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Speech Transcript (very little editing so not exact)

Time to shine today. Podcast varsity squad. This is Scott Ferguson, and I have my really good friend, Onega Ulanova, my ‘Ruski’ my Russian friend here who actually likes to vacation here in South Florida. I can’t wait to meet up with her and her team when they do come back to South Florida here. But Oneega is a purpose driven entrepreneur committed to making a meaningful impact with a data driven approach and a triath leads dedication. She empowers teams to deliver their best work. She’s passionate about product development, AI filmmaking, oil and gas, and sexual education, and exploring how entrepreneurship can positively shape communities and countries. She wants to connect with you and make a difference. And Oneega, thank you so much for coming on. Please introduce yourself to time to Shine today podcast Varsity Squad. But first, what’s your favorite color and why? Red. Red? Really? Why is that? And why red? Because it’s classy. It’s inspiring. Right. It’s edgy. Okay. In any day, this red color will make you want to wake up and accomplish. I think it’s in your personality, and it’s definitely in your color. Will, if you’re watching on YouTube or VIMO, she’s absolutely stunning, but she has such a phenomenal business mind as well. I can’t wait to dig into this. For people out there ready to launch products and be held by the hand and do it the right way. So, Nick, let’s get back a little bit to the roots. How did you kind of start through life and then get up to the la new product development team? Sure thing. As you can hear, I have a southern Louisiana accent. Yeah. Coming from Kazakhstan. So I was born and raised in kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is a country between Russia and China, so it’s like central Asia, but we speak mainly Russian language, so you can hear my. Fashion accent I don’t have. Are you ready? Yeah. Born and raised there in 2010 after I graduated with my undergrad in mechanical engineering, louisiana Tech University is alma mater here in the States. Had joined research with my university back home. And that is how I ended up after meeting professors at Louisiana Tech and our university back home, we ended up, like in Rastan, Louisiana. Rustan was a small city. We had about 40,000 people. We are growing in Louisiana. So anyhow, because of the joint research at Louisiana Tech and back home university, they ended up here. Okay. So I came here with zero English. I was smiling in American way. So it took me about. Six months to learn the language and get to school. It was accomplished, and I am happy that I was able to graduate with my degree from Louisiana Tech. So is it a master’s degree from master’s degree in Engineering and Technology Management. So it was fun time learning English and learning subject matter, so it was fun. When I graduated back, I joined a small but yet large family owned company here in Bourger City. Okay? And after that, American Petroleum Institute invited me to become their lead auditor. And after doing audits for several years, I joined with my partner in his initiative to start a product development company. And 2016 is when we. Opened our doors to public. And since then, we help people to develop their products and launch their products to market. Okay, so every day, something new. Every day new stories, inspirations, and making others people dreams reality while making sometimes passive income for them. That’s beautiful. I love that you’re doing it because you’re taking someone’s dream, and maybe sometimes their dreams already a reality. So they have a product. They have it, but it needs to be taken to a larger scale. And that’s something you guys do over there, right? Really scale it and move it up. Beautiful. So when you’re maybe meeting with somebody for the first time, oneega, is there any secret sauce you use, or if you don’t mind sharing, that helps them find their initial blind spot of why they’re not where they’re going yet? That is an amazing question. So. You need to think about it. When a person have an idea about a business, a product or software, they keep it to themselves. They own this. You own the idea. You are very careful with whom you share. Yes. So we definitely sign nondisclosure agreements with every single person we talk about. If there is no patent already be right. And for us, as a product development company, especially at the beginning, it’s very important to establish relationships, establish that trust to make this ice break the first relationship. And sometimes we get like you understand me better than my wife. They sell it to my partner and to me. Because you need to kind of really carefully listen. Sure. And it takes a special type of person to understand what exactly person say. Sure. And. And during that first call and first conversation we usually try to understand why behind the idea and we try to explain the person why you are starting it. Do you foresee the future? Meaning that it will be not a straight road, it will be ups and