Как открыть 150 салонов красоты и не сойти с ума | Гандапас х Стоянов

I continue to introduce you to truly outstanding entrepreneurs in our country. Today, our guest is Igor Stoyanov. You know him as the president and founder of the Persona Image Laboratory chain and, perhaps, as the president of the Beauty Industry Entrepreneurs' Association. Igor, you are a brilliant speaker. I’ve been to your talks, shared the stage with you, and invited you to speak at the Speakers Association. This is a rare thing to see in business. I really hope that today’s podcast will also be up to par. Why all these compliments right from the start? Well, the thing is, dear viewers, that in Igor Stoyanov’s company, there is a culture of starting board meetings, performance reviews, and other gatherings with compliments, kind words for each other, and so on. Is that a thing, or is it a myth? You’re a sly one. The culture exists, but I play the role of the villain in it. So, you do insert some criticism then? How so? Listen, honestly, I finished the Savkina and Danilova Coaching Institute about five years ago, and I went there with the pure intention of becoming enlightened, learning non-directive management, and speaking in this new culture. I arrived at the board meeting after a three-year program. I’m sitting there all blissful and zen, and nothing is happening. There’s no money, processes have slowed down, everyone is happy, but it’s ineffective and there are no results whatsoever. So I had to summon my old dragon tail of directiveness. And then everything became clearer. But regarding the culture, it’s true, I always used to come in—I remember this annual board meeting, we had 12 business unit leaders. I said: "Guys, I was in a suit, in a jacket just like yours, and I said: 'When I’m in a suit, I am a shareholder. As a shareholder, I am uncompromising, heartless, and I am interested in only one thing: how you will crawl your way to profit.'" And when I’m like this, I’m a mentor, a wizard, a guide, I forgive all mistakes, but people aren't very attentive. So, they skipped the first part and accepted everything in a way that was comfortable and convenient for them. And there was a conflict, one of many conflicts. And I had to take on this role in the company—the joker, the troublemaker, I don't know—to awaken in people not only the good, but also what impacts effectiveness. You know, there is a good thesis that the effectiveness of a modern leader is defined by their ability to change roles at will. You change your suit and it’s like a hint. I am in a different role now. But, in essence, sometimes a leader has to change roles during the day without even changing their suit. Sometimes to be a mentor, sometimes to be an executioner, sometimes to be a delegating anarchist. Do whatever you want, I’m counting on you, I believe in you, guys. And sometimes be a nanny or a coach. But there are leaders who, unfortunately, have a mask stuck to their face, and they cannot change their role. They are always the same. And because of this, they are vulnerable. That is exactly how it is. But you understand, well, first of all, mine is the creative beauty industry. Even when, in my mentorship program, girls transition from being stylists in sneakers, pants, and a hoodie to a management role, I intentionally suggest heels, trousers, and a jacket, so that—firstly, you are talking about the internal role now—but also so that the reaction of the environment... they also think: something is off, why is she dressed differently than us? And note that even in fast-food restaurants, the manager's clothing is slightly different, leaning more towards business style. And we always understand who to turn to with a complaint, an unusual request, and so on. We distinguish this person from the rest. But there is another side to the coin. In a different suit, in different clothing style-wise, we feel differently. In a tuxedo, you walk with a straight back; you won't be rushing to chase a trolleybus. You will step out with dignity. You probably know that on the BBC, the guys who hosted a radio program about classical music would sit on air, where no one could see them, on piano benches, in tuxedos. In tuxedos. You are absolutely right, because it's a different vibe and a different state of mind. It is sad to see, when I sometimes give interviews on TV channels, both regional and metropolitan. It happens less often in the capital, but in the regions, the bar is lower. And sometimes a person sits in front of me, a business channel, a business program, jacket, shirt, tie, but under the table, literal beach shorts and Crocs on bare feet. What do you mean? And how is your brain supposed to perceive these signals? Isn't there an internal conflict? Well, it's just so hot right now, Radislav, it's just so hot, and everything breaks down, right? A suit as an element of self-discipline, self-organization, and as a signal to the outside world—I must state with regret that a mixing of styles is happening now. Strict business suit styles are seen extremely rarely. A dress shirt is becoming a sort of unique element of the male wardrobe. More and more T-shirts, polos, and so on. Where this is going and what it will lead to, we shall see. But for now, it's okay, still more or less elegant. Moreover, notice that managers are often in suits, while the shareholder is often in a polo, right? Or in a tank top, is there such a thing? And returning to the topic of your speeches, you have, what, about 130 salons in different countries. Persona. Uh-huh. Yes. Persona salons. 40 in Moscow, plus or minus close to 100. Close to 100. We are Moscow-based, we have a Moscow network of nearly 100. And right now, there are posters all over Moscow. Summer in Moscow, Stoyanov on the posters, a person they asked for me. A Moscow stop. How much does the press speculate about a 3 billion turnover? A little bit more. A little bit more. At the same time, you know, I can imagine what managing such a structure means. How many people are employed in total across everything? Well, about 3,000 people are working. About 3,000 people. At the same time, you regularly speak, participate in educational projects, and actively share your findings and information with people, even competitors. It’s not that I share them, I annoy them. You annoy them by sharing? They don't like it. They don't like that this talent, this work—well, I dominate there, and they don't like that. But why do you share it? Explain. It would be logical to hide what you've developed and build your competitive advantage based on that. But you share it with the market, you speak from the stage—well, how many, 2,000 people were there, I remember, in Buryatia, yes, we spoke at a stadium. And you provide invaluable experience, not based on books or truths snatched from YouTube, but hard-won through personal experience, you give it away. Here you go, take it people, use it and succeed. Why? You know, first of all, I feel the market. I’m currently traveling to cities with Sber. And, yesterday I returned from Mineralnye Vody, 2,000 people. And when they listen to me carefully, and there’s magic happening there, we launched workshops. 150 people, and not just beauty, not just the beauty industry. And the managers were surprised that people weren't on their phones and stayed until the very end. They say: "We don't understand this magic, why people don't leave after lunch or, I told you, a brilliant speaker, breaks, uh, coffee breaks, literally a hypnotist." But why do you do this? First of all, I speak on relevant topics. I do it because I listen; when I speak, the audience now—you surely know this—does not forgive lies. Info-stories, well, made up, taken from somewhere, they definitely gravitate toward truth, toward clear, simple words. For me, as a strategist, it's about relationships with industry systems, the beauty sphere, cities. I react; if people aren't listening, it means I need to work on something. That’s how I check myself against what is hap

entrepreneurs 'association. Igor, you are a brilliant speaker. I’ve been to your talks, shared the stage with you, and invited you to speak at the Speakers Association. This is a rare thing to see in business. I really hope that today’s podcast will also be up

to par. Why all these compliments right from the start? Well, the thing is, dear viewers, that in Igor Stoyanov’s company, there is a culture of starting board meetings, performance reviews, and other gatherings with compliments, kind words for each other, and so on.

Is that a thing, or is it a myth? You’re a sly one. The culture exists, but I play the role of the villain in it.

So, you do insert some criticism then? How so? Listen, honestly, I finished the Savkina and Danilova coaching institute about five years ago, and I went there with the pure intention of becoming enlightened, learning non-directive management, and speaking in this new

culture. I arrived at the board meeting after a three-year program. I’m sitting there all blissful and zen, and nothing is happening. There’s no money, processes have slowed down, everyone is happy, but it’s ineffective and there are no results

whatsoever. So I had to summon my old dragon tail of directiveness. And then everything became clearer. But regarding the culture, it’s true, I always used to come in—I remember this annual board meeting, we had 12 business unit leaders. I said: "Guys, I

was in a suit, in a jacket just like yours, and I said:' When I’m in a suit, I am a shareholder. As a shareholder, I am uncompromising, heartless, and I am interested in only one thing: how you will crawl

your way to profit. '" And when I’m like this, I’m a mentor, a wizard, a guide, I forgive all mistakes, but people aren't very attentive. So, they skipped the first part and accepted everything in a way that was comfortable and convenient for

them. And there was a conflict, one of many conflicts. And I had to take on this role in the company—the joker, the troublemaker, I don't know—to awaken in people not only the good, but also what impacts effectiveness.

