You don’t need to be tech-savvy to grow smart. You just need to be open to using tools that support your team and your vision. Introduction: My Journey to Smart Growth I diddn’t become a marketing expert through the traditional path. My journey began in Crimea, where I grew up in a post-Soviet environment shaped by scarcity and uncertainty. From a young age, I dreamed of building something bigger for myself, something that would break the limits of my surroundings. When I moved to Dubai at twenty, I had limited English, no clear plan, and very little knowledge of the business world. But I was determined. I launched my first ecommerce venture while working a full-time corporate job. That experience taught me how to understand customer behavior, test ideas, and build lean systems with little to no resources. Over time, I refined my skills through hands-on experience, client work, and relentless curiosity. Entering the U.S. market came with new challenges, but I kept learning and adapting. Today, I draw from years of lived experience across multiple industries and countries, using marketing as a tool to empower others and help them scale sustainably. Organisational Culture Is Not Just About Perks When people talk about culture, they often think about office perks, casual Fridays, or friendly team lunches. But real culture runs deeper. It’s how your team handles conflict, how they make decisions when no one is watching, and how they show up for one another. I learned this the hard way in my early businesses. In one of my first ventures, I focused so much on processes and numbers that I forgot to check in on how people were actually doing. The result? Turnover, confusion, and slow progress. Now, I lead with clarity and care. I make sure everyone knows what we stand for and how we work together.
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