INTO MOTHERHOOD AT THE PEAK OF HER CAREER: VICTORIA MASLOVA'S INSPIRING STORY ABOUT HER DECISION TO LEAVE AFFHUB AND DEVOTE HERSELF TO HER FAMILY

HWYD: Tell us about your childhood. Where, when, in what family were you born?

Victoria: I was born in Melitopol, a small but wonderful city of cherries and sea. When I was 5 years old, my mother and I moved to Dnipro, where I spent my childhood and youth. And in 2019, I moved to Kyiv, where my acquaintance with arbitration began.

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

Victoria: To be honest, I don't remember anything specific. Like most girls, I wanted to be a doctor, a veterinarian, or a gymnast.

HWYD: Describe your most vivid childhood memory.

Victoria: It's hard to single out one thing, but probably one of the most pleasant memories is when I was given a dog and then a cat. I love animals very much and at that time I was just dreaming about them. I remember feeling like the happiest child in the world. By the way, the cat still lives with me - it's 20 years old now, and it seems that it has at least 10 more to go.

HWYD: How did you study at school? Which subjects did you like and which did not?

Victoria: I loved English, history, and Ukrainian literature. But I hated physics and geometry. I was lucky with my upbringing - my mother never forced me to learn anything I didn't like. But it was important to her that my grades were good, so in the 5th or 6th grade I learned how to cheat, negotiate with teachers, and make a good impression. These skills helped me a lot both as a student and in my adult life. Being able to achieve your goals is sometimes more important than memorizing things you don't need.

HWYD: Where did you study? What is the most vivid memory from this period?

Victoria: I studied at the Faculty of International Relations, majoring in HoReCa - management of the tourism, restaurant and hotel business. Studying was easy and interesting. I was very lucky with the group, teachers, and the atmosphere. My favorite teacher at the first class said: "University is a place where you need to make friends and form connections. You may or may not need the knowledge. But people are for sure." I completely agree with him.

HWYD: Did you work in your specialty? What were your first jobs?

Victoria: Yes, my first job was at an event agency where we organized city festivals and conferences. Later, we moved to a project that organized the IT Forum conference-it was a well-known IT event with foreign speakers and a large expo zone. By the way, it was at this forum that we first presented the Diia project together with Mykhailo Fedorov.
I worked with very talented people who inspired me not to be afraid of challenges and to create cool things even without experience. It was there that I learned responsibility, the ability to respond quickly to crises, and not to be afraid of the difficult.

I am especially grateful to my supervisor, Nadiia Kuzmychova. She is now the Deputy Minister of Education and Science. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with her.

HWYD: Tell us how you got into the industry and when did it happen?

Victoria: It happened in March 2020. Like many of us, it was an accident. I already had an offer for one IT project, but I decided to go to the interview that had already been scheduled. And there was a match with Olya Sapogova, who was interviewing at Affhub. At that time, the project hadn't even been around for a year, but Olya was talking about it so passionately that I seemed to fall in love with it right there. I was hooked by the atmosphere of Everad, Olya's energy, and the fact that she was also from Melitopol. It was a sign that two girls from Melitopol in Kyiv could do something really cool. And so it happened.

HWYD: Under what circumstances did you become the head of Affhub?

Victoria: In December 2021. Olya left the project to do something new, and a place became available. Then Everad's CEO, Oleksandr Yasiukovych, made me a new offer to become the project's head. At that time, I was already a team leader and probably had the most experience among my colleagues.

HWYD: How many years have you dedicated to Affhub?

Victoria: Almost 4 years.

HWYD: What is the most memorable thing you can recall about Affhub during this time?

Victoria: I didn't work there a single day in the classical sense, because it was more than work. We lived the project. We had a team that really loved what they were doing. Was it difficult? Yes, very much so.
I became a manager on the eve of a big challenge - we held one event and a full-scale invasion began. In 5 months, we organized the first event in Ukraine in wartime, introduced a new format - charity auctions. We cooperated with brigades, with the military. I remember that for the first such auction, I found a soldier in a store, we talked and he offered a lot for the auction. We were able to cover the cost of the car for them.
We held events without electricity and water, using generators that we searched for hours before the event because there was a massive bombing the night before. We held conferences abroad for those who were forced to leave. We organized an online conference that was watched live by 20,000 people during blackouts, a live fire, and the threat of ballistic missiles.

In a year and a half, we have collected about UAH 5 million to help the Armed Forces and volunteers. We did it because we sincerely believed in the project and that everything was possible. And, most importantly, because we were a team that could do anything.

The most striking thing about those times was the people. A team that created events with soul, love, and boundless dedication.

HWYD: What did you bring there personally?

Victoria: I was a manager, so in fact, I was responsible for everything: from idea to implementation, from meeting guests to operational management. My main tasks are to assess the project's profitability, analyze the economy, budgeting, search and attract new partners, marketing, and develop the project's ecosystem.

Personally, I consider my main achievement to be increasing the economic efficiency of the project several times, expanding its geography, and most importantly, building a strong team. It took me a long time to fill each position, 2-3 months. Probably, recruiters didn't like me very much because "all the wrong ones" :) But I filled the vacancies with "my" people - those who showed results, strived for development, and did not just "complete tasks" but lived the project 24/7.

By the way, we still have a working chat - we correspond there, share our personal and professional life. There is only one member of my team left in Affhub - Zheka - the rest have already moved on. But we still keep in touch. I'm especially happy about the career growth of Artur Borysenko, Alina Balych, and Victoria Onishchenko, and I'm very proud of them.

HWYD: Do you follow Affhub's life now?

Victoria: Yes, of course. I'm subscribed to the project's social media. This is such a part of life that you can't just forget. I follow it and wish the project to grow and become even cooler every day. I think Affhub is the best marketing project in our industry. I cannot but mention the project's charitable initiatives, Affhub is a great example of what a conscious business in Ukraine should look like now.

HWYD: What do you think has changed in the company now?

Victoria: It's hard for me to say objectively - I haven't been to the new events yet. But judging by the activity in the media, on YouTube, at events, the strategy has changed, and a new positioning has emerged. This is a different stage. I think the new CEO and her team have created their own atmosphere.

HWYD: What was the reason for your departure?

Victoria: It's simple - my desire. I gave the project more than 4 years, and I felt that I was starting to burn out.
I realized it was time to move on. I gave the project everything I could. And I got everything I wanted. I have grown up.

HWYD: How did you make the decision to leave?

Victoria: It's hard. I thought about it for more than six months. Then I told my manager. And after that, I worked for about 4 months. It was the hardest thing to tell the team - I told them two months before I left.
But I'm sure I left on time. The way the team said goodbye to me is a story for another article))) It was a wonderful, intense 4 years, an incredible experience and happiness from what I did.

HWYD: Nowadays, social media usually promotes career paths for women, and in megacities, a really high percentage of women choose a career. What motivated you to put your family first?

Victoria: I would put it a little differently: self-realization comes first for me. But in different areas: as a leader, as a wife, as a mother. Everything has its time. When I realized that the time had come to leave Affhub, I was faced with the question: either to go headlong into a new project or to have a child. My husband and I have been together since high school, so the topic of motherhood has been a long time coming. After consulting with him, I decided not to put it off any longer.

HWYD: How is motherhood for you?

Victoria: I really wanted to do this. We were preparing, I was planning everything. I realized that it would be difficult - but in fact, everything turned out to be much easier than I expected. Motherhood is an incredible period. I have never experienced so much love, harmony, and happiness. My husband plays a very important role here - he is a wonderful father. We gave birth together. He was with me all the time, in the maternity ward, by my side, both for me and for the baby. He spent the first night on a chair by the bedside with his son in his arms. This is a real manifestation of love. These moments are forever in my heart. Now our son is 9 months old, and he has the best dad, who is fully involved in every aspect of his life.

HWYD: Tell us about your child: who is your child, how did you name him or her, how do you raise him or her, what values do you instill in him or her?

Victoria: I always dreamed of a boy, and I gave birth to a son. We named him Mykhailo.
Like every mother, I believe that I have the best and happiest son 💛 It's too early to talk about values - he is only 9 months old. But I know one thing for sure: I want him to be happy. And which path he chooses is his choice. We will always be there for him. I don't want to raise a "convenient" boy. I want to raise an "uncomfortable" person - someone who knows what he wants, is not afraid to be himself and has an inner core.

HWYD: What are you doing now? Are you on maternity leave or already working?

Victoria: Being a mom is, without exaggeration, a 24/7 job.
We have a nanny, so I can afford a few hours a day to do my own thing. I take care of my health actively. I gained 25 kg during my pregnancy and have already lost it all, even a little more. But I continue to work on myself. I go to the gym, work out with a trainer, get massages and beauty treatments. I recently started playing tennis - it's become a real passion! (And no, the paddle didn't work 😄) I also resumed English classes - my brain also needs exercise. But, of course, 90% of my time is taken up with motherhood - and that's great. My return to work is planned. I will finish breastfeeding and return to the field with renewed vigor.

HWYD: Do you miss Affhub?

Victoria: Yes, I do miss it. But not "work" - I miss the people, the atmosphere, the vibesometimes even for Click Up, but not much)  It's not sadness, it's a pleasant nostalgia.

HWYD: Will we see you again at conferences?

Victoria: Definitely! I think I'll be at the next Affhub.
I really missed everyone 💛