, and do not measure success by the number of media mentions. Their reputation is built on their work, their stability, and the way their partners talk about them among themselves. For the team, "being real" means staying honest even when it would be easier to color the result. It is about the ability to keep your word, even if the context changes. It's about working without falsehood. And it was this habit of saying less but doing more that turned them into a mature team. Many companies formulate values in texts.

У Fellows Team These principles have long since become everyday practice. "Less talk, more action" has become a muscle memory rather than a slogan. Their philosophy is evident in everything from their campaign decisions to the way they interact with each other. Fellows grew up not on hype, but on stability. They have proven that it is possible to be both professional and human in media buying. And perhaps that's why they attract not with hype, but with calmness - the calmness that you feel when a team really loves what they do.

HWYD: Where were you born and what were you like as a child?

Vadim: I was born in the Rivne region in a small town. As a child, I was a very active boy: I took part in all the activities at school and held concerts. I also graduated from music school with a degree in accordion. In addition, he played for the local football team and participated in track and field tournaments. In general, he spent his childhood very active and not bored at all.

HWYD: What traits from those years help you the most as a funder today?

Vadim: Probably, my parents laid the foundation of perseverance in me. My mom and dad were constantly pushing me to realize my goals so that I would always achieve what I wanted. This helps me a lot today.

HWYD: What episode from your youth best describes your perseverance or risk-taking?

Vadim: Speaking of risky, it was running away from home after my parents went to bed. The goal was simple - to go out with my friends, even if tomorrow was the 11th grade exam, and my parents wouldn't let me go) It all ended in a happy ending: I passed the exams.

HWYD: How did your entrepreneurship start: first attempts, first failures?

Vadim: In fact, I started my journey in entrepreneurship quite late. I don't have this story that I've been selling lemonade since I was a kid - no. The first serious touch of entrepreneurship was the Improve Team. I can't call everything before that a business. It was just a job for which I received money. But I had been preparing for it for a long time, and that's why I think that being prepared, I succeeded.

HWYD: What skills did you develop before becoming an affiliate and how do they help you now?

Vadim: I have always been a pretty hardworking person. Before the affiliate niche, I worked at various jobs, tried myself in many areas, including those where I had to work for 12-13 hours sitting in one place with a short break for lunch. I think that the ability to work non-stop today helps me to solve many routine tasks every day and not get tired.

HWYD: When did you realize that you wanted to build not just a career as an employee, but your own business?

Vadim: Several stars aligned in one place. I felt that I was being restricted in my desire to earn more and not allowed to develop. At the same time, I realized that I had grown out of the position of "employee".

And then I met the right person, and the match was made. In fact, it was very important not to fade away then. Meeting Nikita helped me realize that it was time to take a chance.

HWYD: How did you first get into affiliate marketing?

Vadim: My first job in the niche was an interesting position - a traffic coach. I joined RichAdvert when I was very young and green. I was trained in soft skills, given a sufficient number of manuals, and I started working.

I learned about traffic arbitrage and affiliate marketing by accident while watching random business videos on YouTube. I think it was also a bit of a fluke that I latched onto.

HWYD: Who was your mentor/support at the start?

Vadim: I was very warmly received at my first job. We had a good team and managers who saw me as a prospect. I was pleased that they believed in me. Before that, I also worked overtime: I was regularly the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave.

HWYD: What early case convinced you: "I'm in this game for the long haul"?

Vadim: Perhaps the first serious money in the form of a salary - UAH 50,000. I remember that day clearly: I received my salary in cash in an envelope, called my mother and shared it with her. It was a wow moment for me and my family.

Then I realized that I wanted to develop in our niche.

HWYD: How did you come up with the idea of Improve Team and what problem did you want to solve in the market?

Vadim: When we created Improve, we didn't set out to solve a problem. It was just a common desire to make money. It was important that Nikita and I agreed on the vision and soft skills, which played a key role.

HWYD: Why did you choose these verticals (gambling, betting, crypto, mobile apps)?

