Interview with Anastasia Levdikova, CEO of three companies

Hello!

I’m Serhii Soloviov, CEO of Solve Marketing. Today I’m talking to Anastasia Levdikova.

What we will discuss:

1. Anastasia’s business;
2. what changes have taken place since February 24;
3. forecasts on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union in terms of business impact;
4. how to hire the right person for the team with the help of Harrison Assessments;
5. how to find the perfect balance between work and family;
6. what a leader should be like.

And other interesting topics.

Hello, Nastia!

— I know that you have several businesses. Please tell us more about them.

— Despite the war, I have had and still have three businesses in my professional career. They are both similar and different.

One of my businesses is Masterstudy, a project related to education abroad. It is currently changing dramatically, as the conditions of admission for Ukrainian students, visa conditions in Europe, the US and Canada are also changing. It is still unclear how clients and the market in general will react to the situation in our country.

The second project is Harrison Assessments. This is a psychometric testing and people analytics system that we have been developing in Ukraine as partners for Ukrainian companies.

The third project is employment abroad. It has also changed, and if we have enough time, we will talk about it.

— Are you working on the development of three projects simultaneously?

— I am a responsible person who controls everything in my power as much as possible. But I always realized that there would be external circumstances that would interfere with my life. All my international projects depend on stakeholders in other countries: the government, their legislation, etc. All this can have a significant impact on my business.

For example, in 2007 I almost lost one business because of the US government’s decision. In 2008 there was a crisis and problems with the exchange rate, and we, as an international project, are very dependent on it. In the worst case scenario, this situation leads to financial losses for the business itself, its clients and partners.

That is why I consciously focused my efforts on creating and developing three projects at once.

In today’s realities, companies are not quite up to staff development. Survival, retention, security, and recruitment are now top of mind. Some businesses are now closing down due to logistical problems or because the area where they used to operate is not in the best condition.

— And which of your businesses is feeling the best?

— It is not easy for all of them now, but education and employment projects abroad are doing better.

And the Harrison Assessments project allows me to work with international companies. And now I have actively entered the international market because I am not physically in Ukraine.

— You say you don’t work in Ukraine now. Does your team also work remotely and is not in the country?

— I have employees who stayed in Ukraine and we continue to work together with them. There are also employees who have gone abroad, but the situation is different there, because some cannot devote much time to work due to certain circumstances.
We have an interesting new model of cooperation with our colleagues — we collaborate with them, sometimes our competitors from around the world, to share teams and work on client cases.

— But is all the work now done remotely?

— Yes, absolutely. I work completely remotely with my team. I also work remotely with clients, but sometimes some of the meetings are held offline.

— I remember your cozy office. What has changed since the war started? How much harder or easier has it become to work?

— I never thought I’d say this, but thanks to Covid, we learned to work remotely, so it’s hard to say that anything has changed globally.

If earlier the absence of an office or an electronic document could cause some fears and embarrassment, now people treat it absolutely normally.

Our clients are located all over the world: both individuals and legal entities. They are absolutely fine with home meetings.

— In your opinion, what are the prospects for Ukraine now?

— This is both a good question and a difficult one.

I left on the first day of the war, when I woke up at 5 a.m. and heard the first explosions. The first thought I had was: “Nastia, your life will never be the same again”.

I guess I learned from watching Iraq, Donbas, and Covid. Back then, everyone said that this situation would only last for a month, but it lasted for years and we can still see the consequences of these events. So now I do not hope that it will end quickly.

First of all, I may be thinking selfishly so as not to get my hopes up: “Maybe tomorrow everything will be fine and we can go back”. Because this prevents me from starting something new.

Secondly, watching the news, I realize that it doesn’t look like the war in Ukraine is going to end anytime soon. It is very sad.

So I give myself a command: “Live as if it will always be like this and see what happens”. This attitude allows me to focus my efforts on my work and family, rather than wasting energy on doubts that will pull me home. Thanks to this, I have more concentration, efficiency, energy, etc. I can take care of my team, no matter where they are, my family, and focus on my business. This is my contribution to world peace. Otherwise, I don’t know how to help.

— What do you think about Ukraine’s accession to the European Union?

— That is also an interesting question!

I am currently in Ireland. This country demonstrates satisfaction with joining the European Union. First of all, they received the necessary funding to reach a new stage of economic development. Ireland also created favorable conditions for corporate businesses by reducing corporate tax and attracted many large companies and corporations to its territory. This also had a positive impact on the country’s economy.

With the help of the EU funds, they have developed the internal infrastructure well: they have connected Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

I don’t hear any complaints about joining the EU from the locals. On the contrary, they are positive about the changes.

