In the words of entrepreneur Natalia Vysotska: ‘Many people believed in me, but the idea itself had to be defended constantly. It’s hard for people to believe in something that doesn’t exist yet’

*The article contains descriptions of traumatic events. If you are sensitive to such topics, please proceed with caution.

During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Russian missile struck the house where Natalia’s grandmother lived and where her father was staying that day while caring for her. Natalia’s father was killed along with almost all the other residents of the house. Only Natalia’s grandmother survived.

While caring for immobile relatives and taking shelter in a basement during the occupation of the Chernihiv region, Natalia Vysotska and her husband conceived the idea for their business. This occurred at a time when both people and their pets were in desperate need of food. About the war challenges and the development of her own business — read the story of Natalia Vysotska.

‘I was born into a family of entrepreneurs. When I worked as an employee, a marketing specialist, I always had the feeling that I would 100% have my own business someday! But when? With what money? It seemed so difficult. I couldn’t even save for a vacation, let alone start a business.

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, I realized that I had lost my job in that moment. During the first week of the war, all I wanted was to survive. And then, on March 3, 2022, a Russian missile struck my grandmother’s house, killing my father. It’s hard for me to talk about this, so I need to take pauses… I’m a strong person, and many of my friends, colleagues, and peers have told me that no one else could have endured such a loss the way I did. Of course, it hurts.

When my father passed away, it gave me a sort of push. I realized that the same thing could happen to me. In just a moment — there was a person, with dreams and plans, and then suddenly, they’re gone. This thought propelled me to consider: "If not now, then maybe never", I remember lying at night in the bomb shelter, among other people, mostly elderly who also couldn’t leave. I had plenty of time to think: what do we want, and what should we do next? The idea for creating dog treats was sparked by the need to feed our dogs. The idea was to create ready-to-use meal kits for dogs with a long shelf life and easy preparation.

In April, after the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Chernihiv Oblast, pushed back Russian troops, and lifted the blockade, I seriously started considering this idea. We began searching for suppliers. Honestly, many people believed in me, but the idea itself had to be defended constantly. It’s hard for people to believe in something that doesn’t exist yet.

Initially, we operated on a very small scale because people didn’t fully understand our product. In 2022, we purchased our first dehydrator and started drying treats. Later — the demand was overwhelming, and we struggled to meet our clients’ needs. Over time, we’ve gradually developed the market, and while similar products are now beginning to appear, back then, we created everything from scratch, as no established technology existed.

We won a grant for business development from NGO ‘National Network of Local Philanthropy' with the support of UN Women in Ukraine and funded by the UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). Honestly, it was an incredible grant from the fund! We were able to purchase a full range of equipment and utensils all at once. We established a dedicated confectionery workshop where we produce cookies and plan to create croissants for dogs. This grant provided us with crucial support.

My dream is to scale our production, and I’m thrilled that we’ve developed ideas that set trends. My dream is to expand our production to the point where I can employ my entire family. My husband and I dream that when we have children, they’ll be able to work in various roles within the company to explore their interests and discover what they truly want in life’.

Read the full story: https://www.shemade.marieclaire.ua/en/portfolio/natalia-vysotska-dog-treats-production-myas-myas/

The project 'She Made: discovery & recovery of Ukraine' was created by Marie Claire Business Ukraine and UN Women Ukraine funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). WPHF mobilizes critical support for local and grassroots civil society organizations working on women, peace and security and humanitarian action. WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.

This publication is produced with funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), however, the views expressed and content included does not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

Photos: UN Women Ukraine/Nadiia Berska