Vadim: When we started, I had experience in gambling and betting, and Nikita had never launched traffic. Therefore, historically, we started with what we knew how to do. 6 years ago, we didn't analyze the market volumes or prospects - we just went into gambling because we knew how to do it.

HWYD: How did you divide your roles with the co-founders and what did you keep for yourself?

Vadim: Roles were formed gradually. I dealt with everything related to traffic and direct revenue generation. Nikita took over hiring and finance.

We didn't clearly agree on who was doing what. Everyone just did what they were good at. Over time, the roles have changed, and today we at 100% share all the tasks and can easily replace each other.

HWYD: What early decision had the biggest impact on long-term growth?

Vadim: The biggest impact was not the ups and downs, but the downfall that occurred just a year after the start.

Then we completely reassembled the team and our business vision. This is another confirmation that anti-cases often give more impetus and desire to work than just positive results.

HWYD: When did you feel the moment of transition from a "team of buyers" to a "full-fledged company"?

Vadim: This happened when the staff grew to 30 people. If you have positions such as people partner, technical project manager, marketer, or head of finance, it already speaks volumes about the company, because you are moving from "mandatory positions" to "additional positions."

Also, a company is about the legacy part: when you officially employ people, buy insurance, pay for vacations, and have a legal entity.

This is the moment when you realize that you are no longer "just a team".

HWYD: What does a typical day look like for you, from the first step to the last message?

Vadim: Today, my typical working day consists of analyzing yesterday's analytics and reviewing reports from team leads and heads. This is followed by meetings or interviews, and then a typical 1-2 hours in work chats.

But to be honest, this is what a perfect workday looks like. Sometimes the timing shifts, and Nikita and I can find ourselves on a call at 8 p.m. to discuss a new direction simply because that's when the "inspiration" came.

HWYD: What is your personal decision-making system: what goes into "do now", what goes into "delegate", what goes into "don't do"?

Vadim: Delegating everything that is delegated is the basic rule. Maximum trust and maximum delegated responsibilities are the basis for growth.

Personally, I identify the tasks that affect my day, my company, or those who expect me to make decisions right now, and I do them in the morning before 11:00. Everything else comes later.

HWYD: Do you know how to rest without feeling guilty for being "unclosed"? How did you train this?

Vadim: Yes, I can do it now. I trained it just a year ago. It's important to understand that work is a part of life, not all of life. You need to have time to rest, switch gears, and pay attention to yourself and your family.

To avoid worrying about the "unclosed", I have been keeping a calendar for many years. Every Sunday I plan the week and see on which day which task must be closed. This way I keep the whole plan in front of me and move according to it.

HWYD: Was there a moment when you realized: "I'm too much into work"? What did you change after that?

Vadim: Yes, there have been such moments and sometimes they appear even now. On such days, I try to review the schedule and tasks for the week again, highlight the main ones, close them quickly, and thus unload myself.

HWYD: How do your family and friends react to the 24/7 rhythm? What helps you stay in touch?

Vadim: My friends react well because they see my results). I plan meetings and rallies with them in advance, so we always have time to spend together.

HWYD: What exactly do you call "life outside of work" in your case?

Vadim: This is all that happens when you close your work chats. It's time with your wife and son, watching a video, reading a book, traveling, talking to your mom on the phone, etc. The most important thing is to really switch and get distracted. Because if you think about work even while walking with your son, it doesn't add to your efficiency or productivity.

HWYD: What practices/hobbies really restore you?

Vadim: Traveling, the gym, watching football. But all this is inferior to my main hobby - time with my family. My wife and son always bring me back to 100%.

HWYD: Have you ever experienced burnout? What helps to fight it?

Vadim: There was no burnout. There were moments when it was difficult and I didn't want to make decisions and take responsibility for everything again. But this quickly passed when I remembered that people were behind me and waiting for the right decisions.

HWYD: Can you turn off your phone for a day and leave everything to the team?