You know, there is a good thesis that the effectiveness of a modern leader is defined by their ability to change roles at will. You change your suit and it’s like a hint. I am in a different role now. But, in essence, sometimes a

leader has to change roles during the day without even changing their suit. Sometimes to be a mentor, sometimes to be an executioner, sometimes to be a delegating anarchist. Do whatever you want, I’m counting on you, I believe in you, guys. And sometimes be a nanny

or a coach. But there are leaders who, unfortunately, have a mask stuck to their face, and they cannot change their role. They are always the same.

And because of this, they are vulnerable. That is exactly how it is. But you understand, well, first of all, mine is the creative beauty industry. Even when , in my mentorship program, girls transition from being stylists in sneakers, pants, and a hoodie to a

management role, I intentionally suggest heels, trousers, and a jacket, so that—firstly, you are talking about the internal role now—but also so that the reaction of the environment ...they also think: something is off, why is she dressed differently than us?

And note that even in fast-food restaurants , the manager's clothing is slightly different, leaning more towards business style. And we always understand who to turn to with a complaint, an unusual request, and so on. We distinguish this person from the

rest. But there is another side to the coin. In a different suit, in different clothing style-wise, we feel differently.

In a tuxedo, you walk with a straight back; you won't be rushing to chase a trolleybus. You will step out with dignity. You probably know that on the BBC, the guys who hosted a radio program about classical music would sit

on air, where no one could see them. On piano benches, in tuxedos. In tuxedos. You are absolutely right, because it's a different vibe and a different state of mind.

It is sad to see, when I sometimes give interviews on TV channels, both regional and metropolitan. It happens less often in the capital, but in the regions, the bar is lower. And sometimes a person sits in front of me,

a business channel, a business program, jacket, shirt, tie, but under the table , literal beach shorts and Crocs on bare feet. What do you mean? And how is your brain supposed to perceive these signals? Isn't there an internal

conflict? Well, it's just so hot right now, Radislav, it's just so hot, and everything breaks down, right? A suit as an element of self-discipline, self-organization, and as a signal to the outside world—I must state with regret that a mixing of

styles is happening now. Strict business suit styles are seen extremely rarely. A dress shirt is becoming a sort of unique element of the male wardrobe. More and more T-shirts, polos , and so on. Where this is going and

what it will lead to, we shall see. But for now, it's okay, still more or less elegant. Moreover, notice that managers are often in suits, while the shareholder is often in a polo, right?

Or or in a tank top, is there such a thing? And returning to the topic of your speeches, you have, what, about 130 salons in different countries.

Persona. Uh-huh. Yes. Persona salons. 40 in Moscow, plus or minus close to 100. Close to 100.

We are Moscow-based, we have a Moscow network of nearly 100. And right now, there are posters all over Moscow.

Summer in Moscow, Stoyanov on the posters, a person they asked for me. A Moscow stop. How much does the press speculate about a 3 billion turnover?

A little bit more. A little bit more. At the same time, you know, I can imagine what managing such a structure means. How many people are employed in total across everything ?

Well, about 3,000 people are working. About 3,000 people. At the same time, you regularly speak, participate in educational projects, and actively share your findings and information with people, even competitors.

It’s not that I share them, I annoy them. You annoy them by sharing? They don't like it. They don't like that this talent, this work—well, I dominate there, and they don't like that.

But why do you share it? Explain. It would be logical to hide what you've developed and build your competitive advantage based on that. But you share it with the market, you speak from the stage—well, how many, 2,000 people

were there, I remember, in Buryatia, yes, we spoke at a stadium. And you provide invaluable experience, not based on books or truths snatched from YouTube, but hard-won through personal experience, you give it away.

Here you go, take it people, use it and succeed. Why? You know, first of all, I feel the market. I’m currently traveling to cities with Sber. And, yesterday I returned from Mineralnye Vody, 2,000 people. And when they listen to me

carefully, and there’s magic happening there, we launched workshops. 150 people, and not just beauty, not just the beauty industry. And the managers were surprised that people weren't on their phones and stayed until the very end. They say: "We don't

understand this magic, why people don't leave after lunch or, I told you, a brilliant speaker, breaks, uh, coffee breaks, literally a hypnotist." But why do you do this? First of all, I speak on relevant topics. I do it because I

listen; when I speak, the audience now —you surely know this—does not forgive lies. Info-stories, well, made up, taken from somewhere, they definitely gravitate toward truth, toward clear, simple words. For me, as a strategist, it's about relationships with industry systems, the beauty

sphere, cities. I react; if people aren't listening, it means I need to work on something. That’s how I check myself against what is happening in the country and the market.

There are good, interesting cases from students. Well, let’s call them students. I don't really have any as such.

Or are there perhaps any success stories of people who learned from you and picked up some thoughts or ideas?

Well, I’ve had a mentorship program for 3 years, it's a support program. Meaning we go into a business for 3 months together with the manager and their team and for those 3 months, we achieve a certain result. I’ll tell

you that 95%get results. There was this funny story. Our Russian manicurist— and I’ll say it straight, a manicurist, not a "nail technician." No, not a fancy one, just a manicurist working in the States. And she came to the mentorship program. And one of our

elements is... So, you even take on this kind of micro-micro-business? Micro. Well, why not? They work with people, after all. And she says, "Igor, Americans won't come to a Client Day, and 70%of my clients are American."" What is a Client Day?"

A Client Day is the last Thursday of the month, a very simple offer: 20%off everything. Champagne and the experience economy—it’s always some kind of theme. The whole team comes out , and people book appointments. As soon as the month ends, they book for the

next one. There are always performers —could be strippers, could be opera singers. So, in short, it’s a kind of carnival.

A carnival. Every Thursday, all day long. Opera-singing strippers and naked opera singers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Basically, just how we like it. I tell you, I said, "Let's bet you'll host it." Salons and clinics make, on average, 7 to 10 times their

daily revenue on that day. We calculated that last year, we added a thirteenth month of revenue to the usual 12 months thanks to Client Days. Now, this is our real know-how. We’ve been doing this for 6 years. And she doesn't

believe it. She barely speaks Russian anymore. I have to make the math clear. 20% discount on everything that day. And that includes polish, shellac, and all that stuff. At the same time, the cash flow is generated by people pre-paying

for their appointments. That's number one. They leave deposits, we sell packages and gift certificates.

It’s a hit right now. 3 years. 3 years ago, 40%of revenue came from retail, meaning services. But the service slots are booked 110%.

Sometimes we even move Thursday to Friday. People come for the service and for the celebration. And it’s a trend that is just very active. Even dentists come, clinics, expensive cosmetic clinics, and they say, "Our clients are expensive and wealthy, it's not the

norm." But it still breaks the mold and blows them away. People lack events in their lives.

And events, this kind of celebration. There's a rule: talk about something new. They must take knowledge away so that their state changes. It should be better than when they arrived. The bubbles of Prosecco do their job. And the sense of belonging. They see a full

room, they see dressed-up people. They understand that this is all done for them. Plus refreshments, and they enjoy themselves.

And at that time, they’re getting their nails done. And at that time, they’re getting their nails done. They’re getting haircuts, they’re socializing. It’s a celebration.

Right. And what does she say? Americans won't come. Well, and something like that, yes. And she says: "Only the broke Russians will come, you know, our people there in the States," right? So what? Of course, 80%of it was wealthy

Americans who came because in the States, this tool doesn’t exist, and it still doesn’t work there in beauty .

And what else did you invent that had no analogues? Well, this client custom-made approach, which didn’t exist in the States and which has now appeared and will spread virally.