I am not a politician to determine how joining the EU will affect Ukraine. I can’t say what the consequences will be after the country passes the test of war.

Before I went to Ireland, I was in Bulgaria, which is also a member of the European Union, but it looks very different. And this makes me think that the consequences of joining the EU depend on the mentality of the nation: how ready they are to take advantage of all the opportunities and how fair it will be for both sides — the EU and a particular country — to share resources.

— Well, let’s focus on your projects. What will be the impact of Ukraine’s accession to the EU on your business?

— Speaking about the People Analytics project, I see only positive consequences. Because joining the EU means helping such projects.

However, recruiting can be difficult for my business because we work with the US. Since the borders of other countries were closed to our members who used this service, their focus remained on the United States. If the borders are open as they are now, it will increase competition for professionals who are willing to go abroad. I understand that we will lose some of them because they will choose to work in European countries rather than go to the United States.

If we consider the Masterstudy project, joining the EU will change the outlook of clients and bring them closer to the idea of studying in Europe. We, in turn, will need to reconsider the range of services we will provide to them.

— It sounds like you’ve already got it all figured out 🙂

— Yes, but I still know that there will be factors that I cannot predict.

For example, the cost of studying in foreign universities used to be more expensive for Ukrainians than for European students. For example, studying in Ireland would cost €6,000 for a European, and €16,000 per year for a Ukrainian.

If Ukraine joins the EU, education abroad will become more affordable for Ukrainians. Accordingly, this could increase the flow of clients and have a positive impact on our business. On the other hand, this will reduce the profit per client, as the amount of work will decrease. For example, there will be no need to apply for a visa for a client to go abroad to study.

— I think that Masterstudy is the most noticeable and understandable project. But Harrison Assessment is less familiar to people. For example, I knew nothing about it until I met you. Can you tell us more about this project?

— Back in 2018, at one of the international exhibitions dedicated to education abroad, I met the Harrison Assessment team. After that, I participated in their local conferences in Portugal and met the founder, Dan Harrison.

I am fascinated by the fact that this system helps to determine where the talent of an employee lies. With this information, you can understand which roles and functions are best suited to them. It helps to put the right people in the right places and develop them in a certain direction. The Harrison Assessment system saves a lot of time on interviews, observing and waiting for results from candidates for many months, etc., because it gives you the necessary insight even before you meet the person.

— It sounds like magic! How exactly does it work?

— Dan Harrison is a mathematician and psychologist by training. Of course, there are many different assessments, but he was able to improve the system of passing them. For example, there are systems that allow you to determine whether you are more of a leader or a communicator, etc. And Dan says: “I don’t want to work with categories. Look at us — we are all different”.

The Harrison Assessment is a small questionnaire that uses a clever mechanism to form a portrait of a person based on various character traits. It takes about 25-30 minutes to complete.

The questionnaire itself has 16 pages, each of which contains 8 extremely positive statements that just need to be ranked. This way, a person is not afraid to characterize himself or herself badly.

Again, this test helps to identify a person’s strengths, areas of development, obstacles they will face in a particular role, etc.

— This sounds very cool both in terms of the result and the method. Personally, as a marketer, when I see an underrated product or company, I want to help them become better known. That is, to attract the attention of new customers who really need this service.

I passed this assessment and was very pleased with both the process and the result. This is a very cool area, so I want it to develop and attract the attention of more and more people.

— Thank you! However, not all companies are ready for this.

— But when you recruit people to your team, do you use this method?

— Of course! All the people who came to my team passed this test.

— Where do you look for people now: through what methods, ways, websites?

— For the last 3-4 months after the start of the war, I did not look for new people because I had a task to keep my team together, help them with their work, distribute tasks and reformulate goals. I also developed a network of consultants who work as external experts. If I needed any help, I engaged them.

Speaking about my past experience, my employees mostly recommended candidates for certain roles. In addition, I have people with whom I have been working for many years. I looked for new people using work.ua and robota.ua.

— What do you think are the essential qualities a manager should have?

— There is a leader as a manager who simply supervises certain processes, and there is a leader as a leader who leads. It is important for a leader to be able to take responsibility and take risks. They have a clear vision of what they want, what needs to be done, and what obstacles they face. And at the same time, the leader is full of optimism: “I believe in my abilities! I believe in my team”.

In addition, a leader is a person who goes forward and inspires others to follow because they value what they do. A leader also knows how to distribute responsibility, seeing people as professionals.

My father used to say that one of the greatest favors that leaders do for their subordinates is to be demanding of them. Without it, it is difficult to overcome the glass ceiling and become better. And a boss helps you do this for free by demanding of you, helping you grow.

