As global interest in Ukraine reaches an all-time high, international businesses are looking beyond the headlines to understand the real identity of the nation.

In this first episode of a special two-part mini-series, Dmytro Shvets explores the "frontier culture" of Ukraine with cross-cultural expert Maryna Starodubska. Designed for global businesses looking to navigate the Ukrainian market, this episode moves past the headlines to reveal the core identity of the people you will be doing business with

Key insights from this episode include:

• The Power of Status: Why sending mid-level managers to meet Ukrainian founders often leads to failed negotiations.
• The Trust Gap: Navigating a society with low institutional trust where personal loyalty is the major currency.
• The Frontier Mindset: Understanding why Ukrainians prioritize acting over planning and "needs-based" entrepreneurship over long-term strategy.
• Relationships First, Contracts Second: Why a signed agreement in Ukraine is the culmination of trust, not the beginning of it.
• Managing Uncertainty: Practical advice on breaking long-term strategies into visible, measurable stages.

Whether you are an investor, a consultant, or a business owner looking to enter the Ukrainian market, this episode provides the essential cultural foundation needed to build resilient and productive partnerships.

Coming Soon: Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive deeper into the specific tactics of How to Negotiate with Ukrainian Business People.

About the Guest:

Maryna Starodubska is a cross-cultural interaction consultant and adjunct professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School. She is the author of Understanding Ukrainians: Cross-Cultural Dimensions and specializes  in employees relations, cross-cultural interaction, reputation management and crisis communications.

LinkedIn profiles:

Host, Dmytro Shvets https://www.linkedin.com/in/dshvets/

Guest: Maryna Starodubska, Cross-Cultural Interaction Consultant, Kyiv Mohyla Business School Adjunct Professor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/starodubska/

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Australia is often perceived as a remote market, but for international businesses, it represents one of the most affluent and high-growth opportunities in the world.

In this episode of Start Global Insights, host Dmytro Shvets interviews Marcus Alexander, Managing Partner of Codu Group, to reveal how international brands can break into the Australian market.

What You Will Learn:

• The "Home of Duopolies": Why the Australian retail landscape is dominated by a few massive players and how to navigate them.
• The DIY Goldmine: Why high labor costs for tradespeople drive Australians to do it themselves, creating a massive demand for raw materials and tools.
• 3 Routes to Market: The pros and cons of going direct to retailers, hiring international agents, or finding a local distributor.
• Supply Chain Diversification: Why Australian retailers are actively looking to move away from Chinese dependency and why "Made in Europe" carries a significant price premium.
• Aussie Business Culture: Why a relaxed, partnership-focused "have a go" attitude wins over a formal suit-and-tie pitch.

Timestamps:

03:30 – Overview of the Australian DIY market.

08:00 – 3 Strategies for entering the Australian market.

10:45 – The "Art of the Cold Call" and the element of surprise.

15:00 – Perception of European vs. Chinese quality.

19:40 – Private label vs. own brand entry.

23:50 – Using annual reports to read a retailer's strategy.

26:00 – Navigating Australian business culture.

30:45 – Using Australia as a bridge to New Zealand.

LinkedIn profiles:

Host, Dmytro Shvets https://www.linkedin.com/in/dshvets/

Guest, Marcus Alexander https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-alexander-aa560224/

Listen to Start Global Insights on all major platforms and YouTube. Don't forget to subscribe for more global business insights.

Spotify: https://rebrand.ly/SGISpotifyRSS

Apple podcasts: https://rebrand.ly/SGIAppleRSS

YouTube: https://rebrand.ly/SGIYTRSS

In your browser: https://rebrand.ly/SGISGRSS

Feedback: We value your thoughts. Please leave us a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify or email us at podcast@start-global.biz

Develop your international expansion strategy with Start Global, your guide to foreign markets. Visit us at https://www.start-global.biz/

Stop wasting time on leads that won't close and learn how to navigate the complex stakeholder web to reach the person with overall authority.

In the global market, there is an abundance of clients, but it’s easy to get lost chasing the wrong ones. Most sales teams fall into the "easy to be busy" trap—filling their CRM with activity that never turns into revenue.

In this episode of Start Global Insights, host Dmytro Shvets sits down with Olha Kobrina, Channel Sales Manager at Splunk (a Cisco Company), to reveal how to transition from a "pitchman" to an "intelligence agent."

Olha breaks down the MEDDPICC framework, a high-stakes qualification methodology used to navigate complex B2B stakeholder ecosystems.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Master the MEDDPICC framework to conduct deep deal health checks.
• Identify true Champions who will advocate for you internally.
• Reach the Economic Buyer—the person with ultimate decision authority.
• Quantify real business pain to create budgets even when none existed.
• Prioritize high-value leads effectively within complex B2B ecosystems.

LinkedIn profiles:

Host, Dmytro Shvets https://www.linkedin.com/in/dshvets/

Guest, Olha Kobrina https://www.linkedin.com/in/olha-kobrina-a0954310/

Listen to Start Global Insights on all major platforms and YouTube. Don't forget to subscribe for more global business insights.

Spotify: https://rebrand.ly/SGISpotifyRSS

Apple podcasts: https://rebrand.ly/SGIAppleRSS

YouTube: https://rebrand.ly/SGIYTRSS

In your browser: https://rebrand.ly/SGISGRSS

Feedback: We value your thoughts. Please leave us a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify or email us at podcast@start-global.biz

Develop your international expansion strategy with Start Global, your guide to foreign markets. Visit us at https://www.start-global.biz/

Timestamps:

03:51 – The Need for Qualification: Prioritizing time in a complex stakeholder ecosystem.

05:36 – The Danger of "Interest": Why customer curiosity can drain your resources without a deal.

12:26 – The MEDDPICC Framework: A deep dive into the industry-standard health check for deals.

15:52 – Champion vs. Coach: Distinguishing between an information source and a true internal advocate.

24:42 – Uncovering Real Pain: Moving beyond technical requests to find the underlying business need.

27:41 – The Budget Conversation: How significant business pain creates funding, even when none was planned.

30:52 – The Economic Buyer: Navigating the person with the overall authority to say "yes" or "no."