Ivanna Pylypiuk Volodymyrivna

Being fired became the impetus — and a business in the UAE with a partner

Today, I am an entrepreneur(Parus Corporate Services;  ICG Club) and a consultant working internationally in corporate solutions. I help clients enter different jurisdictions, build business structures, establish a legal presence in the United Arab Emirates, open bank accounts, and find strong local service providers.

When people ask me for advice for those just starting out, I always begin with something simple but not obvious: not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur. It is important to recognize this honestly.

Business means responsibility, risk, and constant uncertainty. And if it is not your path, that is okay. I believe you should follow your calling, not go into business because it is a trend.

If your way of realizing your potential is through your own business, wonderful. If it is working for someone else or another form of activity, that is absolutely fine too. The question is not your role, but whether you are in the right place.

We often live in an environment where entrepreneurship seems like the only right path, but it is not. Society has room for different roles, and each can be valuable and fulfilling. So my advice is simple: follow yourself, your values, and what you want to give to the world. There is no need to prove anything to others — people are usually busy with themselves. There is only your path, your fears, and your choice. And one more thing — do not be afraid to try. If you keep looking for reasons not to start, nothing will happen.

My approach is to move forward, test, try, and experience life. That is where experience is born. I also do not distinguish between people based on whether they are a man or a woman when it comes to realizing their potential. But I firmly believe that a woman should be free within herself, because she is the one who shapes the next generation. If a woman does not feel free, she cannot pass that freedom on.

For me, freedom means being able to choose my own path without betraying myself.

I am currently at a point of reassessment. I have ideas and plans, but I am looking for a new depth of fulfillment. I am interested in moving toward education and learning — creating projects that help people discover their potential and think more broadly. I want to express myself more in this area and see the impact of my experience — how it transforms others. At the same time, I understand very well that being completely satisfied means standing still. That is why it is important to me to maintain a balance between achievement and exploration. This inner movement is what growth is.

When it comes to happiness, for me it begins with the ability to want. When a person has desires, interests, and an inner impulse, that is already a great value. A deeper level is dreaming, because a dream gives freedom of thought and allows us to go beyond reality. For me, happiness also means being healthy, creating something new, loving and feeling that love is returned, and seeing the results of my actions. It is about the energy of life expressed through action, creativity, and interaction. I do not believe in the idea of “doing nothing and being happy.”

For me, happiness means action. I want to work all my life, while changing the form of my work — intellectual, physical, and creative. I also do not see business and social responsibility as separate worlds. When we earn money in one place and then help somewhere else, it does not always bring about real change. Charity without a system often provides only temporary support, without changing reality.

I am more interested in long-term impact — through education, developing ways of thinking, and shaping the environment. I believe that education and critical thinking are the keys to change. The world we live in today is the result of decisions made decades ago. And if we want a different outcome in the future, we need to lay a new foundation now.

I see value in a world where people do not merely survive, but fulfill their potential. Where they do not have to choose between earning a living and being true to themselves. Where people develop their talents and act with purpose, not just out of necessity. I am drawn to the idea of a society where education is accessible, people can think critically, competition helps people grow rather than destroying them, and value is created rather than imitated. And I want to be part of this process through my work.

My principle is simple — do not betray your dreams. Even if they seem unrealistic, even if someone says they are impossible, it is worth starting with what you have. Do what you can, where you are. If you cannot change the world, change yourself. If you can, find like-minded people and create a new reality together.

An entrepreneurial mindset without a business background, and a PR manager as a foundation

How did you come up with the business idea?

Being fired prompted me to start a business. It happened suddenly and was quite emotional, but that situation made me reconsider my path.

Later, a friend and I founded a company in the United Arab Emirates and began developing this area of work.

I grew up in a modest family where no one was in business, but I had always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I was constantly looking for opportunities to create value and bring people together.

At one point, I deliberately chose trading as the fastest way to earn money: finding clients and service providers and connecting them. This essentially became the foundation of my business model.

My experience as a PR manager helped me understand how to attract clients and build trust. Over time, I turned this expertise into a role as an intermediary between clients and specialists, helping them address their needs.

Partnership played an important role — I brought in a partner with experience and financial resources, which made it possible to build a fully fledged business.

I am now in a period of transition: I have stepped away from the previous model and am moving toward new projects and an expert-led way of working.

Communication, learning, and the ability to explain complex things simply

What key skills helped you launch your business?

My key asset at the beginning was myself. I had no financial resources, so my skills became the foundation:

Communication and building trust. I worked with entrepreneurs older than me, and my ability to build trusting relationships was critical.

The ability to learn. I was starting from scratch, so continuous self-education became a necessity.

The ability to teach others. I held seminars and explained complex things in simple language. This helped me understand the subject better and build my expertise.

The combination of these skills built my social capital, which clients were willing to pay for.

A computer instead of an office, a strong administrator, and a business education from scratch

What were the 3 most difficult challenges you solved in the early years?

