Jobs: Marina grave, co-founder LinguaTrip platform

What do you do in your work?

Officially my post called "commercial director LinguaTrip». It is a platform for searching and booking training courses abroad. But this is only a formality. Real my activity is determined by the fact that I am co-founder LinguaTrip and has long been forgotten, when I work, and when to rest. I do not know, when I was last vacation. All trips are somehow connected with the business.

Recently, I even became known as a blogger. I still strange, but it's nice to realize it. In fact, when I was filming his first video on YouTube how to surrender passed TOEFL (test of English proficiency for admission to foreign universities), I even could not think that gathering a million views.

What is your occupation?

He studied at the mathematical economists, and very grateful to my parents for what they have made the choice for me. All my life I dreamed of working abroad and I thought that the surest way to this - to get an interpreter education. Only then I realized that the language - this is not an advantage, but a necessity for survival. As a result, the language I taught alongside math and economics.

In the 11th grade, I somehow decided that I wanted on the Mathematics and Mechanics Department of St. Petersburg State University, but in time the parents intervened. As a result, at the Faculty of Mathematics and I got only half a year, when I went on an exchange to study at the Technical University of Dresden. And once again glad that the parents made me opt for the economy. Pure mathematics is also a German language I do not particularly inspired.

The main value of education for me is not knowledge, and communication skills and to understand in something new. Therefore, the main thing that gave me my education - a meeting with the co-founder Dmitry LinguaTrip Pistolyako. This man has registered our first group and said that the work I seek is not necessary, we will work for them. He is the one who builds a clear plan for the next few years and inspires the whole team to believe that the impossible is possible.

I dream that I never have anyone to work but yourself, well and a house on the ocean in California.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

One of the strong points: I am very passionate about their work. About what inspires me, I can work 12 hours a day. Because of this, it is demanding for their employees.

Over the past two years, I learned to appreciate the time, ceased to waste it. Less I try to explain to people that they are wrong. This is partly taught me my channel. There sits some Hayter wrote a malicious comment that everything I have "to pull", I myself did not achieve anything, and everything that I do, no one needs. Well, let them continue to think so. Instead of someone to prove anything better to do something interesting and will achieve new successes.

Since January, I eliminate from your diet all kinds of alcohol. This influence of California, where all in high quality mode of health.

My weak point: not always believe in myself. For example, when entering the US universities, deliberately not applied to Stanford and Harvard. I am thinking that they are intended for Americans, much more successful than I am. Why do they need a girl from Russia with his little company? (Then LinguaTrip was not.)

Only then I realized that my case as the applicant was very strong and had a chance to enroll in top universities. Now, I tell this story to your students and ask to learn from my mistakes, to believe in themselves and to aim higher.

How does your workplace?

More or less like this.

I love their thin notebook Samsung. In my opinion, I'm the last person in Silicon Valley, which is still running on Windows. For me is basic weight of the device and screen size, as always with a laptop burden and try to protect eyes (12 hours for the large monitor is better than a little).

Phone is always with me, too. Now I have a iPhone 6S Plus. Pleases its large screen, although at first thought it would be uncomfortable.

The third gadget, which in most cases with me, - Canon G7X camera. She has a light-sensitive lens, due to which beautifully blurs the background.

All my work is mainly in the mail correspondence with customers, partners, investors, recently appeared more letters thanked subscribers (my favorite part).

use Gmail. Prior to that, for four years I enjoyed using Outlook, but when the amount of emails reached 9 gigabytes, he collapsed, and I was not able to recover anything. I tried to use other mail clients, but in the US, almost everyone uses Gmail. For more than a year, he did not bring. Letters try to categorize.

Another service that I started to use after we moved to Silicon Valley, - «Google. The calendar". Very convenient: making an appointment, immediately throw an invitation, and it automatically appears in partner in the calendar. For example, if me someone wants to phone, I am sending you a link to their page on Calendly.com. There can be a couple of clicks to book a place in my schedule.

Opening last month - the service Unroll.meWhich is free determines what you are subscribed to the mailing, and offers to automatically unsubscribe. With it the number of incoming letters I have decreased by 50.

Tasks lead in Trello. I've got three columns:

• Current - no more than five tasks that I try to do during the day. The golden rule - namely the five tasks. If ten of them, the implementation may be delayed for a week. If the task hanging over three days and I did not touch her, so she was not a priority and goes to the Later list.
• Later - all you need to do, but not urgent. Hence the problem in the morning, when I plan the day, enter the Current list. Here, more than 100 cards with ideas for the video, the new sections of the site, interesting people, and so on.
• Knowledge - unstructured ideas, which I look every two to three months. To enter the competition chips, long-term plans for the development LinguaTrip.

To communicate with a team use the Telegram. With its help it was possible to get rid of about 100 incoming messages per day.

And finally, perhaps the application - Instagram. I am there @linguamarina and @linguatriprussian. The first is mainly spread photos of travel (Photo VSCO processed in the program), and the second share notes about life abroad nuances of obtaining a US visa, the United Kingdom, Ireland.

What gadgets and programs help to keep YouTube-channel?

I think any business you need to start with a minimal cost, or you can spend a lot of time, which ultimately would be useless. So I started to shoot video on the iPhone simply: put it on the handle of a window, the light was better, and slander without training material. It reduces everything to iMovie right on your phone.

At first very afraid of criticism, he did not tell anyone, but the most loved. But YouTube quickly unwound my channel: it raises the top videos that are viewed to the end. Already just three months after the first video on my channel there was a 1000 subscribers. At that moment I decided that I already do not care what they thought around, and began to spread the new video to social networks.

