Hiring employees abroad is one of the biggest operational challenges in international expansion, and most companies get it wrong from day one.

In this episode, executive search expert Andriy Strekhaliuk shares a full international hiring strategy.

Andriy is the founder of Astra Plus and brings 14+ years of experience in global recruitment, including senior roles at DuPont EMEA and Mondelez International across 11 countries.

What you'll learn:

The #1 mistake companies make when hiring in a foreign country

How to build your employer value proposition when no one knows your brand

EOR (Employer of Record) vs. freelancer vs. legal entity, which model to use

The €45,000 legal trap when misclassifying foreign employees

How to benchmark international salaries (Mercer, Hays, Glassdoor, local boards)

How to localise, not just translate, your job descriptions

90-day onboarding goals and exit strategy planning

Chapters:

00:00 Intro. The cost of a wrong international hire

00:57 Andriy's background: Executive search, DuPont, Mondelez, & Astra+

04:13 Mistake #1: Copying your domestic hiring playbook abroad

05:57 Sales psychology: Treating recruitment as a partnership value proposition

07:31 The Brand-Zero Strategy: Attracting talent when no one knows your company

12:44 Step-by-step roadmap: Internal capacity vs. hiring agencies

18:13 Legal entities vs. Employer of Record (EOR) vs. Freelancers

19:49 The compliance reality: The €45,000 independent contractor risk

20:47 Beyond the offer: Onboarding, cultural adaptation, & 30-60-90 day metrics

24:24 Digital footprint: Localizing JDs and maintaining marketing consistency

26:19 Salary benchmarking: Navigating generic data vs. real-time verification (Mercer, Hays, Glassdoor)

About the guest: Andriy Strekhaliuk is founder and CEO of Astra+ (astraplus.io), an executive search agency specialising in senior and international roles. He is a visiting lecturer at UCU Business School and brings 14+ years of experience in global talent acquisition across technology, FMCG, and industrial sectors.

LinkedIn profiles:

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

Guest, Andriy Strekhaliuk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andriystrekhaliuk/

About Start Global Insights: The podcast for companies looking to expand internationally. Every episode features local experts and global sales leaders sharing actionable insights on market entry, B2B global sales and international business culture.

Don't forget to subscribe for more global business insights.

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

While Part 1 of this series explored the cultural identity of Ukraine, this concluding episode moves directly into the meeting room.

The episode is a practical guide for any international leader ready to close deals and manage successful partnerships in the Ukrainian market.

Host Dmytro Shvets continues his conversation with cross-cultural expert Maryna Starodubska to share practical tips for negotiating in Ukraine. This episode explains how to turn cultural differences into a clear business advantage.

In this episode, we dive into:

00:03:53 - How Ukrainians view written obligations as a mix of fixed rules and flexible frameworks.

00:08:45 - Navigating low-trust environments and the practical steps to build a "trust account."

00:11:38 - Understanding the sequence of deal-making and why the legal agreement follows the personal connection.

00:11:51 - Why decision-makers agree on big-picture principles before managers handle the granular details.

00:14:20 - Managing emotional expression and blunt feedback at the negotiation table.

00:21:09 - How to navigate competitive negotiation styles and frame proposals effectively.

00:26:26 - Why the contract is often seen as a minimum baseline.

00:30:51 - The cultural reasons behind the lack of positive feedback, the fear of "jinxing" success, and the importance of flexible planning.

00:34:49 - Practical advice on decision-maker status, language etiquette, and avoiding regional stereotypes.

Whether you are looking to sell to the Ukrainian market, invest or find a reliable local partner, this episode provides the insights necessary to build resilient and productive business relationships.

About the Guest: Maryna Starodubska is a cross-cultural interaction consultant and adjunct professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School. She has over 20 years of experience in employee relations, culture, reputation management, and crisis communication. She is the author of Understanding Ukrainians: Cross-Cultural Dimensions.

LinkedIn profiles:

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

Guest, Maryna Starodubska: https://www.linkedin.com/in/starodubska/

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

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

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/

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

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."

