Kozak Talks Podcast
Ми знайомимо вас з українцями, які побудували тут неймовірне життя - підприємцями, професіоналами, громадськими лідерами та відомими українцями.
Їхні подорожі та інсайдерські поради покажуть вам, як боротися з викликами, відкривати можливості та реалізовувати свій потенціал - і все це з повагою до свого українського коріння.
Kozak Talks Podcast
Від Лондона до розширення прав і можливостей жінок у всьому світі: історія Катерини Бурцеваки
Приєднуйтесь до Kozak Talks, щоб поспілкуватися з Катериною Бурцевакою, українською підприємницею, яка досягла успіху у Великій Британії. Від продажу самокатів у Лондоні до запуску коучингового бізнесу - вона ділиться своїм шляхом, наголошуючи на волонтерстві та підтримці громади.
Катерина розповідає про свої бізнес-проекти, баланс між материнством та ринковим життям, а також про створення впливових жіночих форумів (uwill.global) Отримайте цінні поради для українців, які інтегруються у Великій Британії, та надихніться її історіями стійкості та відданості справі.
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I had a wonderful life in Ukraine. I adore Ukraine. I always loved it. I was born in Donbass. My English was absolutely zero. It is impossible to compare it with Great Britain. I remember that day when I was just looking at Big Ben and I couldn't believe my eyes. It's a very serious statement, but I'm doing it now. I don't believe in business partnership. 35,000 women around the world have passed through our project. Congratulations 72 countries.
Speaker 1:Britain is just a super country. Why Britain respects people from all over the world. It is necessary to decide whether you will build a life here or not.
Speaker 2:Yes, good afternoon. Dear Ukrainians, this is your host, sasha Kozak, on Kozak Talks Podcast, where we invite successful Ukrainians, Ukrainians who have already become professionals here, ukrainians who are leaders in various diasporas communities, and also entrepreneurs who have already opened a business here and are developing their business here in the UK, who can not only tell their story, how they did it, their experience, how it is possible, how you can do it in Britain. Today we have a guest, episode 50, kateryna Borseva. Kateryna, first of all, I want to thank you for being on the Cossack Talks podcast. You are a successful Ukrainian who has lived in the UK for the past 10 years 15.
Speaker 2:Wow, 15 years. Ukraine, Ukrainian, ukrainian or even Russian speakers, their experts, when they already know their Ukrainians, they can already go through Ukrainians to the British market they want and in two years many Ukrainians already find it. Kateryna, we will tell your life today. We will tell three topics. This is your life from Ukraine to Britain, but a small part. Then a big part, we will talk about your life in Britain. How did you start your life when you came from Ukraine? Maybe you had a good life and you came with a better life. Maybe it wasn't good and you came to Britain.
Speaker 2:How did you become a professional here? How did you enter the business? Because I know one of the businesses that I know that you have a women's business club that you have been developing for more than 5 years. And also what advice you could give Ukrainians the way you do now, what advice you can give them. And also, we will finish, a couple of questions which I always ask on Koza Talks, but these are secret questions if you haven not followed my podcast, as you do not know what questions I ask For you, it will be a surprise. They are not very difficult, but they will make you think about these questions. And, plus, if you want to say at the end for us that I have achieved something unique, or even say a promotion where our listeners, who are the creators, can find your information, please don't be afraid, we don't ask such questions. We're not BBC.
Speaker 2:Yes, katarina, thank you very much for coming to the podcast. Let's start our episode 50. This is cool, wonderful Ukrainian. It's already 50 episodes. I made one with Ukrainians who live in Britain, who achieved something in this country, who do something and move and don't give up. Yes, let's get started. Katarina, first question to you Please tell us about your life in Ukraine until the moment you came to Britain. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Oleksandr. Well, first of all, thank you very much for what you do. I am very grateful to you on behalf of all Ukrainians who live in Great Britain and beyond. You make a very cool podcast and I am always years old, but you personally introduced me to people I have never met before Very, very interesting personalities.
Speaker 3:Hello everyone. Today we will talk about our company, sterling Law, which specializes in immigration and corporate law in the UK. In the field of immigration law, sterling Law, we help clients with obtaining various types of visas, including work, student, family and business visa. The company also consults on obtaining permanent residence and citizenship in the UK. We can be proud of our numerous victories and recognition in the range as we enter the leading legal ratings, such as Legal 500, where we are designated for high quality of service and professionalism. If you need professional legal assistance, contact us, because we want to achieve the best results for our clients.
Speaker 1:As for me, I had a wonderful life in Ukraine. I adore Ukraine. I always loved it. I was born in Donbass, I won't tell you in which year. Then my family and I moved to Kyiv. I didn't live in Kyiv that much, but I graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnic University, got a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree there. I had a very bright life. I adore Kyiv. It's a city where you can find everything you need. But it was a decision of my family and mine in that case too, that there is something else somewhere.
Speaker 1:I have never seen Europe before, never. I was just in Switzerland for a while and then I went to Great Britain, and here in Great Britain I came just for English language courses. That is, my English was absolutely zero. Maybe I knew a few words there and there was such a plan that I would come. But I didn't come to London because I was very scared of this city. I have never been to Great Britain. I have no one here. There is absolutely no language like London. No, no, no. And I was advised to take such a small college in Bournemouth. This is a city…. You were in Ukraine, in Ukraine, and you were recommended to go to.
Speaker 2:Ukraine, not London, a city in Ukraine, and you were recommended to visit Bormus, not London.
Speaker 1:Yes, I was told that I am very afraid of London. For me, london was something, even now, a place that is world-class. It's a world-class experience. It's wow. I felt that to come to London, you need to prepare. Without language, without connections, without anything. I can't afford it morally, so I said a little no, no, no, and I was advised by the beautiful city of Bormus, which I love very much. Sometimes we go there to the beach. I lived there for a year and a half and then, when I realized that my English was a little better, I moved here. That's why, in Ukraine, I had a great life At 24 years old, I moved in 2009. I first moved to Great Britain without anyone at all.
Speaker 2:No language, no one. I'm curious now you are coming to Britain for the first time. Do you remember the first time you came to Britain Of?
Speaker 1:course.
Speaker 2:What did you think? What was your impression of Britain when you came for the first time? Was it raining?
