Success story of Evgeny Demin, creator of SPLAT. The success story of Evgeny Demin, the creator of SPLAT E.S. Where do you get these principles?

The meeting with Alena Demina, one of the richest women in Russia, was an emotional revelation for Elena Sotnikova. The conversation about business and fashion has turned into a truly space journey

Alena has a fragile, gentle image, a quiet voice and bottomless hazel eyes. When she looks directly at me, I can physically feel the presence of the cosmos in the room. The creator of the cosmetic concern SPLAT, for which international mega-companies are ready to shell out fabulous money today, and the founder of the couture and wedding house EDEM, is not at all like “28th place in the Forbes list”. The conversation unfolded smoothly, as if along a predetermined trajectory, and, despite the soft manner of communication, the emotional background was so powerful that in the middle of the conversation I even burst into tears a little. And they started by remembering my previous interview with psychologist Mikhail Labkovsky and his rules. With a smile, Alena called his position slightly selfish, with the exception of a few rules of Labkovsky: do what you like, answer only when asked, and answer only the question. Thus, we immediately came to the topic, which largely determined the unusualness of this conversation.

I heard about these principles on the plane, returning from Seoul, and it was interesting to me. The fact is that society in Seoul is maximally tied to hierarchy, because hierarchy prolongs life, creates order, and builds very viable structures. In Korea, communication begins with a question about your age. This question is not considered rude or tactless. Just depending on the answer, the style of communication is built. If a person is older than me, then I immediately begin to address him as “you”, I won’t be able to laugh out loud in his presence; if I have alcohol on the table, I can only drink a glass, covering myself with my hand.

Elena Sotnikova That's it, I'm older than you. Let's act accordingly. (We laugh.)

HELL. The same thing happens in their companies. Nobody cares what you think. The boss said - go and do it. This has a downside - the suppression of initiative. But even in this scenario, such structures win. For example, they have an initiative day once a month.

Top, EDEM Couture; Tiffany Victoria earrings, platinum, diamonds, Tiffany & Co.; necklace, platinum, diamonds, Cartier High Jewelery

PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova

E.S. Does this apply to any company?

HELL. This is the principle of society. Why did I go there? Koreans are now ahead of the rest in terms of cosmetics. It was interesting for me to see how and why they do it, and to build a security system for themselves in the fight in a competitive market. I was there at the exhibition and I asked one woman: “Why do they beat everyone?” And she answered: “Firstly, the hierarchy, and secondly, the work of the brain. They are all brilliant project managers, they know how to effectively use others. The only drawback is insincerity and the likelihood of getting a knife in the back. They will smile, be silent, and then - once, and you are fired.

E.S. In our glossy world, there are similar rules, only without smiles. (We laugh.) Okay, we have an unusual entry, but my first question should have been different. How does it feel to be in 28th place on the Forbes list of the richest women in Russia?

HELL. It really doesn't matter to me. I tried to do my best to ensure that this rating did not exist in my life, and I do not want to know what my place is. It happened. I am not a horse that runs. I am a person who lives for my big idea, the goal that I set myself back when I had zero money. It is important to understand that this zero can happen at any time in life.

E.S. Where do you get these principles from?

HELL. Let's start with the fact that I grew up in a very wealthy family and never thought about money at all. Despite my wealth, my parents taught me to spend wisely. I could have very little money when I was studying, or a lot, but I always spent about the same. The second is the experiences associated with the risk of death. When at some point you die mentally and are ready to accept death, then the rest of your life ceases to be related to the material world.

E.S. I'm sorry, were you sick?

HELL. No. There was simply a situation where, according to all indications, according to all the sensations, we should have crashed on the plane.

E.S. ...

HELL. I had to fly with my husband. About a month before the flight, the dreams that we died were seen by many people, including my parents. It was eight years ago. In my dreams, I was looking for my husband, asking about him and getting the answer that we died, died on the plane. There were a lot of dreams ... I dreamed that I was in heaven, saw my dead relatives and at some point realized that if this had to happen, I was ready for it. And I went to the plane... Even now I'm shaking a little. We went to the plane, it did not take off for about three hours for technical reasons. It was a flight from Dubai to Shanghai. There were very strange people there, all black and only one white, who was very nervous and shook his leg all the time. He must have felt something too. I asked everyone for forgiveness before this flight, read a lot of prayers...

PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova

Jacket, EDEM Couture; Tiffany Victoria earrings, platinum, diamonds, Tiffany & Co.; necklace, platinum, diamonds, Cartier High Jewelery

PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova

Dress, EDEM Couture

PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova

Dress, EDEM Couture

PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova

E.S. I know that you practiced kung fu. You and I talked a little about this before our interview, and you told amazing things about how an obstacle, even a physical one, can be overcome if it is not seen. How is this possible?

HELL. Obstacles cannot be overlooked. It is very important to have a clear feeling, an idea within yourself. If you go to a good goal and you have good intentions, the world sometimes opposes. The dark side creates obstacles that you need to be able to properly relate to. An obstacle is a small step on the way to your goal. It looks like steps. If you go forward up the stairs, sometimes the next step seems so big that it looks like a wall. But if you perceive yourself as big in terms of your mission, your ministry, then you can perceive it as a small step on the way to your goal. It is very important sometimes to rise above this situation and not be an ant. To be a person who sees only a step, not a wall.

E.S. It's easy to say. After those “anti-crisis” interviews of mine, I received many letters, including from women who decided to quit everything, start from scratch - and they didn’t succeed. For some it works, for some it doesn't. We are all so different...

