Meet Maryna Didenko of MD&Co

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maryna Didenko

Hi Maryna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I came to the USA as a refugee in 2022 right after the war started in Ukraine (evacuation train after being heavily bombed in Kharkiv city) with only a backpack of documents, diplomas of my 2 degrees and a laptop with a hope that I may find some decent job wherever the life will bring me and my son. The first three month we stayed in Warsaw, where i was working as a teacher of English for Ukrainian refugee kids. When the U4U program was opened my sister and her family became sponsors and that’s how we landed up in Cleveland area. She have always been a huge source of support to me. Paradoxical it was that two times i applied for visa to the US (1 -to come to my sister’s wedding and 2-to help her with a newborn, as it happened that Americans have only 3 month maternity leave whereas Ukrainians have 3 years) and was denied, and the main reason stated there was “You don’t have a reason to return to Ukraine” (though I had my family, 2 businesses, a house and cars to come back to. But when there was war we were allowed to enter your country (to my surprise and a relief). Right upon arrival i organized an event in support Ukrainian women and children, as they were the first wave of newcomers. All key and major organizations (USCRI, Global Cleveland, bank (cant name them for certain reasons), Legal Aids, and others covering housing, life, financial sphere, children and jobs) were invited to speak about your country, how to start a new life and what’s the most important what are the differences, as none of us wanted to get into troubles but hoped to get self-sufficiency as soon as possible not to be a financial burden for the country which extended a hand to help and save us. Because of all hardships (financial, professional, personal) i was going through here, as America differs so much in everything, I started a YouTube Chanel with a view to helping them avoiding mistakes i made, and to ease their begging as much as possible. Because I was already doing a lot for my community i was invited first to Rise Together as a Community Navigator and later was proposed to join one of resettlement agencies of Cleveland. My work on YouTube had a great impact on those who were planning to come to the states, as my videos drove them to Cleveland and made them not only to settle in this area, but also to open businesses from small like car workshops to huge like plants. Now i want to enhance those videos by translating them to different languages together with adapting information for different cultures / nations; create new blocks like How to Buy Your First Home in Ohio, Medicine and Disability, How to Open Business, How to Get Education and many more. So if you know anyone who would be interested in sponsoring such video, please connect me, together we will bring so much more to the table of Economy and wellbeing of Ohions.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The main challenges for me were gaps in understanding how everything is working here (that as a person you are less protective than as a business), the diversity of people in terms of cooperating with them (how to behave when a man pulls out a weapon and threatens your child), financial (it may sound ridiculous but your pending operations are so embarrassing; obstacle over obstacle in absolutely every sphere of your life when you cant have anything without a credit history, even to rent an apartment, etc), personal (that in order to get a job you should imagine where your child should be at that moment, and in order to get a waiver for a day care you already have to have a job, but how can you, when you need to go through the interviews first and you have noone you can rely on for babysitting; i can speak hours:)) on this topic). But there were so many more.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Let me tell you one story, which i think will answer all the questions you asked.

As I mentioned i create videos for immigrants coming to the states and willing not only to leave all those horrors of their reality in the past but also to start their life here in states and to reach independency and prosperity as fast as possible. So those videos are serving people as instructions, step-by-step plans, with all necessary reliable contacts, places and organizations they could come for help and rebuilding of their lives. I always mentioned all resources under the video never saying that i am working in one of those resettlement agencies, never saying which of mentioned organizations helped me in creating those videos (as sometimes it was needed from 6 to 9 months just to approve material by all departments and it was taken a decision not to mention who i am and who was helping me in creating material).

So once, I had to replace my coworker of a resettlement agency, as he wasn’t able to take his clients. That was a family from Ukraine. Imagine the following: I am welcoming them in the country, introduce myself and then the woman looks at me and repeats my name. Than she jumps, saying “Oh my God, that’s you!!! You are Maryna Didenko, we came to Cleveland because of your videos. It seemed to be the only place where there was full information about the city, and very precise plan on how to meet all needs for a fresh start!!! ”

This was not the only case, and as a result i was nicknamed “Celebrity Case Manager”.

Later I partnered with organization who helped with documents for my people to settle here, and my video instructions served them as a Plan of Action to getting their self-sufficiency.

People from Internet were reaching out to me, because I have already established a huge trust, as I knew all organizations that could help them find answers to all their questions, to restore their professional, personal and emotional well being.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
For networking purposes i would advice be bald (this country is full of possibilities for those who are not only dreamers but also action-takers) and also visit such huge and impactful networks as 30Under30 Forbes, which i visited recently and will go there next year in Columbus, it not only gives you inspiration but also new prospectives, trustworthy and high level professional opinions, and of course expand your network among other bold and successful people and business.

In terms of choosing a mentor, first look at this person whether his desire to help you is as powerful as yours to learn. Second, always have two: one – for overseeing the whole picture, a constant mentor; and the other one – a narrow field specialist, who will be mentoring you on the direction you lack knowledge right now most of all.

Pricing:

• Think from the prospective not how much the client is ready to pay you, but how much time and effort you are putting into it and divide by 8 hours

Contact Info:

• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marinadidenkoandco
• Other: https://hihello.me/p/757e0019-814f-4185-9261-8b97ac5e0c6d