Speaker 1:It was night, it was February. At the airport, I didn't know anything, but they organized a transfer for me and such an elite man, an Englishman, stood with a sign of my name. I looked at him. He said something to me. Of course I didn't understand anything. I got in the car and he drove me for two and a half hours.
Speaker 2:He said he was holding your shoulder.
Speaker 1:How did he know you it's from college I will stay there, I will learn English and return to Kyiv, but what I understood, that when I, even now, can say and what can I say? Not to compare Great Britain. It is impossible to compare. I am a traveler, that is, I love to travel. A traveler, I love traveling. I had a chance to live in any country I wanted, but I love here.
Speaker 1:I think we should not compare Great Britain with any other country. It is absolutely not the same as a European country, not the same as Ukraine. By the way, alexandra, when you gave the first advice which I can say right now Dear Ukrainians, please do't compare Ukraine and Great Britain. I hear so much here in Kyiv we have such a cafe, such a service, but here it's not like that, here it's not like that. Of course, everything is not like that here because it's Great Britain and Ukraine is absolutely different cultures, absolutely everything is different. So my advice is just not to compare.
Speaker 1:And I was surprised by all the architecture, people. I was surprised by simplicity, because Great Britain is a huge, rich country and they don't bother with them. For me it was a surprise. And then, when we were brought to London by a bus, I remember when we were on a bus, it was like a college trip to London. I just looked out the window of the bus at Victoria Station and then we just looking at Big Ben from the bus window at Victoria Station. I can't believe my eyes Because at my English language school we had a class with Big Ben and here I see Big. Here I understand. I can't believe I'm standing here in London. Since then I fell in love with this city as much as possible and I understood what scale it was To conquer this city, to be valuable, to value it.
Speaker 1:To value this city. You need to go through a lot of things To carry it like this. This city is huge.
Speaker 2:You came to London. You came here as a student, right? Yes? When did you officially come to London? It was a student's trip, right yes, and when did you officially come to London?
Speaker 1:It was when I made the decision to move on. My family and I decided that we have the opportunity to study here and I got my third highest education. I have three higher educations. The first two are Kyiv Polytechnic University. The third highest education is Master of Strategic Marketing, middlesex University.
Speaker 2:God how hard it was for me. These are interesting moments. You come to London, you will live in London and you are enrolling in the University of Middlesex, right, yes, and how?
Speaker 1:was your work money living? Yes, that's why I said that I am grateful to my family that they helped me. It was also my father's dream, but he said he had a budget to finance my studies. But the prices here are so high Space prices and compared to Kyiv and London, it was space money. I understood it. I understood that I needed to learn the language in such a way that the university would take me. I had only one year to go from zero English to such English that I went to post-graduation.
Speaker 1:This is the second highest and when I was there, I think I passed all the tests in England that are only possible. This is IELTS, this is a driving license. This is Life in the UK. I think I passed all the tests that are here. We had this budget in our family to study. But it's not about money. It's about how you can learn business language in a year Academic and business language, english language so that you can study at the university. I could do it Because I had a goal.
Speaker 1:I remember how hard it was for me when I studied with students from Germany, china, china who have great English Austria, switzerland, spain, and I am the only person from Ukraine. I told you today that when they me where I was from, I said that people didn't know where Ukraine was. They thought it was Poland or somewhere, moscow, and I was like that. Nobody knew about Ukraine. They knew about Ukraine only because our athletes were footballers or boxers and compared them, but they thought that it was somewhere Poland, somewhere Russia, and I said, okay, okay, we are like from Ukraine, that's it. That is. It was very, very difficult for me to learn English. My English level was not the same as that of people who lived in the European Union. But what did?
Speaker 2:you do. How did you learn English? I studied at the library. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I don't speak Ukrainian very well.
Speaker 2:Well, you're trying.
Speaker 1:I don't understand anything, but I turn on the radio BBC, bbc4, bbc1. I always listened to English. Then, when I realized that I needed to go to university, I went to the library every week, not, but I was going to the library. I was sitting there reading books, writing them down. It was a bit difficult, but when I had already passed the IELTS exam, it was a very difficult exam for me and I was admitted to the university. I remember the first month. No one spoke Russian or Ukrainian in the course and it was great. By the way, I had friends with whom we spoke English and so my English maybe after 3-4 months, already in the middle of university it has risen.
Speaker 2:And I am very, very grateful for this experience. If you want to learn English better, forget about these Ukrainians Telegram, whatsapp, facebook. Forget about Ukrainians. Get along with the British. It will be difficult. Two or three years will be very difficult and when you're 53, you'll grow up very fast. You took these exams. You already know English. What was next, I'm curious. Until that moment, did you find a job? How did you find a job? And when you found a job, did you go to study again? What happened next?
Speaker 1:In general, I can say that I was very helped by the fact that I am a person who likes to communicate with people. Now I consider myself a networker. I will tell you that before I came to London, I was already in Bournemouth. I was already in touch with people who are small business. They have beauty salons. They do something. I started to communicate with them.
Speaker 1:I think I had one such story when they told us in college please, if you want to learn another language and don't want to pay for it, because it was very expensive For my family, it was very well. I know that married children come here, but I didn't have such a super situation. We were all OK. I understood that I had no other options to invest additional money. What did I do? By the way, my second advice I went to Instagram. If you remember, there was no Instagram.
Speaker 1:I went to Google and started looking around my area which companies are there and what they do. I found one marketing company by address. What did I do? I went to them, knocked on the door. Two British people were sitting there and said how can we help you? I said the truth, that I am a girl from Ukraine. I am now in college.
Speaker 1:But I do not have enough experience and I need free, volunteer work. What can you offer me? They have such eyes. I say, of course, look here, we have Excel tables. What do you need? You just need to look at the Excel tables, fill them in. But when you want, come then. That is after college. I came to them for one hour. I heard how they communicate with each other on business language marketing. I was sitting at the computer, I was helping them in the system a little bit a few. They were so grateful, I was grateful. I think it was very cool Not just go to some clothes shop as a shop, because if you want business English, I mean in this company. I was lucky, but I don't know.