HELL. I totally disagree that this might not work for some. If you see the goal, there are many paths to it. If one path does not lead to the desired result, choose another. Third, fourth, fifth... Try to reach your goal in a different way. And everything will definitely work out. It is impossible to stop, a person has no right not to use his life for the service for which he was born. Sometimes people do not understand what they really want - this is the most common story. When I conduct an interview, I always ask the person: “What is your dream? What really brings you pleasure? I want you to be happy at work, do what you like, and not just follow some instruction. And he can't answer because he doesn't know. Such a person needs to enter a situation of stress, discomfort, and then, perhaps, he will come to his senses and think: “But I'm different. Actually I'm not an accountant, but an artist. But for some reason, I didn't choose my life." The later this understanding comes, the more difficult it is. For example, a person gets sick and thinks: “How would I like to live in reality?” And he understands that he would have chosen something completely different.

E.S. Let's talk about fashion. This is your second dream, second mission, as you say. Tell us about your fashion twist. How do you see it? How will it develop?

HELL. All this I also saw in a dream. At some point, doing cosmetics and pastes, having given birth to a child, I suddenly began to dream. EDEM name, logo, showcases of our boutique.

Dress, EDEM Couture; Serpenti earrings, white gold, pavé diamonds, Divas’ Dream ring, white gold, pavé diamonds, all - Bulgari

PHOTO Timur ArtamonovSTYLE Anna Artamonova

E.S. Alena, you are just like Mendeleev.

HELL. Yes, these dreams came to me so insistently! What is most interesting, for several years after the birth of my daughter, both me and my husband had these dreams.

E.S. Of course, you are some kind of space guys.

HELL.(smiles). At some point, the husband says: “You know, I really want to try to work without you. I want to separate my success from yours. I want to be your hero. I see how you are exhausted, what breakdowns you have, how little you sleep. I want you to do what you want, and I will do everything for you. Trust me and trust me." I was very offended, but I agreed with him. This is my brainchild, and I was asked to leave it. We did not quarrel, but it was very difficult for me to survive this insult. I had the feeling that I was being rejected from the place where I can and can be useful. The feeling that I was not needed was very painful for me. Formally, everything was fine, but for a couple of years I actually overcame this moment, although I have not stopped working yet. When I met my spiritual father and told him the story of my life, including this moment, he looked up at me and said: “No, Alena, you cannot leave.” And I already decided everything, let go of the situation, took off the “backpack” of my achievements and felt like just Alena. She went out into the street in ballet shoes and went. And in my head I already had an idea of ​​​​a new - fashionable direction, which I would do. But Father Joseph insisted: “No, no,” he says, “you only need to be together.” I call my husband and say: “They didn’t bless us for such a decision.” He remained silent, and then went to Athos to see the perspicacious old man. He approached him himself, took his hand, looked at him with his blue eyes and said: “Why are you quarreling with your wife?” Zheka says that he is already in a cold sweat. And the elder told him for two hours about how everything should be: “You must be together in your every business. You should appreciate it." When my husband arrived, our life changed completely. Apparently, I needed this situation in order to pacify my pride. We hugged, realized that we have been given a lot, that we need to have a conscience, not to complain, not to complain, but to rejoice in what we have. Everything has changed, we are extremely happy that we are working together and serving the common cause.

E.S. How many years have you been together?

HELL. Twelve years. We have two daughters - Melania and Agafya. The oldest is eight, the youngest is three. But if we return to our situation, since then Zheka has been helping me with EDEM, we consult with him all the time, we do everything together, he examines the fabrics, comments on the sketches. What do I want to do with my fashion brand? I want our country to have at least 10 percent more happy families. I don't like the situation that 50 percent of married couples get divorced. I often don't like how women behave, how they demotivate their men. I used to do the same thing before I had an epiphany. Although I still have to study and study, nevertheless I see now that women are launching themselves. Grievances accumulate because people simply cannot talk to each other. Love is muted. People should be able to clean their relationships from what could pollute them for some time. Zheka and I often talk like this. I apologize for those situations where I was wrong; he, too, learns a lot from these honest, frank conversations. It often turns out that I just misunderstood some phrase, and he misunderstood my message ... This is not just pronouncing situations. It requires complete openness, it is important to say what you really feel. I feel like my husband needs my female support.

E.S. So what about fashion?

HELL. This is just the thing that is for love. At its core is love. Save, find, keep love - this story is about that. I have a big goal. Dress or perfume are just tools. I still dream of creating a super place, a retreat, where families can retire, do something together, talk. A place where a father can go fishing with his son, and a mother and daughter can bake bread or milk a goat. It will be possible to arrange the most beautiful weddings there. We already even have an island in Valdai for this story. We want to make EDEM Island. So far, hands have not yet reached it. And if by our example we can help a certain number of people to unite, and families not to fall apart, this is our great meaning, our idea. It's not about fashion at all. Our perfumes, for example, are made with the best perfumers in the world. But they are all aimed at the result: to help a woman choose her other half, become a mother, harmonize. Both perfumes and dresses are semantic. These are images that tell a woman "I love you" and a man - "I want to inspire you." This fashion is through the eyes of a man, not trendsetters or fashion critics.

HELL. Yes, sometimes it is, and we will have to change the strategy. For wedding products of this quality, we just have an excellent offer for the price. But in evening and day clothes, we should become more accessible. Initially, I am a perfectionist, I only want the best: the best quality, the best fabrics, the most expensive suppliers. I personally come to exhibitions and choose everything myself. I also personally chose each person in the team, these are the best specialists in Russia. But when we understand that a meter of silk costs 250 euros, this automatically means that the finished product will be very expensive. Therefore, at the moment we have accumulated a database of very high-quality Italian and Spanish fabrics, which are several times cheaper. We will definitely save for the sake of a more affordable result in the future.

E.S. Will it be ready-to-wear?

