By the time as I decided to start up and operate „Larinid Industries", I wrote a letter to my business partners and clients. After I read this letter a couple of times, I realized that it sounds actually like a biography – just better. It explains not only what I've done but also the way I think and handle things and that’s why I posted the key elements of this letter it right here:
Dear friends, partners and colleagues,
In the last few weeks, as I officially decided to start up Larinid Industries, I met with hundreds of people in order to discuss with them my new venture.
I spoke with old and new business partners, banks, international top CEO's, former colleagues and executives from big companies and almost everybody asked me the same question: what took you so long?
It’s a brilliant idea!
A few weeks later in the Ukraine, my uncle, a very successful entrepreneur, asked me at what age I decided to become an entrepreneur and to be a CEO at my own company. I couldn’t remember-even though
I’m a very young man. So I tried to recall the past…
I sold CD’s, games and stickers to my friends at school at the age of nine. I remembered that I was elected class representative a couple of times and always helped my classmates and friends.
Later in my teenage years, I tried to find good mentors and learn from them. Due that my family operated in many successful businesses in Europe, I found my first mentors at the age of thirteen.
After a short time, I realized that I would do some things a bit different and maybe even better. The further I went the more I learned about big business operations, management, deals, economics,
business structures, negotiations, marketing, board meetings and shareholders and I realized very quickly that my feeling was right – and a short time later I got the chance to prove it.
My first job was to consult companies from the Ukraine and Russia, which tried to set up subdivisions in Western Europe. I still was a teenager but I was so lucky that my words of advice were
successful and prolific that I felt like the happiest person on earth. Then I worked as an executive at a big trading and industrial corporation. My job was to help them to get better results, get
better deals and expand their businesses. After a short time I learned that I can trust my instincts, my know-how and most of all my curiosity. These attributes unleashed my desire to be the ultimate
number one and to be a winner. I really do believe that winning is almost everything (as long as you win fairly) in the world of business. Additionally I made the great experience that when you
listen to yourself, stays down to earth and treat all your people with whom your work the same way you want to be treated- YOU WILL WIN! I was more than happy that I understood all those important
things at the age of sixteen/seventeen –while going to school.
As I started my work in the global entertainment industry many years ago, I worked on both sides of the business: the creative and the business part. My different positions as a manager,
creator/writer, senior executive and consultant and later as Chairman and CEO of my own company gave me not only the opportunity to provide the industry with great ideas and concepts for TV-Shows of
different genres, it also gave me the chance to offer and to build innovative and prolific business models, new distribution and marketing platforms, strategic plans and the most important; it gave
me the great chance to build compelling content. The second thing that I found out from all my work, was how much I love the business of television and new media: I simply can’t find words to
describe how much I love negotiating and deal making (I finally understand why some people nicknamed me The Jewish Tank). I guess once I want something to accomplish, I’ll find ways and
possibilities to get it done.
Additionally to the whole activities, it was very important for me to continue learning something new everyday (and not only at College but also from life and from other sources) to become better and
better – day by day.
Today in my thirties, I can say that I live a very extraordinary and great life and I am very thankful that I had (and still have) the opportunity to made such important experiences and to learn
things at a very young age which other people never dreamed about. All those things brought me further than I thought I could ever go and made me a trusted partner for so many great and talented
people.
I have a bunch of facilities to change things in the big world of business and when you can change something in business, you can change a part of the world. When you are a Jewish Immigrant from the
former Soviet Union who lives in Germany but shuttle and operate between the Ukraine, England, the USA and the rest of the world and you also worked in high level positions you learn
instinctively how to protect you interests and reach all your goals- no matter what goes around you and no matter how tough it is. Especially in the days of globalization, financial crises and
worldwide turnarounds I believe that you have to focus on professionalism, high quality, competence, great products and on the costumer who simply wants to get the best. Whether it’s a great brand in
the media business or it’s a great product in the trading or financial business.
By reading these lines, I understand that there is no answer to my uncle’s question. I was born as a CEO and deal maker and my passion, my curiosity and my love for the business and the industry
drives me to succeed and to win. So for sure, there is no age for starting (or ending) a business.
The reason why I decided to start up Larinid Industries was very simple: I wanted the company to become within the next five to seven years a blue chip and worldwide operating company which works in
all areas of the global media, entertainment and online business, domestic and foreign investments in all spheres, worldwide trading as well as talent and brand development.
There is no better time than now for this great and exciting venture and I’m very pleased to say that great and successful things will await us now. Therefore I warmly welcome you to the great future
which starts right now!
Very truly yours,
Igor Jelkovski