Speaker 2:I worked like that you said you were a volunteer. Why do you think the English I know that the English love volunteering it's appreciated here. Tell me a little about yourself. Why is volunteering appreciated here in Britain?
Speaker 1:Because it's an energy exchange, I think, and if you want to work, if you want to hire someone to work, you need to pay, and I think that in England, small business support is very cool. Volunteering is support for small businesses and it's an energy exchange. That is, it's kindness, that is here, is a smile, kindness and I think that volunteering, unfortunately, month when I came to Great Britain, I know that it is very easy to go to a charity shop and you can help there, but I realized that I would not go to a charity shop now. I went to this small startup, small business, and just helped there. They are good, I am good, so I am for volunteering.
Speaker 2:So you not only learned the skills that they teach you, you also sat and heard how they. Yes, it was your goal to know how people speak this language, but you know you said business term. Did you already know before that it would be easier? Or you just want to learn this language? I always go where I'm scared.
Speaker 1:Where I don't know anything, because it's like everyone says now, how to get out of your comfort zone. I constantly go out of my comfort zone Because there's a growth. And here's college courses, studies, just language, english as simple as food trips. And here I understand that I need further. I need a language. I understand that. I already have two higher education levels and I need to higher education and I needed to move on. That's why I went. I was very scared. I didn't understand what they were talking about.
Speaker 2:Okay, you were scared. Comfort, you learn a language. Your goal is to learn a language, but let's talk about this. Did you have a goal when you finished learning a language what you wanted to do next, or did you not have such a goal when you finished language school?
Speaker 1:Yes, I was 25, then I was 24-25. Psychologists tell me what self-growth, self-development, coaching, mentoring is. Sorry, for me, it was absolutely zero. I didn't know what psychology was. I didn't know what coaching was. So I knew that today I need to learn a language so that tomorrow I will be taken to university and then, when I have education, I will see what to do next.
Speaker 1:But thanks to my family, I always had this entrepreneurial life, as they say. I didn't expect that I would work for someone for many years and that's what happened. I even work for myself now. I love it very much. It's also scary, but we have what we have. I didn't have such plans. I had the goal to learn a language, to get a marketing education, and then I was already watching. But, being already at the university, we already did events. Here is a very cool training Post-graduation. I am very grateful to the UK. In general, I respect this country as much as possible. I am so grateful. I am even grateful to the UK and I consider this country as the most important. I am even grateful to the NHS. I am OK with the NHS Education, everything they do for people. I am grateful to this country. So when I came here. Yes, I didn't understand something, but I respect their rules and I am grateful to this country and I think that this energy exchange, the country is grateful to me, so I'm more or less okay here.
Speaker 2:Thank you. You study, you know English better. You give a course to the university right To do the university. You give English to do that course. What did you study at the university?
Speaker 1:and why? Yes, I also thought what to teach? I did not understand. I also thought what to learn? I didn't understand. But I was such a person as from childhood, I like to organize events. I they advise.
Speaker 1:I liked the reason why I chose this university. First, it was inexpensive, because the prices are not important. Secondly, the program had only four subjects and you study these four subjects for a year and a half. I liked it very much because there was creative marketing and organization of events. By the way, we were invited to a week in Newcastle and we did business events there on the football club's territory. God, it was something for me. Wow. When the whole group went to Newcastle Football Club, we watched how they do business events catering coffee breaks. I watched it all there. I probably already understood that I want to do with my events what I like when people meet, drink coffee on the territory of some conference hall. I got this education here in Great Britain how to do business events, and now I understand how it help me. Yes, yes, because when you did it two years, ago.
Speaker 2:It was so cool for me. I thought, wow, who else in Ukraine does this? How did she do it? It was cool, wonderful. You studied. You graduated from university, you know. You told me before that you had a budget for a year to study Money. How did you make money? First was your first income. You will be very funny now.
Speaker 1:This is a joke, but the first 70 pounds I earned in Bournemouth. When I was told that one person had a small restaurant and a club she was looking for a DJ, I said I was a DJ. I was not a DJ. Seriously, yes, she has a small restaurant and a club and she is looking for a DJ. I said that I am a DJ. I wasn't a.
Speaker 1:DJ, seriously yes, I wasn't a DJ, but I had friends. They were popular on Skype. They taught me how to do it all. She paid me even 100 pounds. These were my first 100 pounds in the UK. I played music for her guests. I really liked it and they told me that they wanted me to be a DJ at events. But I understood that it was not my activity at that time, although I really like it. It was my first money, but when I was already finishing university I went to such a job. I won't name a person's name. She was very popular here. She had an event agency. It was very big. They did events wrote.
Speaker 1:I said that I have three languages that I have a little experience of. And then I had a family. I was already preparing for maternity and for some time I was already, let's say, behind the wheels of business. That is, I was already in maternity For some time. Business. I was already in maternity leave for some time. Then, when I gave birth to a daughter, I realized that I didn't want to just…. I was married, I had a small child. I was here in the UK and I thought, yes, I need to do something, because this entrepreneur's life doesn't give me peace at all. I can't just be at home. What did I do? This story is very interesting, by the way. You don't know it yet.
Speaker 2:I don't know it yet you don't know it yet.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, girls, you will find it interesting. Imagine that you are walking in the park with a stroller while your husband works and earns money. You are at home. What did I do? I walk in the park and see that these scooters children walk on scooters. Yes, yes, I came home, went to Instagram.
Speaker 2:There was no scooters.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I came home, went to Instagram. There was no Instagram, then there was only Facebook. I went to the Internet and started looking where you can buy scooters Is that?
Speaker 3:right, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:I found a Chinese company and ordered just while my child was sleeping 300?.
Speaker 1:Yes, 300. It's a ship. Ok, it's a very interesting story because I had money on my card. Imagine I'm sitting at home, my child is sleeping in bed. I go in. I find I don't know who these Chinese are, who they are. I'm waiting. Then I calculated that if I buy 300 scooters and sell them for 25 pounds, then I will make some money. Mathematics calculator. I did everything. A call in two months on my phone we congratulate you on your scoot, on your customs, but please pay a tax. I didn't expect that you need to pay when you get goods in the UK. I just didn't expect that you need to pay again. I'm looking for money to pay this tax. Okay, I paid this tax. And then there was this wonderful situation. If you can imagine what a scooter is, it's a whole truck. I get a call from the driver and he asks me what I am doing with my car. I have nothing, no storage, nothing. I find in Google the nearest self-storage.
