Serhii Kovalenko

From working in law enforcement to founding my own marketing agency

I am Serhii Kovalenko, owner of Traffic Money Agency, a marketing agency specializing in performance marketing: Google Ads, TikTok Ads, and Meta Ads. Today, the company has 20 employees and 65 active projects underway.

My professional journey began far from marketing and entrepreneurship. I worked as an investigator in law enforcement and trained as a cadet at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Later, I realized I wanted to develop in a different direction, so I left the field.

My next step was working at a marketing agency. In a year and a half, I was able to significantly develop the department I managed and gained an inside view of how marketing, sales, and operational processes work. This experience later became the foundation for starting my own company.

At a certain point, I realized I wanted to try building my own business. I didn't need to come up with a fundamentally new model, because I already knew the agency business well, understood its processes, and saw what I wanted to change. That's how Traffic Money Agency came about. 

A business built on a familiar model

How did you come up with the business idea?

The idea for Traffic Money Agency came from applying an already working model in the most practical way. I wasn't “looking for greener grass”; I took what I had already seen in practice.

At the beginning, the business was built without a separate brand and grew through my personal brand. Over time, we began transitioning to an agency brand strategy.

Persistence, management, and the right direction

What key skills helped you launch your business?

• The ability to lead people, be a leader, and create a clear way of working.
• Persistence.

It also helped me to think of business as something that could be “about making money.” I was less focused on chasing status—for example, having a large number of employees or offices—and more focused on getting started and earning money using the simplest model for me.

Cash flow gaps, team challenges, and instability at the start

What were the 3 toughest challenges you dealt with in the first years of operation?

There were many challenges at the start, but I would single out cash flow gaps. When the figures seemed small for a business—100 thousand hryvnias  or 200 thousand hryvnias —they were astronomical sums to me.

Changes in the team, critical moments in projects, and conflicts also had an impact. All of this created instability in managing the pace of work and cash flows.

Focusing on marketing and sales, and stepping away from operations

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

At one point, I shifted my focus away from the product—I stopped managing it—and turned to marketing and sales.

Another important decision was finding a mentor. I didn't need specific ideas; I needed to understand where to look and what direction of development aligned with my goals and my vibe.

Another decision that helped us scale was stepping away from operational management, both operationally and strategically. At a certain stage, I realized that without changing the management model, scaling wouldn't happen in six months, a year, or two years.

Where there's focus, there's results

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

I consider losing focus my most valuable mistake. I spread myself too thin, trying to pursue different activities at once and looking for “greener grass.” Ultimately, this led to a drop in results. I came up with a simple rule for myself: where there's focus, there's results.

If a business can operate with minimal owner involvement thanks to systems and motivated people, then it makes sense to devote your time where it can genuinely drive growth.

From sneakers and an agency to the first $10 000 in your own business

How did you earn your first $100?

I sold sneakers. 

How did you earn your first $1 000?

When I worked at an agency.

How did you earn your first $10 000?

10-15 thousand dollars—I had already earned that in my own business. 

Building an agency business that doesn’t depend on its owner — Traffic Money’s practical experience

I can help build an agency business so that it does not depend entirely on its owner. This requires the right people in the right roles, clear agreements, regular oversight, and meeting financial obligations.

A win-win strategy, systems that work without me, and strong talent — the three pillars of systematization

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

To systematize a business, I rely on the principle of a «win-win strategy» — both sides need to understand what matters to me and what matters to them. The second pillar is building systems in which processes do not break down without me. Strong talent is also very important. I say it directly: no one is irreplaceable. If someone consistently cannot handle their role, it is better to replace them with a stronger specialist, even if they cost more. This improves business efficiency.

Marketing over product, a mentor, and stepping away from operations — the recipe for 2x growth

Your experience: how do you grow 2x in a year?

First, focus not on controlling the product, but on marketing and sales. Second, find a mentor who will help you choose a direction and develop the right mindset, rather than simply generating chaotic ideas for you. Third, move from operational management into a role where you set the strategy while the team works within the system.