HELL. Not necessary. Even now, we are finding opportunities to manage the cost, and we have enough affordable products. It can be personalized. A person can come to us and say: “I want this jacket, but the price for it should be within such and such limits.” We will do everything to ensure that the price suits him. You can offer different prices for the same product by choosing a slightly simpler fabric or reducing the amount of hand embroidery. But still - the use of overlock is prohibited in our production. Everything is done by hand, the seams are processed with silk or silk tulle. And when you take a thing in your hands, you feel with what love all this is done. We have no right to do otherwise.

E.S. What is the highest joy for you?

HELL. When people get married. This is a very important step in the life of a family when you say: "I want to be with you forever." And for me, this determination is very important, this intention to trust one person. We have many acquaintances and friends, and we often discuss their life situations with them. Someone quarreled, someone is going to get divorced ... But here we are, drinking tea, and then the woman says to me: “Alena, I don’t know how you do it, but now I want to run to my husband, hug him, have children, be together.

E.S. This is your gift.

HELL. I think this is our personal example with Zheka. Probably, in our joint history there is meaning and strength. And this is our responsibility. Many of my girlfriends, looking at me, stopped wearing trousers altogether. They say: “You dress like that, you have such a naively romantic, but at the same time intellectual image that we want the same.” Yes, I like delicate colors and silhouettes, accentuated waist.

E.S. Pants - no?

HELL. I don't have them at all. Once, when I was with an old man, he told me to throw away all my trousers, including pajamas. There are spiritual laws that require a woman to wear dresses and skirts. I only wear trousers when skiing, and then I tie a handkerchief over the top to smooth out the effect. Instead of sexy and aggressive, I prefer to wear noble, inspiring. For me, the main example is Grace Kelly. In general, most of my wardrobe is what was created in collaboration with the designer according to my order and ideas. I do not need to waste time looking for the right dress in stores. I always describe in detail what I want, why I need it and where I will go in this. I have more ideas than time.

Yevgeny Demin founded the business of his life SPLAT at the age of 22. He made the right decision by betting on the production of toothpastes - today the company controls 10% of toothpastes in the domestic market.

 

One of the most interesting modern entrepreneurs is Evgeny Demin, whose biography can be published as a classic guide to ups and downs. The CEO of the Russian manufacturing company SPLAT loves to blow up the market with new and unusual ideas. Many of us managed to fall in love with his creative products.

Birth and development of business

A native of Sochi (born July 31, 1977), Evgeny always had a managerial streak. As soon as he left the university, he was already at the head of the family business. But I wanted growth - in 1994, the Splat trademark was purchased from the Conversion company. Then the company was engaged in the production of simple cosmetics and dietary supplements.

Very soon, Evgeny and his team realized that you can’t build an interesting business on cosmetic products, slimming teas and dietary supplements alone. The idea to deal with toothpaste, as a product of mass demand, was born during a brainstorming session. Today, this has led to the fact that the company controls 10% of the market for these products in Russia. Only mega-giants Colgate and Blend-a-med are ahead.

The launch of toothpaste took place in 2002. Specialists developed four basic recipes for the businessman, from that moment on, the production was no longer engaged in the production of bioadditives. And here the big difficulties began.

Turnover fell seven times. Toothpaste was not sold - pharmacies and shops refused to sell a new product (which was twice as expensive as the brands familiar to the people). It got to the point that at home Evgeny was turned off for non-payment of electricity and telephone. But he stubbornly continued to seek recognition - the belief that the company was making a new and useful effective product helped.

The turning point came in the winter of 2005. The company's products began to fly into the market at space speeds. First, Organic maternity paste was awarded the title of hit of sales (in Russia there was no such foreign offer) - sales increased by 50 times in a year and a half, and the company's revenue amounted to 37%. Then another product "shot" - Extreme White (there were no world analogues). The period from 2005 to 2007 helped to get a market share of 3-5%, the business began to grow and improve.

Today, 80% of the business is the production of toothpaste (the businessman himself is in the top 7 successful entrepreneurs in Russia). The remaining share is distributed between threads, brushes and rinse aids. SPLAT immediately took the path of a policy of a higher price category than foreign counterparts. Eugene states: the brand's products were not created for fresh breath, they are needed to prevent possible complications.

Wife and partner in one person

The businessman speaks about his family with special love: “These are amazing people who inspire accomplishments every day.” We are talking about his wife Alena and daughters Melanya and Agafya.

Zhenya and Alena have known each other since childhood. We went to English courses together, talked and made friends. And then the students met each other and realized - fate. True, Alena asked the future betrothed for a week to part with her previous boyfriend.

It is today that Yevgeny Demin's business is on the rise. And there was a time when his family counted every penny. It happened that even a loving wife simply did not have enough endurance. The scandals were, indeed, grandiose.

It was the support of the family, according to Demin, that helped him get through difficult times. Now Alena also has a share in the company (she holds the position of development director), a woman makes important decisions. She also has her own project - the clothing brand Edem Couture.

What SPLAT offers

Today, the main product of the company is toothpaste. There are both adult and children's projects. In parallel, the trademark of household chemicals BioMio is developing.

The creativity of the products is the result of the hard work of the team. SPLAT distinguishes the following components: communication with customers and a serious approach to technology. Guessing and understanding the desire of the consumer is the work of a special research department. The seriousness of the development lies in the analysis of data, the study of various scientific studies, so that the result passes international certification (usually it takes up to 20 months for all this, but sometimes the idea is nurtured for five years).

In production, a serious approach is taken: a product can undergo several rounds of clinical trials, and then a decision is made to refine it. Everything must be perfect.