Vadim: Yes, I can. But it is preferable that Nikita does not turn off the phone at this moment. In general, we have a well-built vertical structure in the team, and there are people who are responsible in all areas. Nikita and I can disappear for a day, but I don't think we can do it for a week.

HWYD: You recently had a baby. How has parenthood affected your work-life balance?

Vadim: Very much so. For the first few months, the focus definitely shifted to family and education. However, I have now found the right balance, negotiated with myself and learned how to build a schedule. But, of course, sometimes it's hard to explain to a five-month-old son that his dad has an important meeting.

HWYD: What processes/metrics allow you to sleep better instead of micromanaging?

Vadim: Reports, CRM, PNL. The heads of all departments submit reports with figures every day by 11:00. In CRM, I can evaluate the result for yesterday, and in PNL I can see the financial result for the day. These three main pillars ensure my restful sleep.

HWYD: In what situations does the team help you maintain a work-life balance?

Vadim: A strong team means people who know how to take responsibility. Once you have enough of them, you automatically have more time for everything else. Including work-life balance.

HWYD: When did you first feel that you could fully rely on the team?

Vadim: As soon as there are enough people who are ready to take responsibility, you can immediately feel the changes in your role as a funder.

HWYD: Why does a funder need publicity? Is it for recruiting, trust, networking, or all of the above?

Vadim: The main task is the company's HR brand. It helps to hire the best employees faster. They come not only for the salary, but also for the ideas that the funder broadcasts.

The second party is advertisers. It is important for them to understand who you are, how long you have been on the market, and what face is behind the name and another chat on Telegram.

HWYD: Where are your boundaries of publicity: what do you show and what do you keep private?

Vadim: I'm not a very public person in general and I manage my social media quite conceptually. I don't share much about my personal life because I don't understand how it directly affects the results and the HR brand. But in business, speeches, meetings, I try to be active

HWYD: How do you see yourself and Improve Team in 3-5 years?

Vadim: Life outside of work should definitely take center stage in this picture. I am sure that my involvement in the company will become less. But this does not mean that I will not be involved in other businesses or areas. In general, this is already happening.

HWYD: Three things you would have done differently at the start to avoid going into 24/7 mode so deeply.

Vadim:

1. Delegate and trust before.
2. Not to think that I can do everything better than everyone else.
3. Don't believe that if you don't close the task today, the company won't exist tomorrow.

HWYD: What advice do you have for new founders?

Vadim: Be prepared to work 24/7 at the start and understand each process in detail. It doesn't matter if it's recruiting, finance, or another department - you need to be oriented and know the main points everywhere. At every stage of our company's development, I was convinced that we needed to understand and periodically check every detail. I'm not saying to be a multi-tool player and be able to hire people, set up postbacks, and create a PNL from scratch.

But you need to know exactly how to do it theoretically and in which table to check the indicators. This will keep the team in good shape and avoid losses in the future.

HWYD: Tell us a little bit about your childhood: where were you born, what kind of child were you, what kind of family did you grow up in?

Kateryna: I was born and raised in the best place on the planet, Solomianka in Kyiv. As a child, I was active and talkative, just like my whole family. We lived like a Mexican soap opera.

HWYD: Were there any character traits that have remained with you in your professional life today?

Kateryna: I have three brothers, so the minimum task in my childhood was to survive. And that meant being brazen, agile, and able to defend my own interests.

My parents did not praise me, so I was constantly trying to prove that I was good and worthy of praise. I needed almost all of this in the affiliate sphere to get results.

HWYD: Do you remember any dreams or plans from your youth that influenced your career choice?

Kateryna: I dreamed of driving a hearse) But, fortunately, it didn't affect me!

HWYD: Who or what shaped you the most in those years: family, school, hobbies?

Kateryna: I was an active child, always in search of myself and hobbies. The only constant thing was my family - it was they who guided me and set the example (how to do things and how not to do them).

HWYD: Looking back, would little Katya have seen herself in affiliate marketing?

Kateryna: I dreamed of driving a hearse, watching Winx, and collecting cat magazines. What kind of affiliate marketing?

But in high school, I was already interested in international relations and marketing.

