What to write about? Can a professional copywriter write about everything? My opinion: no, it cannot. More precisely, it can, but a specialist will need time to begin to understand this or that area in detail. What I don’t write about: 🐟 Fishing, hunting (the customer very quickly understands that I am a fisherman’s wife, but I have never held a fishing rod in my hands). 🔥 Cryptocurrency (I write extremely rarely because I have to embellish a lot). 💞 Intimacy, sex (I can’t write about it in such detail, detail, vulgarity, as customers ask). 🕊️ I don’t compose poems, ditties and jokes. I don't believe there are areas of business or professional activity, where everyone can succeed, but I believe that life requires each of us to learn something new every day!
If they ask me what I value most in people, I will answer without hesitation - a sense of humor! Without the ability to laugh at myself, at relationships, at events, I can’t imagine either my family life or my friendships! I’ll mention a few people I know who have a great sense of humor: @tata_gorina_ Natasha has a family contract! If her husband joins in on the jokes, everyone will definitely be holding their stomachs! @igrisha_toys She always teases me personally! I'm afraid of her in a good way. When I meet her, everything about me is subject to reasoned criticism and banter. She can easily spoil my photos on Instagram! @miss_feikina This is a humor guru! Nastya can just take me covered in snot, put me together like a Rubik’s cube and make me laugh at myself. She has been saving me for over 15 years. Photo by @vsabirova. I am very lucky in life to meet unique people. I share a great sense of self-irony with @vsabirova and @nadya.ionova!
Freelancing and me. Three reasons for incompatibility: 1. I cannot work on the computer on weekends. They will either pour juice on it, or cover it with porridge, or I will hear addressed to me: “You are not a mother, you are a stepmother!” “Stepmother, stepmother without personal space,” I will answer, immediately regretting it. 2. I can't help but receive money every month. A large order can be completed for a month, and then it will be checked for a week, then sent for revision, then checked again. I’m used to receiving an SMS twice a month about replenishment of my account, without these SMS I start to experience withdrawal symptoms. I wonder if it’s possible to get off the needle? 3. I cannot speak politely with those whom I want to send to... all four directions. I'm learning, but customers with requests to “highlight all the keys in pink” annoy me (as a rule, these are outbids). Sometimes I allow myself to send such a customer! As a rule, he comes to his senses after the Russian swearing and accepts the order. P.S.: In any business there are pros and cons. Remember, if they don’t tell you about the disadvantages, it means it’s beneficial to someone!
The Labor Code of the Russian Federation will protect you! Yes, if you work for hire and if (sorry for the harshness) you know how and are not afraid to use it! In freelancing, and especially in your own business, this law almost doesn’t work! Here is another law: the client or customer is always right! If you sell something, you must satisfy the customer! What if the customer is wrong or the client is boring? My first rule in copywriting is: either pay for the material, or I will find another client and sell this material to them. There will always be a buyer for good material! This works on all platforms! And not one self-respecting portal will publish stolen material. Sometimes you have to part with customers. The first time is difficult, especially if they pointed out your mistakes, shortcomings, and lack of professionalism. And then you get used to it, you lose some partners, you find others. My second rule in copywriting is: don’t be offended or engage in self-criticism. We study the list of complaints, work on the justified ones, and forget about others. Everyone can't be bad! If you have been told the same thing twice, listen and work on yourself! This is useful. Part of the list with whom I worked: Uralstudent.RU (materials published under my name) FB.RU (materials published under my name) Biletik.aero.RU (materials published on behalf of the editors)
Character is visible from childhood! A little game. The 10 dishes are listed below. Three of them I haven’t liked since I can remember. Guess which ones, and I'll give you a sweet prize. 1. Borscht. 2. Rassolnik. 3. Solyanka. 4. Salad "Herring under a fur coat." 5. Olivier salad. 6. Crab stick salad. 7. Liver. 8. Chebureks. 9. Stuffed peppers. 10. Stuffed cabbage rolls.
They donated chocolate, they gave cookies as a donor, the cocoa sits and collects dust on the shelf... To cook something like this? Exactly a recipe from childhood! So, Chocolate sausage! To win the hearts of children! Ingredients: Two squares of dark chocolate. Cocoa powder. A stick of butter. A pack of cookies + nuts, crunches. Milk. Recipe: 1. Break two chocolate bars into slices. Chocolate is bitter! 2. We break the cookies, but do not turn them into crumbs. You can add ground or whole nuts or crunches. 3. Melt the butter and chocolate + add two tablespoons of milk (you don’t have to add it, you can replace it with fancy non-milk) + a tablespoon of cocoa. We DO NOT add sugar! 4. Combine cookies and melted butter with chocolate. Mix. 5. Place the mixture on the bag. Forming a sausage. 6. Put it in the freezer. 7. Cut into pieces and eat! P. S.: Yes, the doctor forbade me to abuse sugar. But! First of all, I have children, a girl and a boy. Secondly, I am also a human!
Monday. At the beginning of each week, I will write about how you can make money without going to the office. I will describe exclusively my experience, pros and cons, victories and defeats, useful links. COPYWRITING. USEFUL PORTALS. What is required from a copywriter: 1. Literacy (100%). www.orfografica.ru 2. Uniqueness (from 80% to 100%). www.txt.ru www.advego.com www.content-watch.ru 3. Stylistics of presentation. www.glavred.ru www.turgenev.com This is not an exhaustive list of portals. I use these portals (@krasn_anya).