Speaker 1:You know, there is such a thing as self-storage. I go to them and say I need a room now to unload these scooters. They say okay, no questions, just pay. And I understand that I need to pay more now. I think OK, and I stand with a wheelchair. A truck comes. I can't believe it. He says where to unload.
Speaker 1:It was, of course, shock content, but I, un, did everything. Then my career started sales. How I sold these scooters? We didn't have Instagram, facebook. I then realized that I can't just sell through Facebook and it is very difficult. I thought, okay, I will make my own children's fair.
Speaker 1:I went to the British schools and asked please can I rent a hall for you? They asked me why. I said I want to make a fair for mothers who do something by hand, handmade market, and it will be a mini market in halls and I understood that I would be exhibiting the same products to my mother and I make at home and I will put my own wall with my own samocats and this helped me a little. Of course, I did not earn anything there, because all the money from the participation went to rent and decoration, but little by little I started to sell my scooters. That's why I have a business in China, in England.
Speaker 1:I remember when I was the last one, I just gave my friend a scooter and said take it, I don't want more of this, because I paid for all this. I paid for self-storage, I paid for everything. I said I didn't earn, but I earned experience, goods here, and it was hard when we can now see how goods are sold through Instagram, but when there is no Instagram, there is only Facebook and that's it. I had no money to promote websites or to do it online, some kind of store. There were no resources for that. It was my interesting part of life.
Speaker 2:It's a very interesting story. You know, kateryna, you took a risk. Yes, I saw the idea in the park, ordered 30 pieces, 300 pieces, calculated how much it would cost, how much I would sell it, but I didn't know that you have to sell it in AT. You didn't know the law, how to sell it. Well, you didn't know this information. But then I understood when you were going to pay. You could even sell it, but you didn't sell it. I'm going forward.
Speaker 2:Then I had to do it in storage. You could have done it then, but you didn't. I'm going forward. Then I had to do it again and then I did it again. I covered it. You still have to go back. What should I do? How do I sell it in Britain? Because the idea comes to our heads, we think we will sell it, but in reality it didn't work out. But what does it show? You didn't give up, you moved. As you said before this podcast, you like to be in moments of discomfort. Yes, I love it. Maybe it wasn't a success, but you learned a lot. Tell me please, what did you learn from this experience?
Speaker 1:Time management. It will be very interesting for girls who have just given birth. There are no nannies there are no nurseries the kindergartens are very expensive, very expensive.
Speaker 1:So you are lonely at home because your partner works, he earns money, or he is in Ukraine and you are here yourself. What can you do to support yourself? And then I went to risk. That is my child sleeps and I work. My child watches cartoons and I'm working. My child is watching cartoons and I'm working. By the way, I'll tell you later, when I had a second child, what I did when I already had two children. It was interesting. I learned time management. I learned it because when you look at yourself, you don't have, oh, not everything. I went to Greenwich Market. I sold samokats there. Then I went to Spettafield Market in the center of London.
Speaker 1:I was standing at the market at the bazaar.
Speaker 2:You went to Greenwich Market market and there they sell vegetables.
Speaker 1:I agreed where I could sell toys. I was standing at the market. I had three higher education, but I was standing in central London at the market and selling my samokats Because it was my business. It was okay for me. It was my business, it was OK for me. It was very difficult because you are standing and people are not, so… and you already paid for the place. You are standing at the bazaar all day. It was a part of my life, but it's your business and you get into it as much as possible. This is what I understood and you don't need to be ashamed. And if you've already decided to do it or you're 100% involved in your business but it doesn't understand business, when you say I will open something there, maybe I won't be there, you should put all your energy there because you constantly pay for storage. Therefore, it is necessary to sell quality as quickly as possible. Well, I did it. That is. It was the goal and the question.
Speaker 2:Listeners and curators maybe think what did the man think about this idea?
Speaker 1:Well, my partner at that time. He looked at all this. I am such a person that I have an entrepreneurial life. This is the first thing. Secondly, I am an active person. Thirdly, money. Money is already invested. If you have already invested money, you have to do something with it. There were no options not to do anything. There was an option to move on. So I didn't stop. Didn't stop as they say. I went on and all of this closed. And when I work with online business products now, I guess I'm not very good anymore. I'm better I working with people now.
Speaker 2:I see what happened next.
Speaker 1:It was very interesting because I had a second child. I had two children, but I couldn't stop. When the second child was 3 months old, I decided that I wanted to learn coaching Because I really like working with people. I am a motivator, I motivate people, I believe in people. I believe. Even when no one believes in this person, I believe in him. I'm the last one to start the conversation I motivate.
Speaker 1:At that time it was 2016,. I think coaching was just gaining momentum in our space. That is, it existed in the United States, in Great Britain, but let's say, but for our Ukrainians it was just the beginning. I started to learn coaching. I really liked it, and when I had a little child, I understood that I can consult people online. I say, how is that? I mean, I'm at home, I have children and I can earn online to you, but please, we are financial and people paid me for love. It was very little money, very little, but so I started working as a personal mentor coaching. That is, I motivated, believed in people. I had about five clients and I was okay. That is, I had small children, I had coaching and I was ok. I had small children.
Speaker 1:I had coaching and it was ok, but then I realized that it was not. I don't believe in business partnership. Why, when, for example, two founders 50 on 50, and where business is flourishing and everything is okay? I have not seen and not read. I have read a lot of American, English, British books, business and biographies. I saw how companies were already millions and then they were falling apart. I don't know, and I had the same situation In 2019,. My ex-business partner and I launched a female project, you Will Global, and it was just wow. And now it's a new stage In 2019, that is, in 2016-17,. I worked as a personal coach in 2018, and then I worked as my own project.
Speaker 2:I'll go back. You know I always tell us that you like communication, communication, doing events, because you understood it when you were in Newcastle. You learned a lot in Newcastle what I taught you because you learned, I know you liked it. How did you find a partner and do what you wanted to do with that partner? Where did the idea come from? Did the partner already have this idea or did you brainstorm together and already did it together? What did you see? Because I know you were doing it in Russian at the time, yes what did you see? The market here in Britain? You always wanted to be with your people. How was it to listen to such a process?