Let’s call these Stoyanov’s footprints. Yes. And first, 1994, when Persona opened. Actually, the very first mention of Persona in '94 is in American Vogue.

A feature article, I swear to you. Oh. What, what is it? Well, a beauty salon or...

No, the article was called American Vogue, a column about Russia. Uh, ballet, Red Square, and Persona. The article was titled that way in Russian.

It’s called "blat"(connections). To get into Persona, you had to secure three recommendations from the celebrities of New Moscow. Right.

Wait, wait. Persona is famous for that, and it is, in general, as I know, your very philosophy. Everyone aims for chic , you know, that premium segment. The others say, "It’s cheap here, come to us, pensioners, we’ll cut your hair."

The middle segment is needed by no one. You take and step in and say: "Clear price, clear quality of service, top-tier," and so on. Why connections?

What celebrities? That was already 1998. You open on August 1st, 1998, the first Persona.

Uh-huh. I was in London and went into Toni&Guy and took their business card. And there, the three grades struck me.

Master dry cut-5 pounds, top master-15 pounds. Art director-whatever you agree on. I thought, "Stop, different prices.

" I arrive from London and [introduce] lab assistant, master, top master, stylist, top stylist. I introduce five grades, where the central one is the top master. So, we created a standard back then. I think, how much am I

willing to pay a cute hairdresser for a hairstyle, for a haircut? 40 dollars, and leave a tenner, 10 dollars, so she remembers me for next time.

Well, a tip, as is customary in this industry. And we set it at 50 and then move on down. 15 30 40 and 100 was the top.

Are you talking in dollar terms now? I'm in dollars. That's because back then we thought, well, now a master is two, a top master is three. a stylist is 4500, a top stylist is 7, the difference should be 30%. And the

wording was: the pricing policy of the Persona image lab clearly demonstrates the level of special training and experience of our masters. And in fact, understand what you're paying for, right? It's not just greed. And and by the way, 1998, thank you for this, uh,

look back in time, I started thinking about forming a corporate culture at Persona and in the industry. Grades weren't there before you. Well, hairdressing, hairdressing, yes, they didn't exist. Grades became the foundation. We have almost no turnover because a master has a very clear

ladder they can move up. That's why people leave. This is, by the way, market research on why people leave. We tried to find out the reasons why good specialists leave. And at the top of the list is one of the three

main reasons: there is nowhere to grow. And there is no clarity. And you understand, and this is it, there's nothing to grow for, because here it's clear, an hour of your time will be valued at a different amount. That's it

. For this, we created an certification process. The certification included revenue, what they need to know at each stage, clarity. And we, like with football players, had transfer windows when we transferred them or they confirmed their qualifications. I will

tell you that this corporate culture allowed me to survive the most difficult crisis times, and there were plenty of them later on Persona's 32- year path. That's one thing. And now, well, I don't know, maybe 20-30%of the market is on grades, using this

development of ours, yes, and there is a training center where a person, if they wish, can go through an academy of work and a business academy, a school of stylists. It will be interesting for you to know who is coming to study at

the school now. The first category, it surprised me at first, I dropped by 2 days ago. A guy is standing there in a tank top, looking kind of strange. And the director says to me: "We're giving a tour." I say: "Who are you, you

miracle?" He says: "I'm an IT guy." I say: "An autist." He says: "Yeah, mostly I code, I sit at home." I say: " Why did you come to us?" He says, I say , he's silent, a pause, it takes a long

time to sink in. He I say: "Do you miss people?" He says: "Yes." I say: "Are you not married?" Yes. Mom wants you to get married, he nods. I say: "This, well, this human-to-human contact is exactly why people still come to us now

, because live contact, what is it really?" A confessor, a taxi driver, but he talks with his back to you, a psychotherapist, if there's a coach.

Oh, I'll tell you something now that I think the audience will like. We say it like this: if you come to a regular stylist at Persona, you say how you want your hair cut. If you come to a

top stylist, you discuss your image. And now, pay attention. If you come to a stylist, you say what you do for a living. And if you come to a top stylist, you say: "Who do you want to be?" Five stars. And our people provide

therapy to the client. Imagine, they talk for an hour, and many later graduate in psychology because they have the experience, they are physical.

But no therapist will take eight clients a day, while a stylist takes eight a day if it's a haircut. Four to six with coloring. What other confessor could take that many people? Taisiya Volkovskaya, she says: "Igor, you see

how I dress, and she had high-profile clients." She says: "I will never wear diamonds, even though I have them." She says: "Swarovski, at most." I will never wear a short dress so as not to provoke any feelings in my client. She

always, when applying color, never went into the back room or to smoke. She would roll back on her chair two meters , so as not to hear what he’s saying, but to always keep her client in sight.

And when the client just started to turn his head, she would roll over to him on the chair and understand from the gesture what was needed. I have never seen that level at all. This, uh, these are the chosen ones, I’ll say

right away—these are the ones who earn well. But their skill, those halftones, a half-raised eyebrow, a hint of understanding...she would never , even if the client is looking at their phone, she would never lower her eyes, so the client couldn't even

suspect her of peeking at their messages. These are rare individuals. But can you imagine how they think, that through the mirror they give you an understanding that you can't even, you know, fathom, that your wife has two therapists, a stylist

, and a fitness coach, right, whom she hasn't changed for years and follows to wherever they work when they change jobs, because she receives not just a remark on how she’s working her abs, not just a haircut, but

something more. By the way, who from this grade cuts your hair? Kirill Trukhmanov. What is he in this grade? Art Director.

Hey, listen, this is interesting. I have an art directors council. By the way, it’s not a grade, it’s a status. We don’t pay for it, we appoint it. I have this octagonal badge called the Golden Hundred. I started

giving it to people who have worked at the company for over 15 years. Kirill, well, Dima Mudrov has been there 23 years, Kirill, I think, 25 years.

Although, I cheated on him on purpose. I went to a barbershop because I was curious how those people think. And for 3 months—January, February, March—I got three haircuts not from Kirill.

Modern barbers have just as much talent , but they have no system at all. I mean, you sit down and you don't know how your haircut will end.

It’s a leap of faith, you agree, yeah. But I was interested in how they actually think and work. They feel the shape. Help me formulate this right now . I went back to Kirill, and he tells me: "You see, they don't know the

basics, that’s why you never know how each haircut will end." But when you know the basics—a classic barber education—you can create whatever you want, but you need patience to learn the basics. That’s why Trukhmanov cuts just as fast, but he understands

the basics. Art school graduates asked their teacher at the graduation party: "Why did you teach us composition and all these ABCs of painting? If we graduated and won't work in this style, and we'll all be abstractionists, surrealists, just painting smears and

so on." He says: "Guys, any kid can make a smear, but it won't be a work of art. It becomes a work of art only when you know the basics. And once you know the basics, you can do whatever you

want. But until you do, learn the basic truths." And that is a disaster. And the second group that comes to study at the school is young people. And you know, they find a school based on price and where

they can start earning quickly. By the fifth lesson, they have a personal account and are charging relatives for haircuts.

Yeah. So, it's a quick, fast turnover of capital. I'll tell you, they invested money in training and they start right away, and you know what else is interesting now?

They bring in their own clients, actually. Well, we do organize a large flow from Avito, but they immediately bring family and charge them 1,500– 2,000. And the third group is conscious top managers from the red, green, and blue logos who have burned out. I just

arrived to get my nails done, and Vita, the manicurist, says to me: "Oh, well, like:' Igor, do you remember me? '" I’ve been saying for a long time: " Where did you come from?" She came from a burning blue logo as a top manager.

In 2 years, she got back to the income level she had there, and they tried to recruit her to stay. She says: "But I stopped feeling I started feeling pain from how my thoughts were creaking in my head, and I wanted to get away from

that." And I chose a manual profession. If you remember, there was this mystic Gurdjieff, and he forced people to dig holes, to work with their hands. And the largest number of enlightened masters were in churches, where they worked with their hands, tended gardens

, and went into seclusion. By the way, it was George Gurdjieff who first brought out this truth, that the best form of psychotherapy is physical labor .

