Nadia discussing the core principles of a minimalist startup at a Founders Space event Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Nadia Bukina Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Story
By Daria Fominykh
If you're reading this, you're likely one of the adventurous and driven individuals who have come to Hangzhou to explore and develop. For you, then, the entrepreneurial journey of Kazakhstani girl Nadia Bukina might be a truly motivational.
From L'Oreal manager to CEO
Nadia's career begins in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where until 2017, she resided and worked as a marketing manager at L'Oreal Kazakhstan, a division of a renowned multinational cosmetic and beauty company. Fast forward three years, her story took a bold turn as she embarked on a daring journey, founding SanQ Marketing, a communications company in Hangzhou. Since then, the company has evolved from consulting small and medium-sized businesses on enhancing their social media presence to formulating comprehensive strategies for larger international companies.
"At the heart of SanQ Marketing lies a fundamental concept — bridging the cultural gap and showcasing Chinese brands beyond the stereotype of mere imitations or products found on AliExpress. There's so much more to it and the degree of innovations that come with each product is just astonishing", shared Nadia. Presently, her team excels in elevating follower counts by tens of thousands for major Chinese brands on foreign social media platforms. The journey to this achievement is not a short story, but one filled with strategic insights and dedication.
Like it or not, development opportunities emerge from frustration sometimes, and it is when actions should be taken. "When working at L'Oreal, I was always travelling more or less the same path from my home to the office. Once I asked myself: is this gonna be it? Will my life follow a conventional route of moving up the corporate ladder and establishing family?" – Nadia was not yet ready to settle down. Remarkably, she turned the distressing thoughts in the right direction and decided to explore the world.
With a bachelor's degree in Economics and Finance, coupled with over two years of hands-on experience in her field of passion, Nadia ventured to Hangzhou to pursue her master's in Applied Economics at Hangzhou Dianzi University. Upon her arrival in China, her immediate feeling was, "I want to explore and see what possibilities await me here!"
Cultural differences excite her
Everybody knows that moving to a foreign country is not a piece of cake as one is going to face cultural differences, language barriers and plenty of other 'symptoms' of adaptation that can make someone quite anxious. Interestingly, the cultural distinctions sparked a sense of professional excitement in Nadia. Observing the distinctive nature of marketing in China, she realized that she could stay here to create something new and introduce a fresh perspective on international marketing to local brands.
"What Chinese people watch, how they consume information and shop, all these echo in the way people do marketing here. And it is very different from how people are doing marketing overseas. In China, it is more product-oriented", shared Nadia. Here, the superiority and qualities of a product are emphasised straightforwardly: "This phone has a battery that can run for 18 hours without charging and a super-duper camera—buy it NOW, NOW, NOW!", explained Nadia in a lighthearted manner, without passing judgment. While in L'Oreal, it was all about crafting stories, empowering the customer to feel better about themselves and making women feel comfortable in their skin.
People surrounding you matter
Initially, Nadia planned to work for a company in Hangzhou, and she believes she wouldn't have ventured into starting a company if she hadn't discovered the inspiring communities of entrepreneurs (such as Founders Space, Founders Breakfast, Hangzhou Networking Community, SheUp Community), along with the realization that Hangzhou's policies are friendly for international founders. "The people who surround you will dictate who you become in 5 years," Nadia emphasized, and it turned out to be quite true in her case.
Was she afraid of potential failure or the challenges that lay ahead? Undoubtedly, she might have experienced some apprehension. Yet, at the end of the day, our fears often revolve around hypothetical scenarios with a small chance of happening. With this mindset, several months before graduation, she made up her mind.
Brought up to be an achiever
The initial stages of an entrepreneurial journey demand a founder to be exceptionally proactive. Fortunately, Nadia was ingrained with a proactive mindset from early on. "My parents worked tirelessly, thus they brought us (Nadia and her younger sister) to be also hard-working, intelligent, and striving for better always," reminisced Nadia. Her passion for her work, communicative abilities, excellent management skills, self-discipline, and a host of other competencies acquired through diligent studies and work experiences have proved invaluable.
Networking, reaching potential clients, presenting services at events, staying in touch with potential clients, and finally securing first significant customers, these and many other efforts are more than a simple secret of Nadia's success, they embody wholehearted commitment and profound expertise. Jenny, the director of Founders Space Hangzhou, where SanQ is incubated, also mentioned that Nadia "has not only creative ideas but also a practical company operation strategy." In Nov 2023, Nadia was invited as a roundtable panelist to discuss the core principles of a minimalist startup with Steve Hoffman and was praised by him as "one of the most potential entrepreneurs."
Earnestness makes partnerships lasting
There's another distinctive aspect to Nadia's personality and her company—earnestness. This sincerity extends to how she treats people, including her clients. She emphasizes the importance of delivering and holding all information transparently, considering it crucial to establish trust with clients. According to Nadia, showcasing high-quality work and mutual trust form the foundation for fruitful and lasting partnerships. Nevertheless, it was when she gained a good reputation that she was introduced to other companies seeking her services.
Nadia holds a wealth of knowledge and experience in marketing and company management, too extensive to cover entirely. Fortunately, Nadia is always open to sharing her insights with others. In 2024, she is planning the creation of educational programs and offline training sessions to empower small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to educate their teams and enhance their skills to excel on social media.