Nadiya Albishchenko of Inas Exim On How To Grow Your Business or Brand By Writing A Book
An Interview With Theresa Albert
Make sure to have an impressive book cover. That’s the most important. Despite people saying “Do not judge the book by its cover” that exactly what people do. They cannot read a book before they buy it, but an instant purchase can happen by seeing the cover and reading its synopsis.
As a part of our series about “How You Can Grow Your Business or Brand By Writing A Book”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nadiya Albishchenko.
Nadiya Albishchenko, born in Mykolaiv — Ukraine, March, 19, 1983 under the Russian communist regime, experienced the formation of a new Independent democratic Ukraine with a dream and determination to form her own international company one day.
To share more about her voyage, thoughts and the drive that got her from being an ordinary child in a middle-class family to a successful entrepreneur she is authoring her very first book “Synergy: A synopsis of an an elite business partnership” expected to be on sale by mid of September 2021.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what motivated you to become an expert in the particular area that you are writing about?
Being in the field of Food trade for over a decade with a dream to start something of my own today, being a successful entrepreneur for over five years. A journey that I would love to share to help motivate enthusiasts like me for new start-ups and help influence them to start an independent journey towards a successful business.
Can you share a pivotal story that shaped the course of your career?
At the very early age of eleven during my fifth grade, I had a desire to travel the world. Those days a young born Ukraine was strongly influenced by foreign countries being independent from USSR. We had a famous phrase used those days at school “London is the Capital of England!” What in true sense it meant is still not known to me perhaps just a slang among kids. But that slang influenced me in a manner where I started to dream about visiting London one day and inspired me to travel the world. I was so obsessed with it and believed that English language would be the key to help me achieve it.
Focused on studying with all my dedication I managed to completed school with decent knowledge of English then enrolling in university to study international business and advertising. Improvement of my user internet skills for online search portals help open the doors to submit my application for jobs abroad. Checking different options, conducting numerous online interviews, exchanging emails until I managed to get my first break and got a sales position offer in one of the trading company in Egypt for hardware and computer accessories. Even before I knew it I was in the window sit of the plane, looking through the window sill of my flight at the snowy hills and gray sky of Ukraine on March 5th, 2005. That was my first international job abroad from my home country.
This gave was my first step that gave me confidence and helped me move forward and be where I am today.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Are you working on any new writing projects?
Having launched a new organic feed range for organic farms through my company INAS Exim we are now working on launching a new line of sustainable living concept, under “Mystique” brand the brand has an elegant, wall decoration made from 100% Natural, Re-cycled, Bio-degradable, Ocean Friendly material.
All that gave me an idea that it is required to gain credibility in my own niche of been a successful entrepreneur for long-term planning. After a lot of thought and research work, I figured that the best possible way to do so was to write a book. Yes, exactly a book! The book of my journey through all my challenges of startup establishment, all ups and downs that lead me to partner with the person who thrives for success together with me. “Synergy: A synopsis into an elite business partnership” is the first book we are sharing our experiences and how we learnt from the business world and how the learnings helped us successfully establish our companies.
Thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. Can you please tell us a bit about your book? Can you please share a specific passage or story that illustrates the main theme of your book?
A book that not only talks on the journeys of two successful entrepreneurs form Venus and Mars meeting together to feel the synergies yet not knowing the true potential, working separately through challenges until they meet again and join together to form an affluent business partnership.
Coming from two different worlds the experiences they talk about, their learnings through the journey and the common treats to succeed as business owners before they decide to form a successful business alliance.
A Yin and Yang through the Synopsis of forming an elite business partnership.
You are a successful author and thought leader. Which three-character traits do you feel were most instrumental to your success when launching your book? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Have an experience to share. As any entrepreneur one goes through a lot of experiences that mold them to be a successful. The ability to filtrate information and know what exactly to learn from the experiences, share with the audience what one needs to take from it and how to keep self-motivating oneself. To help new start-ups or to even refresh and encourage someone who has lost motivation. Through this book we would like to give guidelines on being positive under any challenge and to remind people that they can do it, they can be it!
- Think Globally. Authorizing first book is an amazing experience, but you have to think how in the best possible way utilize this opportunity on international scale. It will help you to become an expert in your field and gain global credibility to promote yourself and your business. Get connected to international networks, authors, don’t be afraid to ask questions. But always know who you taking the advice from.
- Be persistent. Writing a book is a long and tedious process, so while a writing you have to stick to schedule to make sure to complete the book. Be focused, be determined, make a constant effort but always remind yourself that you started this and you will finish it.