— Very interesting and cool! Have you ever thought of opening a recruiting agency to find talent?

— Actually, my third project is just related to recruiting. Now I’m in Ireland, and I’m working on this project as an external consultant: I was offered to do recruiting for a local company.

— I believe that you have a very deep understanding of such a complex process as managing people. This is a very valuable, unique expert skill!

— Thank you! As my father used to say: “Years are experience”.

— I remember that before the war we talked about finding a balance between career and family. What is your ideal recipe for this balance?

— Balance… How can you really measure it? You can’t put it on a scale, so this is like an internal report:)

Currently, my working day is divided into 2 parts: in the morning I work with one client, and in the afternoon I work on my own projects. And in the meantime, I have to be a mom, a wife, and take time for myself.

For the latter, I set aside the time from 6:00 to 7:30 am in the morning. I wake up, go to the local park for a run or yoga class. Then I come back, cook breakfast, and we talk to my family. After that, I start working. My family knows that I cannot be disturbed during this time. My husband is also working in the next room on a parallel course. After the first half of the day, I take a short break, prepare lunch and then continue working. In the evening, we get together again and discuss how everyone’s day went.

Three times a week, my family and I try to go in for sports. Usually, I train with my husband, and the children train in separate sections.

I used to have an illness — working on weekends. Now I take care of it so that I can come back every Monday with new energy and start doing what my brain processed on the weekend anyway and offer you new solutions that you want to implement.

— How can you remain such a positive person with such a workload?

— This is where we come back to the Harrison Assessment. Dan Harrison said this: “If you let a person do what they love, they will enjoy doing it and will easily develop as a professional in it”.

I think you feel this way in your work, too. But you still need to keep a balance.

Before Covid, I had a crazy workload. Then we changed countries and 14 houses in a month, but the habit of depending on the buzz at work still wins.

Locals ask me how I found the projects I work with so quickly, because they can’t find a job for months. I believe that it depends on the person.
This is another leadership quality — the ability to easily adapt to changes. This is important because the world today is a constant change. The era when you can work in one job until you retire is over.

— Yes! Even within our agency, we are constantly faced with different businesses, tasks, and constant changes. Judging by what you’ve told us, you have a very busy schedule. Is there anything that you would like to learn, but don’t have enough time for?

— I am constantly learning something new. In September-October, I attended the Austrian Institute’s transfer effectiveness program. Then I was certified by Harrison Assessment. And when I arrived in Ireland, I realized that DCU and UCD, the main Dublin pearl universities, are located here.

I recently took the Duolingo test at five in the morning. I got 130/160 points despite the fact that it was early in the morning. And I also recently wrote my academic resume, essay and today I will apply for a local master’s program called “Strategic learning and development”. So the issue of education and development has always touched me 😉

— The very moment when you are woken up in the middle of the night and sent for a test is not a joke, but a reality!

— Absolutely right)

— And no one woke me up…

— This is magic!

— The Children and Business section! I know you have a wonderful son, you told me about him. Do you think parents should influence their child’s choice of life path?

— I actually have two children, a boy and a girl.

It seems to me that parents cannot help but influence. Even if they don’t want to, they will still have an impact by example. I don’t believe that you can teach children only with words and do the opposite. Sometimes I also deceive myself and start teaching children what I don’t do — it’s not fair.

I believe that the experience of parents and their environment has the greatest influence on the subconscious of children. And I am sure that my example of life influences their choice of life path.

But sometimes I still can’t help but comment on what I think about a particular profession. For example, there is a constant shortage of doctors in Ireland. So I say to my son: “Listen, a doctor is a really good profession with a stable salary.” And when he replies: “No, not medicine!”, I realize that I won’t hint at it anymore.

— So when you hear the answer “no,” does it mean “no” to you?

— It can be different. Sometimes they answer “no” because they don’t really know what we are talking about. For example, I insist that my son attend English courses because I understand that it will be useful to him in the future. And I demonstrate this by my own example. But now he may not want to do it because he wants to play a game.

I believe that at such moments parents should insist. But this should be done not by being demanding, but by looking for something that will motivate the child. And also to give the opportunity to refuse something if the child has tried it and nothing has worked out.

— I asked you this question for a reason because I consider you to be an expert in career guidance, because you have many skills at the intersection of education and assessment. So, do you recommend making a career decision based on the Harrison Assessment?

— Yes and no.

With the help of the Harrison Assessment, we can determine whether a person’s individual traits are suitable for a particular profession.