Ordinary toothpastes have long and firmly occupied a market niche. There is only one way to move them from their place - to come up with something creative and extraordinary. The production of an "emotional" product became a chip - this is Active black gel paste, Chili pepper paste, men's products, offers for pregnant women. Of particular interest are children's options in unusual triangular packages, when the baby himself can create his own miracle tube. There are edible "foams" that are intended for children who do not want to (the child will chew on an absolutely safe tasty substance, and it cleans his teeth).

Impact of the crisis on business

The fall of the ruble was a step towards revising further business strategies. The external market turned out to be more attractive in terms of price, therefore, most of the attention was paid to it. Certain problems were created by the rise in prices for imported raw materials (a two-fold increase is a serious cause for concern). I had to raise prices in the domestic market by about 10%.

A lot has been done: costs have been revised, stocks have been reduced, most of the work has been automated. Investments in development, people, quality have not been reduced. The policy has paid off: sales in the Russian and foreign markets are growing. Interest in the product is growing in the European and Asian regions.

Importance of export in business development

Demin's business is firmly aimed at distant countries. Now exports account for a fifth of all sales. There are many offices in the CIS (Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus), representative offices are open in China, Turkey and the Baltic states. But more important are those offices that are planned to be opened on the lands of Germany and Great Britain.

Such prospects carry… patriotic overtones, the desire to prove that Russia can export normal products. The implementation of the project will bring solid income in foreign currency.

There are small questions about how consumers abroad will perceive the project. Eugene sees potential clients like this: people trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. The businessman believes that it will be possible to encounter the following types:

1. Some customers do not know that the product is from Russia (it has a very cosmopolitan image).
2. Other consumers know about the origin of the pasta, but politics does not prevent them from buying a good product (by the way, black pasta is one of the best sellers of the German Amazon).

Letter of happiness

One of Demin's main "chips" is letters to his customers. They were seen by many consumers in boxes of toothpastes. But this is not enough - Eugene personally responds to messages addressed to him.

A businessman receives 100-120 letters a day. He is very attentive to each of them. This helps to understand what the consumer liked and what difficulties arose when using the product.

The businessman shares the received messages with all his employees - every Monday the letters are collected into one file and sent to the factories. They print them out and put them on the wall. Each employee of the company can read them, understand that his work is directed to a real person, satisfied or not with the results of his work. This is much more effective than the PR service.

The businessman puts a letter in each box. Each time it is written on a different topic - a businessman shares with buyers his personal life story and how he got out of it. At the end, there is always a personal e-mail address, where many consumers write, admitting: Demin's letters have become an outlet in certain difficult situations.

No ads?

Evgeniy basically does not place ads. He prefers communication with the consumer. He is not interested in simply calling to buy his product, but motivating people to share information is another level that develops a business.

The businessman is sure: all bright tinsel, annoying billboards and commercials do not work 90% of the time. He says so: "I am a strong opponent of this way of promoting dull and mediocre goods."

All advertising information, according to the hero, is not perceived as it should be. Everyone is just used to giving it. Eugene does not want to play by the general rules, believing that it is better to invest these costs in order to improve the quality of products.

Dreams and plans

What does Eugene do in his free time from correspondence with clients? His interests include eco-projects and eco-products. Although the latter, of course, lose in front of personal preferences of your favorite Italian dishes and a glass of red wine.

Eco-projects are becoming more and more in demand: this is how you can build a business on the trade in eco-products.

Another area of ​​interest for a successful businessman is biochemistry. Evgeny also pays great attention to the study of energy from renewable sources. It sounds loud, but Demin says: “I want people to come to the doctor after using our products and they tell them:“ Everything is fine with you! It gives meaning to the whole idea.”

The entrepreneur has a cherished dream - to make a discovery on a global scale. We are talking about a vaccine against caries - a medicine that would once and for all save people from this disease. The statement is unfounded: the toothpastes already developed by the company use formulas that have no analogues in the world.

Recipes for Success

Eugene is happy to share his experience:

1. First of all, it is important to do what you like yourself, from which you experience real pleasure!
2. Demin urges not to be afraid to try (but be sure to first weigh all the risks and consequences).
3. We must remember: what is important is what benefits the consumer, the rest can be “thrown into the furnace” (quoting the entrepreneur).
4. Winning everyone is not an end in itself. You just need to be able to cope with the task from beginning to end.

A businessman does not make secrets from his work - he is always ready to share both general information and production developments. He is confident in himself and his products. For more details, see the program "Business Secrets with Oleg Tinkov", where the famous leading banker and vice-president of TCS Bank Oleg Anisimov gave our hero a real "interrogation".

The desire of the future client is what Yevgeny Demin's successful business is based on. And judging by the company's fifteen years of experience, this secret must be taken into account.

A photo: Igor Kharitonov

Now, in addition to working on
beauty giant,

Elena develops the fashion brand EDEM Couture, about the successful debut of which we recently wrote. In an interview with this fragile but very purposeful woman, I wanted to talk about lofty goals, harmony between work and family and, of course, love and support.

Elena Demina is not afraid to follow a difficult path, she follows not commercial goals, but her own ideas and desire to make the world a better place. Even for the launch of her fashion brand, she chose not the beaten track of ready-to-wear, but the creation of exclusive wedding and evening dresses. And this cannot but cause admiration.

Elena and I met quite recently, but I feel like I've known her for a thousand years. When we did not know each other personally, I, realizing how difficult it is to create a company of the SPLAT level, imagined her a tough businesswoman with whom it would be appropriate to talk only about business. However, my heroine is an amazing person, so I asked her not only about time management and the difficulties of a startup, but also about finding harmony in the family, love and the power of femininity.