downs. Right. It might take longer than you see. So we we try to understand why and we try to kind of gauge based on our experience is if a person is ready and sometimes when we can see and we hear answers, we might say that maybe it’s not like the best way for you because it takes a special type of person to pursue the ideas. Especially if this idea will require substantial show investments. Sure. So even if they’re coming in and their why is there like they wanted to take action but. There. They might not be quite ready yet. You will tell them that, correct? We will definitely tell them that. And we will send them to other organizations. There are organizations such as Incubator which will kind of spend with you six months to educate on the process, what it takes to build a startup. Or this send them to Score organization. It’s a government entity which will marry you with other mentors. Okay. So we like as product development company, we don’t work with every single person. Sure. Because for us, it’s important to know that the product we develop will have access to the market and the person will not suffer by the end of the day that they have this product. But they not prepared to market or whatever. Market? Yeah. So it’s not ready yet. It’s beautiful. So. When you’re starting to meet with them, oneega, is there any good question that you wish they would ask you, but they never do? That is an amazing question. And how complex the technical and manufacturing execution will be. Okay, so I think many people who have hardware, especially product ideas, they think that they have an idea, we make a render and it just happened. Right. It’s never the case. Right. So you need to think through the even, like, small cup like this, right? Right. Has quite a few engineering solutions. So it was engineered. All the dimensions were taken. How to fit it, threads and such, right? And you need to think. Through the manufacturing process, right? Sure. That it has several parts. Do you need this? Will it increase curse cost per unit? Will you be able to find a manufacturer here in the states or overseas? Will be the quality control procedure. If it has many parts, who will assemble it? So when you have a product idea, it’s simple stuff, right. They can buy it real cheap. But still there is engineering work, there is manufacturing work. Got it. Love it. Quality control work and many other things which you don’t think through. Right. But that’s what you guys do. Help them. If they’re ready, their why is set, right? They’re ready. Your company can help take them through those process. Correct. So if I was bringing a product to you, a good question that I would ask you is like, are you going to handle the complexities? Of the steps involved because I’m an author and whatnot, but I’ve never came up with anything physical or tangible and it’s a route that I’ll never take, right? And I have a lot of respect for people that invent something and get patents and then come to you to monetize it and launch it. So that’s huge. So what is the biggest mistake you see these inventors, or as they’re starting in the infancy, the start of it? What’s the biggest mistake that you’re seeing out there? And also, how can they avoid it? Amazing question. They think about idea, not the market. What I mean by that, they come up with an idea, they fell in love with the idea, right? They have access to money, me, their savings, personal money, whatever, but they don’t think at the beginning on the market opportunity, will they? Be able to sell it? How they will sell it? How difficult is to enter that market? What is the cost of market entry? What is the competition? Will this actually idea in a form you present be accepted by your consumers and such? So that is why many inventions do not get to the market because people think about the invention, not the market. Are you inventor or you are a business person? Wow. Why you want to start this product development? Because it’s your hobby and this is what your heart desire and you want just to have the thing in your hand and done? Or you want to build a business? Love it. Is that where you guys kind of come in though with some people do some people invent something and then they bring it to you and say listen, handle the marketing part of it? Do you guys do that part of it? Or do you just give them the ideas they have to implement on their. Own. Yes. So we don’t do the legwork. This is what we call the legwork. Legwork. Yeah. Got it. Okay. So there are some entities which can potentially license your idea. Sure. It’s rarely, but it happens. And depending on the initial traction, you might contact, like, ecommerce entities who might take your idea, take your inventory, and sell it for you. And you will get like 20% to 25% cut. But you need to have inventory already, so you need to have products on hand. Got you. So think through, like, when people come to us with just an idea without thinking through the market or what they will do next after they have these products, that is a huge mistake because that is when disappointment comes. Say that again. Omega. Management