May! The last month of spring makes everyone run around: Kids are waiting for a place in kindergarten! Of course, mostly their mothers are waiting for this treasured place! And, unfortunately, many are disappointed when they receive something that is not what they expect. Schoolchildren take exams. And we need to close all tails before the long-awaited summer. Graduates are waiting for the last bell, preparing to enter universities. Gardeners dig, sow, and at the same time complain that they now pay for garbage removal. Car owners, at least in the Urals, change their cars' shoes. May from the word toil. P. S.: We got a place in kindergarten! I told you that I’m not harmful 😜.
You know, and I absolutely agree with @liasanutiasheva: a woman should be able to cook! Family life- these are not butterflies in the stomach, not sighs on the benches, not poems and songs. Relationships fall apart when, as a rule, both partners no longer need them, one just admitted it to himself, and the other has not yet. So, Manty! To strengthen marriage bonds! Recipe: 1. Prepare minced pork/beef 50%/50%, add spices (black pepper, salt), onions. 2. Prepare dumpling dough or buy it. 3. We roll up the manti using the carousel technology. 4. Place the manti in the freezer. 5. Cooking manti in a double boiler! We receive kisses and compliments! P. S.: My husband does not eat store-bought dumplings and manti, my daughter does not respect store-bought dumplings. The only place where, in their opinion, decent manti is prepared is @kulinarialux on the street. Gogol.
Guess which part of the body I deliberately hide in the photo? Hands, or rather hands 🙌. At the time of photography, I was in an active stage of struggle with allergies. I began to read a lot and figure out how to properly cleanse my body. The conclusion I made is that there are few healthy herbs, but there are a great many sauces with which they are served 🍴. So, PSYLIUM. What is this? This is psyllium seed husk. Not a simple herbal plant that you apply to a broken knee in the summer, but its closest relative, psyllium. Psyllium, in essence, is dietary fiber, which consists of 80-85% soluble fiber, which normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and removes harmful substances from the body. Now examples: 1. NL Detox Step 1. Intestines. 40 capsules, 660 rub. Reception: 2 pcs. morning evening. 2. Iherbl There are both powders and capsules. Cost varies. 3. Pharmacies. I don't recommend it. You may run into road dust.
Children's books. Previously, they smelled of fresh paper and paint, and there were not pictures on every page. Now every child can find a book to suit their taste! The main thing is that parents have time to read books to their child and personal finances to purchase them 😉! @labirintru 4D Encyclopedias in Augmented Reality
No, I’m not asking for a compliment: “How you’ve lost weight, how prettier you’ve become 😜!” I wanted to write briefly about the theaters of Yekaterinburg, where I recommend going with your child: 👍 Youth Theater @tuz_ekb 👍 House of Music @dom_music_ekb 👍 Musical Comedy Theater @uralmuzkom 👍 Children's Philharmonic @detskaya_filarmonia.ekb By the way: 👍 At @detskaya_filarmonia.ekb season tickets are on sale 19-20 April. 👍 @dom_music_ekb is giving away tickets for 28.04 “Cat House”.
Photo: Igor Kharitonov
Now, in addition to working on
beauty giant,
Elena is developing the fashion brand EDEM Couture, the successful debut of which we recently wrote about. In an interview with this fragile but very purposeful woman, I wanted to talk about high goals, harmony between work and family and, of course, love and support.
Elena Demina is not afraid to take the difficult path; she follows not commercial goals, but her ideas and desire to make the world a better place. Even to start her fashion brand, she chose not the beaten path of ready-to-wear, but the creation of exclusive wedding and evening dresses. And this cannot but cause admiration.
We met Elena quite recently, but I feel like I’ve known her for a thousand years. When we did not yet know each other personally, I, understanding how difficult it is to create a company of SPLAT’s level, imagined her as a tough businesswoman with whom it would be appropriate to talk only about business. However, my heroine is an amazing person, so I asked her not only about time management and the difficulties of a startup, but also about finding harmony in the family, love and the power of femininity.
You have an amazing business in your hands: we all know how SPLAT has grown, what a serious player it is in the market, how much attention you attract from Unilever and Procter & Gamble. But you are not selling the company, you love it and want to develop it yourself. You are a Russian brand that is growing under sanctions, bravo! Tell me, why, having already had such a large brand that can still be developed and developed, did you decide to go into fashion?
Elena Demina : For me, both things are not a fashion direction or a cosmetics direction, for me they are a service, and through what to serve people is completely unimportant. You can bake gingerbread cookies, you can make toothpaste, the coolest dresses or wedding outfits. Through any form, the main thing is to do it with full dedication, with love, with joy, with meaning. Because the mission, the idea should always be there and, first of all, not commercial. We must always give ourselves an answer to the question: why are we doing this? The goal of the EDEM project is to help preserve love. Make a woman happy. Make dresses beautiful. Make the family strong and the children happy.
So it was an internal impulse? At one point did you realize that you wanted to get into fashion?
I dreamed about this since childhood. I knew that when I grew up, I would begin to defend women’s rights and, perhaps, eventually become the Minister of Social Development of Russia. Such ambitions at 5 years old! Well, I have always loved beautiful outfits. I love helping girls be beautiful and our dresses are incredible!
But it was possible to implement these ideas in the beauty industry, to create cosmetics, for example. If you make good toothpaste, then other products cannot be bad either. But in EDEM you need to start everything from scratch; the proven SPLAT will not help here - a lot of work is needed for the name. I see how hard you work, torn between companies. How do you distribute your forces? Now I have six businesses, and one office - I tell everyone to come to this office, because I can’t spread myself so thin. How do you manage to cope with such a load?
Thanks for the praise! My soul is still both there and there, and also with my family and children. And thank God that my husband and I have everything in common: we are developing both the first and second business together. I didn’t consciously choose to create dresses or perfumes or shoes - I dreamed it all and didn’t let go until I started doing it. When I received the blessing of the elder, and he said that I would really have exclusive dresses, I decided, despite all the difficulties. It’s really hard, and more difficult for me than making any cosmetic product, because fashion is new, unfamiliar, because the industry is not developed and it requires a lot of attention and experience. But having received the blessing, I knew that I would do this anyway.
