Alona Hordiienko, 33 years

My name is Alona Hordiienko, and today I am an entrepreneur (JustSEO) building my own company in my professional niche, drawing on systematic thinking, experience, and strategic insight. My path into business was not an impulsive «leap into the unknown».

From childhood, I was used to working methodically and consistently: I excelled in my studies, graduated from university with honors, and built a career as an employee, advancing rapidly to a level where responsibility and results were measured in millions of dollars. This experience gave me a strong management foundation: an understanding of scale, working with teams, and being accountable for results.

Moving into entrepreneurship opened up another side of professional freedom: far greater autonomy in decision-making, but also a higher level of responsibility, stress, and personal involvement. A personal tragedy—the death of my brother—became a turning point in my life. This loss brought on a difficult period that affected both my emotional state and my work. At the same time, it made me rethink my priorities, the value of time, and the importance of making conscious choices about my path.

Entrepreneurship ultimately became a conscious decision for me to «build something of my own» after an unsuccessful partnership. I chose to move more slowly, but on my own terms, with clear control over processes and accountability for every decision. A step-by-step approach became not a limitation, but a strategic model for sustainable growth.

How did you come up with the business idea?

The idea for my own business grew out of professional confidence. At the time, I had considerable experience and a portfolio of successful cases, so I was convinced that launching a company and building a team would automatically bring in clients. It was more of a youthful sense of confidence and an expectation that the market would «come to us on its own». Reality quickly showed that expertise alone is not enough: without consistent visibility, marketing, and lead generation, a business cannot scale.

What key skills helped you launch your business?

The foundation for getting started was a combination of deep expertise and the ability to build processes. I know how to set up an operating model from scratch and structure a team's work. At the same time, recognizing the value of visibility became an important skill: when clients did not appear automatically, I began developing my personal brand and applying to myself the same tools we use for clients. A separate challenge was my personal development as a business owner: stepping outside my introvert's comfort zone, learning to speak in public, give presentations, and sell not only a product, but also trust.

What were the 3 most difficult challenges you overcame in the first years?

The first challenge was reaching profitability. At the start, revenue did not cover expenses, our financial reserves were dwindling quickly, and turnover was not enough to cover salaries, rent, and operating costs. This forced us to completely rethink the business model. The second challenge was the lack of a steady stream of clients. It became clear that a portfolio of cases does not work on its own without consistent lead generation and visibility. The third challenge was personal transformation. Running my own business required a constant presence in communications and interaction with people, whereas I naturally feel more comfortable remaining an expert «behind the scenes».

Which decisions proved most effective for the company's growth?

Operational decisions had the greatest impact on resilience and growth. First, I deliberately build a team with some capacity to spare: the number of people is not matched exactly to the number of projects, which ensures cover and stability. Second, in 2025 I changed my approach to hiring for some roles, moving from a large number of full-time positions to flexible hourly arrangements. This reduced the financial burden during periods of crisis and made it possible to bring in broader expertise for specific tasks. Third, mass PR.

Which mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?

My most valuable mistake was believing that expertise alone would ensure a steady stream of clients. Launching a company with a team without building marketing, lead generation, and visibility in parallel forced me to mature quickly as a business owner, learn to sell systematically, invest in the brand, and persevere through periods when results do not come immediately