come. So a person has this product, they’re happy, they’re excited, but what is next? Right? So that is when you already have a product in your hand, you start only think about marketing and sales. Right. That is a moment of disappointment. That’s huge mistake before they even have it. Really see if there’s a market for it, if they’re able to modernize. Right. Actually begin with the end in mind, right? A little bit. Like begin with say, okay, this is where it’s going while your passion is inventing. Because I do have friends that are inventors, but they suck at business, right. So now I have somebody that I can send them to with you and you can help them out with that. That’s awesome. So have random question here, but have you seen the movie Back to the Future? Yep. Okay, let’s get in that DeLorean with Marty McFly. Okay. Let’s go back to say, the. Year old omega. And this is when you’re probably still in Russia, right? Maybe, yeah. So what kind of knowledge nuggets would you drop on the younger omega like advice? Not so much. To change everything, because your journey is actually pretty kick ass, right? But maybe to help her shorten her learning curve or blast through maybe just a little bit quicker, if still a thing. Know why you want to do a thing and act upon it. Build in discipline into your routine to implement your thoughts and ideas. I had so many things planned in my head, but I haven’t acted on them. Okay. And because I wasn’t sure, I always. Had confidence in me, but I didn’t have enough confidence to fully act on those ideas. Maybe laziness, lack of discipline, lack of knowledge, how to navigate things. But yeah, oneiga did somebody come into your life to help you with the confidence? Did you ask people, how did that work out to get that? Because, listen, I have a lot of Russian friends here in South Florida. A lot. I probably hang out with, like, 20 okay that are Russian. And they all have these stories of coming over to the States and whatnot. I mean, there’s opportunity here, whatever, but they all have really good stories. Who is the person that you look back and say, this person was really key and instrumental to helping me get to where I am now? That’s an amazing question, and it might be a little bit story. Sad side. Okay. If you don’t mind telling it, I’d love to hear. Yeah, definitely. It ended very happily. So it was my father, actually, and when I was growing up, my father is very dominant person. Okay. He set his rules, and everybody needs to follow. Everybody followed. Bite me. Right. So since the childhood, we had very tense relationships. You’re a little bit of a rebel. Yeah, I am. Too much of a rebel for him. Me too. Me too. Got you. Yeah. And since I guess age of when I graduated high school, I was kind of making money for myself because I told that I will not take money, family dollars or tinga. Wow. Because I didn’t want to follow his rules. Okay. And I told him that I can make it on my own. Okay. And I did. And that was my North Star that I need to prove him wrong, that I cannot live without his support. But we kind of built our relationship up, so we are, like, best friends right now. You sound like he dad. Oh, my God. Yeah. He was the person who made me strong because I didn’t have a chance but to prove him wrong. Right. You wanted to be like, my dad was the same way. He worked in automotive, right? Like, building cars. And when I wanted to be entrepreneur and stuff, he’s like, no, that’s not the way to go. And then my whole time was, dad, you’re wrong. Watch me. And I did become successful, but then I lost everything at one time. Right. But the one person that was there for me when I lost everything was my dad. And then. Saw that I had the gumption or the ability to build something, he’s like, go back and build it. You know what I’m saying? He was like, I got him on my side and now we’re best friends. I’m 51 and he’s in his seventy s and we talk all the time, you know what I’m saying? So that’s awesome. So how do you want your dash? Remember that little line in between your incarnation date and your expiration date, your life date and death date? You know how tombstones has that little line in between when you’re born and when you’re dead? Hopefully it’s way down the road. But how does Omega want her dash remembered? How do you want to be remembered on this earth? I’m trying to recall that phrase, but we are all crazy here or weird want. I do. I want people to remember me as edgy person who was always fair and stand my ground. So I don’t want to be like everyone. So we all met here. So anyhow, I want people to remember the ageness and fairness in me that I never stopped dreaming and acting love. That you take action on everything and you’ve ended a few of the answers with taking action. And listen, you don’t graduate there and then come to the US or any other country where you’re going to without taking scariest shit. I mean, come on, let’s think about what it is. A lot of my Russian friends, they’ve talked about hey man, I moved here by myself. I lived in boarding houses and rooms with people. Hell of a