You invest your strength, but this is only one side of the coin. How are things going with the search for designers? At SPLAT you created ideas, and Zhenya ( Evgeniy Demin, Elena’s husband and CEO of SPLAT - approx. ed.), as a manager, embodied them highly professionally. Now at EDEM you are responsible for both ideas and management. It will be more difficult for you, because these are all new hypostases. You have a good sense of fashion, you invite specialists - designers, designers, and managers, you choose the best, despite the fact that the economic situation is very difficult now. And for me this is a very correct approach. But are you ready for the difficulties, are you ready for the fact that wedding fashion is a very complex area, and in Russia, in fact, there are no wedding brands, which means your task is to create the first one.
We are very lucky with people, and everyone is the best! EDEM is not only a wedding brand: we make all categories of dresses. Of course it's not easy. Of course it's new. But it was hard in SPLAT too. During the first years we worked without raising our heads, sleeping three hours a day. And now our whole life is our favorite projects, we live with them both on weekends and on vacation.
And you two worked together. You had a small team, a small office.
Yes, we had a very small office and only 5 people on the team, and these people are still with us, now they head the main departments. This is the greatest wealth we have and we are all like friends in our offices. Now we are almost 800 people! And for the first 10 years of work we did not take out a single loan!
This is an indicator!
We love both the people we work for and those we work with. We are all friends. And I want to build a new company on the same principles. So that everything works clearly, harmoniously, at a high level, according to business processes, but at the same time creating very important and the right values. Both material and intangible social values. I know that it won’t be easy, I’m ready for it, but I feel great support from higher powers. Objectively, everything turns out incredibly magically - after all, it takes both effort and luck.
In addition, you create perfumes, and when I listened to the scents, I realized that this would be a serious application. You decided to create beauty in all segments on a turnkey basis: shoes, perfume, evening looks, and a wedding line. Do you want to create an EDEM Couture empire that will guide women in all of their important activities?
They say that when you are drawing up a business plan, you should not be afraid to dream... With Dima ( Bilan - approx. ed.) I started with the dream that he would win Eurovision. We started working in 2005, and three years later he won it. The plan has been fulfilled, you need to set a new goal... How do you see your empire in five years?
We made a roadmap for five years, and even received a letter from the president for our contribution to the development of families in Russia, opened many stores where our things were sold, received feedback from people who wrote to us about how we warmed their souls, how we helped build a family... Our key task is to help a woman become happy, inspire her man to heroic deeds, support her in the most touching moments of her life - when she becomes a wife, mother - when the union is going through difficult times. And with the help of this support, wisdom, knowledge and beauty, with the help of the image that we create, help save the family and carry love throughout life.
You often talk about family, and it seems to me that to some extent you imagine a girl similar to you. You have been with your spouse for so many years, you manage to work and carry all this beauty and relationships through time, although, for sure, you also had different moments in your life...
The problem for women in our country and in Europe is that we do not really understand our female role and because of this we become unhappy. Having two daughters has really helped me find balance. I understood how it was necessary, and now I coordinate any decision with my husband. We calmly discuss everything and find common ground in the dialogue. And what is most valuable to me is the huge number of our friends, cool, successful and positive people. We all have difficult times and want to break up, but we support each other and try to give good example. They have children again, they have the motivation to be in the family. From our experience we show how best to do this. And even men - the husbands of my friends - tell me: “Alena, communicate with them more often, because after communicating with you for a couple of days, for a week, they become so good, homely, flexible, wise.”
Tell me, when you earned, let’s say, your first million dollars, what did you buy for yourself? Here's my husband ( Evgeni Plushenko - approx. ed.) dreamed of buying a Louis Vuitton suitcase, and at the age of 15 he bought it, when he earned his first prize money. First a fur coat for mom, then a gift for myself. This suitcase still stands as an inviolable symbol; its repair costs twice as much as the suitcase itself. What did the girl who is now building a fashion empire dream about?
I grew up in a fairly wealthy family, and I never had material dreams - I really wanted to do at least one good deed a day for someone. When I saw that one hundred thousand people preferred our product, which we created with love, that was more important to me than any purchases. If we talk about things, then 90% of everything I have are gifts from my husband. I never asked him for anything, never ordered anything, but somehow he himself guesses what I might like.
So you don’t go shopping, and your spouse buys everything? I like! And he doesn't even consult?
Yes, even dresses, even bags. I very rarely go shopping because I have a lot of work, and the only cities where I do go shopping are Paris and Rome. Sometimes my friend in Paris helps me with shopping while I work. In principle, I am a person who is not about money: I don’t even know my salary. I live more for creation, and my husband is responsible for all financial matters.
You have been working with your husband for many years: if we talk specifically about business, what is the difference between women and men? It is believed that women are more nervous, but can solve many issues at the same time, while it is more important for a man to focus on one thing...
A man is a strategist, he sees the goal and clearly maintains focus, while a woman is more attentive to details, and if she follows a man, she can very well make the product itself or build middle-level management. If a woman becomes the main leader, in my opinion, this has a bad effect on her character. Because this requires toughness, composure, more masculine determination, rather than feminine qualities. But a woman must be wise and flexible, able to adapt to circumstances. I would not want to be the CEO or the first person of the company - I make a good product without looking at the commercial aspect, but only thinking about how to make the best in all respects.
Does the husband then calculate financial indicators?