Speaker 1:You are right. As I said, in the UK, a lot few people communicated. Now, unfortunately, because of the war, millions of Ukrainians have come and now, in 2024, we can hear Ukrainian on the streets. At that time, I did not hear Ukrainian at all. I heard Russian, but it was also Ukrainians from Odesa, kyiv, dnieper, kharkiv, the Baltic countries, russia itself. But before 2014, I will say that the situation was different. Everything was fine here. I also worked for a company. We organized events. It was in 2011. At the Trafalgar Square the Trafalgar Square there were hundreds of people there. I worked there as a manager. I saw such a huge scale when it was Trafalgar Square. Then I met my ex-business partner in 2012. And in 2019 we met and decided that her experience, my experience and we can make a women's club In 2019, now I will start talking about the project.
Speaker 2:And there was no such thing before.
Speaker 1:No, no, I would say that in the UK there was no such women's club as we did U-Will, because we saw it. There were some dinners, some meetings this I included-scale project 35,000 women around the world passed through our project.
Speaker 2:Congratulations to you 72 countries.
Speaker 1:People would join this project. But how did we start? It's just, we are two girls, she and I. I'm, in general, a mother with two who was sitting at home. She is a networker. I am also very grateful. She gave me very interesting advice in life, in business, I would say in business and we were very, very, very, very friendly and we are launching the you Will Will Global in 2019. We thought it would be an event for our girls. We had girls who spoke Ukrainian, russian, georgian, Lithuanian, belarusian. We had girls who understood. We had girls from Latvia who didn't speak Russian very well, but they understood a little bit. And we were the first in the history of Great Britain to hold a women's forum in Russian. It was held in Kanara-Worf, in Hilton. We immediately opened this project with a women's forum. It was super. It was absolutely cool and that's it. Our project started working. But in 2020, covid came. The pandemic wiped us out. I will be honest the you Will Global project has gone through all the stages of business in five years.
Speaker 2:Covid we went through all of it.
Speaker 1:We went online. We went online and boom. Then the war between us. A lot of people think that the you Will Global project and why the partnership was broken is because of the war Ukraine and Russia. No, the war started inside, between the owners. That's why I don't really believe in partnership, especially when business starts to make money. And between us, as they say, a dark cat ran through when our project was already absolutely successful. It was a very, very successful project. Then these misunderstandings began between us and then we reached an international level. We had events in Dubai, spain, france. We had very large-scale events, but then, unfortunately, the war came. We had a Russian-speaking project, we had Ukrainian girls and Russia and Belarus and, of course, our project was just destroyed by the war, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:But for me it was a very difficult time for me. I remember the day when the war started. My parents were at home in Ukraine. I understand that right now, when the war begins, I will lose everything. Right now, when the war begins, I'm losing everything. Right now, I'm losing my business. I don't know how to move on, what I can do. And then I understood how the Global project helped, what we did for the girls, how we brought the girls. I am very grateful that we had money At that moment.
Speaker 1:It was the day of the war and we understand that now our girls who are in Ukraine and also girls who are family mothers, sisters in Ukraine, the family mothers and sisters in Ukraine they just stood, if you remember, for several days on the border and when I remember a few participants, they stood, waited for the church to leave Ukraine. I already booked them apartments on Airbnb in in Warsaw, in Poland, in Bulgaria. We were just sitting there and for our money, we rented for a week for two apartments Because we thought that people would leave now, stay in Spain, in Warsaw, and then I will come back home. Unfortunately, this did not happen, but I remember that we bought tickets, avia tickets. I was just called by someone somewhere. I just bought tickets. So I am very, very grateful, that is, we not just have psychological support. I decided that the budget of the company was directed to volunteer work. I know girls who know me. I am grateful that they still remember we even bought furniture. I remember one girl who lived in Spain and told her children that she had no money to teach her children. I remember when we bought furniture online and we bought some simple furniture like IKEA furniture. I am grateful for the money that we had in us at that time and we spent it on help, but of course, I could not help everyone. That is, I helped some girls, women. That was in February.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about the Women's Motivational Forum. This is my favorite project I've done. I think we managed to give away a beautiful day with the team. It was October 2022. Do you remember the mood 2022, the war is already half a year. And here is the motivational forum. There were about 120 guests in the hall. It was absolutely beautiful In central London historical. We had speakers, guests who flew from Austria, from Ukraine, ukraine, germany. We had a pianist, yevhen Khmara Khmara Yevhen, who is just a virtuoso. The girls sang, the girls cried. I remember when I asked them to hug from the stage, the girls hugged, they cried. I said that I had to motivate them. They still say words of gratitude to me for this forum.
Speaker 1:Then we made a forum with the team a woman in Dubai. It was in the year of war, in February 2023. It was already a year of war. We went with the team and speakers from London and made it in Dubai. It was an absolutely great event.
Speaker 1:I am grateful to the girls who helped me with finances and my personal money. Now I want to talk to the companies, because now we are planning a third motivational forum for women in London in September. But unfortunately I cannot finance this event myself, so I will address companies that want to help of this event. The Motivational Forum will be in the traditional central London. It will be a very beautiful location and we will invite guests from Europe. We will invite guests, perhaps guests from Westminster, because I also have a chance to attend a conference. This event will be grateful to anyone who can join this project. We will do this historical event together Because I know how many girls, how many women want to come to such an event. This is, for them, an event and unfortunately I planned to do it earlier. But the quality of the women's forum that I offer people needs funding. So if I get financial help, I will make absolute beauty for our Ukrainian women.
Speaker 2:You will. I was walking around the park. I was going to the library to study English to get into university. I was studying at the university. I finished university. My first job was as a DJ. I didn't even know anything about DJing. Then I talked to my friends on Skype. They said Skype was very popular at that time. And then you go, you have a baby. Then these scooters are born. You order 300 pieces from China. I got involved with this with the Chinese Because in you you understand what I hear when I listen, that you have an entrepreneurial spirit. You don't want to work for nothing. I remember it very well.