In my work, I have found that writing a book can be a great way to grow a brand. Can you share some stories or examples from your own experience about how you helped your own business or brand grow by writing a book? What was the “before and after picture?” What were things like before, and how did things change after the book?
Actually, am still in the stage to be published Author by September, but I already started promote my book on my social media platforms, posting quotes from the book, sharing thoughts on title of the book, book cover advises etc. Definitely, I have notice that a lot of people appreciate my efforts and are interested to read my first book. Further, I have noticed, that I gained more credibility and respect from existing customers, I started to work with new suppliers on more flexible terms. Am sure that once the book shall be released, I will have decent audience, who will recommend the book to others, eventually to help promote my business and services having them look into my company webpage, checking who I am, what I do and they would try to associate with us on the credibility of the book.
If a friend came to you and said “I’m considering writing a book but I’m on the fence if it is worth the effort and expense” what would you answer? Can you explain how writing a book in particular, and thought leadership in general, can create lucrative opportunities and help a business or brand grow?
If a friend is on the fence trying to decide if they want to write a book — I would suggest tell him if they want to take the leap they better be serious as it is easy to start, but challenging to continue unless they are confident they want to do it. A book tells a lot about an individual’s personality, a Book will give you a credibility, a recognition, an accreditation across your field of expertise. A Book can be your business card with much more elaborated information on who you are and what is your business about. A book that shall remain on the shelf in a house will be always be in the mind an individual eventually giving the credibility to you, the brand that you represent, the business that you owe or run.
What are the things that you wish you knew about promoting a book before you started? What did you learn the hard way? Can you share some stories about that which other aspiring writer can learn from?
Much before promoting the book it is important for me to share the point when we started to write the book. When me and my business partner started to write about our experiences, we agreed to just write whatever comes to our minds. Reading each other part we felt this was not what and how we wanted. We had written thousands of words trying to express our experiences but it was all without focus on the message we wanted to share. As we progress we could give the book the right structure, body and shape.
What was hurting that my first 10,000+ words were worthless as it was not relevant to the idea what we were trying to give. The most important is to write what content you need in the book and stick to it.
It is our first book and we are doing our best to keep promoting it in the right channels in the start as people had advised it was just a business card for you, but it came to our knowledge it is much more than just a business card and we should promote it globally to help sell as much copies as possible across the world.
Based on your experience, which promotional elements would you recommend to an author to cover on their own and when would you recommend engaging an expert?
An author should know what they want from the book, what they want to write, the message they want to pass, I think the writing part an author should be totally involved with and be one with the book. On the promotion part personally promoting and through friends, family, well-wishers promoting the book on social media can be handled by the authors but creating a webpage, helping designing the cover to understand the psychology of the buyers needs a professional touch. Also, distribution and additional millage on social media campaign should also be handled by Publisher. It is very tedious job which require a lot of time and commitments.
Wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your own experience and success, what are the “five things an author needs to know to successfully promote and market a book?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
- Know your audience.
Before starting the book, itself you have to define who are your readers? What genre of the book you are going to write and what lessons your readers can extract and take away from it? Make sure you have precise synopsis of the book to interest the reader. it took a while for me and my partner to fennel the audience, finally when we have defined who the readers would be it was easier to write a synopsis, considering what people want to read and what will attract them.
2. Make sure to have impressive book cover.
That’s the most important. Despite people saying “Do not judge the book by its cover” that exactly what people do. They cannot read a book before they buy it, but an instant purchase can happen by seeing the cover and reading its synopsis.
3. Pre-launch social media campaign.
Let all your friends, relatives, colleagues etc. to know that you writing the book. Keep sharing small quotes from the book to help keep interest and make them curious, getting opinions on the book cover, title, etc. to let people feel they are a small part of it too. Take advices from experienced writers. Create discussions among groups of your upcoming book and your new step being an author.
4. Create an Author web site.
Once you have an Author web site, it is easier for people to know about you. Try to link your book with the business which you are conducting it gives kind of credibility for the book giving confidence to people that they will read content from and experienced expert in a particular niche of business. On web site give a links to what you do and what is your core business, areas of expertise where your strength lies.
5. Use PR and have book trailer.
You are an Author, so let world know about it. See the best possible ways to be on the Media, an international magazine. Take every opportunity to be exposed in media. This will help you not only promote yourself but also your book; you can also promote your business along with it (Optional).
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
Luc Besson is my favorite producer. From childhood I was in love with “5th Element” I was impressed with the movie. Hope one day one of my upcoming books would reach Hollywood and be directed by Luc Besson.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
yes sure, for more details about my professional background you may follow the link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiya-albishchenko-3474b739/
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success with your book promotion and growing your brand.