He made them dig holes, plant flowers, produce goods. And now, and now it's an axiom.

Nowadays in the therapy of severe conditions and mental disorders, it’s mandatory. By the way, Leo Tolstoy also dug up this thing in parallel with Gurdjieff, or I don't know how. He devoted 2 hours every day to some kind

of manual labor. He even made complex things, for example, he stitched boots. It's hard to stitch boots. That’s not just sanding a board with a plane, but nevertheless, he was a carpenter, chopped wood, stitched boots, and did other small things. 2 hours of fine

motor skills every day allowed him to unload his brain by focusing on that. Fine motor skills develop speech and thinking. It's a form of meditation.

Well, there you go. A hint. But we are never there. We are busy, business-minded people. Every minute of ours must be devoted to getting closer to a goal.

Listen, when you're backed into a corner, will you go? Tolstoy worked 4 hours a day and that's it, 4 hours and not a second more.

And he left quite a mark. 90 volumes, mind you, you understand? So, well productivity, productivity doesn't suffer, it turns out. How old is the company? 32 years. 32 years to date. In 2002, you reformatted the business into a franchise before it became mainstream

. 2002. In 2002. Back then, "franchise" was a dirty word. I first read that word at McDonald's when I had to—I always have to be reading something. You know me, right? I need to read at least something, even an instruction manual,

or something on a cigarette pack. Or messages on t-shirts. I’m reading, and there’s an ad for a franchise. If you want to buy one like this. I mean, I thought McDonald's was an empire that belonged entirely to one Dr. Evil. And here it turns out

that anyone who has saved up some money can buy themselves such, uh, such a business, already ready-made, packaged, and start earning from the first month.

Uh, well, you know that their model with real estate, it is with real estate.

Absolutely right. And what pushed you toward such a model? Probably not out of a good life. Usually, my clients come to a franchise because they are swamped, they can't manage the structure, they have no personal life, and—ta-da!—a franchise.

No, my logic back in '23, when it just appeared, was simple. I understood that it would take me a long time to learn the mentality of each city. I thought I would create a structure where people would scale it themselves. I'll tell

you right away that it was difficult for me to enter cities back then because beauty salons were owned by wives and mistresses of governors and officials, and letting me into the city , when they had the money, was

pointless. Therefore they Well, nobody would let you, they would have tormented you with inspections for opening something. And that is why I developed in Moscow, because it was— and remains—my alma mater. Then there was Dubai, uh, and that’s where the

wife of a Lukoil security chief, a housewife, was. And they needed a way to stay in Dubai. This was the pre-COVID year of 2019. And they came and said: "Igor, teach us." So. And we taught them. And Dubai Persona. dollars

a month in revenue, there was a line. And just like in the cities, in Dubai, in Dushanbe, in Almaty, we created a standard, we set it, and Dubai Persona played a big role in the development of the market at the time.

Yes, I mean, Toni&Guy went in there 10 years earlier than you. Well, no one went there. And, firstly, Toni&Guy has, uh, their own haircut shape, such a jagged shape. It doesn't suit Dubai women. Moreover, you will be surprised, we tested people to

space standards, the first five hairdressers that went there, well, so that they would live in one dormitory there. And we tested them, there were three Persona ones. One from Monet and one, well, from somewhere in the market . It was important to us that they

didn't fight or kill each other. And Yulia, the owner of the Dubai Persona, told me, she says: "I am grateful to you." Because the Persona ones turned out to be the coolest, because they had three factors. First, they never asked

to come to the first client. They always arrived on time, started at 10:00, there at 9:30 to get themselves ready. Second, Persona staff never ask: "Can I leave early? I don't have any clients." They always stayed until the

end of their shift. And third, a Persona person is someone you can always talk to, regarding the cultural level of the client.

And how do you manage to train, educate , and discipline people like that? I had that reel about how the best wives are hairstylists. I’m going to an event.

I don't know, I don't know, I can't verify it. So I go. Two big, grown men meet me there. It was a Silver Rain event. Are you Igor? Yes.

Stoyanov, right? We're here about our wives. Yeah. I’m the same way. Uh-huh. I’m thinking, no, I’m at work. They cut my hair too well, actually.

No, there are no intimate relations. And they tell me: "We wanted to thank you for Varya and Nadya. They are our wives." And I remember that when beautiful girls came to apply to Persona, I would ask them: "What’s

your motivation?" And they would say: " To get married." Mmm, close contact with the client.

A men's haircut is harder than a women's. Always pleasant, neat, friendly. I mean, they always look like they're on a date. And I would hire those girls, knowing they would be the best stylists and the best masters.

They’ll try harder, yes, because they have a powerful motivation . Well, it's short-lived, though.

But I knew what happened next. And later, when they got married 2-3 years in, I would say: "Listen, you need to keep the business for 2-3 days a week.

It’s still better to work, to have some little corner of your own." I Well, yeah, a person needs to be occupied with something. It's a golden cage, after all. That’s a terrible thing. She still wants out of the cage.

We currently have this Yulia from Dubai coming out of a golden cage to open her own Persona. People on maternity leave with three kids, husbands are businessmen. They always get in our way because they have their own opinion.

Yeah. But we know how to reach an agreement with them. They are our target audience too. And this is a funny story. Two girls are running on treadmills. Hi. What's your name? Yulia . And you? Masha. And you, uh, where do

you live? I’m on the island at Donstroy. Oh, I’m nearby too. And what do you do? I have a beauty salon.

I have a beauty salon too. I have a Persona, and I have a Persona. It was really a status symbol back in 2005-2010. People who wanted a status business would buy themselves the status of a Persona. I’ll also tell

you, our business is very energy-intensive. You have to work really hard. It’s like being on a submarine, you have to know many processes.

So, buying a franchise doesn't mean you can just kick back, relax, and read a book in a hammock. And you're buying a self-study guide. And that's only the beginning.

I mean, you'll have to work as hard as if you were running the business yourself. We provide full support, yes, but you know, maybe it's our Russian mentality. We all think we're so smart.

When I was conceiving Persona, I had very simple principles. First, I had to set the lump-sum initial fee the entry fee, as it were, non-refundable, at the level of the discount I was getting and could pass on to them. So I

wasn't adding a markup; I was showing them where I was saving them money so they'd feel better about paying. Second , I don't have a single similar design in Persona. I knew I had to give the owner a chance to shine, to make it

their own. It had to be their Persona. Whether they put down a carpet, a chandelier, you don't impose those color standards, you see.

I provide technological standards, like where to place the sink so the stylist can walk around it, how to set up the retail space. But for the interior, it was important for me to let them realize their vision, to express themselves, because business

is also a form of self-expression. And that was a plus, because in this national premium segment, it's very difficult. That's why Persona is currently—if you combine the whole premium segment, like Alde-Copol, Mane, Jacques Dessange—we are still larger than everyone else. Because in the

premium segment, well, you can't really dictate standards to people who have money. They always have their own opinion, they think they're right, and why fight it? They'll just do the opposite out of spite. Take a small business. You create the first and only

salon, and obviously, it scaled up, this whole system of budding off. Uh, at some point, you need to grow, you need to develop. Opportunities arise, you grow, you develop. At some point, you can no longer manage this system,

and you need to form some kind of team and so on. At what moment did that realization occur? What led you to that , and how did the thought come to you that you had now grown qualitatively?