You have an amazing business in your hands: we all know how SPLAT has grown, what a serious player in the market it is, what attention you attract from Unilever and Procter & Gamble. But you are not selling the company, you love it and want to develop it yourself. You are a Russian brand that is growing under sanctions, bravo! Tell me - why, already having such a large brand that can still be developed and developed, did you decide to go into fashion?

Elena Demina : For me, both things are not a fashion direction or a cosmetics direction, for me they are a service, and through what to serve people is completely unimportant. You can bake gingerbread, you can make toothpaste, the coolest dresses or wedding dresses. Through any form, the main thing is to do it with full dedication, with love, with joy, with meaning. Because the mission, the idea should always be and, first of all, not commercial. We must always give ourselves an answer to the question: why are we doing this? The goal of the EDEM project is to help keep love alive. Make a woman happy. Make dresses beautiful. To make the family strong and the children happy.

So it was an internal impulse? At one point, did you realize that you want to do fashion?

I dreamed about it since childhood. I knew that when I grew up, I would defend the rights of women and, perhaps, in the end I would become the Minister of Social Development of Russia. Such are the ambitions in 5 years! Well, I have always loved beautiful clothes. I love helping girls be beautiful and our dresses are amazing!

But it was possible to embody these ideas in the beauty industry, to create cosmetics, for example. If you make good toothpaste, then other products cannot be bad. And in EDEM you need to start everything from scratch, the proven SPLAT will not help here - a lot of work is needed for the name. I see how much you work, torn between companies. How do you distribute your forces? Now I have six businesses, and one office - I tell everyone to come to this office, because I can’t be so scattered. How do you manage to deal with such a load?

Thanks for the compliment! My soul is still there and there, and also with my family and children. And thank God that my husband and I have everything in common: we develop both the first and second business together. I did not choose to consciously create dresses or perfumes or shoes - I dreamed about all this and did not let go until I started doing it. When I received the blessing of the elder, and he said that I would indeed have exclusive dresses, I made up my mind, despite all the difficulties. It's really hard, and harder for me than to make any cosmetic product, because fashion is new, unfamiliar, because the industry is not developed and requires a lot of attention and experience. But, having received the blessing, I knew that I would do it anyway.

You invest your strength, but this is only one side of the coin. How are things going with the search for designers? In SPLAT, you created ideas, and Zhenya ( Evgeny Demin, Elena's husband and CEO of SPLAT - approx. ed.), as a manager, embodied them in a highly professional manner. Now at EDEM you are responsible for both ideas and management. It will be more difficult for you, because these are all new incarnations. You have a good sense of fashion, you invite specialists - both designers, and designers, and managers, you choose the best, despite the fact that now the economic situation is very difficult. And for me this is a very correct approach. But are you ready for the difficulties, are you ready for the fact that wedding fashion is a very complex area, and in Russia, in fact, there are no wedding brands, which means your task is to create the first one.

We are very lucky with people, and with us everyone is the best! EDEM is not only a bridal brand: we make all categories of dresses. Of course, it's not easy. Of course it's new. But it was hard in SPLAT too. The first years we worked without raising our heads, we slept three hours a day. And now our whole life is our favorite projects, we live by them both on weekends and on vacation.

And you worked together. You had a small team, a small office.

Yes, we had a very small office and only 5 people in the team, and these people are still with us, now they head the main departments. This is the greatest wealth we have and we are all like friends in our offices. Now we are almost 800 people! And for the first 10 years of work, we did not take a single loan!

This is an indicator!

We love both the people for whom we work and those with whom we work. We are all friends. And I want to build a new company on the same principles. So that everything works clearly, smoothly, at a high level, according to business processes, but at the same time creating very important and correct values. Both tangible and intangible social values. I know that it will not be easy, I am ready for this, but I feel the tremendous support of higher powers. Objectively, everything turns out incredibly magical - after all, you need both effort and luck.

In addition, you create perfumes, and when I listened to the fragrances, I realized that this would be a serious application. You decided to create beauty in all turnkey segments: shoes, perfume, evening looks, and a wedding line. Do you want to create an EDEM Couture empire that will guide a woman in all her important events?

They say when you draw up a business plan, you should not be afraid to dream... With Dima ( Bilan - approx. ed.) I started with a dream that he would win Eurovision. We started working in 2005, and three years later he won it. The plan has come true, we need to set a new goal... How do you see your empire in five years?

We made a roadmap for five years, and even received a letter from the president for contribution to the development of families in Russia, opened many stores where our things were sold, received feedback from people who wrote to us about how we warmed their souls, how we helped build a family ... Our key task is to help a woman become happy, inspire her man to heroic deeds, support her in the most touching moments of her life - when she becomes a wife, mother, - when the union is going through hard times. And with the help of this support, wisdom, knowledge and beauty, with the help of the image that we create, help keep the family together and carry love through life.

You often talk about family, and it seems to me that to some extent you imagine a girl who looks like you. You have been with your spouse for so many years, you manage to work and carry all this beauty and relationships through time, although, for sure, you also had different moments in your life ...

The problem of women in our country and in Europe is that we do not really understand our female role and because of this we become unhappy. The birth of two daughters helped me a lot to find a balance. I understood how it was necessary, and now I coordinate any decision with my husband. We calmly discuss everything and in dialogue we find common ground. And what is most valuable for me is a huge number of our friends, cool, successful and positive people. Everyone has difficult times and there is a desire to leave, but we support each other and try to set a good example. They have children again, they have the motivation to be in the family. With our experience, we show how to do it better. And even the men - the husbands of my friends - tell me: "Alena, communicate with them more often, because after talking with you for a couple of days, for a week, they become so good, homely, complaisant, wise."

