"Got an idea? Turn it into a thing and test it quickly" with Natalya Permyakova

Natalya Permyakova is a strategist, innovator, and founder of Life Startup. She spent years working with CEOs of global organisations helping them prepare for the future and achieve growth. She now does the same - but for individuals, helping them realise their full potential and live their dream life. As a founder of Life Startup, Natalya and her team are on a mission to make the world more fulfilled, guiding, and inspiring ambitious and daring people to pave their own path and reach their full potential in the new world. 

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I have gone a long way all the way from a Russian city called Ufa, where I was born, to working side by side with the CEOs of global organisations as a strategy consultant in London. In September 2019 I decided to live life on my terms and left my corporate career to become a digital nomad, combining my passion for travels with working remotely.

I spent a few months travelling, certifying as a yoga teacher in Thailand and as I was stranded in Seoul, South Korea in March 2020, I decided to use my time wisely and build a company. This is how I became a first-time founder.  

What inspired you to start your business?

The idea to launch Life Startup evolved over time, as all pieces of the puzzle were coming together. I spent years advising CEOs of large companies on growth strategies and was stunned by how individuals don’t take as nearly a rigorous approach to their life. I wanted to change that. I created a set of tools to help people navigate what’s coming and all the new work, life and relationship models in a structured way to figure out how to make the most of their future and life.

This is how Life Startup was born, as a next-generation personal development space for those who want to be chefs, not just cook, and for those, who have what it takes to pave their own path. At Life Startup, we call them trailblazers. 

Where is your business based?

Life Startup is a truly borderless business – we serve clients all over the world and our team is also truly global. The company is registered in Estonia, with the famous e-Residency program, that allows you to run a company entirely remotely, without ever having to step your foot in Estonia. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I did a lot of research and experimentation. The research really helped me empathize with the potential users and understand their pain points. It also allowed to see the gaps in the industry that I can creatively fill. The experimentation helped to quickly put ideas into practice and test what works.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

It is a little bit of everything. There are certain things you can’t not do, like social media, for instance. But my marketing strategy is underpinned by strong thought leadership and high-quality content. In the end, I found that delivering an excellent service that speaks to customers’ hearts is the best way to turn them into the advocates of your brands, and what can be more effective than that, right? 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Being a founder means you must do a lot without seeing many rewards for quite some time. It can be demotivating and emotionally draining. I found that celebrating even the smallest things can give you a great energy boost – a new customer, a feature in a magazine, someone sending you a message that what you do matters – all that is a great cause for celebration! 

How do you stay focused?

I set three key objectives every month and stick to those. When I do weekly planning, I set the top three objectives for a week as well. Then I plan my days according to that – it works wonders! 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

By being authentic and having a unique voice and perspective. At Life Startup we call ourselves trailblazers – which means we are not afraid to challenge the norms and that requires a lot of courage. Not many people can do that – sticking to what you believe in despite what society wants, having the courage to openly talk about it, and, most importantly, walking the talk.  

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

High-quality content really helped us boost website ranking with Google. We managed to get to top results in under 4 months by focusing on the right long-tail keywords and writing about the topics that are relevant to our readers.  

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

At Life Startup, we always advise taking a bias towards an action approach to designing your dream life. The same applies to entrepreneurship – you can think things through a million times - do not. Got an idea? Turn it into a thing and test it quickly. This way you will get to the right answer much quicker.  

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite book these days is ‘100-year life’ by Lynda Grattan and Andrew Scott. Most of us in the developed world will live until 100 years old and longer. This changes everything – how we build our careers, how we do financial planning, our relationships and so much more.

This book has played a huge role in how we at Life Startup help clients prepare for the future and make sure they make the most of this new 100-year life. 

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I love Slack, it helps me stay connected to my team that is based all over the world – from Keya and New Zealand to Tokyo and Brazil.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Bill Gates is the first figure that came to mind. Not so much for the work he’s done at Microsoft (although that’s impressive too). But more so for the social impact, he is driving with all the other global initiatives through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  

I am a huge advocate of conscious leadership, meaning that when you are in a position of power and have access to resources, it’s your responsibility to elevate others and help them achieve new heights too, beyond solely commercial interests.

How do you balance work and life?

I am strict with my weekends. I book them out in my calendar so no one can put a meeting in. I close my laptop on Friday and open it on Monday. Weekends are for friends, families, and hobbies, non-negotiable.  

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Yoga and breathing. I am also a private yoga teacher and the founder of Maison Zen. Yoga is what helps me rebalance and stay connected to my mind and body. 

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We are working on developing a digital product for our signature program Life Strategy. It is a very popular program developed to help ambitious people design a life that is just right for them. Because the program is so popular, we want to make it accessible to more people, and what is a better way to scale a product than creating a self-guided digital version? So, we are working on that, exciting times! 

How can our readers connect with you?

You can check out Life Startup and book a session at www.yourlifestartup.com. To stay up to date with what is happening with me and Life Startup, follow us at @yourlifestartup on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter