"I WANT TO CONQUER MARS" IS AN AMBITIOUS STORY THAT INSPIRES YOU TO DREAM BIG! MILA, BIGDEAL PARTNERS.

HWYD: Tell us where and how did you spend your childhood? Describe some of your most vivid memories.

Mila: I was born in the Chernihiv region. My childhood was very warm and cool. My most vivid memories are that every summer I went to Western Ukraine. Just every summer.

HWYD: What did you dream about when you were a little girl?

Mila: When I was little, I dreamed of a cool red car, a sports car, and becoming a diplomat.

HWYD: How did you study at school?

Mila: I did very, very well at school. My favorite subjects were history, Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature, English and foreign literature.
I liked humanities subjects-everything related to reading and languages.

HWYD: What clubs/sections did you attend and what successes did you achieve?

Mila: I attended an art school in parallel with a regular school. I didn't achieve any special success at the art school, but I had a lot of success at the general school. I often won prizes at district competitions.

HWYD: Where and why did you decide to study after high school?

Mila: I enrolled as a financier, or rather, a tax specialist. This is basically a basic education that will always come in handy.

HWYD: What were your student years like? Describe some of your most vivid memories.

Mila: They were very, very intense. The brightest moments of my life are associated with students. I really liked team activities, especially the Faculty Day, Mr. and Miss Faculty, and all kinds of events like that.

HWYD: How did you earn your first money? What did you spend your first salary on?

Mila: I started earning my first money at school. I worked in the summer in my friends' business - we made wooden puzzles for children, like handmade. I painted and drew them. I spent it on clothes - on cool clothes.
I also won my first money in the lottery. They bought me a ticket, I won x30, and of course, I felt like a rich bitch.
It was my first experience of "my" money. Before that, I was just given it, but here I won it. And I remember when I was a kid, I had such a nice "cutlet" of cash.

HWYD: How did you get into the affiliate industry?

Mila: At first, I just learned about the position of affiliate manager, started looking into it, and found out that my friend had an open position in the company.
But I made the choice to become an affiliate manager back in my third year when I was analyzing what suited me best: a job in finance or something new and unknown.
I chose the second option, although the first one still haunts me. Maybe someday I will try myself as an auditor, for example, or use my knowledge in my own business.

HWYD: What position did you first hold, how did you learn about the field and the specifics of work?

Mila: At first, I was a junior affiliate manager. I learned the industry through practice - I had a lot of communication with websites and partners even before I got to international conferences.
I was immediately immersed in the work as much as possible - the pace was fast, and it was difficult at first. It still is sometimes. But at the beginning, I was lost - I was confusing concepts, didn't fully understand how to use slang correctly and what sources there are, how they differ.

HWYD: How did you move on, what companies did you work for, and what experience did you gain?

Mila: After my first strong experience, I decided that I wanted to try myself as a direct advertiser. I joined GGBET, which is a direct advertiser with three directions and several licenses.
The experience was very interesting. That's how I got a strong "product" base and grew rapidly. We were marketing to Brazil and Asia, and I was on a business trip to Brazil - and for the first time without a stand. At one time, we were very active in buying traffic to Brazil. We also had expertise with the Baltic countries and Tier-1 strings. In other words, we covered many locations.
Later, we received a Ukrainian license and also bought large volumes of traffic. It was very interesting to track the performance and payback of geo, which was quite new and with an empty base at the time. All of this was complemented by a strong media company, which, in turn, affected various metrics.
Esports is a separate story. GGBET has a very strong esports line, and at the time, they were leaders in this area. There is a different payback, a different player psychology - not the same as in classic verticals. Therefore, it was very interesting to work with them.

HWYD: Now you work at BigDeal, tell us about the company and yourself. What do you do and what prospects do you see?

Mila: BigDeal is an affiliate program focused on Tier-1. We have two products: OnlyWin on a self-serve platform - it focuses on Canada, Germany, and Australia. And WishWin, which has a wider geo-reach.
I handle the entire CPA department - all sources except SEO and streaming.
I see a growth perspective for myself as a team leader - to grow a team, fill it with people, and develop our products through this team. And this growth is not only in terms of affiliate business, but also in terms of products, technology, and even media buying. It is absolutely comprehensive development.
And there are a lot of prospects. It all depends on me - on how I invest and how fast we move.

HWYD: What's next? Staying in this field or making radical changes? What do you dream about?

Mila: In fact, this can change at any time. But for now, yes, I am here.
From dreams. I often write down my dreams, which turn into goals: global and intermediate ones. This is even more than just writing them down. When we write down a list of our goals on paper, it helps us build a plan and a clear timeline. Here are some of my goals: my own product in Tier-1 and the travel business. In general, there are a lot of them. They inspire and make every move meaningful.
I also want to visit Mars. And all the countries of the world. I want to visit non-touristy, completely unpopular locations. I dream of going on some kind of expedition.

HWYD: How often do you go on vacation and how do you spend your time there?

Mila: In fact, I have never been on a full vacation. But I need to go somewhere for a weekend every month. That's how I recover, and with some dynamics, I can do my best in 100%.
At these moments, I try to disconnect from the "easy dopamine" and take my eyes off my phone. Most of my friends are not from the industry, and it's important for me not to stay plugged into the work context. It's important to really relax mentally, and that's the main thing.
I also like to walk, try to visit interesting places and places, and often go to museums and exhibitions in my free time.
Outside of work, I try to read more and learn French. It's important to switch gears and unload your brain. In my opinion, this is the only way to preserve and increase the amount of energy, while maintaining the "rhythm" of life.

HWYD: How did you find the move to Warsaw? Do you see this city as a second home?

Mila: At first it was difficult - the process of moving is complicated, and for various reasons I couldn't get to Warsaw for a long time - I was constantly stopped by something: either I was sick or there were some force majeure events.
I felt as if this city did not accept me. But over time, I got used to it. I formed my own social circle, and I feel comfortable here. Warsaw has become my second home.

HWYD: What is the situation with the development of the Ukrainian affiliate community in Warsaw? Is everyone friendly and welcoming to each other? Where do you meet, what do you do together?

Mila: The Ukrainian affiliate community in Warsaw is very strong. Everyone is friendly, open, and welcoming. We play padl, mafia, go for coffee, to the movies together. In general, we hang out everywhere.