A little over a year ago Polina Tikhomirnova opened her art studio. We decided to find out whether it is easy to decide to start your own business, whether there is a useless experience, and what are the main qualities for an employee.
– Polina, good afternoon! A little over a year ago, you opened an art studio in the center of Moscow. Why such a choice, is it somehow related to your education?
– Good afternoon! My choice, in fact, was determined by very rational factors (and no, it has nothing to do with my education: I am a lawyer). I proceeded from what kind of lifestyle I want to come to and what people I want to work with. With the first, it is clear – the schedule I myself regulate, work in a beautiful place not far from home and this picture: to school on a bicycle with freshly baked croissants for guests in a basket. I will explain the second. It is important for me to love my job: I do not understand and I have a lot of sympathy for people who, for one reason or another, do the work I do not like. So those with whom and for whom you work make up a huge part of my life. And they are all great! Enthusiastic, creative, intelligent, interesting. This is in a nail salon through scandals, quarrels, tantrums, disgruntled clients, and so on, and I have all – partners, colleagues, clients, and employees – amazingly nice people.
– Is it true that before that you worked on ready-made projects – “Red Pencil”, “12STOREEZ”. Is it difficult to decide to start your own business?
– Yes, that’s right. Before that, I still worked in the auction house Phillips (then De Pury was in the name) and sold contemporary art 🙂 It was not difficult to decide, it was just that one day I realized that it was the only way to go 🙂 because I really wanted to work, work a lot, but at the same time to dispose of their own ideas, their own efforts, and their own time. Besides, it was a great challenge at the launch stage: before, I always lacked determination and responsibility. Working in a team, generating projects, leading them from and to under someone’s leadership and behind someone’s back – that’s me for a sweet soul 🙂 but it turned out to be unexpectedly difficult for me to answer personally to myself. I am very glad that I worked at this moment.
– Do you think there is such a thing as “useless experience”? How carefully should a young specialist/graduate select internships and vacancies?
– I believe some experiences may seem useless. In fact, it seems that there has never been a single task that I once faced for the first time (and what I just didn’t come across! From compiling a semantic core to producing filming!) And about the time to immerse me in which I would regret. The question, I think, in relation.
I believe that young guys, especially those who still do not understand at all what they would like to do, should not carefully select internships, spend a lot of time drawing up a plan for their career growth, rush between vacancies trying to guess (it’s true, guess what!) what they prefer and what will become a matter of life. Instead, you have to go and work. Almost anywhere, even at McDonald’s! Because there is nothing more valuable than experience, skills, full of bumps, and your own formed worldview. And there the work of life will turn up in the process.
– Are you planning on recruiting a team of trainees/young professionals for the workshop soon? What are the most important qualities for an employee, in your opinion?
– I will definitely expand the team for six months. Now my priority is love for people, independence, and a high level of self-organization. About love for people: we work with guests, my administrators are the “face” of the studio and I never tire of repeating that there is nothing more important than the person who entered our door, wrote, called, or left an application. Because this little man wants to spend with us, out of many possible options, his free time and we, of all the competitors, bring his money. What does it mean? This means that he is our main value.
This campaign is also driven by a small team. With other initial data, I focused on experience and professionalism (and never on education).
– Can you give some advice to a college graduate who is trying to figure out what he wants to do?
– Broaden your horizons, do not work unloved work, trust your intuition and devote yourself entirely to work, do not cheat if you have already decided to spend yourself on it.