I don't know. There's an illusion that because you have a classical education, you're smart. I'm the opposite; I go through everything via crises. And I'm motivated by something new and interesting, because in 2002-2003, we were talking with Buybrand, our first

franchise exhibition. They appeared in 2003. That was just the scent of franchising appearing. I was interested , but I couldn't handle the load anymore. I, uh, received investments of a million dollars, 10 million. I just simply couldn't handle either the first

or the second one. And, uh, I couldn't pull it off, the team couldn't pull it off. Plus, a midlife crisis, and everything just collapsed for me. It started in 2006, and the peak of that crisis was 2008-2009. And I was forced

to, I lost the team, I lost the majority, most of the salons. And, uh, well, from the crisis, from that catastrophe, I had to pivot, uh, toward learning new management methods. My first wife, back in 2010, found our

first turnaround manager from the meat industry, who arrived when things had almost completely fallen apart, but it was right on the edge of being lost.

There was also a corporate raid. Uh, well, the whole package, yeah. There. Yes. And it dragged on. And he pulled it out, well let's say, not just him. There were two families of us, and Kudra stepped in as the COO. And in 2

years, we pulled the company out of the absolute gutter to a new level. And 7 years ago, a new CEO replaced him because he got burnt out, bought five salons, and he's doing great. There.

And that was recent history, when we launched retail. We regrouped. Retail, in the sense that we started selling dyes, and something else too. In that sense, shampoos. But listen, we completely redid the shelves. We reached a level where we started cross-pollinating with

other industries. Well, for example, before, they dominated. L'Oréal said, the shelf should be L'Oréal. Wella says, "No, Wella." And there is a historical fact. 2003. Wella came to Persona, and we were working with L'Oréal. We were doing almost 5-7%of

all of L'Oréal there. I was bringing it in suitcases back in '97. It wasn't even here yet. And Wella comes in and says, "Igor, we want you to work exclusively with Wella." They paid a million euros back then. And they

literally bought out all the L'Oréal. Hm. All of it. We didn't know what to do with it. That's how they worked back then. They installed it in 44 salons everywhere, every product line. And plus, they gave us equipment and

marketing funds. And what did we do 7 years ago? We started arranging shelves like a pharmacy, based on customer needs. Like for dandruff, for blondes, for color-treated hair, and we displayed different products by choice, mixing all the competitors. And plus,

the client day, it gave us a boost, and we hit 30%of revenue from retail. So that was yet another reinvention.

So you don't work with one brand exclusively, no matter how much they throw at you, no matter what kind of merchandise The market has changed and it is changing even faster now, so, well, we have made many innovations. I want,

well, the viewer to take note of a few things. But this is a very tempting story. I know how brands work on exclusives, how they pharma works like that.

They shower you with money, parties, exclusive invitations for the owner, access to something, they take you places. It is, it is, it is a colossal bonus package, for which there is only one condition: work only with our brand

and put nothing else on the shelf. That’s how it works in pharmacy chains, how it works in beauty salons, how it works tobacco, alcohol, Pepsi-Cola, everyone, yes, practically everywhere. Every liquor house, or whatever it’s called, has its own portfolio of brands, and they

enter a bar. You work only with us, you don't put competitors on the shelf who have the same portfolio, just slightly different brands. But at the same time, we give you this, that, and the other.

And yet this strategy turned out to be a winning one in the end. That is, you lost bonuses in the moment, but you gained—we understood that the gratitude of a client who has a choice. Look, in 2003, Wella was more

profitable for us than L'Oreal of fate. I came, I must give credit, I went to the general manager of L'Oreal at the time and said: "Wella made me an offer.

Can I stay with L'Oreal?" And I rolled out a list of needs to him. He tells me : "No chain has ever switched from one dye to another." That was the key moment for me. I said: "Ah, well okay,

3 months later and we were all working with Wella." Ten years later, that same general manager returned to L'Oreal.

Now he is gone for good. And we made an agreement, he took his revenge, we switched to L'Oreal, well, and Wella left. You understand, this is also a kind of instinct and some kind of built-in—I will bring you back to,

Stoyanov, you are performing. This feeling, when you are connected with the audience and you talk to the audience as one system, perhaps allowed me to also sense the scent of other systems. What L'Oreal breathes, what Wella breathes, what Russian brands

breathe. I don't have it with everyone. With Estel, for example, it didn't work out for me. Well, by Shulova, there, Okhotin, has his own circus in his head . Uh. It doesn't work out with everyone . And with Wella, it did. There was a

fantastic CEO, an Australian named Andre Baire. He managed by not managing . And it was through human relationships and the care of his brand for our chain that changed the picture.

L'Oreal, for example, well, they treated me, well, not the way I would have liked. You understand, a market with people is mega, well, mega-sensitive. I’ll tell you this: Stoyanov is respected by the stylists, and that’s a rarity. Usually,

business doesn't respect stylists. And stylists have told me, "Both Persona’s people and others. We respect you because you never criticize us or interfere in our craft." I could say, "Look, as a layman, I like this color for the certification," but I

never meddled in their professional sphere. Well, because they are definitely better at it than I am. And, well, what's called empathy—I felt and understood (it wouldn't fit) what they were going through, that they had families, their own circle of troubles,

and, well, that they were hard workers. But a five-day work week, working from morning till night with people...

working with people—that deserves, at the very least, real respect. And lastly, I probably never fell for their tricks. There is a flip side to it, after all. If they know how to work with clients, they also know how to

manipulate them. And these little acts, these arguments of theirs. It was funny . I told Yulia, "Yulia, you can't trust a hairstylist, don't fall for it." And she realized it a year later. She meets me when I fly in for the Persona

anniversary in Dubai. She says, "I only just understood what you meant." She says, "A stylist comes up to me—this is an exception, but still." And says, "And she had just bought her a 2,000- euro opportunity to work for 2 years.

And she says," My mom has a work permit, something like that. "Yes, yes, yes. She says," My mom has cancer, what do we do? "Well, we feel for them.

She says," I gave her everything. "" She worked it all off. "And she says," She started working across the street two weeks later. " Uh-huh.

I say," I told you so. "Or the second time, we’re walking at this anniversary, the cosmetologist is in front of us, and she’s pushing a cart of fruit in a strange way. I say," Yulia, let’s follow her. "Well,

it’s that gut feeling. And suddenly we follow her, she speeds up, we speed up, she pushes the cart into the cosmetology room and locks it. We’re like," Come on, let us in. "There. And suddenly a thud, a bang. And I look

through a crack, and there’s a head, hair lying around. In short, it turned out she was an alcoholic from Chelyabinsk. Just arrived from there.

There. And you can tell by the habits, by the vibes, by the feelings. Uh, this is a business where you have to be on your guard, but it’s a skill you can train. For instance, I could call a salon:" Good afternoon, Igor

Vladimirovich, everything is fine here. "I say:" Great, Mish. "Kostya, get a replacement admin to Kutuzovsky immediately. An hour later, a call. He asks:" How do you sense that? They got caught stealing. "Well, it was simple: they’d book some boss through a

secretary for 7,000, have a top stylist cut him for two, and pocket the difference.

Well, uh, when you—this, of course, made me incredibly intuitive and sensitive. Yeah. But it’s also suffering, when you understand, you can literally smell when something is wrong here, and then I leave. Or I walk in, and they say:" It’s just—we really

only didn't take the money this one time, didn't ring it up, or we had a big event going on. "I run into a girl, she says:" Igor, do you remember me? "I say:" I remember. "Well, I’m lying, I

do remember. She says:" I'm Elya. "" Remember? "I ask," Do you do that too?

