E452: Running an Ecommerce Agency in Ukraine Amid The Invasion

Mike talks to Paul Okhrem, the co-founder of a global ecommerce consultancy company in Ukraine, on what it's like to maintain operations even amid the escalating conflict.   What's happening in Ukraine is heartbreaking. Who would've thought that an invasion could happen even in the 21st century?   I figured the least we can do is provide a platform to shed some light on the situation there from a local's perspective, which is why we have Paul Okhrem on the podcast.    Paul is the COO and co-founder of Elogic Commerce, a consultancy company with offices in Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe.   In our conversation, Paul shares his firsthand account on the situation in Ukraine, Elogic's emergency response, and how the invasion affected the ecommerce industry there.   Timestamps:  Intro - 0:00 Elogic's response when news of the invasion broke - 1:51 The resilience of the Ukrainians - 8:28 How Elogic's clients reacted - 9:53 The IT talent in Eastern Europe - 10:48 Ukraine's progress over Russia - 11:53 How the invasion affected Rozetka, Amazon's Ukrainian counterpart - 13:41 The importance of having a contingency plan - 15:46 Elogic's services - 19:47 Elogic's clients - 20:05 Ukraine's ecommerce industry - 20:48 How to reach out to Elogic - 22:51 Standing with Ukraine - 23:57   Paul, thank you for taking the time to be on the podcast and sharing your experience with us. We hope to hear good news soon. Stay safe and keep in touch.    For more information about Elogic's services, you can visit their website. If you just want to learn more about ecommerce, you can check out their blog.   As usual, don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes if you enjoy our podcast. Happy selling and we'll see you in the next one!