Tell me, when you earned, conditionally, your first million dollars, what did you buy yourself? Here is my husband Evgeni Plushenko - approx. ed.) dreamed of buying a Louis Vuitton suitcase, and at the age of 15 he bought it when he earned his first prize money. First a fur coat for my mother, then a gift for myself. This suitcase still stands as an inviolable symbol, its repair costs twice as much as it does. And what did the girl who is now building a fashionable empire dream of?

I grew up in a fairly wealthy family, and I never had material dreams - I really wanted to do at least one good deed a day for someone. When I saw that one hundred thousand people preferred our product, which we created with love, for me it was more important than any purchases. Speaking of things, 90% of everything I have is gifts from my husband. I never asked him for anything, never ordered, but he somehow guesses what I might like.

That is, you do not go shopping, and your spouse buys everything? I like! And he doesn't even give advice?

Yes, even dresses, even bags. I very rarely go shopping because there is a lot of work, and the only cities where I do go shopping are Paris and Rome. Sometimes my friend in Paris helps me with shopping while I work. In principle, I am a person who is not about money: I don’t even know my salary. I live more for creation, and my husband is responsible for all financial issues.

You have been working with your husband for many years: if we talk specifically about business, what is the difference between women and men? It is believed that women are more nervous, but they can solve many issues at the same time, and it is more important for a man to focus on one thing...

A man is a strategist, he sees the goal and clearly keeps the focus, while a woman is more attentive to details, and if she follows a man, she can make the product itself very well or build middle-level management. If a woman turns into the main leader, in my opinion, this has a bad effect on her character. Because this requires rigidity, composure, such a more masculine purposefulness, rather than feminine qualities. But a woman must be wise and flexible, able to adapt to circumstances. I would not want to be the CEO or the first person of the company - I make a product well, not looking at the commercial aspect, but only thinking how to do the best in every respect.

And then the husband calculates financial indicators?

We realized over the years of work that if you do everything you can as well and with love as possible, then people need it and it sells well. We do not have a single product that is designed to be commercial. Absolutely everything is our dreams and the dreams of our customers. And every time we are happy when we are told that they love SPLAT or our other brands. And in EDEM dresses, girls are so magical, touching and tender. Real gentlemen just like that.

An open, kind person who is not at all about money, but knows how to earn it - a unique situation. And yet, if you are into fashion, you can’t help but look around. Can you single out brands that you respect for the way they do business, what collections do? And maybe there is a brand that you would like to follow in terms of ideology, in terms of the perception of fashion?

Personalization has always been very important to me. I don't like wasting money - I earn it myself. I like it when my wardrobe is quite classic and truly harmonious. I have been creating it for 15 years: all the things in it are appropriate, all of them are sewn for me in a single copy, they are out of fashion, and no one will say that this is a past collection. I know what level the quality is, I know with what soul all this is done.

And who creates things for you?

Ira Karavay - for more than 12 years I have been ordering things from her in Ukraine, because among Russian designers I have not found a single one who could create something for me with a high level of intelligence, quality, beauty and relevance. If we talk about favorite foreign brands, these are Valentino and Dior, of course. Their things are unusually noble, classic. It is important that we dress beautifully for our husbands, inspire them.

Although fashion is not always for men: often a novelty is liked by girlfriends, but not by a man. Can you wear a short dress or a dress with a provocative neckline? Fashionable, but not chaste.

In the past, of course, I wore both with high slits and with a neckline to the navel - I loved to experiment. But now I wear only noble things - not defiant, rather aristocratic, restrained, feminine, because first of all I think about my husband and what he will say to this. And of course relevance matters. I spend all day in the office, but at the same time I want to be beautiful and bright.

Many women would say that if you think all the time about whether a man will like an outfit, then you are not free. What would you say?

The question is what is your motivation. If I do this because I love my husband very much and want him to like me in these clothes, this is one thing. And if he made me wear something, but I wouldn’t want to, it’s completely different. That would be freedom.

Who are the women you create EDEM for?

These are girls with an active lifestyle, who at the same time have a family and a beloved man. They are passionate about life and their work. Well understanding what they want, strong in spirit and character.

You are a businesswoman. And among such active and hasty women, there is a common problem when, due to lack of time for personal, there is a misunderstanding with her husband, resentment of girlfriends, parents. Judging by the fact that you and your husband have been together for so many years, you manage your time quite well. What is your secret?

The secret is that my husband is very good at managing time, and he teaches me this. If, for example, the clock is seven in the evening, and we need to go home, then there are no other options - we need to go home. Therefore, you have to do everything quickly, prioritize and learn to organize well.

It also brings to mind the story that women who win an Oscar, get divorced- such is the “punishment” of this award, because husbands often cannot survive the rise in fees and fame of their wife. Do you think that if in five years you will shine on the covers, your husband will rejoice at your success?

Now our roles have changed. If earlier we talked together about all the problems and I “sawed” him, paying attention to some details and difficulties, exhausting his nerves, now I come and say: “Teach me, please! I can't, I don't know what to do." He is now in the role of a mentor, and this is a very important role. But if we talk about the future and about possible success, this is, of course, a trap for everyone. It is very dangerous to fall into pride. It seems to me that I have already gone through this stage once and now I feel like an ordinary person with a bunch of shortcomings, far from being the best and most successful.

At your family council, who has the last word: female wisdom or male logic?

I used to think I was smarter. But then I realized how wise my husband is and how important it is to listen and hear him. We have been together for eighteen and a half years, and now I listen to his opinion very carefully, because over the years I have become convinced that his decisions were much more often correct than mine, much wiser and more strategically justified. I now feel great pleasure from what I do as he suggests. And he very often concedes to me when the question is not fundamental. In this regard, we can easily find a compromise.

What would you wish for women who want to be strong, work hard, but still be loved? Where to look for strength?