know. That’s just awesome. I applaud you. This is beautiful. So what do you think people misunderstand the most about Omega? About you? That is an amazing question. As you can see, my parents gifted me a good. Look. Yeah, I’ll give you that. I’ll give you that. It’s my parents, okay? And sometimes people mistake good look with smartness and knowledge and expertise. Right? I am 35. I look younger. You do. I’ll give you that. Yes. Especially even back home and here in the south, people can misunderstand. My look is what I bring to the table. Yeah. And usually it takes sometimes a couple of days, sometimes couple of minutes to show that I am not a look. I am the value I bring. Right. You’re not just a hot chick. You have value that you’re bringing to the table that you can kick ass. Right. Thank you for sharing that. And thank you for being confident, because it didn’t sound arrogant or stuck up the way you said. It is what it is. And I had story which happened to me. I wanted to join General Electric Company. A B company. They didn’t hire me, but when API hired me, it was my first audit. I was 24 years old, in a room of high executives from General Electric who knew that I wanted to work there, right. And at the time, I was blunt. I was young, you were hot. I get it. Yeah. They tried to test me by being a little bit too aggressive with me on the site. Right. So it took me a couple of days to prove that I’m here, not because of the look, but because of my technical knowledge of oil and gas equipment and ways how to make sure that you follow our procedures. I love it. Yes. Sometimes it being on a prettier side is disadvantage versus advantage. It can be. But I’ll tell you what. Every Russian girl that I know is pretty attractive. But they also have an. Edginess to them, right? Every single one. I know now you’re included in that. And they’re like, Listen, we’re business, dude. I don’t care what you’re looking at. Right here is where it matters. I call it this. That six inches in between your temples. I love it. So what is Omega’s definition of a life well lived? It to know that you help people to succeed. Love it. That’s beautiful. Your own success do not make you happy. But seeing others, people succeeding because of you yeah. That is what makes you 100%. You get everything you want in life by helping other people get what they want. You know what I’m saying? It’s just how it is. That’s why my coaching. I have some. Coaches that are. I coach people there at the movies. You see them on big screens. I coach professional athletes and whatnot. But I also love to coach people that I don’t want to say can’t afford me, but that I can give pro bono work to, right? And you see that the sparkle off. And then a couple of years later, they’re running a business and itself. So it’s about give give until it hurts. So know I love that. So, squad, we’re going to take my good friend Oneega Ulinova through our Leveling up lightning round just as soon as we get back from thanking our sponsors and affiliates. Time to shine. Today podcast. Varsity squad. We are back. And One, your team will come to South Florida here, and we’ll hook up for a lunch or something like that and connect. And I can run some of these questions by you in person, but we can talk longer. But today, you got 5 seconds to answer them with no explanations, and they can all be answered that way. You ready to level up? Yes. Onega. What is the best leveling up advice you’ve ever received? To act upon my dreams? Love it. Share one of your personal habits that contributes to your success. Triathlon. Triathlon. Love it. What book really resonated with you the most? That really you look back. I mean, like, man, I’m super glad I read that book. It helped me so much. Edison Vanderland. Love it. That’s a great book, by the way, for business and sales. Beautiful. What’s your most commonly used emoji? When you text? Like, when you window the wink. Love. Gotcha. Do you have nicknames growing up? No. No nicknames. All right. So is there any hidden talent and or superpower that you have that nobody really knows about, that you can share? I can sleep 24 hours. That’s awesome. Beautiful. Chess, checkers or Monopoly? Chess. Chess. Awesome. If you had a headline for your life, what would it be? She lived her dreams. Beautiful. Go to ice cream flavor. I don’t eat ice cream. That’s fine. So let’s build a sandwich. Let’s call it the one the one sandwich. What is on that sandwich? Peanut butter and bread. Peanut butter and bread. Okay. Simple enough. Love it. Is there a favorite charity and or organization you’d like to give your time or money to? Yes. Rotary Club. Rotary Club. Beautiful. Thank you for that. I belong to the Rotary here. Awesome. Last question. What is the best decade of music? Sixty s, seventy s, eighty s or ninety s? Eighty s. Really? Okay, I’m looking at your age. I thought you were going to say ninety s. Okay. No, very cool. Very cool. So much happened in the 80s. It’s crazy music. So that’s really cool. So how can we find Jonega Instagram, LinkedIn, website, email? Okay, yeah, I’ll put those all into the show