For example, teenagers have such traits as uncompromisingness and straightforwardness, which will really hinder their future career. And here is a teenager who wants to become a diplomat. Thanks to the test, we can determine this and emphasize to him that, yes, his straightforwardness has a place in this profession, but he lacks diplomacy. We have to ask the teenager: “If you want to really succeed in this career, let’s think together about what you can do to improve your communication skills”.

The Harrison Assessment also demonstrates the range of professions that may be suitable for a child, because most often it is difficult for us to determine what professions exist in this world. There are more than 750 different professions in the Harrison Assessment database.

I have been persuading my son since he was 13 to take this test every six months, because we are all changeable creatures in our behavior and preferences. People are constantly learning something new, being influenced by other people, projects, etc. And at 13, he had no specific focus in his career choice. And at the age of 15, I see inclinations towards an engineering specialty.

That’s why I don’t insist on medicine, learning French and Italian, because he’s not a humanitarian. But I will still insist on learning English.

— I was once again convinced that you have very high standards, first of all, for yourself and your children. What do you think about the top 3 qualities of a person that you respect the most?

— This is a difficult question because everyone is different. I cannot speak for 3 qualities that make me respect this or that person. But I really respect people who have their own business and are dedicated to it. This is how they realize their potential and create their environment around them.

Through our work, we bring goodness and benefit to the world. It is also how we find our way, overcome challenges, make something as creators, and help other people — our employees and clients.

It doesn’t matter what kind of business it is: it can be well-cleaned streets that inspire people to clean up, it can also be three children, and someone has a large company, corporation, etc. I really respect the skill in their work!

— Cool! Do you have any funny situations in your business?

— Yes, very often. In two years, you can laugh at them, but at the moment, it is desirable that they do not exist.

— Can you tell us something about them?

— Yes. Recently, there was a situation when a company was waiting for a person in the United States, and at first they acted as if they were already on their way to the airport. And the flight was supposed to be from Poland. But then it turned out that he was detained at the border, so the company changed the tickets at its own expense. Then this person did not show up for the plane at all.

There were also a lot of curiosities when we worked with the Work and Travel student program, because students are creative people. Often we would receive photos of them somewhere in California riding on supermarket trolleys or videos of them teaching Americans how to pronounce our patter.

— Cool, got it! Can you give us an example of what your clients would consider an ideal service in your projects that they would be willing to line up for?

— I think that with the help of the same Harrison Assessment, they have realized the following things:

what their goals are and how to achieve them;
how to break through their “glass ceiling”;
what role they should take;
what functions they should perform;

…and many other issues.

— This is a golden answer.

— Now, when I’m recruiting for a local company, I catch myself thinking that I don’t look much at who studied where. The main thing is experience, what and how a person does to assess how professional they are.

Universities teach us what to do, but they don’t teach us how to do it. They don’t give you practical experience. Of course, there are programs that provide both theory and practice, but this is still not enough.

I personally look at education not only as a system of putting certain information in your head, but also as the ability to start and build new relationships, adapt, unleash your potential, not be afraid and not give up, etc.

— Are there any problems in your business that you would like to magically solve? Maybe you can change people’s behavior and then everything will be better for your projects.

I’ll give you an example: in the business of setting up CRM systems, the problem is that people set up the system but don’t use it. That is, it is well set up, but the client is not satisfied because their employees do not use it.

— This is not only about business, but also about personal matters. For example, I’ve been thinking about diversifying my funds with the help of the stock market, given the current inflation. Just like you say, it was difficult to start using a CRM system, so it is difficult for me to start working with a trading terminal. And unless someone takes me by the hand and shows me how to do it, it will continue to be difficult for me to take it on. I think the situation is the same with the implementation of CRM systems.

People are afraid of the unknown, of change, because we strive for stability. Something new for us is painful or a big loss of energy. And as soon as we realize that we will save more energy and other resources in the future, we are ready to go through this pain.

And the task of those who introduce something new is to guide a person through the pain and go through all the steps with them to the end point.

And in my business, if an employee fails at something, he or she either can’t do it, or doesn’t want to. If a person doesn’t want to, then there’s nothing you can do, if they don’t know how, then you can teach them, and if they can’t, you need to find out what the reasons are and discuss it.

— This is a very cool, deep thought, and we will definitely write it down and show it to Serhii Tymchuk!

And in general, thank you for such insightful thoughts! Your skills in working with people and assessing them are highly expert. You are very pleasant and interesting to listen to.

— Thank you very much for the interview and for your attention. It’s really nice, because with this move, a lot of connections are being cut off. And I’m very grateful to you for staying in touch and I’m glad to work with you again.