My name is Iryna Marshavina, and today I am — an entrepreneur developing an offline event space where people feel «at home». My professional journey began in the legal field: I worked as a lawyer at a large company and headed its legal department. This experience gave me a strong management foundation, systematic thinking, and the ability to work with responsibility and complex processes.
A turning point came after maternity leave. That was when I realized I did not want to return to my previous professional role. During this time, the film «The Intern» became an important symbol for me, reminding me that regardless of experience or status, you should not be afraid to start from scratch and embrace new opportunities.
My transition into business was gradual and deliberate. First, I joined a project initiated by my husband and took on a management role. That was when I realized I wanted to work not in the logic of disputes and courtroom evidence, but in the logic of creating value and joy — shaping an environment where people feel comfortable. In 2018, when choosing between returning to legal practice and developing my own venue, I consciously chose entrepreneurship.
The location opened on July 10, 2019 The House Quest & Party — a 600 m² space that brings together five celebration rooms, three escape rooms, as well as our own programs for children and adults. My goal was to create not just another restaurant-style venue with a large hall, but a private event space: a separate room, its own rhythm, your own guests, and the feeling of a personal celebration.
For me, the best confirmation that this concept works is how our guests behave. When children enter the space, take off their shoes, and run around barefoot or in their socks, it means just one thing — they feel safe, trust the space, and feel at home. This is the kind of experience I aim to create and scale through my business.
How did the business idea come about?
The initial business idea came from my husband. Together with a partner, he launched the first concept and invited me to take a leadership position. In 2016, I took over a quest guesthouse with escape rooms and an anti-café-style space — at the height of the escape room craze. My husband created the escape room scenarios, which are still in use today, while I took charge of managing and developing the project. Over time, I developed a clear desire to create a product centered on joy, gatherings, and emotions, rather than work with conflicts and paperwork as I had in legal practice.
What key skills helped you launch the business?
The foundations for launching and growing the business were the ability to learn quickly from scratch, systematic thinking, organizing processes, negotiating, acting swiftly in stressful situations, and taking responsibility for management decisions.
What were the 3 most difficult challenges you faced in the first years?
At the outset, I faced three key challenges. The first — launching and building a large 600 m² space practically from scratch. The second — the COVID-19 pandemic, nine months after opening, which brought offline events to a complete halt. The third — difficult negotiations with the landlord and the need to operate under debt and loan pressure amid falling demand.
What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?
The deepest crises coincided with major external events. In March 2020, I was closing the venue and did not know whether we would be able to reopen: we had been operating for just nine months, had debts and loans, and offline gatherings were completely prohibited. The summer of 2020 was a period of constant adaptation: clients were afraid to gather indoors, while we were also conducting tense negotiations over the lease terms.
In 2022, the full-scale war began. We had to close the business, the team dispersed, and we temporarily left the city. I considered changing the format to a charitable project, but realized that our core mission — is to give people the opportunity to be together and recharge through joy. It was psychologically difficult, but with time it became clear that emotional resilience is equally important for children and adults.
Blackouts also required a separate crisis response. In 2022, instead of the traditional corporate events season, the space became a coworking space with a generator, heating, and light. It hosted work sessions, online meetings, and call rooms. We temporarily changed the format while preserving the essence of the business — creating conditions where people can persevere and work.
Which decisions proved most effective for the company's growth?
The decisions that had the greatest impact on growth were delegating and allocating resources wisely, building a values-driven team, and making consistent investments in relevant advertising and in working with specialists who deliver real results rather than vanity metrics.
Which of your mistakes do you now consider your most valuable experience?
I cannot single out one specific mistake, as every difficult period has been a source of professional and personal growth for me.