HWYD: How did you get into the affiliate sphere and why did you choose this particular direction?

Kateryna: When I was 19, I had an Instagram lingerie store. At that time, I was already studying targeting and Facebook to develop it.

Later, thanks to these skills and through acquaintances, I got into bingo and got acquainted with gambling (although at first I was very much against this niche).

HWYD: What was your path to the position of Team Lead Business Development Manager at TraffTer?

Kateryna: Long, thorny and with a pause for maternity leave.

But it was after that that my biggest professional boost took place. I joined a great big team, where I gained tremendous experience in all areas.

HWYD: What does business development mean to you personally - is it more about strategy, people, or numbers?

Kateryna: You can have clear goals and strategies, but you can't realize them without people.

For me, it is definitely about people who have ambitions and common goals. I've seen businesses stagnate because of people, and vice versa - with the right people, they grow rapidly. But this should also include a strategy and a vision for the development of each employee.

HWYD: Affiliate is often associated with fast money and aggressive competition. How does a long-term reputation become a bigger trump card than any budget in this dynamic?

Kateryna: The quieter you go, the further you will go.

I see teams shouting loudly about themselves, allocating huge budgets for marketing, and then quietly fading away because something was still missing.

I always talk about people and relationships with them. If you are not ready to compromise and negotiate, aggression will help only once - the first and last time.

HWYD: How would you define reputation for a company and an individual in the affiliate market?

Kateryna: Reputation for a company is the perception of its reliability, honesty, and professionalism by partners, buyers, and the media. In fact, it is the currency of trust, which directly affects the willingness of others to work with it.

For a person, reputation is the level of trust and credibility that he or she has gained through experience, knowledge, and ethics. It is personal capital that opens the door to profitable offers, partnerships and opportunities.

HWYD: Can reputation be measured? For example, in reviews, recommendations, repeat business?

Kateryna: Our sphere is not that big. Although the number of people is growing, everyone still knows each other. All the fakaps, gossip, and news quickly become known.

I don't know if it is possible to measure this with a clear criterion, but in aggregate, all of this forms an assessment of a person or company.

HWYD: Were there moments when a good reputation helped open doors where others could not?

Kateryna: Without undue modesty, I will say: constantly)

HWYD: Reputation takes years to build, and it can be lost in a minute. Have you personally observed such cases?

Kateryna: Yes, of course. I can't say that there are many of them on the market, but there are definitely a few.

HWYD: What mistakes do companies or professionals make most often that damage their reputation?

Kateryna: I can't say for sure, but I assume it's incompetence and overconfidence.

HWYD: Have you personally had a case when you had to "save" relations with partners or restore trust? How did it happen?

Kateryna: I don't remember. Maybe it was a long time ago.

I am usually honest with my partners and engage in a dialog if there are any disputable issues.

HWYD: You are in charge of business development. How much does a manager's personal brand affect the company's reputation?

Kateryna: I think it depends on what kind of person you are. In the words of Diogenes: "How many people there are, and how few men among them."

Expertise is important. But I know a lot of strong or media managers with whom it is uncomfortable to work. There has to be a balance.

HWYD: How do you manage to strike a balance: to remain professional and at the same time not to lose your true self in communication with partners?

Kateryna: Sometimes I'm super critical of myself for not being able to keep it up. But my partners, friends, and my team always support me.

HWYD: What do you think is the strength of female leadership in the affiliate market?

Kateryna: Initially, the female part of the affiliate community was perceived as a decoration that no one took seriously.

And then - bam! - there was a break in the patterns: women began to show how to work effectively, achieve results, and build from scratch.

We successfully combine emotional intelligence with business goals, creating trust and stable partnerships. But, of course, not all of us)

HWYD: What values do you try to convey in your work and in your team?

Kateryna: Honesty. Trust. Communication.

HWYD: How is the perception of reputation changing in the industry? Is it becoming a more expensive "currency" than a few years ago?

Kateryna: There are more and more scams, so yes, it is becoming more difficult to have trust and reputation.