The first challenges were very basic.

The first was organizing the work: from buying a computer to setting up an office. I had no experience and did not even know where to start.

The second was realizing that you do not have to know everything yourself. It is important to find people who know more. Hiring a strong administrative employee made the processes much easier.

The third was understanding business itself. I went to study so I could gain a systematic understanding of management, and I received a business education.

Understanding the law was a separate challenge. Business operates within a set of rules, and not knowing them does not exempt you from responsibility. This was an important lesson for me.

The business model changed 3 times — and each time, the team had to change

What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?

My business has changed repeatedly along with the market and legislation.

I started with a model that connected clients and service providers. Over time, this format became less effective and partly outdated, so I moved into consulting — selling expertise.

Then changes in legislation required a complete review of our services. In effect, the business transformed several times.

One of the most difficult decisions was changing the team. It is an emotionally challenging process, but necessary to move to the next level.

The client base and the way we worked also changed: more information became openly available, and market expectations shifted.

The business model changed 3 times — and each time, the team had to change

Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

Delegation was one of the key decisions.

At first, all clients came directly to me. Transferring clients to the team and building a work system became an important stage in scaling up.

This required moving from the role of an expert to that of a manager, and changing my mindset.

Lending money taught me to define boundaries of responsibility more clearly

Which of your mistakes do you now consider your most valuable experience?

One important life lesson came from the experience of lending money. I realized that financial decisions must be made consciously: if you lend money, you need to be prepared to lose it.

This experience taught me to define boundaries and responsibility more clearly in financial matters.

From the market and caroling to a laptop bought with student side-job earnings

How did you earn your first $100?

Honestly, I no longer remember what the exchange rate was then or exactly how it was calculated. But if we think of first money as an experience, it came from two sources.

The first was the market. I was still in school and sold fruit: pears and apricots. It was a very simple but important experience—you show up, take your place, and try to sell.

The second was caroling. At that same age, or perhaps a little earlier, I went caroling and earned money for it.

Even before that, I tried organizing things—for example, street “concerts” with invitations—but that was more an initiative than a way to earn money.

So, to sum up, my first money was about exchange: you do something, create something, or offer something—and get paid for it.

How did you earn your first $1 000?

That was a more deliberate stage—my student years.

I worked side jobs, did activist work, and tried different kinds of work. Those earnings added up to an amount that could loosely be called my first “thousand.”

I remember well that I spent the money on a laptop—it was an important purchase and a symbol of a certain independence.

How did you earn your first $10 000?

I associate this level of income with business.

Significant financial growth began when I moved away from the “me + one person” model and started building processes as a system: hiring people, assigning tasks, and creating a structure.

That was when I realized that business is not only about your own work, but also about organizing other people's work.

How did you earn your first $100 000?

That was the stage when the business became more systematic, with a team, processes, and active consulting work.

After about 3–4 years of work, I reached this level—as a result of accumulated experience, client trust, and a well-established model.

How did you earn your first $1 000 000?

I did not build a business with a “million-dollar” scale. My model is more boutique, focused on expertise and individual work.

Right now, I am in the process of changing the model, and I no longer see the previous one as a traditional business.

My main value lies in practical experience and a willingness to share it.

At the club, people know me as someone they can turn to for advice. I regularly advise members, often for free, help them work through their questions, and share contacts and approaches.

Beyond my professional expertise, I actively contribute to the club’s activities: I organize and moderate events and initiate educational meetups.

I also find the mastermind format especially valuable. I enjoy creating an environment where people can think together, exchange ideas, and discover new solutions. I have moderated these meetings and now occasionally host my own—so far, once a month.

I can also see people’s potential and help them bring it out. I’ve seen people start giving talks, become speakers, and launch their own formats after our conversations.

If needed, I can also help with public speaking preparation—I have a teaching degree and extensive experience speaking in public.

First, an honest answer: is this a business or self-employment?

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

The first step is to answer honestly: is what you do actually a business?

Next, it’s important to break everything down into its components: what exactly you do, who does it, who you do it for, and how it is organized.

A business is always a system: a product or service, a customer, processes, and resources. You need to see the whole picture.

The essential elements are:

• understanding the product and its value;

• understanding the audience;

• sales and communication channels;

• accounting and finances;

• at least a basic customer relationship management system.

It’s also important to distinguish systematization from scaling. First, you build a system, and only then do you scale it.

One more thing: not every business can be scaled in the way you want. Sometimes it’s easier to change the model than to try to squeeze more out of it than it can deliver.

Real value for the client and a team instead of “I do everything”

Your experience: how do you grow x2 in a year?

I don’t believe in a universal “x2” formula.

In my experience, the key turning point is moving from an “I do everything” model to one with a team, processes, and management.

The second factor is value. If you provide real value, clients will come to you. If your only focus is money, it’s always a race without a stable foundation.

Sustainable growth begins with understanding: what value am I creating, and for whom?