DC in faces: Volodymyr Yastrebov, Media Director
“I am a workaholic. To take my mind off business issues, I always have to do some crazy stuff. Last time it was jumping off a 15-meters-high waterfall”
Tell us about your first week at the company. How was it?
The first week was dedicated to learning how things work around here and diving into ongoing and planned projects. At that time, in June 2018, DC was already quite a big company, and by my previous experience, I’ve kinda expected that every process would be set in stone by some predecessors. But the company turned out to be really flexible and versatile despite its size, which was a very pleasant surprise. My biggest outtake from that time is that success is only shaped by the way you, not someone else, set it up.
What are you doing now as a Media Director?
My main task is team coordination. And our main task, as an agency’s unit, is to create solutions for our clients that help efficiently reach their goals today and for the future. Sometimes even back in time [laughing]. I have a great team and honestly, 90% of the credit for our success is on them.
What’s your most vivid memory during the time in DC?
Once, we held a double cheese battle in the department: the winner is whoever eats the most, the loser pays for all. We even thought to make bets. But the stakes turned out to be too high. Only for qualification participants had to eat 8 double cheeses each, and none of us managed to get through that stage [laughs]. I thought this battle would make us hate fast food, but Nah — I was getting some burgers just one day after the battle…
How do you relax and ‘reload’?
I get out. In my experience, I need around two weeks to stop worrying about work — or five days, if I turn off the phone on day one. Physical activity is a great stress reliever. So I like to go hiking, diving, or jumping off waterfalls…
What is an example of true teamwork for you?
An example of true teamwork is when you start the joke, the other one ends it, the third person retells it all wrong, and the last one takes it seriously [laughs].
To be serious, though, there’s a great example. Once, on summer Friday morning, our client agreed all the details for running a TV promo that had to air on Saturday. There was only a day to make it work. And I was away at the time — left for the weekend and just read CC emails. I could have intervened, start solving problems, but as it turned out — there was no problem whatsoever. The process was running smooth. My team saw the task, said “Ok, we got it” — and nailed it! Even in short terms like that time. I was so pleased and proud to see that it all works even if I’m not there.
What advice would you give to a DC newbie?
Learn how things work and never be afraid to propose your option if you see it may be more efficient. It’s ok to be wrong sometimes. Just be brave, professional, and persistent — we value and respect that very much.