Speaker 2:I was shocked because I met a lot of Ukrainians there. Like you, you live there for a very long time, like we do. I saw Maria Springs, kateryna, who also makes a lot of photos. I met them and they made a great film Ukrainian. It was also interesting. I also met Ukrainians who came from Ukraine, these Ukrainians who were also one of the presenters.
Speaker 2:She then stood up and said that I didn't expect that Ukrainians would say that. She said that when she was in Ukraine. She said that London was a buzz and when she came here and she was studying in Ukraine with her diplomas, certificates and being a hostess, and when she was there in full form to work at the BBC, she was simply refused and she understood that she also had to start somewhere from the beginning. And she said that you have to be humble. It is very difficult for us Ukrainians to do it from a different country that Ukrainians do. In Britain. You can find other Ukrainians who are not there.
Speaker 2:I've found some really cool, wonderful Ukrainians who are not only engaged in business, but also professionals, who I a social media user myself Instagram, and now Instagram is already there, as you said. I didn't have to use it. I'm already following Instagram and I'm glad there are such people. Thank you to be to gather. I never know how to do events. Maybe I will do it. I want to do 100 episodes with Ukrainians, this podcast, and then maybe I'll do such a podcast event. Right, I will come back with a guide. We will make a guide. The question is you are working on this project only, right, or you have another business too? What are you doing? Okay, my main project is you Will Global, because it's a community.
Speaker 1:I created it. What are you doing? Okay, my main project is you Will Global. Because it's a community. I constantly transform it. I'm watching. A big transformation of the project happened when I saw that is it's a platform project for women and when I saw how many Ukrainians came here and all over the world and in Europe, I transformed the priority of support into Ukrainian women. We have girls from different countries, but now I have decided to focus on the girls who came from Ukraine. So girls join the you Will Global. We have a separate department, you Will UA. I am a team in Ukraine. I also finance a team in Ukraine. That is, people work on this project that we have here. We have constant events. I teach girls how to find clients Because I work myself.
Speaker 1:I consult entrepreneurs, I consult members of our community. I do business data, marketing, business data. Now we have a business development department. I know that if a woman wants some business here I can help. I have a very large networking and I can advise accounting. I can advise lawyers or someone else, people who are already professionals here. I give these contacts to people, help businesses to develop.
Speaker 1:This is the project you Will Global which I have been focusing on for 5 years now. We involve girls. We also opened a marketing department on the platform. We called it Marketing Solutions. We work with marketing Instagram a team, if you need, for example, managers, sales managers, that is I. It's not about marketing, it's about very thin business, support small business. And now there is a woman's forum which I plan to hold in September. But everything depends on the costs, that is, if now I find the money to rent a room, we can move on and plan this forum. But this forum is also a platform for businesses to for networking, to present your business, to go on stage.
Speaker 1:Sasha, I invite you to wait for Alexander on the stage of the Women's Forum, because you really did so much and consulted. It's cool. It's cool and it will be a few hours of communication roundtables. That is, it's a platform for networking. The forum is for women. It's not just about women, it's about what to do next.
Speaker 1:We are now thinking about the topic of this forum because we have already seen for two years how it all happened. We don't know how long it will be, but we see that people have already focused on building a life in the UK, in Spain, in Germany, that is, there was already a tendency to live in two countries. At that time we lived only in one country. Now we live in two, three countries. That is, it's integration in general. That's why I have such projects. I work as a personal consultant, business mentor. I mean, I really like to work personally with founders because I think that business comes from the head of the founder how he builds a strategy, how he builds a team, how he positions himself in general. That's why it's like that. Do you have any? How does he position himself?
Speaker 2:Do you have any success stories?
Speaker 1:I keep from ineffective costs, financial losses. Because when I talk to owners, it is very useful to talk to me at the stage of the initial business, because, as I see mistakes that business owners make at the beginning, how they throw this money away and then sum it up very much that there is no money and business does not work. And this is the stage when I, as they say, make this pause, when I, as they say, make this pause, when you don't need to invest very hard in those things, when they won't bring it. And I think that successful stories are when not only I helped to earn but also helped not to waste this budget that he had saved up for this business. I had such stories that we talked for 30 minutes and the next day it was necessary to pay about 10-15 thousand and I advised the person not to do it so quickly. And then I heard that I should thank them very much, that I would take their money because they would just do it like that. This is successful. I have several such stories when I say wait please. I understand that it is very cool to turn on the target of advertising and just spend a few thousand pounds, but maybe there are some options. I built it because I asked people. I asked I'm not ashamed to ask questions. Go and ask and I get in touch with people. It's not about money but how how you will get in touch with a person.
Speaker 1:I think that investing in meetings, in networking, is cool. That's why I believe in the project you Will Global and the Women's Forum, because it's a platform for acquaintances and exchange of experience. For me, advertising is a recommendation, but you also need to invest in it. Be a member of the club, be following your behavior, follow how you communicate, how you position yourself, how you look. All this has an impact on the fact that people want to continue to cooperate with you.
Speaker 1:That is, this is an investment in yourself, in networking and respect. That is always. If you my such a parade, if you need some useful information but you don't have 500 pounds for a consultation and you want to get it anyway, you need to show respect to this person, to this professionalism, because remember that a person, if she is a professional in something, then she has invested in it for a very, very long time. And respect a person if she gives you advice and you do it for free, because just running somewhere, I find out there, I find out there, and there is no respect for the person who has highlighted it for you. I think that such tendencies do not give development in business. I mean, I'm talking about honesty, to be honest.
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you for understanding this, because to me, tana Laidlaw, she told me in the podcast she said that well, she said it for me. She said, sashko, stop doing it for free. Don't do it for free, because when you already put some price, people will appreciate it. A very small example I can give you even if we say this phone, if I give it to you for free, you will not appreciate it so much. If I sell it to you for 10-20 pounds, you already expect 10-20 pounds that I will get back.
Speaker 2:I have seen a lot of Ukrainians here in Britain who like to go to free events. You yourself have seen it yourself that there are a lot of people. I also know that I also went to British events where you paid us, but you didn't say that it was such a wow, what was there? Wow is for the fact that you went networking. I in general, when I go to some events, I automatically have in my head that I have about networking. I always think about networking. What advice would you give to Ukrainians on how to properly go on events and do effective networking with people?
