In August 2024, my husband and I relocated to Dubai, transitioning from my IT expertise to entrepreneurship in physical business ventures. The instability in Ukraine, particularly challenges in scaling our network of five automotive service stations (СТО) in Lviv, Solonka, Bohdanivka, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia, prompted this move. Workforce disruptions due to territorial recruitment centers (TCC) made retaining male employees difficult, hindering operations. Dubai’s stable environment enabled us to open a sixth СТО branch five months ago, which has thrived. Simultaneously, I launched ZooResort, a 200-square-meter premium pet care complex in Ukraine, operational for eight months. Inspired by my struggles as a Pomeranian owner to find reliable pet care in Lviv during travel, ZooResort offers a pet hotel, daycare, spa, dermatological care, and grooming, embodying “happiness, love, and care.” This dual venture reflects our goal to explore new markets, preserve over 100 jobs, and build a family business legacy while balancing our Ukrainian roots with Dubai’s opportunities.
With a decade of experience as an IT project manager and Agile coach, my core competency lies in process optimization, team management, and systematic business operations. I managed large-scale U.S. projects, consulted on Agile methodologies, and streamlined workflows for efficiency. In entrepreneurship, I apply these skills to physical businesses, structuring ZooResort’s operations with daily reports, monthly retrospectives, hiring, and marketing. As an ICF ACC-certified coach, I specialize in addressing entrepreneurial challenges like burnout and work-life balance. My ability to rebuild ZooResort’s 20-person team post-crisis demonstrates my expertise in fostering high-performing teams. In our СТО network, co-owned with my husband, I focus on recruitment, marketing, and scaling, leveraging emotional intelligence and structured methodologies. This combination of IT systems, coaching, and entrepreneurial resilience enables me to build scalable, people-centered businesses prioritizing quality and innovation.
My primary focus is pet owners seeking premium care for their dogs and cats in Ukraine’s underserved market. ZooResort serves discerning clients, like Nicholas Karmo, whose dog Archie enjoys our all-inclusive “luxury vacation” with grooming, playtime, and 24/7 supervision. We ensure safety through adaptation visits with zoopsychologists and offer cage-free, eco-friendly accommodations with real-time video access. I also empower our 20-person team, including groomers trained via Ukraine’s first Grooming Academy, offering internships and international competition opportunities. In coaching, I target entrepreneurs facing operational or emotional challenges, drawing from my experiences. For the СТО network, we prioritize mechanics and staff as family breadwinners, ensuring stability through expansion. My businesses center on building communities—whether for pets, employees, or entrepreneurs—where value, growth, and relationships drive success.
ZooResort distinguishes itself in Ukraine’s fragmented pet care market as a one-stop premium complex offering comprehensive services, including custom pet cakes and dermatological treatments. Our cage-free, eco-friendly model, rigorous adaptation processes, and detailed owner questionnaires ensure personalized care, earning over 300 positive Google reviews in six months. Managing remotely from Dubai, I leverage IT tools like chatbots for bookings and Agile retrospectives for continuous improvement, unlike traditional, unsanitary alternatives. In coaching, I differentiate as an entrepreneur-coach, sharing real challenges like team overhauls to guide others. For the СТО network, we emphasize transparency with fully employed staff and AI-driven client consultations in Dubai, contrasting opaque Ukrainian practices. By adopting a broker-centric mindset—treating internal talent like groomers as primary clients—we foster loyalty and organic growth, setting us apart in competitive markets.
ZooResort achieved a monthly turnover exceeding 500,000 UAH within eight months, surpassing the typical two-to-three-year breakeven timeline for similar ventures. We built a 20-person team, expanded grooming through academy partnerships, and earned national prizes for our masters. Despite remote management amid Ukraine’s instability, the pet hotel often operates at full capacity. The СТО network sustained five Ukrainian branches and launched a successful Dubai branch, preserving over 100 jobs. Rebuilding ZooResort’s team in two-to-three weeks post-crisis was a key achievement. In IT, I tripled profits for a U.S. marketplace project in two months via Agile methods. As a coach, I’ve logged 500 hours with successful cases among Lviv entrepreneurs. Goals include expanding ZooResort’s capacity and staff, scaling coaching in Dubai with local mentors, and integrating AI for enhanced operations. Long-term, I aim for international growth while maintaining a family-oriented, mission-driven ethos.
A critical turning point occurred three months into ZooResort’s launch when a hired groomer incited the team against me, leading to sabotage, data leaks, and legal battles. Rebuilding the 10-person team in two weeks—a “fantastical” feat, per my husband—taught me to act decisively on red flags like IP theft. This crisis boosted efficiency and emotional resilience, reinforcing my coaching practice through therapy and self-reflection. Another pivot was recognizing unmet pet care needs during wartime travel, inspiring ZooResort’s launch despite skepticism about remote management from Dubai. Transitioning from IT to entrepreneurship shifted my identity from expert to founder, applying systematics to chaos. Support from mentors like Alina Papyan and family hikes fostered team spirit, solidifying our broker-centric model that empowers “back-office stars,” driving loyalty and sales in both ZooResort and СТО.
My husband’s entrepreneurial expertise in automotive businesses inspires scalable, professional success. Mentors like Alina Papyan provided hands-on support, shaping my approach to niche challenges. Tony Robbins’ Money: Master the Game reshaped my financial mindset, emphasizing NLP principles I apply as a practitioner. Psychology, yoga, and therapy foster balance and self-awareness, overcoming my initial reluctance as a “cobbler without shoes.” Conversations with psychologists and tools like ChatGPT helped define happiness as equilibrium across business, health, and relationships. I advocate lifestyle balance, contrasting my husband’s sacrifice-driven path, and prioritize emotional intelligence in hiring and communication. Influences like Neale Donald Walsch promote acceptance, while peers like Andrii Ostapchuk inspire trend discussions. My worldview centers on breaking stereotypes, mission-driven growth, and human connections as the foundation for fulfillment.
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