The war in Ukraine has forced many families to move abroad and build a new life there. However, entrepreneurs continue to support Ukraine, work, develop, and help. Find out how Ukrainian families live abroad

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Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, forced many Ukrainian families to move abroad and start their lives from scratch. However, despite the forced relocation, prominent experts and professionals continue to work: launching new businesses abroad, developing projects, and accumulating forces and funds to help Ukraine in the most difficult moment of its modern history.

In addition to work, families are preserving Ukrainian traditions, nurturing culture, and popularizing it in the new state, thereby drawing attention to Ukraine and the war.

Today we are going to tell you about the family of Anna Kravchenko and Anton Taranenko, Ukrainian entrepreneurs who have managed to successfully launch two projects abroad while maintaining a balance between work and family. The article is based on an interview with Yulia Nikitina, editor-in-chief of Welcome to Antalya magazine, who visited Anna and Anton to learn about their secret of success and harmonious family relationships.

Our heroes

Anna Kravchenko is an international makeup artist and eyebrow artist, entrepreneur. Together with her sister Olena Kurchyna, she built a beauty empire and founded the International Association of Brow Artists, Makeup Artists, and Lash Makers, an international community that brings together the best beauty professionals from around the world and promotes their development.

Anton Taranenko is an entrepreneur, developer, investor, expert in tourism and reliable investments, as well as a specialist in tourist and foreign real estate. He is the founder and CEO of the online service platform Visit Ukraine and the service platform for expats and travelers Visit World. He also runs his own YouTube channel for real estate investors and anyone interested in new places to travel the world.

Moving to a new country and starting life from scratch is something Anna Kravchenko and Anton Taranenko know firsthand. 3 years ago, they came to Antalya and opened their businesses at the time of the general crisis: Anna opened the ÉLAN KIMYA cosmetics factory and the ÉLAN Beauty Space, and Anton started building residential projects and opened the Anta group development company. Both companies have become market leaders.

How do you combine work and family and achieve decent results in all areas?

Anton: Let's start with the family. I'm an Aries zodiac sign, born in the Year of the Ox, and Anya is a Sagittarius zodiac sign and was born in the Year of the Dragon - we have no compatibility at all, if you believe horoscopes. Seriously, of course, the most important thing is that a couple has common interests, goals, and a desire to be together. Anya and I have a daily ritual - an evening walk with the dog for an hour, during which we tell each other all the work-related moments and experiences of the day, give advice and share our thoughts. It's a kind of experience exchange. I would also like to add that at the time of the beginning of my relationship with Anya, we were both successful entrepreneurs, having built our social capital first in Donetsk and then in Kyiv, where our paths had already crossed.

Anya: I'd like to share our family traditions. On New Year's Eve, we always set goals for the near future in all areas: family, leisure, work, health, and personal development. We each plan our own and then discuss what coincides. For example, this year we both wrote down that we were ready for our third child: I got pregnant on January 6. This is how it works. After six months, we summarize and analyze what we have achieved and what we have not achieved, and why. We also set personal goals: how many countries we want to visit this year, what we want to try or do together: for example, we decided to play golf together.

How did things develop when you moved to Antalya?

Anton: When we moved to Antalya, we realized that we had to act right now, while there was a general panic. Many people expect it to end soon, but we from Donetsk have already experienced such a situation. We need to move here and now. When I moved, I broke my leg and had to use crutches to get around. I could have waited until it healed, but I don't like to wait. I remember walking around the buildings on crutches and inspecting the facilities. Some people look for excuses, while others look for opportunities. We moved in April, and in August I started a company and entered into a partnership with a Turkish developer.

Anya: I kept up with Anton. In May, we opened our first cosmetics company, and at the end of December, we launched our own production - we opened the ÉLAN KIMYA factory. We planned to open this plant in Kyiv, but life had other plans - we ended up in Antalya. We immediately did everything qualitatively and according to standards, with all the documentation.

Do you participate in the business processes of each other's companies?

Anton: It is important to me that husband and wife do not have a joint business. Otherwise, they turn from spouses into partners, and all work matters are discussed on weekends and lol in bed. I don't interfere in my wife's business, I just support her in all her decisions.

Anya: It is very important to believe in each other's ideas. I will be there for him and support any of his ideas. We also back each other up - if one of our businesses goes under, the other can pull it out.

What about your family finances? Are you in favor of a separate or joint budget?

Anya: Anton fully supports the family, and all major purchases are his initiative (cars, apartment, etc.). But we had different moments at the beginning of our relationship when we bought our first apartment together.

Anton: I am in favor of traditional values, when a man pays all expenses from household to entertainment. But at the same time, even for the most successful rich man, it is very important that his woman is self-sufficient and independent. There is even a saying: “A man's money is a family budget, a woman's money is a woman's money.” It's great when a woman develops, it's always interesting to talk to her and there's always something to talk about.

What if Anya earns many times more than you?

Anton: I'd be over the moon! I believe in Anya's business, I believe that it can bring even more. If it does, then I will have another investor in a construction project on some island (laughs). If Anya wants to, of course.

Anya: A man often thinks that a woman is with him for money. But when a woman has her own money and is self-sufficient, a man doesn't think: “She's with me for money.”