We have understood over the years of work that if you do everything you can as well as possible and with love, then people need it and it sells well. We do not have a single product that is designed to be commercial. Absolutely everything is our dreams and the dreams of our customers. And we are happy every time when they tell us that they love SPLAT or our other brands. And girls in EDEM dresses are so magical, touching and tender. This is exactly what real gentlemen like.
Open, a kind person, who is not at all about money, but knows how to earn it - a unique situation. And yet, if you work in fashion, you can’t help but look around. Can you highlight brands that you respect for the way they do business and what collections they make? And maybe there is a brand that you would like to emulate in terms of ideology and perception of fashion?
Personalization has always been very important to me. I don't like wasting money - I earn it myself. I like my wardrobe to be quite classic and truly harmonious. I have been creating it for 15 years: all the things in it are appropriate, they are all made for me in a single copy, they are out of fashion, and no one will say that this is a previous collection. I know what level the quality is, I know with what soul all this is done.
Who creates things for you?
Ira Karavay - for more than 12 years I have been ordering things from her, in Ukraine, because among Russian designers I have not found a single one who could create something for me with high level intelligence, quality, beauty and appropriateness. If we talk about favorite foreign brands, these are Valentino and Dior, of course. Their things are unusually noble and classic. It is important that we dress beautifully for our husbands and inspire them.
Although fashion is not always for men: girlfriends often like a new product, but not a man. Can you wear a short dress or a dress with a provocative neckline? Fashionable, but not chaste.
Previously, of course, I wore both with high slits and with a neckline up to the navel - I loved to experiment. But now I wear only noble things - not provocative, quite aristocratic, restrained, feminine, because first of all I think about my husband and what he will say to this. And of course, relevance is important. I'm in the office all day, but at the same time I want to be beautiful and bright.
Many women would say that if you are constantly thinking about whether a man will like your outfit, then you are not free. What would you answer?
The question is what is your motivation? If I do this because I love my husband very much and want him to like me in these clothes, that’s one thing. But if he forced me to wear something, but I didn’t want to, that’s completely different. That would be unfreedom.
Who are the women you are creating EDEM for?
These are girls with an active lifestyle, who at the same time have a family and a beloved man. They are passionate about life and their work. They understand well what they want, strong in spirit and character.
You are a businesswoman. And among such active and hasty women, there is a common problem when, due to lack of time for personal things, misunderstandings with their husbands, resentments from friends and parents arise. Judging by the fact that you and your husband have been together for so many years, you manage your time quite well. What's your secret?
The secret is that my husband is very good at time management, and he teaches me this. If, for example, it is seven in the evening and we need to go home, then there are no other options - we need to go home. Therefore, you have to do everything quickly, set priorities and learn to organize well.
I also remember the story that women who win an Oscar get divorced - such is the “punishment” of this award, because husbands often cannot survive the rise in fees and fame of their spouse. Do you think that if in five years you shine on the covers, your husband will rejoice at your success?
Now our roles have changed. If earlier we talked together about all the problems and I “nagged” him, paying attention to some details and difficulties, wearing out his nerves, now I come and say: “Teach me, please!” I can’t do it, I don’t know what to do.” He is now in the role of a mentor, and this is very important role. But if we talk about the future and possible success- this is, of course, a trap for everyone. It is very dangerous to fall into pride. It seems to me that I have already experienced this stage once and now I feel like an ordinary person with a lot of shortcomings, far from the best and most successful.
At your family council for whom? the last word: for female wisdom or for male logic?
I used to think that I was smarter. But then I realized how wise my husband is and how important it is to listen and hear him. We have been together for eighteen and a half years, and now I listen to his opinion very carefully, because over the years I have become convinced that his decisions were much more often correct than mine, much wiser and strategically more justified. I now feel great pleasure in doing as he suggests. And he very often gives in to me when the issue is not fundamental. In this regard, we easily find a compromise.
What would you wish for women who want to be strong, work hard, but still be loved? Where to look for strength?
In my opinion, the main thing is to determine the goal and not be afraid. In my experience, a woman often becomes strong out of fear that a man cannot cope, that he will let him down. And she takes on unnecessary responsibilities. This is the biggest mistake. Its result is a much weaker man, an exhausted, unhappy woman, and a lack of trust in each other. It is important to trust a loved one, allow him to make mistakes, and, like a woman, act carefully, not head-on. And take strength from good deeds, from communicating with loved ones and doing what you love.
Your brand is already gaining momentum and you have several famous clients.
We are very lucky with our clients. When we chose who we would work with, we determined and discussed that we work for those who have true love, for those who want to create a relationship once and for all. Therefore, people come to us who understand that everything will be done for them with soul. High-quality and with an individual approach, and the way they see it. And this is not pretentious or provocative at all - they want an outfit in which they will feel like a loved woman.
Among our clients is Maria Vinogradova, we created an outfit for her wedding with Ivan ( Ivan Vasiliev, premier of the Mikhailovsky Theater - approx. ed.). This includes Katya Gafina, who got married in our dress while expecting a baby, and we made a very beautiful couture outfit for her. This is Tatyana Navka, for whom we created three dresses at once, each of which reflected exactly her desire, her dream and inner world. It seems to me that on a wedding day the most important thing is for a woman to feel like herself. Sometimes brides cry with happiness after wearing what we created for them, and such emotions and a feeling of joy and need give us strength.
The passion for design is now very popular among those girls who, thanks to the financial capabilities of their husbands or parents, can do something without education, for the soul. How much did you understand that on this wave - despite the fact that it was a childhood dream for you - your undertaking looks exactly like a desire to pick up a trend? Many girls are not engaged in business, like you, but exclusively in creativity, and are confident that from a business point of view everything is simple. Have you thought about being judged on the same level as them?