In my opinion, the main thing is to determine the goal and not be afraid. In my experience, a woman often becomes strong because of the fear that a man will fail, that he will let him down. And she takes on unnecessary responsibilities. This is the biggest mistake. Her result is a much weaker man, and an exhausted, unhappy woman, and a lack of trust in each other. It is important to trust a loved one, let him make mistakes, and, like a woman, act carefully, not on the forehead. And take strength from good deeds, from communicating with loved ones and doing what you love.

Your brand is already gaining momentum and you have several well-known clients.

We are very lucky with our clients. When we were choosing who we would work with, we determined and discussed that we work for those who have true love, for those who want to create relationships once and for all. Therefore, people come to us who understand that everything will be done for them with a soul. Qualitatively and with an individual approach, and the way they see it. And this is not at all pathetic, not defiant - they want an outfit in which they will feel like a beloved woman.

Among our clients is Maria Vinogradova, we created an outfit for her wedding with Ivan ( Ivan Vasiliev, Premier of the Mikhailovsky Theater - approx. ed.). This is Katya Gafina, who got married in our dress, expecting a baby, and we made a very beautiful couture outfit for her. This is Tatyana Navka, for whom we created three dresses at once, each of which reflected exactly her desire, her dream and inner world. It seems to me that on the day of the wedding, the most important thing is for a woman to feel like herself. Sometimes brides cry with happiness, wearing what we have created for them, and such emotions and a sense of joy and need give us strength.

Passion for design is now very popular among those girls who, thanks to the financial capabilities of their husband or parents, can do something without education, for the soul. How much did you understand that on this wave - despite the fact that it was your childhood dream - your undertaking looks exactly like a desire to pick up the trend? Many girls are not engaged in business, like you, but exclusively in creativity, they are confident that from the point of view of business, everything is simple there. Have you thought that you will be evaluated on a par with them?

Of course not. I don't think about what they will say or think about me. For me, first of all, why I do it. And in this case, I am not a designer, I choose a style, a direction. I define myself as an organizer and ideological inspirer. Of course, sometimes I can’t get rid of some pictures of dress design or fabric decor, but in this case I don’t show arrogance and don’t try to impose - I can offer, and if the designer accepts this idea and translates it into a product, then I will be happy . But I do not pretend to be called a designer. For this, our team has real professionals, and I really appreciate them.

And another question from the field of lifestyle. Imagine a couple who are going through a difficult period - where do you think it is good to be together in this situation?

You need to choose a place where both of you will be calm, where there will be an opportunity to hear each other. Because crises in relationships arise because of understatement. It is important to be as open as possible, express all your emotions and believe that it will work. From the experience of my whole life - both in work and in relationships - I understand that this is the first thing to do - to be open and honest. This is written in our rule number one in SPLAT, this is my inner value.

Where are you personally comfortable?

I adore the Tuscan resort Terme di Saturnia - this is a perfect village, there is nothing there: you can only walk, walk, sit in the water for hours and talk, doing your mental and physical health. I have been going there for over 10 years. Sometimes it's the Maldives. It is desirable that there is nothing distracting. Or the Seychelles, Fregate Island - an amazing place where you merge with nature.

What to write about? Can a professional copywriter write about everything? My opinion: no, it can't. More precisely, it can, but it will take time for a specialist to begin to understand a particular area in detail. What I don’t write about: 🐟 Fishing, hunting (the customer very quickly realizes that I am a fisherman’s wife, but I have never held a fishing rod in my hands) . 🔥 Cryptocurrency (I rarely write, because I have to embellish a lot). 💞 Intimacy, sex (I can’t write about it in such detail, detail, vulgarity, as customers ask). 🕊️ I don’t compose poems, ditties and jokes. I do not believe that there are areas of business or professional activity where everyone can succeed, but I believe that life requires each of us to learn something new every day!

If you ask me what I value most in people, I will answer without hesitation - a sense of humor! Without the ability to laugh at myself, at relationships, at events, I can’t imagine my family life or friendship! I will mention a few people I know who have a great sense of humor: @tata_gorina_ Natasha has a family contract! If her husband joins in on her jokes, then everyone will definitely hold their stomachs! @igrisha_toys She always teases me personally! I'm afraid of her in a good way. When I meet her, everything in me is subjected to reasoned criticism and banter. She can calmly and my photos on instagram prostebat! @miss_feikina This is the guru of humor! Nastya can just take me all in snot, collect me like a Rubik's cube and make me laugh at myself. She has been saving me for over 15 years. Photo by @vsabirova. I am very lucky in life to meet unique people. What unites me with @vsabirova and @nadya.ionova is a great sense of self-irony!

Me and freelance. Three reasons for incompatibility: 1. I can't work at the computer on weekends. It will either be filled with juice, or covered with porridge, or I will hear in my address: "You are not a mother, you are a stepmother!" "Stepmother, stepmother without personal space," I will answer, immediately regretting it. 2. I can't help but receive money every month. A large order can be fulfilled for a month, and then it will be checked for a week, then sent for revision, then checked again. I'm used to being hired twice a month to receive SMS about replenishment of the account, without these SMS, I begin to break down. I wonder if you can get off the needle? 3. I cannot speak politely to those whom I want to send to ... all four sides. I'm learning, but customers with requests to "highlight all the keys in pink" annoy me (as a rule, these are outbids). Sometimes, I allow myself to send such a customer! As a rule, he comes to his senses after the Russian mat and takes the order. P.S. There are pros and cons to everything. Remember, if you are not told about the cons, then it is beneficial to someone!

