THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT IS 50% OF SUCCESS. HOW NOT TO END UP AMONG RANDOM PEOPLE.

The Need for Recognition and Proper Energy Exchange

A human is a social being. Even very wealthy people often struggle to be alone. A high-quality environment implies an equal exchange. If you only give or only take, the balance is disrupted, leading to destruction. In a constructive environment, people expand each other’s horizons, inspire, introduce new opportunities, and help realize that you can achieve more, faster, and better.

Recognition is crucial for an entrepreneur. But not from family or subordinates—that’s a different category. The most valuable recognition comes from your equals, those who walk a similar path and do it even better than you.

How Our Environment Is Formed

I firmly believe that we should manage our environment just like we manage a business. In childhood and youth, it forms chaotically—school, university, work. But as we grow up, one of the benefits of true adulthood is the ability to make conscious choices, including who to keep close and who to part ways with.

How to Create the Right Environment

There are two approaches. The simplest is to join existing communities that align with your interests. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about business, as a full and balanced life isn’t limited to work. For example, one of the clubs I belong to is HOG, an international club for Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners.

The second approach is to create your own club. I followed this path as well, and I must say, it was one of the best decisions of my life.

In 2020, I formed a club for entrepreneurs in Chernihiv. It is small and private—eight business owners are part of it. I had been communicating with each of them individually, but at some point, I realized they needed to connect. Even better—unite into a single community.

We named it "Club E"—before the war, most of us spoke Russian. In Ukrainian, it transformed into "Club Ї" (or, to be blunt, "Club Ї***nutykh"). No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t replace this profane word—no synonym quite captures the essence of “Ї…”. It’s a wild mix of boldness, unconventional thinking and actions, unwavering belief in one’s path, and the determination to see things through to the end.

To become a part of "Club Ї," you have to match the name. It’s not just about having a business or being successful. You must create something outside the box—something that makes people wonder how you even came up with it and managed to bring it to life.

Three "Ї" Examples

Andriy Osikovskyi had long wanted to start a craft brewery. But he didn’t just open a business—he wanted to truly understand it from the inside. He went to the Czech Republic, found a brewery, and started working as a regular employee. Then he did the same in Austria. Different breweries, different countries, no showing off. At the time, he was already a wealthy man, driving a Mercedes and living a successful life.

When he returned, he built "Beerwill" brewery in Chernihiv—a modern, high-tech facility. His plant was bombed at the beginning of the war, but he didn’t give up. Now, he brews his beer at different locations and has already returned to pre-war production levels.

Yuriy Synytsia, founder of COLLAR Company, which manufactures pet products and exports to 70 countries, built a stadium in Chernihiv where 500 children now train. When the stadium of FC Desna was destroyed, he welcomed the team to his facility. Yuriy also finances FC Chernihiv, a team composed exclusively of local players. He was advised to recruit foreign players, to follow the usual formula. But he refused—on principle.

Kostiantyn Makarov, a simple guy from Chernihiv, founded SendPulse, an IT company offering SMS, email, and chatbot solutions. A Ukrainian product that successfully competes with American giants on the global stage.

Club principle:"Don't be afraid to be Ї—because here, everyone is their own."

The Practical Benefits of the Club

At our meetings, we discuss how each of our businesses is doing. Eight companies, completely different industries, all strong. Seeing what’s happening in each allows us to understand market trends and business shifts.

Brainstorming is a separate topic. Imagine a room where eight people who built their businesses from scratch come together. This isn’t a corporate board meeting—it’s real problem-solving. If one of us faces a challenge, they bring it to the group, and together, we find a solution.

For example, one member was struggling with persistent issues in a department. During the discussion, we reached a radical but effective conclusion—he needed to fire the entire team and hire new people. At first, this seemed extreme. But after further analysis, it turned out that this department wasn’t as crucial as he had thought. Time proved that replacing the staff was the right decision.

Friendship is an Action Verb

Besides Club Ї, I’m part of several other communities. But everywhere, two rules hold true.

Be active. Just being a club member on paper is useless. You need to engage, contribute energy, and participate in events. Quality over quantity—it’s better to be involved in two or three meaningful communities than ten superficial ones.

Match the community's level. Take HOG as an example. It has clear rules, traditions, and a culture centered around the road and the people. You can have wealth and status, but if you show off, you’ll quickly feel out of place. Similarly, if you're unwilling to ride for hours under rain or scorching sun, you don’t belong.

Shared interests and genuine enthusiasm for the club’s purpose are crucial for effective interaction. I learned this when I tried joining a wine connoisseurs' club. The people were fascinating, the theme was elegant—but to truly be part of it, I would have had to spend years touring vineyards in France and Italy. Not my story.

And finally: Either we consciously shape our environment, or a randomly formed one shapes us. And that accounts for 50% of our success (or failure). Definitely something to think about.