When the channel was more than 10 000 subscribers of the video filmed on a professional camera Canon 650D. But it is not particularly a mess: heavy. Therefore, he continued to shoot video on the phone. Subscribers complained about the sound quality, wind noise, and at around 25 000 subscribers I bought a Canon camera G7X.

First drove the video in the basic video editor Windows. But a couple of months ago I had an assistant who was engaged to installation.

What is in your bag?

Almost ceased to use bags, is now my most faithful friend - Coach backpack, bought in outlets near Los Angeles. Discount on it was around 70% - this is one of the best purchases recently.

In the morning I put to him the laptop, charging, hard disk, fruit (it's best to have in the office apricots), lip balm, powder, blush, purse. If you plan something to shoot, the camera and mini tripod is added to the backpack.

The fact that I take with you to the flight, told the video.

What's your daily routine?

I am currently a wholly-owned owl. I get up at 9-10 in the morning, I go in the morning, as the day working with Russia and Europe, and in the evenings wake colleagues and partners from the United States. You need to have time to be in two time zones.

In the US, by contrast, will be reconstructed on a lark mode. The Western world is sharpened by those who rises early. It is quite normal, if you set up a meeting at eight in the morning and night party ends at midnight.

I try to separate actions by time of day. In the morning, I check news and e-mail (but no one answer, because I do it with a phone in bed). Then I go into the office and there have already answered the letter, call up customer service.

Lunch usually go with Dmitry Pistolyako, and if one dinner, chat with colleagues from other cities.

Two hours per day allocated for blogging: rent a video, respond to comments, get in touch with subscribers.

In the evening - a ballet or a walk, cooking dinner, watching the show, and phoned to the United States.

How to pass the time in traffic jams?

My office is located about a 15-minute walk from the house. All meetings are trying to plan a radius of "office - home", so as not to waste time and nerves on the cork. I drive a neat enough, and cabs are very unhappy when I go 60 km / h instead of 90. Therefore, I try once again to avoid seeing them.

If you still have to something or someone to wait, then I read the book. The last three years, almost did not read anything, because she was fully engaged in the business. But after she met with Anton Gladkov (former business developer Aviasales), I was inspired by how his life influenced the book and began to read more.

What's your hobby?

Main my hobby - my work and my video blog. I have two YouTube-channel: one in Russian (35,000 subscribers) other in English. I began keeping him recently, but it is growing faster than Russian.

The main theme channels - education and life abroad. It's something I have not lost interest in years, perhaps fourteen. I have accumulated a great store of knowledge and experience - is a sin not to share it with the children, who, like me, want to learn languages ​​and to work abroad.

Bonuses of doing a lot of channels. Firstly, the interaction with the target audience LinguaTrip. Subscribers often in the comments and personal messages written on how to improve the service, find bugs, share impressions from working with us. Secondly, I met a very intelligent audience, folks constantly receive grants to study abroad, to open their businesses and win in different competitions. It's nice to feel a small part of the big successes. Third, the channel management makes new acquaintances. I talk with many bloggers, shoot videos on similar themes. Sometimes we are "partners" with cool companies due to the fact that my subscribers work there.

I am happy when I see the results of their labors.

What place sport occupies in your life?

I do classical ballet, this is my second hobby and favorite sport. When I was eight years old, my parents sent me to dance in the theater "Music Hall" in St. Petersburg. There have been a lot of activities: acrobatics, character dance, acting skills, but I have always been inspired by the classic.

In the 12 years I got the teacher of the Vaganova School and offered to continue their education there. But I decided that after school I want to go to university, so continued studying ballet as a fan.

I try at least once a week to attend classes. Ballet helps to disconnect from the problems and affairs.

Layfhakerstvo from Marina grave

books

Recently I read a book Marie Kondo The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Highly I recommend it for everybody (as far as I know, it has already entered the Russian - "Magic cleaning, changing life: the Japanese art of getting rid of unnecessary things and the organization of space»).

This book talks about how to get rid of unnecessary things and how this varies from life. Within a week after reading threw six huge bags of old brochures, magazines, wire it is not clear what, old clothes, broken equipment, checks, dusty souvenirs and figurines. More of the things a familiar, often sold.

Now I read "I like everything"Oleg Tinkoff. I read greedily and admire his courage and enterprise. Specially stretch pleasure: do not read more than two chapters a day.

TV series

Recently finished watching "House of cards"And look forward to the new season"Force majeure».

Those who are interested in the life of startups in Silicon Valley, I recommend "silicon valley». All one to one: constantly tries to copy your competitors chips, regular consultations with lawyers not to miss any detail in the documents, continuous efforts and the rapid adoption of key solutions.

Everything I look at the original. This is the best way to learn new words and listen to correct it and to remember myself particularly great momentum in English.

Video

Useful tips on motivation and self-development in scoop Anastasia KaiAlso listen to interesting stories of businessmen on the channel "Business Secrets"Oleg Tinkoff. Answers to almost all questions about life in the United States find the channel SiliconValleyVoice Mikhail Portnov. When you want something "devochkovogo" look LizaOnAir (She also lives in the United States) and Estonianna. Favorite channel in English - VitalyZdTv Second. Not to forget the German, looking Nilam.

What is your life motto?

It is expressed in three components:

• Constantly working and developing.
• Constantly communicate with people who have more than you.
• Do not waste time on people without a purpose in life.