" Yeah, yeah, I remember. So. She says:" I'm so grateful to you. "I say:" For what? I worked as your administrator. "I say:" Remember, I'm lying. "And now look, she says—she realizes I'm bluffing a bit—and she says:" You came into the salon and

smashed all the diplomas and cups back then. "I say:" That, I do remember. " Uh-huh. 10:03 AM. The salon should have been in order already. I walk in, dirty cups from yesterday, dust, and my internal scanner is running. And, of

course, I make sure they definitely have something to clean up right now. I kick that table over, and she tells me: " I'm so grateful to you, I'm a producer now. "And she had organized this huge conference for 3,500 people

where she was the head producer. She says:" For me, that was the best school . "We suffer, you know. I don't know how you feel about the fact that— I mean, that's a pretty eccentric move, you have to admit. I mean, just cups,

diplomas, table flying, but in a different language. You see, look, three minutes past ten— clients are coming in, I don't have time for explanations, because everything I did before that, I had already explained. But I—I haven't been involved in day-to-day operations

for about 10 years, but from '94 to 2008, right up to my burnout at 40, I did everything. I cared about everything. Can you imagine the impulse my childhood trauma gave regarding order, cleanliness, and service? How much momentum is the company still

carrying in terms of its cultural code and culture? You know, you’ve just added another case to my collection for management training. I used to tell a story that has long since gone stale because it’s many years old, and you can’t

tell the same story forever. I was talking about management methods and introducing corporate standards, which can be compact, clear, and always come through vivid emotional experiences. It happened like this: a factory that produced candy received a complaint that the candies were packed unevenly,

and that they arrived to the consumer like this, right? But that shouldn't be the case, because the packer should, first of all, pack them evenly, and second, there shouldn't be any gaps between them; they shouldn't, you know, rattle around like that. There was some

kind of breach of standard. It was impossible to identify the packer there , I don’t even remember why. And the owner, having received more than one such complaint, came to the production line, stood by the conveyor, and just

started taking lids off candy boxes at random. And he found several boxes where the packing was done incorrectly, not according to standard, not along or across, leaving gaps so they were all, something like that. And instead of" tsk-tsk, girls, tsk-tsk, and tsk-tsk

again, "instead of" go and learn. " So that’s exactly what he had. That’s what he did.

The tsk-tsk was there, right? Tsk-tsk. already happened. He simply swept the boxes off the conveyor , started stomping on them, and yelling that he didn’t spend his life working for his consumers to eat like cattle.

That was his phrase," like cattle. " Cattle don't usually eat candy, but they were eating candy like cattle from such boxes. We give people a celebration. A celebration. Children open them in anticipation, and there is all this. No, my life has been wasted.

So, he kicked these boxes in different directions, stopped the conveyor. That’s it, I don’t want to live, I can’t look at you. I’m leaving for the forest. Don’t look for me. Phone.

This is very painful. Speak now. And he would leave for 3 days. He would leave for 3 days. His wife was warned. There were no search parties in the forest. There was a hunting lodge in the forest. Cell service didn't

reach it. 3 days of peace, a pond, hunting, a dog. He would just leave.

That was how he prepared them. Yes, exactly. He would leave for a 3-day retreat, where he was finally supposedly found. Bearded, sobbing on a tree stump, they would bring him back, bowing down:" Sir, please return, we won't do it again, everything will be

fine. "And so on. Such eccentricity, such theatricality is permissible, as we can see. And now I will create.

This is secondary manipulation. Let me add something fresh. Last week, on May 30th, the head of the stylist school left her chats. My partner Natasha, who cared about everything and saved the school, died two and a half years ago.

And we left it to a young girl. That’s it, she burned out and just left the chats. I found a mature woman, I arrive, and from the first to the second floor, there’s hair on the shoes, well, it’s rising. I

organically cannot live in this filth myself. So I have 10 minutes, I arrived to get a haircut from Kirill and said:" 10 minutes. "I grabbed a vacuum, vacuumed, and asked the administrator from the old team who stayed, so burned

out," Bring me a bucket and a mop. " They said:" Oh, "I said:" Look, a man is doing it, you have to. "I said:" Well, without words now. "She brings a bucket. It takes me 10 minutes to clean

up. 10 minutes. They are in the red because they left tails and they are living in this state. A week goes by, I find a new manager, a mature, conscious woman. She cleans things up, and she tells me:" Igor, that administrator who

stayed, the one who brought you the bucket—she said she was so impressed that she cleans it herself now. "Oh, do you understand that this...I mean, of course, I could force myself not to do it.

Take note. I thought this was my story exclusively, when I had a training company, the problem was like that. We rented a floor in a business center, and the cleaner would tidy up at 8:00 AM, well, she came early, before 9:00,

before the workday started, she wiped everything at 8:00. But participants would arrive for training between 9:00 and 10:00, the training starts at 10:00 . If the weather was rainy, they would track dirt on the white marble. White marble is a mediocre idea for a floor.

They tracked it in, and by the first coffee break at 11: 30–12: 00, they would walk in this filth because the next time the cleaner comes is at 7:30 PM, when it's over. And so my people had to walk through dirt. My office was

full of girls, mostly girls, there was one guy, an IT specialist, the rest were sales managers, managers of this, that, and everything else. I’m not a cleaner, I’m not that kind of cleaner . Okay, calm down, get the rag, the

bucket, and start scrubbing. It’s not hard, by the way. So, are you alright? Yes, I’m a scrubber. Some tried to say," Oh, what are you doing? "I tell them," Relax, it’s actually better for me. A little break, working with my

hands, getting some air—it’s actually a pleasure, and so on. "I was cleaning, but the hatred is still there . That feeling of anger. Then it’s there, of course, absolutely. Why are you doing this, you bastards? Why, indeed? But on the other hand, it is my

business. It’s mine, not theirs. But then it turns out, if he can do it, if his crown doesn't slip, then who are we ? And then they kind of figured it out among themselves. After every break, someone runs around with a rag, and

it’s just their turn, and everything is always clean, all day long. No, you don’t need to do a deep clean, just wipe away the marks. Marks, hygiene, simple hygiene.

And that is also a disciplining factor. It’s also a sense of involvement. People treat the business like it’s their own, well, their home, not a home , like their own business, yes. No, well, it’s, well, it’s aesthetics. I, well, I understand you

very well. And I’ll tell you, I’ve fired cleaners, it wasn't the first time, and I washed it myself, and they said:" Why are you firing her? "And we called them not cleaners, but housekeepers. Back then, Moscow women with higher education, but we treated

them with respect, fed them, the kitchen was the first priority. But I believe that it’s like with spiritual mentors in Orthodoxy, and in Buddhism, it’s a direct transmission. I mean, with your whole body, with hatred, irritation, and with care, you, well,

you just do it. I really get you. And that is also communication, you are sending a certain message to people.

And I wanted to ask you, what are your, well, it's unlikely you’ve laid them out systematically, but still, what are your communication principles in business?

I have a large amount of material. Constant principles. They are right after the" sort " somewhere floating around the network.

You can find them through a search engine. I don’t think they’ll find them. It’s like a game. I talk through principles. People, I think there are 60 of them. People choose, call out a number, I open it, they read it, and we

talk briefly about it. Good story. I’m not the first one, let me tell you three. First, I don’t mince words . A scrubber.

Listen, honestly, I suffer from this, but after I spoke at your association, I was told:" The men, not all the men liked it, but all the women liked it, and some were bothered by the, well, swearing. "I'll tell you honestly, I am

working on refining my speech, you know , on translating it. And for me, this is really, well, this is a new level of mastery for me: to replace swear words, where I have a lot of feelings, emotions, and meanings, with some

adequate word, to pick it and insert it so it has the same effect. That is my level of mastery. I try, and because large companies certainly ask me to filter myself, but in everyday life, I speak simply and clearly, because my

previous level was: to learn to express a thought simply at the level I am speaking, in a way that is understandable and touching at any level. I mean, I try to speak accessibly, although after my speech— I just returned yesterday from Minvody

—they say:" Igor, it was literary, beautiful, clear, and understandable. " And the second one, so you can vary the style, you can choose it yourself and control it, right? Secondly, uh, I talk about what is relevant, what is important to me,

and what hurts. That's why I'm always in context. And thirdly, one of the great philosophers, a Buddhologist— you know him, I'll remember his name— he is, uh, well, just a legend. He says :" You shouldn't f***with your d***,

but with your whole self. "I'll paraphrase that. I try to speak with my whole self. that is investing in communication, in interaction with words, soul, empathy, well, with the body, really with my whole self.