Speaker 1:First ask her what she is, because, as I see, I immediately say I, I, I, I need this and please tell me this, and please tell me about this. And a person. Well, it's an ethic, ethic yes, Ethic yes, ethic, that is advice.
Speaker 1:Please show respect for a person who can be useful to you Because, just to say right away, I need this. But you need it. Well, understand right, and if you want, well, these are free events. They are also…. I make events for my community, but my girls pay membership Because they understand that they have a team. We have a team. To organize an event is work, but when you just came for free, took all the information left. Well, I would like to emphasize about energy skills, that is, appreciate the work of another person, appreciate knowledge. So for me, the advice at networking events is to respect the person you are communicating with. That's absolutely right.
Speaker 2:Good. What would you advise Ukrainians who have just arrived in Great Britain and want to spend their life here?
Speaker 1:vyznačilis. Potrebno vyznačitis či budete vy тут buduvate žitia či nji Šo ja bāču, bāču postījne porivňання. Jak тут vse ne tak. Jaka тут ne taka medizina. Jaka тут ne taka jida Pogoda. Vse ne tak a oś u nas v Ukrainie. Jakšo vy? The weather is not good. Everything is not good here in Ukraine. If you will live here constantly comparing with Ukraine, I do not believe that you will have a rise here. Please decide. This is Great Britain towards this country. How good it is there, how bad it is here. I have a question why are you here then? I always want to emphasize this Consider the place where you live. It's like you live in your own house and you say a bad word about it. It's a good advice to decide if you want to build something.
Speaker 1:Next, if you decided to build a life here, you should get acquainted with people and respect them. Remember that the people who came here to you and they succeeded, and I say what I noticed that people who built a successful, comfortable life here, they are okay. They respect this country. Those who don't respect they are constantly troubles, constantly. Everything is not so. This is not right. That is, please decide who you want to surround yourself with People who have already built their lives here. It is comfortable. For them, everything is okay. Yes, they love Ukraine, they love Spain, but they live here and they like everything. So communicate with such people. If you communicate with them and listen to how bad everything is here, then you will hardly be able to build a happy life here.
Speaker 2:Thank you, what advice would you give to young people who are starting their life in the UK Super?
Speaker 1:The country is just absolutely super for self-development. You can be who you think you are. No one will judge you for anything. That's why my children are growing up here. I see how I compare, how I was a schoolgirl, what we were ashamed of in Ukraine, and what freedom in the head children and teenagers have here. Of course, there are different patterns of behavior, but in general I believe that Great Britain gives colossal opportunities. Here you are respected. You can go to work at Starbucks or a coffee shop. You can be a volunteer. You can work with animals, with pensioners. You can build yourself as a person.
Speaker 1:This is the main country, why Britain respects people from all over the world. By the way, I cannot say this about some European countries. I will not name them because I respect them in general, but when I was there I felt that if you are not a local in that country, you are not very popular, and Great Britain respects you. You are from India, you are from Ukraine, you are from Africa. There are no problems with that. The main thing is that you are a human. So in general, for young people and for this country, it's top.
Speaker 2:Thank you. How do you define success and what does it mean for you as a Ukrainian in the UK?
Speaker 1:For me it's a comfortable life For everyone. Comfort is personal. I think it's success and also what people say about you, because I have such a profession as a networker, as an organizer of big events, so I understand that they know something about me. They don't know something about me, but I am very pleased to hear when people say words of gratitude. It is a success for me. When people I don't know thank me, I think it is a success. I did something that helped not only my close circle but also people I had no close relationship with. So success is what people say about you, how you feel.
Speaker 2:Thank you. What can you advise other Ukrainians or immigrants who want to achieve success and prosperity in Great Britain?
Speaker 1:In general. I don't have. This is Great Britain, because it's not Great Britain. Respect for people, respect for oneself, kindness, goodness and love. Don't breed enmity in yourself. Unfortunately, I know that for some it is difficult, but I see how hatred and enmity are the energy of the minus. That is, if you wish to live in development, do not immerse yourself in this energy of hatred, hostility, because this is negative. You will not go far on negative. That is why here it is not even about Great Britain, but about humanity in general, about humanity. I really want to wish us all to have more love. I cannot live without love at all. For me, this is the basis of love. And kindness. Goodness, just goodness, human goodness, without judgment. And kindness, kindness, just kindness, human kindness, without condemnation. Unfortunately, I hear condemnation very often and some say this is not right. She did this Well. It is not necessary. These are negative energies. They do not give rise as a person. That's my advice.
Speaker 2:Kateryna, are there any cultural aspects or traditions from Ukraine that you continue to practice here in the UK?
Speaker 1:I'm traditionally Ukrainian. Christmas Eve I go to church and I am very grateful to my partner who took me to church. On Easter, in Ukrainian, I tell my children about Easter, about traditions. We have embroideries. By the way, I did a sewing a Christmas sewing in 2023.
Speaker 2:We also did so these traditions, yes, I love them very much. I love Ukraine very much. What's the most surprising thing you've learned about British culture since you moved here? What's the most surprising thing you've learned about British culture after coming here?
Speaker 1:The history of Great Britain is very interesting to me, and I wouldn't say that it is very surprising, because I read a lot about kings. By the way, I know the cousin of the king. She is a very interesting person and the way, thanks to the networking, I managed to talk to her, we drank coffee with her. My cousin, the king, is here with us. What am I surprised about Only two taps? I'm not a fan of focus on soups but there are no soups here.
Speaker 1:At the beginning of my life, I think it's already convenient for me to eat soup. For example, In Ukraine, we constantly need soup, borsch but here in Britain, here, Britain taught me that this can be done not every day and it was a bit surprising. And so, in general, this is a different culture. I can't say I'm surprised by everything here. I'm surprised by the fact that in 2024, when we had the coronation of the king here In 2023. In 2023.
Speaker 2:It was the 4th when we had the coronation of the king here On the 23rd, on the 23rd, what I saw?
Speaker 1:we were watching TV and I saw that he was on a carriage. That is, it's Modern World. It's not Bentley, it's not Rolls-Royce, it's a carriage. I was so surprised. I mean, it's Britain and it's really a carriage and a king. It's cool. It surprised me Wow.
Speaker 2:Why do you like Ukraine the most? What can't you find here?