The Labor Code of the Russian Federation will protect you! Yes, if you are employed and if (sorry for the harshness) you know how and are not afraid to use it! In freelancing, and even more so in your own business, this law almost does not work! Here is another law: the client or the customer is always right! If you are selling something, you must satisfy the customer! And if the customer is wrong or the customer is boring? My first rule in copywriting is: either pay for the material, or I will find another client and sell this material to him. There will always be a buyer for good material! This works on all platforms! And not one self-respecting portal will not publish stolen material. Sometimes you have to part ways with clients. The first time is difficult, especially if you were pointed out your mistakes, shortcomings, unprofessionalism. And then you get used to it, you lose some partners, you find others. My second rule in copywriting is: don't get offended or self-critical. We study the list of claims, work on justified ones, forget about others. They can't all be bad! If you have been told the same thing twice, listen and work on yourself! This is useful. Part of the list with whom I worked: Uralstudent.RU (materials published under my name) FB.RU (materials published under my name) Biletik.aero.RU (materials published on behalf of editors)

The character is visible from childhood! Small game. Listed below are 10 dishes. Three of them I have disliked since I can remember. Guess what, and I will give you a sweet prize. 1. Borsch. 2. Pickle. 3. Solyanka. 4. Salad "Herring under a fur coat". 5. Salad "Olivier". 6. Salad of crab sticks. 7. Liver. 8. Chebureks. 9. Stuffed peppers. 10. Cabbage rolls.

Chocolate was presented, cookies were given as a donor, cocoa stands and gathers dust on the shelf ... To cook this? Just a recipe from my childhood! So, Chocolate Sausage! To win the hearts of children! Ingredients: Two dark chocolate bars. Cocoa powder. A pack of butter. A pack of cookies + nuts, crunches. Milk. Recipe: 1. Break two chocolate bars into slices. Bitter chocolate! 2. We break the cookies, but do not turn them into crumbs. You can add ground or whole nuts or crunches. 3. Melt the butter and chocolate + add two tablespoons of milk (you can not add it, you can replace it with fashionable non-milk) + a tablespoon of cocoa. Do NOT add sugar! 4. Combine cookies and melted butter with chocolate. We mix. 5. We spread the mass on the package. We form a sausage. 6. We put it in the freezer. 7. Cut into pieces and eat! P.S.: Yes, the doctor forbade me to abuse sugar. But! First, I have children, a girl and a boy. Second, I'm human too!

Monday. At the beginning of each week, I will write about how you can make money without visiting the office. I will describe only my experience, pros and cons, victories and defeats, useful links. COPYWRITING. USEFUL PORTALS. What is required from a copywriter: 1. Literacy (100%). www.orfografica.ru 2. Uniqueness (from 80% to 100%). www.txt.ru www.advego.com www.content-watch.ru 3. Presentation style. www.glavred.ru www.turgenev.com This is not an exhaustive list of portals. I use these portals (@krasn_anya).

May! The last month of spring makes everyone run: Kids are waiting for a place in kindergarten! Of course, mostly their mothers are waiting for this treasured place! And, unfortunately, many are disappointed when they receive not what they expect. Schoolchildren take exams. And we need to close all the tails before the long-awaited summer. Graduates are waiting for the last call, preparing to enter universities. Gardeners dig, sow, and at the same time complain that they now pay for garbage collection. Car owners, at least in the Urals, change cars. May from the word toil. P.S.: We got a place in kindergarten! I told you I'm not bad.

You know, and I absolutely agree with @liasanutiasheva: a woman should be able to cook! Family life is not butterflies in the stomach, not sighs on benches, not poems and songs. Relationships break up when, as a rule, both partners no longer need them, it’s just that one has admitted this to himself, and the other has not yet. So Manty! To strengthen the bonds of marriage! Recipe: 1. Cook minced pork / beef 50% / 50%, add spices (black pepper, salt), onions. 2. Cooking dumpling dough or buying. 3. We turn the manti according to the technology in the carousel. 4. We send manti to the freezer. 5. Cooking manti in a double boiler! We receive kisses and compliments! P.S.: My husband does not eat store-bought dumplings, manti, my daughter does not respect store-bought dumplings. The only place where, in their opinion, decent manti is cooked is @kulinarialux on the street. Gogol.

Guess what part of the body I specifically hide in the photo? Hands, more specifically hands. At the time of photographing, I was in the active stage of the fight against allergies. I began to read a lot and figure out how to properly cleanse my body. The conclusion I made is that there are few useful herbs, but there are a lot of sauces under which they are served 🍴. So PSIL. What's this? This is the psyllium husk. Not a simple herbal plant that you apply to a broken knee in the summer, but its closest relative, psyllium. Psyllium, in essence, is dietary fiber, which is 80-85% soluble fiber, it is she who normalizes the digestive tract, removes harmful substances from the body. Now examples: 1. NL Detox Step 1. Intestines. 40 capsules, 660 rubles. Acceptance of 2 pcs. morning evening. 2. Iherbl There are both powders and capsules. The cost varies. 3. Pharmacies. I do not recommend. You can run into the dust of the roads.

Children's books. Previously, they smelled of fresh paper, paint, and pictures were not on every page. Now every child can find a book to their taste! The main thing is that parents have time to read books to their child and personal finances to purchase them 😉! @labirintru 4D encyclopedias in augmented reality

No, I'm not asking for a compliment: "How did you lose weight, how did you get prettier 😜!" I wanted to write briefly about the theaters of Yekaterinburg, where I advise you to go with your child: 👍 Youth Theater @tuz_ekb 👍 House of Music @dom_music_ekb 👍 Musical Comedy Theater @uralmuzkom 👍 Children's Philharmonic @detskaya_filarmonia.ekb April. 👍 At @dom_music_ekb ticket draw for April 28 "Cat's House".