Elite Business Partnership: Case Study on Getting Published
Before sharing my journey as an author, let me introduce a bit about my past. I am an enthusiastic, determined, and risk-taking young woman from Ukraine with a profound dream of becoming an international figure. Today, I am bringing my dreams to fruition, aspiring to be a global symbol for young and aspiring entrepreneurs. My story is closely tied to forming an elite business partnership, which ultimately inspired me to co-author my first book.
As a little girl, I always had big dreams. Full of ambition, I took bold steps in my career that eventually brought me to Dubai, United Arab Emirates—a city of opportunities and one of the most dynamic places on Earth.
To be honest, I never imagined myself as an author, especially not of a book first published in English. The idea came to me in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had participated in a women empowerment contest, where I became a finalist. Much credit goes to my business partner, Vinay Gandhi, whose enthusiasm encouraged me to pursue this venture.
At first, balancing my focus on being a businesswoman while participating in the contest was challenging. But after a few rounds, I grew into it, eventually becoming a finalist and winning two titles: “The Best Personality” and “Second Runner-Up” in the grand finale.
At that time, it had been a few years since I launched my company, INAS ExIm LLC, single-handedly leveraging my years of experience in the UAE working for top multinationals. INAS ExIm stands for “International Network for Achievable Solutions – Export & Imports”, with a mission to promote Ukrainian produce and create fair market opportunities in the MENA region.
Winning the contest highlighted the power of social media marketing in establishing, promoting, and positioning a business under challenging circumstances.
Vinay, owner of Golden Star International Food Stuff LLC, a well-reputed company in the UAE with nearly two decades of experience, has been more than a business ally—he is a mentor, trusted friend, and my biggest supporter. With his guidance, we decided to co-author a book sharing our experiences of successful business collaboration. Thus, Synergy: A Synopsis of an Elite Business Partnership was born.
Writing a first book brought many challenges, but finding the right publisher was even harder. I connected with several authors on social media and had numerous online meetings, but everyone had different advice. The initial publishers in India could not deliver as promised.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine forced me to relocate to Canada with my family. Through research, I found a self-publishing platform in the USA, which helped us sell the first copies through Barnes & Noble. I also marketed the book to major retailers, libraries, and distributors, making it accessible and affordable for readers.
I am still pitching our book to various media platforms to gain recognition. This journey taught me a lot about self-publishing and converting mistakes into learnings. Overall, I am proud of how far we have spread awareness of our publication and the insights it shares about forming an elite business partnership.