And for me, well, Buddhist philosophy is close to me, I call it direct transmission. Well, you know, in terms of meaning. Those are probably the three basic principles. I'd rather say, when I don't need to," Write to me, and

I'll get back to you. "Why do you answer me with spam? I say:" Yes. "But it's just like mopping the floors. But if the team messed up, if a text went to the wrong place, someone didn't get an answer, or a bot didn't trigger,

well, I do care, and I suffer because of it. But on the other hand, that is the flip side of the coin. And how do you not burn out? What helps you ? To maintain mental health, what allows you to stay in shape.

Yes, I do burn out, and you burn out imperceptibly. Well, listen, you burn out without smoke, but I know how to...well, first of all, at 40 years old, Samatha-Vipassana meditation really helped me with such burnout. I have been practicing for 15

years. And yes, what is that for the uninitiated? Shamatha-Vipassana? The author Chögyam Trungpa, his works. He is an enlightened master. I was there in Tibet with his fourteenth reincarnation . Well, in Orthodox terms, that is 14 times enlightened. He brought this

open-eyed meditation from Tibet. Sometimes when I talk, my mind is empty . And I gaze at a point five feet in front of me, basically. I feel my legs, so sometimes, you see, I shift my seat and Uh-huh.

take a breath, focus on the breathing, or just switch from one question to another. There is walking meditation, when you bring your attention down to your feet, and you just walk, feeling the ground. Dynamic meditation.

Yes. Well, 15 years. Nature. Uh, well, I have learned how to switch gears. And I have four remedies for burnout. They are money, recognition, and speaking, which is healing for me, and getting feedback. Contact with the audience. The third is a change of

environment. That's why I travel to different cities and meet different people. For instance, I flew to Mineralnye Vody a day early, and a friend and I just drove into the mountains, ate a watermelon at the peak , breathed, kept silent, got a flat

tire on the way, went to a shop, and changed it. Just a simple, very simple story like that. And there is the game of Leela. I played it with Amkar once, and I liked his version. There are two

squares: bad company and good company. I liked how he defined them. Bad company is a community where we are perceived in our old roles. And it is very hard for us to change there.

Family, mom and dad, your office, childhood friends. You play one role and it's hard to shift.

And good company is where you can allow yourself to play different roles. And the fourth. Ah, yes, the good and bad company. So, changing the scenery and meeting new people; that's why I go to banyas in cities now, and sometimes I

find banyas through bathhouse attendants. It has its own vibe. Sometimes I find them, sometimes people write to me:" Igor, you've arrived in our city, we'd like to invite you. " This change of scenery and sharp contrasts can be overwhelming, but

there are practices that help you reboot. And the fourth one, I reinvented my persona right at the Coaching Institute for the holding company. And, uh, a big goal and a big dream is also a cure, providing fresh motivation. As a cure for burnout.

Right now, this sounds like me publicly stating for the first time my transition into the beauty-tech major league. Back in 2002, I thought, I'm kind of into beauty here. And I became the Russian champion in circuit racing.

Uh-huh. When I get stagnant, I either do circuit car racing, car racing. I either climb mountains, Belukha, Elbrus, or do extreme things, some kind of treks. Oh, so that’s a sharp change of context as well. Well, because you’re among men, well, not

drivers, but racing drivers. It’s a different energy and something else entirely. You simply immerse yourself in a different, well, in a completely different context. Or you scramble up Elbrus, or Belukha, professional ascents, or I enjoy long hikes, great

mountain treks. We’re about to do the Lycian Way, uh, well, just 5 days with backpacks. As soon as I put on a backpack, that’s it, my social life drops away, the social persona, and I’m just a hiker; I need not to break

, not to pull a muscle, just to make it . I, well, I see that this you need to load yourself with something else, strangely enough, right ?

Most people think, well, rest is, you know, a maximally passive thing. Sun, sea, climb into the microwave, cocktail in hand. And that happens, but it doesn't help.

It doesn't help. Remember the Marshak clinic for drug addicts? I don’t remember. Well, Yakov Marshak, uh, the son or grandson of that very Marshak, there was a Marshak clinic. No, they are relatives of Samuil Yakovlevich.

Yes. And Yakov did this, because our workaholism is also an addiction. Exactly. And it is chemical. Moreover, these are specific hormones.

Chemically. What did he do? He introduced twelve-step therapy. That’s when you read an affirmation in the morning and discuss it with someone. Mind maps, all that stuff that high-achievers hate, resetting or throwing out a topic—that’s it.

Secondly, he brought Yogi Bhajan here, and he himself was initiated by Yogi Bhajan in the States, Kundalini yoga.

And the drug addicts fell in love with the most powerful yoga. Breath of fire, that Sikh one. And I remember one of my trainers says:" I’m lying there in withdrawal, and suddenly there’s no door, just an opening. "And suddenly in

the opening, a bearded man in white wearing a turban. And I’m intrigued. They don’t cut their beards. Long undergarments, a dagger, white clothes, and a comb. The five attributes of the Sikh tradition. Extreme sports switch you from one addiction to another. And

I switch, but not to a painful or destructive one . Listen, sometimes, well, I mean, addiction, hobby, independence, parachutes. Uh-huh. Well, they can— listen, they can be adrenaline-filled, but when you’re older, you realize you can crash, but sometimes

helicopters, all of that unloads this level of burnout. Therefore, there are more eco-friendly ones, but they take time. When I was 40, I stood just like I am now in front of you, before my first therapist. And Vitya says to me:"

You need to burn down to the ashes, that's what I call it. "There are four stages of burning: damp wood, coals, and down to the ashes. When personal boundaries are erased, you can't do anything at all; everyone manipulates

you. And Vitya told me:" 10 years. "I say:" Vidya, I have 3 months. "He says: " 10 years. "It took me seven years to rebuild my new identity. When you ask me how I heal, the price of burnout is

7 to 10 years. Don't let it happen. Burnout is not fatigue. Burnout cannot be cured by a vacation, whiskey, or sitting by a fire with friends. It is a difficult process of restructuring your life and principles.

Thank you. And the price, dear viewers, is 10, and Vitya was right, but I just worked like crazy on myself, so it took 7 years for version Stoyanov 5.0.

Do you share your painful experience with those who follow you? Well, you mention there are 3,000 people, there are masters, there's you, but between you there is a layer of management, those are managers. On what principles do you grow leaders? Well, is there any

conscious process at all, or were people just hired and that's it? Listen , let me be honest with you. When the CEO arrived, we chose a tactic for growing leaders. In 4 years, we assembled a management team that soared

to a billion in revenue. And we took these guys right from, well, from the office. We took them to Karelia. That's a funny story. We rowed boats there, saw them in extreme conditions. But 3 years ago—well, 4 years had passed,

three—and we had to break it up. There were 12 business unit leaders, we invested in them. But then they grew, they felt that a lot had changed, and we eventually dismantled a part of it.

Out of 12, we had about four left, and we reassembled 12 business units. I came in November and said:" That's it, we're rebuilding, in January we will work in clusters. "We didn't reach the rules in terms of corporate culture. I

have Eastern partners, and for them, working with this dominant and tough style is difficult. Well, difficult due to their mentality, peculiarities, yes, peculiarities. And plus, I recommended Bahadir to study at e-learning. And he still lives in that paradigm,

unfortunately. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. Therefore, today I see one solution. I'm thinking whether to voice it or not. In general, in my company, I look at how to relieve people of the responsibility they don't

want to take and turn them into agents. And that's why beauty-tech should be created for them, as agents.

And agents, yes. To create conditions for their creative fulfillment, but stop being dependent on their" I want, I can't, I don't know "excuses, and to elevate the industry is my big dream.

My legacy is the birth of a new industry. If you ask me what it will look like, I only see outlines. I understand where I can work. Well, for example, the combination of beauty and health, longevity, where salons merge

with clinics, therapy, when the master becomes a therapist. We are talking about this with you today.

Now is the time for ecosystems, that is , to create an ecosystem out of a salon .