Speaker 1:The atmosphere, atmosfera. Atmosfera, потому что у нас в Украине есть своя атмосфера. Это не просто про еду, воздух, архитектуру, это все вместе. То есть, мне очень-очень этого не хватает. К сожалению, сейчас я не могу так часто ездить в Украину. I mean, I am not very satisfied with it. Unfortunately I cannot go to Ukraine so often now. But I am not satisfied with the atmosphere, because in the UK we can find everything we want, but we can even organize Ukrainian events. Here we have Ukrainian restaurants. I am with all my friends, owners, founders, very cool people but yes, the atmosphere is not enough.
Speaker 2:What small action can listeners do today to support the Ukrainian community?
Speaker 1:Ukrainian community today. Ukrainian community today. Well, the listeners, they are already the Ukrainian community Today.
Speaker 2:Well, the listeners, unfortunately it happened.
Speaker 1:But please, if we don't stop this negative, maybe we to start to do good, to love, no matter how hard it seems.
Speaker 2:Where can our listeners and listeners find information related to your sphere or?
Speaker 1:experience I have in my profile, my company. We are on Instagram. It's youwillglobal or youwilllondon or youwillua. You can write to us in messenger. Youwillua and our girls will give you answers because there is my team on Instagram. Youwillua and our girls will give you the answers Because there is my Instagram team. It works Any questions. If you have a desire to contact me, you can do it through YouWill or through me. I also check my directs. I have Instagram more mixed with my personal development, with how I live, what I write, what I think. I am very open to my audience as a woman, as a mother, as a business lady.
Speaker 2:So for business, how is it better to connect with you?
Speaker 1:My Instagram is youwillglobal, youwillua.
Speaker 2:Okay, I have another question Are there any other successful Ukrainians in the UK about whom, in your opinion, it is worth to tell in a podcast?
Speaker 1:Aleksandra, I have already seen my friends. Honestly, I am friends with Ukrainian girls who have been here for a long time. All those names you mentioned are my very close friends. We always meet. I invited Ukrainian girls, but if I remember now, I will definitely advise you to invite someone here. I am always interested in listening to the interviews you do and even through your podcast I got to know people I didn't know here. So you do everything right.
Speaker 2:I have only four questions left for you. I always ask these questions in my podcasts. This is my signature move. What did Ukraine teach you? What did Britain not teach you?
Speaker 1:Ukraine taught you what Britain didn't teach you, considering that I moved here 24 years ago. Ukraine taught me to live Pobudu, pobudu. My Ukrainians are more, I think, more focused on cleanliness at home. Pobudu, it's like I say, it's Pobudu In Britain. It's not like that. Here it's more or less light. In Ukraine it's more life, less light. In Ukraine it's life, everyday life. Pobutové žitia Ukraїna navčila.
Speaker 2:I'll say it like this what did Britain teach you that Ukraine didn't teach you, or what do they teach?
Speaker 1:you Smiling, giving a smile, and I understood that when I lived here for five years and then came to Ukraine and started giving a smile to the girls at the cash register. They didn't understand why I was smiling. And when you go to Max and Spencer, they always ask you how are you? Britain taught me to keep a distance between people, not to approach one another too closely, because even if I feel that you are in a queue in Ukraine, they approach you very closely. I feel that in Ukraine you are in a queue. They are very close to you. In England I feel this space a little respect and it is very polite to refuse ethically. That is, if we are refused in Ukraine, we are refused in a way that you remember the British refuse in a way that you, they refuse really well, this really taught me.
Speaker 2:Katryna, thank you for being such a great guest. I have a podcast called Koza Talks with successful Ukrainians in the UK. I have one last question. I want to ask you what last words you would like to say to yourself. It can be anything you want.
Speaker 1:When we see what is happening in the world, we do not have enough love for our surroundings To give birth to love and kindness. I repeat, it is not to breedity and negativity. I do not believe that negativity and toxicity can be put on the top. I believe in good, in love, in this energy, and I myself, on this path now, want to develop even more love in myself on this path now, and I wish you, dear listeners, because this is a advice that will be useful, regardless of where you live and at what stage, if you do it with love, if you respect people, appreciate them, don't condemn them.
Speaker 2:I might even say it as a religion, but it is so. I have one last question I wanted to ask you. Before that you said about business, ask you, before you mentioned business, books which books do you read now that help you develop, not only as a person, a Ukrainian in Britain, but a Ukrainian who is engaged in business in Britain? Which books or audio do you read or listen, now that our viewers could take these advice from you?
Speaker 1:I don't read these books. Lately I'm on a break. There were periods when I read several books in one day. Because, first of all, I really like classic business trainers who wrote books about 30 years ago. I believe this is Thomas Leonard. I like him. I have a book in English. There he talks about development as a person, and you can always open this book and look at yourself from the side. Thomas Leonard, this is a classic business coach, American, who already released this book about 30 years ago. Then everyone knows this Seven Effective Habits. I was even invited to one business club. I gave a lecture on how a highly effective person functions. I read about effectiveness and it's Kovie. Seven Habits of Efficient Persons these are the main ones. Now I also have a book Five Next Step Strategies. That is, if you do business, what steps do you need? If you will grab everything at once, you will spend all your money and resources like this, and he writes about he is now not Patrick.
Speaker 2:Patrick B David.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, patrick B David. He is in Miami now and he has a book Five Strategies. Patrick B David, it doesn't matter where you want to go, you will always find connections. But what steps do you take to start a business? He writes about five main ones. I also advise you to read it, kateryna.
Speaker 2:Thank you for being on Koza Talk again. Dear Ukrainians, our listeners and viewers, if you need to do something with business, or you want to do networking, or you know that your wife is sitting at home, you have children and she wants to grow, please contact YouWill. All the links will be below, or even the pictures that you will see on YouTube. It will all be on the screen for you to watch. Many of you write me questions that you want to ask your guests. Please subscribe to their Instagram, facebook and all social networks that I give email, please. It will all be in the description. Please write DIM directly to them, kateryna. Thank you. The very last, dear listeners, as I say on the podcast, is to hold on. Do not give up, just move forward. Glory to Ukraine.
Speaker 1:Glory to Ukraine. Thank you very much, Alexander.