How do you spend your free time?

Anton: You know, I love my home very much. I always come here with pleasure. Every year Anya and I are getting closer and closer, she is my best friend. We actively play sports together, go on vacation, very often we do it together.

Anya: We have a well-coordinated work and rest schedule: we both like to wake up early. Our children also follow the schedule. There are no exceptions. Every morning starts with a 30-minute family exercise, then Anton and I study Turkish with an online tutor. During breakfast together, we have time to talk to each other and then we each go about our business: the children go to school and kindergarten, and Anton and I go to our offices. In the evening, we also meet for a family dinner and share how everyone's day went. On Saturday, Anton usually plays golf, and I do my own thing. Sunday is a purely family day, we spend it with the kids at the beach, the mall, sometimes we go to a hotel for the whole weekend.

It sounds like a family idyll! Has it always been like this?

Anton: Of course, like any couple, there were moments of “grinding” at the beginning of the relationship. We are both very emotional and hot-tempered people. But over time, we “studied each other” and learned to smooth out conflicts. By nature, I quickly move on and forget quarrels. For male readers, I'd like to give a piece of advice: if your woman is offended, you don't need to prove yourself right, you don't need to look for the causes of the conflict - just say that you were wrong (laughs), and everything will be fine. There is another rule: if you quarrel in the evening, you must make up before going to bed!

Anya: In a relationship, the main thing is to feel that you are loved and there is no doubt about it. Even when we quarrel, I know that Anton loves me very much.

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Tell us why you might quarrel? How do you deal with jealousy? Do you limit each other's freedom?

Anya: At first, there were moments of discontent when I was away from home for 20 days, giving workshops in different cities and countries... But we always say that my work makes me happy, I enjoy it. You love me, don't you? You want me to be happy, don't you?

Anton: We don't have any global quarrels. It was so hard when Anya was away from home for weeks, plus there were a lot of men around her, makeup artists of all kinds (laughs). Seriously, if there is jealousy, then something is wrong in the relationship.

How do you distribute household duties?

Anya: At the very beginning of our relationship, Anton and I discussed who wanted to do what in the family and what we would delegate. I said right away that we would have a nanny who would live with us. I don't do much in the way of housework, I don't like it, and Anton is a perfectionist in his everyday life. Over time, we got used to each other, and I know that he doesn't like it, and I try not to do it.

Anton: I like order. Anya and I are a little bit different in this regard, she is creative. That's why we found a way out and delegated all household issues to special people. We have a nanny, a woman who helps with cleaning, and a driver who can help with household issues. There was a funny story when Anya gave birth a little bit before the due date, and the nanny hadn't arrived yet. It was the longest week of our lives (laughs). We didn't know what to do with the baby.

Are you strict parents? What are your parenting methods?

Anton: Yes, we are strict parents. There are rules that we follow and that our children follow. For example, for 4 years now, we have been doing exercises every day, 3 sets of exercises. They know that if they don't, they won't get candy at best, and at worst, they'll get 4 sets instead of 3. They also get paid for their exercises - 50 lira for each workout. I am organized myself and I will organize my children because I am sure that regimen and habit defeat talent. If a child is talented, but has no regimen and discipline, he or she will not reveal his or her talent. I am convinced that success is in consistency! Idea and talent are 5% of success, the other 95% is work and system.

Anya: I don't like the concept of “raising children”. Anton and I are examples for our children. Another point: there is a very common problem nowadays that children don't know how to keep themselves busy, they always need someone to entertain them, they are bored. Our task as parents is to teach them how to entertain themselves. We send them to sports where there are strict coaches: swimming, boxing, karate - all the days are scheduled! That's when they never get bored. And the main thing is not to let yourself be manipulated. I treat children as my friends, communicate on the same level, they share all their experiences with us, and we share ours with them.

To summarize: what is the main success factor?

Anton: I am convinced that success lies in consistency and discipline! The crisis is our growth point. At such times, we look for new opportunities to stand out in the market.

Anya: The most important thing is to know what you want. I'm ready to work 24/7 for my goals and to understand how I want to live. If you set a goal, everything is possible, no matter what you do. Become the best in your niche, in the business you enjoy!

How do you support Ukraine?

Anton: Of course, the main dream of every Ukrainian right now is to win and end the war. For our part, we are actively helping, participating in charity events, raising money for the needs of the Armed Forces, supporting the army and the injured Ukrainians.

Our business is also working in this direction, for example, since 2018, Visit Ukraine has been promoting and popularizing Ukrainian tourism in the domestic and foreign markets, but the war has made its own adjustments. We have been working on the information front for more than a year and a half.

Since February 24, 2022, our portal has provided consultations to more than 300 thousand people, and more than 14.7 million users have used the information on the portal, almost 5 million of whom are foreigners. And, of course, we did not forget to help the army, transferring more than UAH 1.3 million for the needs of the military by purchasing the necessary ammunition, drones, thermal imagers and antiseptics, and civilians - to support IDPs, equipping bomb shelters and other shelters, and not forgetting about our smaller friends - animals affected by the war. In particular, we help shelters that rescue and keep them.

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