HWYD: What would you advise to newcomers who are just starting to build their way in affiliate marketing and want to lay a solid foundation of reputation

Kateryna: Don't start) There are already a lot of people.

HWYD: If you have to choose between immediate profit and long-term credibility, what would you recommend and why?

Kateryna: This is a very controversial issue. It all depends on the specific case.

I would advise you to decide whether this trust is worth it.

HWYD: What does it mean for you personally to have a "good name" in the market?

Kateryna: Not to make cringe, to choose where and with whom to work.

HWYD: If you imagine that in 10 years your colleagues will describe Kateryna Savchenkova in one word, what would you like that word to be?

Kateryna: "Kitty."

HWYD: And the traditional HWYD question: what would you like to say to your partners and colleagues right now, here and through us?

Kateryna: Don't be a poop, have a good time and live an interesting life!

HWYD: Tell us about your childhood: where, in what family were you born?

Nastya: I was born in Kyiv into a family of doctors, thanks to whom I have a strange sense of humor and am not afraid of blood))

HWYD: What were the first manifestations of your desire for style in clothes and images from your childhood (maybe dressing up dolls or something? - describe this memory)

Nastya: I always say that deficit is the father of creativity. I grew up in the 90s, and in order for me to look stylish, my mother would look for friends who brought clothes from Poland or look for them in second-hand stores. I am very grateful to her for that. ❤️

HWYD: What did you dream of becoming and why? Did you consider becoming a stylist back then and why?

Nastya: When I was little, I dreamed of becoming a meat seller 😂 We didn't eat meat every day and it was considered a festive dish. That's why saleswomen in puffy oilcloth sleeves and gold rings on each finger seemed to me to be the rulers of the world. My love for fashion came later, when I had already eaten enough meat))

HWYD: How did you gain your professional experience? Perhaps you studied somewhere or absorbed images from glossy magazines or TV?

Nastya: I have always been interested in fashion because it was a world of beautiful clothes, graceful shapes, and as soon as I learned to draw, I drew clothes for some reason, and all my family was sure that I would become a fashion designer. Maybe someday I'll live up to their expectations (spoiler alert - no).

HWYD: How did you approach your own style? How did you experiment? With what exactly? How did you choose your outfits and looks and what did you decide on?

Nastya: I thank my family for their unquestioning acceptance of my stylistic expression; I was literally allowed to wear whatever I wanted and was not corrected in any way, for which I often received flak from the school administration and sometimes from classmates who did not have such freedom. I remember when we were allowed to wear business suits and were told that the color didn't matter (before that, we were required to wear dark green jackets). I came to the first of September in a bright pink pantsuit with white stripes. You should have seen the surprise of my class teacher when she heard that this was not only a costume for the holiday, but my school uniform from now on))

HWYD: Describe your first professional commission: what kind of image was it? Who were you doing it for? How nervous were you? Would you change anything about it now?

Nastya: I received my first order while studying to become a stylist, it was a wardrobe revision and shopping, I warned the girl that I was still studying, but I was incredibly excited.

HWYD: Where and how I spent my first earnings

Nastya: Frankly, I don't remember now.

HWYD: How did you gain popularity? How did you become a sought-after master?

Nastya: I have not gained any and do not have such a goal at all, I strive to be professional, I am constantly working on it. Perhaps, as my skills grow, my recognition will somehow grow organically, and I take it as a nice bonus))

HWYD: How did you get into traffic arbitration?

Nastya: It so happened that my best friend, Olga Sapogova, has been working in this field for more than 10 years, and gradually her friends began to approach me. For which I am very grateful to them all ❤️

HWYD: Who among the famous personalities in our field have you made insults to?

Nastya: Unfortunately, I can very rarely show or tell about the people I work with, except for those who mention me in publications. But I can say that I worked with girls from the following teams: Dephouse, G Partners, AFFHUB, Traffic Devils, Moon partners. It seems to be obvious which vertical I like to work with 😂.