Ready to master Intercultural Communication and adjust your Global Market Entry Strategy? The secret to international business success isn't just your product, it's understanding the global anatomy of trust.

In this episode of Start Global Insights, we sit down with cross-cultural expert and author Maryna Starodubska to decode the subtle, often unseen cultural dimensions that make or break international deals.

In this episode, you will learn:

0:35 - The Anatomy of Trust: Defining generalized trust and the crucial Global Trust Radius -why a high trust score isn't enough for market entry success.

3:37 - Cooperation Format & Time: Understanding which cultures require face-to-face meetings and socialization versus those that allow trust-building via correspondence.

5:19 - Trust Loans vs. Starting at Zero: The difference between "advanced trust" (loaned in Scandinavia/Baltics) and "earned trust" (required in the Middle East/Asia).

6:20 - Power Distance (Rank Sensitivity): Why your Job Title determines who you need to send to the negotiation table, and how transient trust affects successor relationships.

10:20 - Social Norms & Emotion: How cultural factors like hospitality and emotional expression (Neutral vs. Affective cultures) impact your professional credibility.

13:50 - The Minimum Research (3 Key Rules): The three essential cultural dimensions (Trust, Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance) you must check before entering any new market.

17:50 - Five Costly Mistakes: Avoiding common blunders like bluntness, mandated overwork in the EU, and neglecting local expertise in highly competitive markets (like the 50 subcultures of the U.S.).

23:40 - Cost-Benefit Analysis: Why seeking the "easy" market is the wrong strategic move, and the importance of weighing cultural distance against market lucrativeness.

Maryna also reveals the key cross-cultural methodologies (Hofstede, Trompenaars, etc.) that you must research for a successful market entry.

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/

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

Looking to export your food products to Scandinavia? The Swedish food retail market is worth ~ €27 Billion, but it is famous for its concentration: 90% of all sales are dominated by just three major players.

In this essential episode of Start Global Insights, host Dmytro Shvets sits down with Jenny Köpper, CEO of Food Collective and former Category Manager for major Swedish retailers. Jenny shares the insider roadmap for securing product listings and thriving in this highly concentrated market.

You Will Discover:

• The 90% Problem: Why the extreme market concentration dictates your entire sales strategy.
• Price Myth Busted: Why high Swedish shelf prices are a signal of high logistics costs, not high margins, and how this impacts your financial model.
• The Buyer's Mandate: What a stressed Category Manager is actually looking for in a product proposal (and why most cold emails fail).
• The One-Year Rule: Why you must plan for a minimum of 12 months from first contact to first order to succeed in Swedish business culture.
• The Sustainability Test: The non-negotiable role of traceability and sustainability compliance in securing partnerships and private label deals.
• The Margin Calculation: The crucial financial calculation required to ensure your partner earns with you, not without you.

LinkedIn profiles:

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

Guest, Jenny Köpper https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennykopper/

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

Many businesses jump into international markets without doing their homework, which can lead to big mistakes and wasted money. But what if we told you researching new markets isn't just for huge companies?

In this episode of Start Global Insights, host Dmytro Shvets chats with Olga Gvozdyova, a top expert from Ukraine's Entrepreneurship and Expert Promotion office. Olga has tons of experience helping businesses like yours figure out foreign markets and expand internationally. She's here to show you how easy it can be!

This episode is full of sources for your market research.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why doing your homework on new markets is crucial and can actually save you time and money
• A simple way to start your market research, right from your desk.
• The key things to look for when researching a new country
• Where to find reliable and often free information to help you, including government agencies and online tools
• How to pick the best countries to focus on, considering both market potential and what your company is ready for
• Tips for getting real-world insights, like talking to potential customers and partners, and checking out trade shows
• Smart ways to handle all the information you find so you don't feel overwhelmed
• Why market research is an ongoing journey and how it can even help you land new deal

Ready to explore new global opportunities with confidence? Tune in!

LinkedIn profiles:

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

Guest, Olga Gvozdyova https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-gvozdyova/

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

The URL's mentioned in the interview:

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/