Of course not. I don't think about what they will say or think about me. For me, first of all, why am I doing this? And in this case, I am not a designer, I choose the style, the direction. I define myself as an organizer and ideological inspirer. Of course, sometimes I can’t get rid of some pictures of dress designs or fabric decor, but in this case I don’t show arrogance and don’t try to impose - I can suggest, and if the designer accepts this idea and puts it into a product, then I will be happy . But I don't pretend to be a designer. To do this, our team has real professionals, and I really appreciate them.
And another question from the lifestyle area. Imagine a couple who is going through a difficult period - where do you think it would be good to be together in this situation?
You need to choose a place where both of you will be calm, where there will be an opportunity to hear each other. Because crises in relationships arise due to understatement. It is important to be as open as possible, express all your emotions and believe that it will work. From the experience of my entire life - both in work and in relationships - I understand that the first thing you need to do is to be open and honest. This is written in our rule number one in SPLAT, this is also my internal value.
Where do you personally feel comfortable?
I adore the Tuscan resort of Terme di Saturnia - it’s the most perfect village, there’s nothing there: you can only walk, walk, sit in the water for hours and talk, taking care of your mental and physical health. I've been going there for over 10 years. Sometimes it's the Maldives. It is advisable that there is nothing distracting. Or the Seychelles, Fregate Island is a stunning place where you merge with nature.
The meeting with Alena Demina, one of the richest women in Russia, became an emotional revelation for Elena Sotnikova. A conversation about business and fashion turned into a truly cosmic journey
Alena has a fragile, gentle image, a quiet voice and bottomless hazel eyes. When she looks at me point blank, I physically feel the presence of space in the room. The creator of the cosmetics concern SPLAT, for which today international mega-companies are willing to shell out incredible amounts of money, and the founder of the couture and wedding house EDEM is not at all like “28th place on the Forbes list.” The conversation unfolded smoothly, as if along a given trajectory, and, despite the soft manner of communication, the emotional background was so powerful that in the middle of the conversation I even cried a little. We started by remembering my previous interview with psychologist Mikhail Labkovsky and his rules. Alena with a smile called his position slightly selfish, with the exception of a few Labkovsky rules: do what you like, answer only when asked, and answer only the question. Thus, we immediately came to a topic that largely determined the unusual nature of this conversation.
I heard about these principles on the plane, returning from Seoul, and it was interesting to me. The fact is that society in Seoul is maximally tied to hierarchy, because hierarchy prolongs life, creates order, and builds very viable structures. In Korea, communication begins with asking your age. This question is not considered rude or tactless. It’s just that the communication style is built depending on the answer. If a person is older than me, then I immediately begin to address him as “you”; I will not be able to laugh out loud in his presence; If I have alcohol on the table, I can only drink a glass, covering myself with my hand.
Elena Sotnikova Well, that's it, I'm older than you. Let's act accordingly. (We are laughing.)
HELL. The same thing happens in their companies. Nobody cares what you think. The boss said - go and do it. It has back side- suppression of initiative. But even in this situation, such structures benefit. For example, they have an initiative day once a month.
Top, EDEM Couture; Tiffany Victoria earrings, platinum, diamonds, Tiffany & Co.; necklace, platinum, diamonds, Cartier High Jewelery
PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna ArtamonovaE.S. Does this apply to any company?
HELL. This is the principle of society. Why did I go there? Koreans are now ahead of the rest in terms of cosmetics. I was interested to see how and by what means they do this, and to build a security system for myself in the fight in a competitive market. I was there at an exhibition and asked one woman: “Why are they beating everyone?” And she answered: “Firstly, hierarchy, secondly, the work of the brain. They are all brilliant project managers who know how to effectively use others. The only drawback is insincerity and the likelihood of getting a knife in the back. They will smile, be silent, and then - once, and you are fired.”
E.S. In our glossy world there are similar rules, only without smiles. (We laugh.) Okay, we had an unusual approach, but my first question should have been different. How does it feel to be in 28th place on the Forbes list of the richest women in Russia?
HELL. It doesn't really matter to me. I tried to do everything possible to ensure that this rating did not exist in my life, and I don’t want to know what my place is. It happened. I'm not a horse running a race. I am a person who lives for my big idea, a goal that I set for myself back when I had zero money. It is important to understand that this zero can happen at any moment in life.
E.S. Where do you get these principles from?
HELL. Let's start with the fact that I grew up in a very wealthy family and never thought about money at all. Despite my wealth, my parents taught me to spend wisely. I could have very little money when I was studying, or a lot, but I always spent about the same. The second is experiences associated with the risk of dying. When at some point you die mentally and are ready to accept death, then the rest of your life ceases to have anything to do with the material world.
E.S. Sorry, were you sick?
HELL. No. There was simply a situation where, by all signs, by all sensations, we should have crashed on the plane.
E.S. ...
HELL. I was supposed to fly with my husband. About a month before the flight, many people, including my parents, had dreams that we died. This was eight years ago. In my dreams I looked for my husband, asked about him and received the answer that we died, died on the plane. There were a lot of dreams... I dreamed that I was in heaven, saw my dead relatives and at some point realized that if this had to happen, I was ready for it. And I went on the plane... Even now I’m shaking a little. We went on the plane, it didn’t take off for about three hours due to technical reasons. It was a flight from Dubai to Shanghai. There were very strange people there, all dark-skinned and only one white, who was very nervous and kept shaking his leg. He probably felt something too. I asked everyone for forgiveness before this flight, I read a lot of prayers...
Jacket, EDEM Couture; Tiffany Victoria earrings, platinum, diamonds, Tiffany & Co.; necklace, platinum, diamonds, Cartier High Jewelery
PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova
Dress, EDEM Couture
PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova
Dress, EDEM Couture
PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna ArtamonovaE.S. I know that you practiced kung fu. You and I talked a little about this before our interview, and you said amazing things about how an obstacle, even a physical one, can be overcome if you don't seem to see it. How is this possible?