HWYD: How do you find working with girls in affiliate marketing? Are there any peculiarities and subtleties in the work that distinguish girls from the industry from other girls?

Nastya: The peculiarities lie in the position the client holds. Because the style of an affiliate manager, CEO, or media buyer is significantly different, as job responsibilities and lifestyle have a significant impact on the wardrobe. The most prominent feature of all "arbitration" wardrobes is high stylistic flexibility. Simply put, a wardrobe should be able to quickly transform from casual to evening wear and be appropriate for a conference and an afterparty in a few hours.

HWYD: What are some of the most embarrassing moments you can tell us? For example, putting it together in the car on the way to a gala event in 20 minutes, or picking it up from your own things in the wardrobe, or running to buy something at the nearest store, etc.

Nastya: About two years ago, I received a request for a look for a theme party in Ibiza. I had to come up with the image, create it and send it in 3 hours, as it was the only way to deliver it to Spain as soon as possible. The fashion designer sent the dress from the workshop, which is located far from Kyiv, by some minibus, then I met the dress at the train station, handed it to the driver, who took it to Odesa, and the next day - to Moldova, and finally to Spain. In short, that dress had a very busy schedule and itinerary)) Most often, requests: "for yesterday" are for some themed parties or holidays like Halloween. And I love such tasks, because the less time you have to complete the task, the higher the price 😈

HWYD: How much do your services cost now? What do you base your price on?

Nastya: Currently, a wardrobe revision costs 300$, shopping - 200$, for those who are not yet financially ready, I have a consultation that costs only 100$. I have a very affordable price for a specialist of my level and experience. The price is formed according to experience and various forms of advanced training. That is, if I invest 1500$ in my training and professional growth, my time is already worth more, because I can already give more to my client than before training.

HWYD: How competitive is your specialty in our niche? Are there any of your colleagues whose work you don't like and why?

Nastya: I always say that I have no competitors - only colleagues. Some are more experienced than me, some are less, some are on the same level as me, but have a different "handwriting" and, accordingly, clients who like this "handwriting". And some people only like the way I work. And I usually reciprocate. ❤️

HWYD: Have men ever approached you? With what kind of request?

Nastya: To a greater extent, I still work with women, but lately men are increasingly delegating their wardrobe to a stylist because it is very rational in terms of financial literacy and time management. And men are prone to a rational approach and optimization of all processes. In this regard, it is very easy to work with them, and they usually trust more)

HWYD: How would you generally comment on the average images of the so-called arbitrators, summarized in the "expensive-rich" category - balenciaga sneakers, Louis or Gucci T-shirt with a print across the chest, stone island jackets and off-white hoodies?

Nastya: I can only say that, according to my observations, the higher the position of a specialist, the less prone to logomania he is)) But I do not condemn such manifestations, everything has its time and age, the "Philip Plain" phase must also be passed))

HWYD: What advice would you give to guys and girls in the industry who don't yet have the opportunity or need to hire a personal stylist?

Nastya: There's a good joke about this: "Advice is free, consultation is for money. My advice to you is to go for a consultation." Seriously, mindlessly buying clothes is much more expensive than going to a stylist and rationally allocating the most modest budget. To do this, I added the "consultation" service, after which you can put together a cool wardrobe even at a second-hand store.

HWYD: And for those who have such a need and opportunity, how do you choose a stylist to walk proudly on the red carpet of nominations?

Nastya:

There are a few points that need to be addressed:

1. Education. Because a stylishly dressed person or a person whose style you admire will not be able to express you properly through your clothes if they do not have the appropriate knowledge.
2. Look through the works, it's cool when a stylist has his own "chips", the main thing is that he does not dress everyone "like a copy", or the same as himself. A professional stylist should be flexible and work on your request, not implement their own vision.
3.  If you hear from a stylist: "How to look expensive/cheap", "How not to look like a collective farm" - run away as soon as possible, a stylist who operates in such categories is unlikely to have a positive impact on your style. The main thing in cooperation with a stylist is trust, if for some reason the specialist does not inspire it in you, look further ❤️