Yes, yes, but this is an alchemical thing, because, just like you, I still have a lot of human factor and little digital. Plus, the business is still gray. Taxes were introduced, and a tail broke off that went back into cash. And

we are in plain sight, and we cannot afford that. And, accordingly, I go on my own and lead some part of the industry. Plus, the industry has split.

There is a small part of salons that have revenue of 60-100 million. 70%of masters who don't need salons; they work from home, for clients, in coworking spaces, or rent chairs in beauty salons that they don't admit to.

And this new cash register solution, this new splitting that I am now working on with banks, with Wildberries , this integration with already established semi-state ecosystems. This is a new industry, this is new. And how to preserve this creativity, this

psychology, but provide numbers, this is what I am thinking about now and what motivates me.

Do you know what always delights me about entrepreneurs? Not all, but some, is that in a difficult economic situation, their brain turns on. Well, the brain cannot work on two tasks at the same time: the task of survival and

the task of creation. Your brain is working, the brain is working on creation. You look to the future and look at how to build a new system instead of dropping everything right now and dealing with survival issues.

Paradoxically, those who look to the future solve survival issues somehow automatically. Viktor Frankl described this as well. This is a very, very interesting, interesting thing. How would you, today , in these days when so many people are at a crossroads with difficult

decisions, what advice would you give to a person who wants to start a business today?

Let me break it down into three parts. People who work in large companies, I know HRs, CEOs, and many others love you.

And it's mutual. Yes, yes, yes, don't jump into business . It’s better to combine them. I explicitly suggest building a bridge from the system that is your steady source of income today.

Keep it, lean on it, don't jump. But a girl from that one place with the green logo called and said," I want to lead tours. "And she leads night tours in Sochi on weekends. She leads night tours of Sochi while working as an

analyst. That is truly an ideal structure. Don't destroy or break things, but don't give up on your outlet. Give yourself a little taste of entrepreneurship as a mindset.

Once you're overwhelmed with orders, you can think about transitioning. Then you can think about moving on.

Secondly, for those in the red, I will say one thing, and it's complicated. Sometimes a cash gap is no longer a cash gap, but an old, obsolete business model. It is very hard, and you know this for sure, to change old habits.

And find a new environment. Sometimes you can just close down. I have closed businesses. It hurts, just like a divorce. It is traumatic. It’s incredibly painful, but sometimes it’s worth closing down, performing surgery—business surgery—to cut off the ballast and resurface with

something new. But for that courage, you might need a wise person, a mentor, a business confessor, who will just tell you:" Go ahead. " Starbucks was on the brink. Starbucks, the great Starbucks, was on the verge of bankrupt.

Howard Schultz or whoever it was, can't remember. Well, I think, yes, yes, yes. He cut off a third. Well , the shareholders were in shock. I mean, he closed a third of the cafes. A third. And VkusVill, and Gloria Jeans right now.

Well, what about Galitsky. Cut off an arm so the whole body doesn't perish. And that is the toughest decision, for which someone might And it's always done without anesthesia .

Yes, yes, you are absolutely right. And third, listen, I don't want any of those clichés, and this is not a time of opportunity. Let me quote you; you said it very well. The only thing is, you said it's either development or

optimization, or survival. I was at the edge when there was a hostile takeover. I started destroying the company, and I have just as much destructive power as I do creative power. And I found out later that it was a scheme. You know,

it's like knowing fearlessness is only possible if you know what fear is. Well , because if you don't know what fear is, you won't understand the other side of the coin, knowing the extremes of loss, of heavy collapse. Or you can

find enlightenment, like the old Buddhist masters who took all these sinners, healed killers, because they understood this edge, they could understand that edge. If you are in despair now, in burnout, in some kind of close state, well, a negative one,

know that you definitely need to learn the positive one too. I'll give you a life hack, it's one for me. I always drew the earth and my own spiritual side, my teachers, and I always drew plus and minus as a potential

difference between good and bad. And I believed that this difference is like a battery. It is in it, in this field of negative and positive, it is not always easy to be, because you are plugged into a socket the whole time. But in

this state of being plugged in, some business realizations and miracles happen. People are found, they invite you somewhere, and something from many attempts might just work out for you.

That's the formula. Igor, what is happiness for you? What does this structure of yours rest on, and without what would happiness not be possible for you? I started, maybe two or three years ago, asking myself the question:" Am I happy? "I have a peculiarity. I

lived in negative pits for very long periods of time. And over, maybe, 20 years they lasted for years, maybe even a lifetime. Then I learned to emerge from them. And for me, happiness is a greater volume of the number of happy

moments. This is important, because I see now how I've slipped into some negativity. Well, here, we are cleaning floors with you Uh-huh.

A minus virus, that they can't clean up . Well, this, well, it's still an example, it's a simple one. And I could get stuck in this state. Now I can switch, I wash the floors, I get pleasure. I'm

sweating and thinking:" Oh, good, a good workout, here, physical load, phys-load, that little transition. So for me, happiness is the number of transitions and the moments themselves. And I find them everywhere. I enjoyed chatting with you, I remember how we were in

Buryatia with the minister. Just a good dinner, a good conversation. It was a very good conversation.

And it was so simple. So human, without the jackets. And this collection of moments, of a chance meeting. We knew each other, but that was the first time we talked so closely. And in my family, my daughter quit professional figure

skating this week. 12 years old. Yeah. And I am worried. Sometimes anxiety turns into something negative, you know, like parental worry. And I see her, she went swimming yesterday, and the coach was like, poking around, and she’s so lean and tall, and he

walks right up to her. Did you come to see me? And she just struck a pose. Yes , I’m looking for a good coach.

That’s it, connection made. She didn't swim. She swam 50 meters yesterday. For the first time. I don’t know how. He says: "There's a lot of tension." He didn’t know it was her very first time jumping into a pool. Both joy and anxiety, just joy.

My wife told my mom today: "Katya went to your place, and something with the gas, you know, it had to be fixed." I’m so happy that I have an amazing wife. I’m also keeping an eye on your relationship, with yours. Right. And

how they support us, uh, like that. Right. And I get so much pleasure from that.

But what is the one thing that, if you took it away, happiness would be impossible, all else being equal?

You know, just now I am... I’m setting you up for the goal-scoring strike. The thing is, today, right before I drove here, I had a meeting with my team, and one key person says to me: "We’ve come up

with a business model to launch this autumn, Radislav, where you don’t have to speak at all. This business model will work on its own, stop." And I have to explain to you that a business system that excludes public

speaking for me won’t make me happy, no matter the income. I said: " Therefore, please, rethink all the work done so far and bring back the need for me to travel to cities and speak." I had nine speaking engagements in seven

cities in June. Or no, 11 performances. Two were in Moscow. Yekaterinburg and Saint Petersburg. I flew there twice in one month. I’m like, "Great month." People ask me: "How do you live like that?" Take away my opportunity to

speak. For me, there would be no happiness left in life, regardless of my children's success or love, I’ll tell you our teams are jerks. Everyone wants to make us happy by cutting us out of the process.

Vadik Dymchog's company is thinking, damn, how do we replace him, how do we make sure he doesn't do anything, turn him into a living corpse . What do you mean?

Oh, man, thank you. I think, you know, when I'm home, I feel like a black monk , like some kind of sorcerer. And when I get dressed and go out in a shitty mood and get into the elevator, the

smell, the smell of people, man, I feel like a dragon. And people, I think I feel bad, I could be a lonely monk and, well, but I am inspired by people, by life itself.

A lonely monk, provided that there are people around. No, I’m in such a cave, you see.

But when you come out, yeah, it’s not a vacuum. Thank you. Thank you. This was the founder and president of the Persona image lab network, president of the beauty industry entrepreneurs association, a legend of Russia's beauty business. And why only

Russia? For the world, too, we are the only ones known in the world, it’s Persona . That’s true.

There you go. Igor Stoyanov. Thank you. Thank you.