HELL. You can't get hung up on obstacles. A certain clear feeling, an idea within oneself is very important here. If you are going towards a good goal and have good intentions, the world sometimes opposes you. The dark side creates obstacles that you need to be able to handle correctly. An obstacle is a small step on the way to your goal. It looks like steps. If you walk forward, climbing steps, sometimes the next step seems so big that it looks like a wall. But if you perceive yourself as big in terms of your mission, your service, then you can perceive this as a small step towards your goal. It is very important to sometimes rise above this situation and not be an ant. To be a person who sees only a step, not a wall.
E.S. It's easy to say. After those “anti-crisis” interviews of mine, I received many letters, including from women who decided to give up everything, start from scratch - and nothing worked out for them. For some it works, for others it doesn’t. We are all so different...
HELL. I completely disagree that this may not work for someone. If you see a goal, there are many paths to it. If one road didn't lead to desired result, choose another one. Third, fourth, fifth... Try to reach your goal differently. And everything will definitely work out. You cannot stop; a person has no right not to use his life for the service for which he was born. Sometimes people don't understand what they really want - this is the most common story. When I conduct an interview, I always ask the person: “What is your dream? What really brings you pleasure? I want you to be happy at work, to do what you like, and not just follow some instructions.” And he can’t answer because he doesn’t know. Such a person needs to enter a situation of stress, discomfort, and then, perhaps, he will come to his senses and think: “But I’m different. In fact, I am not an accountant, but an artist. But for some reason I didn’t choose my life.” The later this understanding comes, the more difficult it is. For example, a person gets sick and thinks: “How would I really like to live?” And he understands that he would have chosen something completely different.
E.S. Let's talk about fashion. This is your second dream, your second mission, as you say. Tell us about your fashion twist. How do you see it? How will this develop?
HELL. I also saw all this in a dream. At some point, while doing cosmetics and pastes, after giving birth to a child, I suddenly began to have dreams. EDEM name, logo, windows of our boutique.
Dress, EDEM Couture; Serpenti earrings, white gold, pavé diamonds, Divas’ Dream ring, white gold, pavé diamonds, all - Bulgari
PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna ArtamonovaE.S. Alena, you are just like Mendeleev.
HELL. Yes, these dreams came to me so persistently! What’s most interesting is that for several years after the birth of my daughter, both me and my husband had these dreams.
E.S. You, of course, are some kind of space guys.
HELL.(smiles). At some point, the husband says: “You know, I really want to try to work without you. I want to separate my success from yours. I want to be your hero. I see how exhausted you are, the breakdowns you have, how little sleep you get. I want you to do what you want, and I will do everything for you. Trust me and trust me with this.” I was very offended, but I agreed with him. This is my brainchild, and I was asked to leave it. We didn’t quarrel, but it was very difficult for me to get over this insult. I had the feeling that I was being torn away from the place where I knew how and could be useful. The feeling of not being needed was very painful for me. Formally, everything was fine, but for a couple of years I really overcame this moment, although I did not stop working yet. When I met my spiritual father and told him the story of my life, including this moment, he looked up at me and said: “No, Alena, you cannot leave.” And I had already decided everything, let go of the situation, took off the “backpack” of my achievements and felt like just Alena. I went outside in ballet shoes and walked. And in my head I already had an idea of a new - fashionable direction that I would pursue. But Father Joseph insisted: “No, no,” he says, “you just need to be together.” I call my husband and say: “We were not blessed for such a decision.” He remained silent, and then went to Athos to see the perspicacious old man. He came up to him himself, took him by the hand, looked at him with his blue eyes and said: “Why are you quarreling with your wife?” Zheka says that he broke out in a cold sweat. And the elder told him for two hours about how everything should be: “You must be together in every business you do. You have to appreciate it." When my husband arrived, our life changed completely. Apparently, I needed this situation in order to pacify my pride. We hugged, realized that we had been given a lot, that we needed to have a conscience, not complain, not complain, but rejoice in what we have. Everything has changed, we are incredibly happy that we work together and serve a common cause.
E.S. How many years have you been together?
HELL. Twelve years. We have two daughters - Melania and Agafya. The eldest is eight, the youngest is three. But if we return to our situation, since then Zheka has been helping me with EDEM, we consult with him all the time, we do everything together, he examines the fabrics, comments on the sketches. What do I want to do with my fashion brand? I want our country to have at least 10 percent more happy families. I don't like the situation that 50 percent of married couples get divorced. I often don’t like the way women behave, how they demotivate their men. I once did the same thing until I had an epiphany. Although I still have to study and learn, nevertheless, I see now that women are letting themselves go. Resentments accumulate because people simply cannot talk to each other. Love is suppressed. People must be able to clear their relationships of anything that could have polluted them over time. Zheka and I talk like this very often. I apologize for those situations where I was wrong; he also realizes a lot thanks to these honest, frank conversations. It often turns out that I simply misunderstood some phrase, and he misunderstood my message... This is not just pronouncing situations. Complete openness is required here, it is important to say what you really feel. I feel like my husband needs my female support.
E.S. So, what about fashion?
HELL. This is exactly the thing for love. At its core is love. Save, find, hold on to love - this is exactly what this story is about. I have a big goal. A dress or perfume are just tools. I also dream of creating a super place, a retreat, where families can retire, do something together, talk. A place where a father can go fishing with his son, and a mother and daughter can bake bread or milk a goat. The most beautiful weddings can be held there. We even already have an island in Valdai for this story. We want to make EDEM Island. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. And if we can, by our example, help a certain number of people unite, and families not fall apart, this is our great meaning, our idea. This is not about fashion at all. Our perfumes, for example, are made with the best perfumers in the world. But they are all aimed at the result: helping a woman choose her other half, become a mother, and harmonize. Both perfume and dresses have meaning. These are images that say “I love you” to a woman and “I want to inspire you” to a man. This fashion is through the eyes of a man, not trendsetters or fashion critics.
