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All Ogonyok has been around for 14 years!
Did we assume that we would celebrate our birthday in lockdown for the second year in a row? No, we really didn't expect that. However, during our 14th year, we learned not to get upset over trifles (and not over trifles either) and admitted to ourselves that, no matter what, the past year was a year of growth and new victories for us. Today, we are not opening the doors of the store, we are not throwing a big party, and we are not inviting guests, but we are happy to release a new article on the blog — and this article is about our team. Firstly, we have long wanted to introduce you to each of us. And secondly, we sincerely hope that our stories will inspire you and bring us a little closer, because #TogetherWeSpark. Enjoy reading. PS You will find the decoding of abbreviations (read: our positions) at the end of the article.
Vika: — Last year showed that anything is possible — the main thing is who you go with. It was in 2020 that our team grew and, without expecting it, we made a breakthrough — a qualitative leap forward. It seems to me that now everyone in the team is in their place — doing what they do best. And I am very proud that I have such a team! If you are not familiar with them yet — it's time to fix that. Below are the results of the year from each of them.
Jordan: — Our 14th year was really difficult. Exactly a year ago on this day, we had been sitting at home for several weeks. The high season was beginning in fashion, and the first lockdown in the world. We realized that everything we were sure of before would no longer work. Except for one thing: if you and your team are together, it doesn’t matter where you swim — the only thing that matters is that you look in the same direction. And we started looking at that and where our focus was missing before. Yes, it was alarming, but we accepted the challenge of the current circumstances — and swam. We invented games, transferred money from sales to the fight against Covid-19, talked about ourselves, learned about advertising, new communication, and not to lose heart. The result was not long in coming — we very quickly leveled our indicators and reached an excellent sales plan. Even better than excellent. Then came the long Odessa summer — it seemed that everything was back to normal. Then the Worker of the Year, the New Year's commotion, and again the lockdown, which comes and goes like school holidays. However, this is not a vacation — this is a new life.
The main thing I have understood in our 14th year is that circumstances do not decide anything, only we decide! And we are Ogonyok. I congratulate you, my beloved and always bright house, project, store, community and many, many more things that you can be and will be!
Nastya: — I think that all the changes taking place in the world should not become a limitation for human will and evolution. We ourselves accumulate energy for creation and can do it in the most extraordinary way — even in troubled times. This is how, in times of crisis, the awareness of one’s usefulness is born, the desire to be heard and to give a feeling of “good and beautiful”. At first, hanging things in the store was just an experiment for me, and then it turned into an important component of creativity. In attempts to “speak” online, the best thing you can do without words is a photo, so I started shooting and stylizing the shootings. Attention to detail and a sense of style are a whole world ruled by aesthetics. A well-trained eye inspired me to try something of my own. Besides, why not be a model when you have access to the most beloved brands?
Positive feedback from subscribers and support from the team pushed me to a new step — to speak and teach. I have always been called the “sales queen” — this is my experience that should not live separately. This is a script that works and can be taught. During the year, we held meetings and trainings within Ogonyok, shared experiences. Our online meetings and outings taught us unity, and each of us showed by our example that movement is life. A trip to the KSENIASCHNAIDER brand team this winter further increased my interest in learning. And it seems that it was in this turbulent year that the time had come to realize that everything was not in vain.
Karina: — I started working here five months ago — and it was five months of endless learning, transformation, and new discoveries. For me, being part of Ogonyok means being involved in something global, something that changes the world. I can't bring myself to say "we sell clothes," because, first of all, we build relationships — with our clients, partners, and within our team. We form a community of like-minded people around Ogonyok, each member of which brings something of their own to the general context.
To everyone who comes to us for the first time, Ogonyok seems something unusual and unconventional. And it is — we are about non-standardity and the destruction of patterns. Ogonyok is a fire in the most literal sense, and I wish it to burn for a very, very long time.
Diana: — For me, the year of lockdown was definitely a year of opportunities — in many ways, it was thanks to it that I ended up at Ogonek. When everyone was literally locked up at home, the question of the need for online communication became quite acute. I was entrusted with giving Ogonek a new voice — it was very responsible and incredibly exciting. Together, we created a new communication strategy, started developing a blog, and we started a newsletter. The word “together” is key here: I brought my knowledge, the team shared theirs, and we learned something together in the process. The result of 2020 was Rabotnik Goda — a project that is about to turn from a New Year's collaboration into an independent brand. It became a symbol for me that any limitations are always new opportunities that can be seen if you look at the problem from a different angle.
The Ogonyok team has a vital quality: to unite, regardless of any circumstances. Dear, thank you for teaching me! My summary of the year is very short: find your own and calm down. Thank you, Ogonyok, that I am now yours for you too. Happy birthday!
Anya: — Seek and you will always find — the motto with which my 2020 began. Thanks to a lucky chance, I got into the team a few days before our "favorite" period of staying at home. And I found exactly what I was looking for. During the pandemic, it became clear that online is often the only way to stay connected with the world. That is why my work with the website and product descriptions organically fit into the new realities.
Over the past year, I have realized one important thing: we cannot stop moving forward. That is why you need to always search, try new approaches and be inspired - it helps me see not only the picture, but also the emotion behind a certain thing or collection. I hope Ogonyok inspires you too, helping you notice beauty everywhere.
Sasha: — Hardly any of us like to wait, and the pandemic has put us in a permanent waiting room without an exact check-in and boarding time. At the end of the summer of 2020, while waiting for a student visa and calling embassies, I wanted to distract myself from the eternal convulsive glance at the calendar and checking my mail. I, a student of the Faculty of Economics, wanted to fill my time with something radically new, but at the same time close to me. But as Andy Warhol said: “As soon as you stop wanting something, it comes to you.” It was at that moment when I stopped chasing butterflies with a net, the most beautiful one, red and white, sat right on my nose and took me with it (since I'm writing for a blog, don't be surprised by my metaphors).
New experiences, thousands of written words, and endless jokes from friends that I am now Carrie Bradshaw are my new reality. A reality that would not have existed if I had not sent an SMS one day: “Let me write how I feel, and then we will see.” This is probably the magic of chance and words, regardless of time and circumstances. Thanks to Ogonyok for it.
Dima: — I've been in Ogonyok (and Ogonyok in me) literally since the New Year. Just three months ago, I was working in a creative agency as an account manager (the guy who only works with clients and doesn't do any creative work). And then fire just burst into my life! And thanks to an unexpected event, design finally became my main job.
Now at Ogonyok we are building an internal system in which (which makes me very happy) design is of great importance. It is especially nice and very important to realize that design directly affects the company's income - this is how you understand how significant your work is. It is inspiring. Ogonyok is not just a store. Ogonyok is a place that always does a little more. I am glad to be a part of it.