notes as well. So, Squad, you can find her down there. And I know that you also are offering a complementary analysis. Can you tell us about that? Yeah, definitely. So I will be happy to chat with people who have either hardware or software ideas and provide a no cost consultation to analyze technical or economical feasibility. Meaning if there are technologies which will allow you to develop the product or software within a budget and if there is actually a market opportunity for either hardware or software idea. So you will know exactly what you will. Do and what you will face when you will have a product in your hand and they can find that. Is that okay? If they call it the three one eight, number 731-9573. Beautiful. You can just go to our website and schedule a consultation and just mention that you hear me on this podcast and we will give you all the in depth information you need to prepare yourself. Beautiful. And in squad, that website is Lanpdt.com and that will be down in the show notes as well, so you can find it there. And just make sure you tell oneega that we sent you there as well. Also, I believe you have a pretty big event coming up in October, what’s that about? So, it’s our annual event, it’s called Stack to Market, where we bring Critators, invest buyers and many other people decision makers as well as startups and consumer brand products to meet each other. Hang out with each other and make deals happen. So it will be on October 26 in Louisiana. It will be from four till midnight usually. So we will have speakers, startups, investors, music, live music. It will be technonite food and many other cool stuff. So expecting about 400 people. Okay, we’ll be happy for you to come. Yeah. If you will send a link to our website, you can contact us and we can consider some of the consumer brand products for our grant so we can cover your travel expenses. Is this LA’s event? Is this your event? Yeah, so it’s our sister company. It’s called tech to market. It’s our annual appreciation event, end to the entire community of entrepreneurship. Okay, how do people get an invite to this? Or where can they find. So it’s techtomarket. Net. Okay, so it’s on our website. It will be up and running soon. The event page. Okay, but just a little bit. Heads up. Don’t book anything on October 26. Got it. On Instagram. Or just check our website. Beautiful. And again, that’s lanpdt.com. And then do me one last favor and leave us with one last knowledge nugget we can take with us internalize and take action on. Give us some motivation here. Take your time management. Seriously. Love it. What I mean by that, when you plan your day everybody has 24 hours a day. Yes. And when you plan your big day hour, think on priorities. Within your journey. What is important to you? To generate sales, to generate awareness, followers. Build friendship with other people. Build relationships. Fall in love based on these goals. Plan your day. Love it. Otherwise, time will take over. You. You need to control your you’ll lose it. Yeah, I love it. And Squad, I just had a really fun conversation with Odega here, and she grew up with a father that really kind of held her back a little bit, but she learned the discipline and the fortitude to really push through and really achieve her dreams. And she a product development company, and she’ll help you with the launch and get it to market. Long as you know your why, you have to know your why. And also, you want to begin with the end in mind, knowing that, hey, you’re developing a product, but are you going to be able to market it? Are you going to spend the money to get this patent, get this object done? But are you really going to be able to sell it when you’re starting to work with somebody? Like onega or with oneega? I would love to make a warm introduction to you. Ask them, how complex is the execution going to be? What do you do for me, and what do you expect of me to do? So again, watch. That big mistake that people make that she talked about is, like, not knowing how to market it. So you need to get aligned with, you know, you want to remember that one. Is she’s a fiery person? Edgy know, she’s someone that’s always fair, strong, and suit her ground while she served, and she will know that she helped people succeed. I mean, she’s planting seeds that she’s never going to sit in the shade of. She’s putting things to market that it’s actually just going to kick ass. All right. And make sure you take time management seriously. Everyone has 24 hours in. And prioritize what needs to get done. Whether it’s your personal, private, or business life, make sure that you make the most of each day. And that’s what my friend Omega does. She levels up her health. She levels up her wealth. She’s hungry yet she’s humble. She’s absolutely stunning. She’s earned a varsity letter here at Time to Shine today. Thank you so much for coming on, Omega. I absolutely love your guts, and I hope to collaborate with you in the future, my friend. Sure. Thank. Looking forward to it. All right, talk soon. Bye.

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