HELL. Yes, sometimes this is true and we will have to change strategy. For wedding products of this quality, we simply have an excellent price offer. But in evening and daywear we must become more accessible. Initially, I am a perfectionist, I only need the best: the best quality, the best fabrics, the most expensive suppliers. I personally come to exhibitions and choose everything myself. I also personally selected each person on the team; these are the best specialists in Russia. But when we realize that a meter of silk costs 250 euros, this automatically means that the finished product will be very expensive. Therefore on this moment We have accumulated a database of very high-quality Italian and Spanish fabrics that are several times cheaper. We will definitely save for the sake of a future more affordable result.
E.S. Will it be ready-to-wear?
HELL. Not necessary. Even now we are finding ways to manage cost and we have enough products available. It can be personalized. A person can come to us and say: “I want this jacket, but the price for it should be within such and such limits.” We will do everything to ensure that the price suits him. You can offer different prices for the same product by choosing a slightly simpler fabric or reducing the amount of hand embroidery. But still, the use of overlock is prohibited in our production. Everything is done by hand, the seams are finished with silk or silk tulle. And when you take the thing in your hands, you feel with what love it was all made. We have no right to do anything differently.
E.S. What is the highest joy for you?
HELL. When people get married. This is a very important step in the life of a family when you say: “I want to be with you forever.” And for me this determination is very important, this intention to trust one person. We have many acquaintances and friends, and we often discuss them with them life situations. Someone had a quarrel, someone is going to get a divorce... But here we are sitting, drinking tea, and then the woman says to me: “Alena, I don’t know how you do this, but now I want to run to my husband, hug him, have children, be together.”
E.S. This is your gift.
HELL. I think this is ours with Zheka personal example. Perhaps there is meaning and strength in our shared history. And this is our responsibility. Many of my friends, looking at me, stopped wearing trousers altogether. They say: “You dress like that, you have such a naively romantic, but at the same time intellectual image that we want the same.” Yes, I like delicate colors and silhouettes, emphasized waist.
E.S. No pants?
HELL. I don't have any at all. Once, when I was visiting an old man, he told me to throw away all my trousers, including my pajamas. There are spiritual laws according to which women need to wear dresses and skirts. I only wear trousers when skiing, and then I tie a scarf over the top to smooth out the effect. Instead of sexy and aggressive, I prefer to wear something noble and inspiring. For me, the main example is Grace Kelly. In general, most of my wardrobe is what was created in collaboration with the designer according to my order and ideas. I don't need to waste time searching for the right dress in stores. I always describe in detail what I want, why I need it and where I will go with it. I have more ideas than time.
Evgeniy Demin founded his life's work, SPLAT, at the age of 22. He made the right decision by betting on the production of toothpastes - today the company controls 10% of toothpastes on the domestic market.
One of the most interesting modern entrepreneurs is Evgeny Demin, whose biography can be published as a classic guide to ups and downs. The CEO of the Russian manufacturing company SPLAT loves to disrupt the market with new unusual ideas. Many of us have fallen in love with his creative products.
Birth and development of business
A native of Sochi (born July 31, 1977), Evgeniy has always had a managerial streak. Having barely left the university threshold, he was already at the head of the family business. But I wanted growth - in 1994 the Splat trademark was purchased from the Conversion company. At that time, the company was engaged in the production of simple cosmetics and dietary supplements.
Very soon, Evgeniy and his team realized that you couldn’t build an interesting business on cosmetic products, weight loss teas and dietary supplements alone. The idea to develop toothpaste as a product of mass demand was born during a brainstorming session. Today this has led to the company controlling 10% of the market for these products in Russia. Only megagiants Colgate and Blend-a-med are ahead.
The launch of the toothpaste took place in 2002. Specialists developed four basic recipes for the businessman; from that moment on, the production was no longer involved in the production of dietary supplements. And this is where the big difficulties began.
Turnover fell seven times. The toothpaste was not sold - pharmacies and stores refused to sell the new product (which was twice as expensive as the brands familiar to the people). It got to the point that at home Evgeniy’s electricity and telephone were turned off for non-payment. But he stubbornly continued to seek recognition - the belief that the company was making a new and useful effective product helped.
The turning point occurred in the winter of 2005. The company's products began to fly into the market at cosmic speeds. First, Organic pregnancy paste was awarded the title of bestseller (there was no such foreign offer in Russia) - sales increased 50 times in a year and a half, and the company’s revenue amounted to 37%. Then another product “shot” - Extreme White (there were no world analogues). The period from 2005 to 2007 helped to gain a market share of 3-5%, the business began to grow and improve.
Today, 80% of the business is the production of toothpaste (the businessman himself is among the top 7 successful entrepreneurs in Russia). The remaining share is distributed between threads, brushes and rinses. SPLAT immediately took the path of a policy of a higher price category than its foreign counterparts. Evgeniy states: the brand’s products were not created for fresh breath, they are needed to prevent possible complications.
Wife and partner rolled into one
The businessman speaks with special love about his family: “They are amazing people who inspire achievements every day.” It's about about his wife Alena and daughters Melania and Agafya.
Zhenya and Alena knew each other since childhood. We went to English courses together, talked and became friends. And then the students met each other and realized it was fate. True, Alena asked her future betrothed for a week to break up with her previous boyfriend.
Today the case of Evgeniy Demin is going uphill. And there was a time when his family counted every penny. It happened that even a loving wife simply did not have enough endurance. The scandals were truly enormous.
It was the support of his family, according to Demin, that helped him get through difficult times. Now Alena also has a share in the company (she holds the position of development director), the woman makes important decisions. She also has her own project - the clothing brand Edem Couture.
What does SPLAT offer?
Today the company's main product is toothpaste. There are both adult and children's projects. At the same time, the BioMio brand of household chemicals is developing.
The creativity of the products is the result of the hard work of the team. SPLAT has the following components: communication with customers and a serious approach to technology. Guessing and understanding the consumer's desire is the job of a special research department. The seriousness of the development lies in the analysis of data, the study of various scientific research so that the result passes international certification (usually all this takes up to 20 months, but sometimes the idea is hatched within five years).
There is a serious approach in production: a product can go through several rounds of clinical trials, and then a decision is made to refine it. Everything must be perfect.
Conventional toothpastes have long and firmly occupied a market niche. There is only one way to move them - to come up with something creative and extraordinary. The trick was the production of “emotional” products - this includes Active black gel paste, paste with Chili pepper, men's products, and offers for pregnant women. Of particular interest are the children's versions in unusual triangular packages, when the baby himself can create his own miracle tube. There are edible “foams” that are intended for unwilling children (the child will chew an absolutely safe, tasty substance, and it will clean his teeth).
Impact of the crisis on business
The fall of the ruble was a step toward revising future business strategies. The foreign market turned out to be more attractive in price, therefore, most of the attention was paid to it. Certain problems were created by the rise in prices for imported raw materials (a twofold increase is a serious cause for concern). We also had to raise prices on the domestic market by about 10%.
A lot has been done: costs have been revised, inventories have been reduced, and most of the work has been automated. Investments in development, people, and quality have not been reduced. The policy has borne fruit: sales on the Russian and foreign markets are growing. Interest in the product is growing in the European and Asian regions.
The importance of exports in business development
Demin's business is firmly aimed at distant countries. Exports now account for a fifth of all sales. There are many offices in the CIS (Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus), representative offices have been opened in China, Turkey and the Baltic states. But the offices that are planned to open in Germany and Great Britain seem more important.
Such prospects carry with them... a patriotic background, a desire to prove that Russia can export normal products. The implementation of the project will bring solid income in foreign currency.
There are some small questions about how the project will be perceived by consumers abroad. Evgeniy sees potential clients this way: people trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. The businessman believes that it will be possible to encounter the following types:
- Some customers don’t know that the product is from Russia (it has a very cosmopolitan image).
- Other consumers know about the origin of the paste, but politics does not prevent them from buying a good product (by the way, black paste is one of the bestsellers on German Amazon).
Letter of happiness
One of Demin’s main tricks is letters to his customers. Many consumers have seen them in toothpaste boxes. But this is not enough - Evgeniy personally responds to messages addressed to him.
A businessman receives 100-120 letters a day. He pays very close attention to each of them. This helps to understand what the consumer liked and what difficulties arose when using the product.
The businessman shares the messages he receives with all his employees - every Monday the letters are collected in one file and sent to factories. There they will be printed and placed on the wall. Every employee of the company can read them and understand that his work is aimed at real person, satisfied or not with the results of the work. This is much more effective than PR services.
The businessman puts a letter in each box. Every time it is written in different topic- a businessman shares with customers his personal life story and how he got out of it. There must be a personal address at the end Email, where many consumers write, admitting: Demin’s letters have become an outlet in certain difficult situations.
No advertising?
Evgeniy does not place advertisements on principle. He prefers communication with the consumer. He is not interested in simply calling for people to buy his product, but motivating people to share information is another level that develops business.
The businessman is sure: all the bright tinsel, annoying billboards and commercials do not work 90% of the time. He declares: “I am a strong opponent of this method of promoting dull and mediocre goods.”
All advertising information, according to the hero, is not perceived as it should be. Everyone is just used to giving it. Evgeniy doesn't want to play general rules, considering: it is better to invest these costs in improving the quality of products.
Dreams and plans
What does Evgeniy do in his free time from correspondence with clients? His areas of interest include eco-projects and eco-products. Although the latter, of course, lose out to personal preferences of favorite Italian dishes and a glass of red wine.
Eco-projects are becoming increasingly popular: this is how you can build a business selling eco-products.
Another area of interest for a successful businessman is biochemistry. Evgeniy also pays great attention to the study of energy from renewable sources. It sounds loud, but Demin states: “I want people to come to the doctor after using our products and they will tell them: “You are doing great!” It gives meaning to the whole thing."
An entrepreneur has a cherished dream - to make a discovery on a global scale. We are talking about a vaccine against caries - a medicine that would save people from this disease once and for all. The statement is undeniable: the toothpastes already developed by the company use formulas that have no analogues in the world.
Recipes for success
Evgeniy is happy to share his work:
- First of all, it is important to do what you like, from which you feel real pleasure!
- Demin encourages you not to be afraid to try (but be sure to first weigh all the risks and consequences).
- We must remember: what is important is what benefits the consumer, the rest can be “thrown into the firebox” (to quote the entrepreneur).
- Defeating everyone is not an end in itself. You just need to be able to cope with the task from beginning to end.
The businessman makes no secret of his work - he is always ready to share and general information, and production developments. He is confident in himself and his products. Read more in the program “Business Secrets with Oleg Tinkov”, where the famous banker-presenter and vice-president of TKS Bank Oleg Anisimov gave our hero a real “interrogation”.
The desire of the future client is what is based on successful business Evgenia Demina. And judging by the company’s fifteen years of experience, this secret should be taken into account.
