Scaling Success: Insights from Herbalife Nutrition Director Yulia Voitovich on Teamwork, Life Principles, and Family Time

Scaling Success: Insights from Yulia Voitovich

What does it mean to be a successful businesswoman? Is there such a thing as luck, or is it a series of well-thought-out actions that eventually lead to what we call fortune? Yulia Voitovich, the Director of Herbalife Nutrition in Belarus, shared her insights with our magazine on building a productive team, her life principles, and how she spends time with her family.

Love in Business

“Yulia, how can one build a productive team and enhance its efficiency?”

“I would highlight several criteria that can work in any team. First, setting clear goals and objectives. From my perspective, it’s always important to ensure that the task is understood correctly by the employee after it’s assigned. There should always be feedback.”

“Second, relationships. We spend a significant amount of time at work, so it’s essential to build relationships that make people enjoy and feel comfortable in their work environment. There should be trust and an understanding that each employee brings a certain value.”

“In my view, communication is one of the key factors in improving the efficiency of any organization. We should share the same information, stay connected, and be able to replace each other when necessary.”

Conflict Resolution

“How do you handle conflict or controversial situations?”

“There have been almost no conflict situations in my life. If an employee actively and reasonably starts defending their point of view and insists on it being accepted, I, as a manager, try to understand the interested party. Most often, controversial issues are resolved by involving the interested parties. There is no place for emotions here. In any company, they should be minimized. Conflict leads to nothing, so everything should be resolved peacefully.”

Life Principles

“I believe you have certain principles in life. Can you name them?”

“The principle of mutual understanding and love. A good person once told me: ‘Love should grow stronger over the years.’ At that time, I couldn’t understand how love could grow stronger over the years. But now, observing people’s relationships, including at work, I realize that it should be this way. Mutual assistance is what characterizes our company; we help each other. Our Independent Partners always share their experiences with others and, importantly, visit orphanages, help with products, organize holidays, and do it wholeheartedly. If I were to summarize all my values, they would be based on the phrase: ‘Treat others as you want to be treated.'”

Herbalife Nutrition Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle

Herbalife Nutrition promotes a healthy lifestyle. For example, in September 2018, the Minsk Half Marathon took place, with the company as the wellness partner. The Minsk Half Marathon attracted around 35,000 participants from 53 countries, including 480 Independent Partners of Herbalife Nutrition. The warm-up for the marathon participants was led by a Ukrainian athlete, a bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and a fitness expert at Herbalife Nutrition in Belarus, Elena Govorova.

The Formula for Luck

“Everyone has their own idea of success. What does success mean to you?”

“If we consider the success of a company, such as increased sales, it is not achieved in one step or one moment. I wouldn’t limit the concept of ‘success’ to ‘fame.’ For me, success is the achieved goals of loved ones, close people, our Independent Partners, and clients. It’s pleasant when, at events, Independent Partners share how they started feeling better, how their lives have changed… Personal stories bring us closer and unite us. Thanks to the work of each person, the lives of others become much better, and this is what can be considered success.”

Is There Luck in Life?

“Is there a place for luck or a random set of circumstances in your life?”

“Yes, I am a lucky person. And my loved ones tell me this. Although I don’t think that I’m ‘just lucky.’ I don’t see luck as a coincidence. I think there is a pattern in life caused by our thoughts and actions. I take certain steps that later lead to the desired situation. Despite all the ups and downs, I still tell myself: ‘I am happy,’ ‘I am lucky,’ ‘I have many opportunities’… A chance is given to lead us to something more significant.”

Building Contacts in the Business World

“Yulia, what helps you, as a woman, establish contact with men in the business sphere?”

“I have never experienced pressure from men or felt discomfort at work. Only professionalism helps establish contact. You can’t win people over in business with just a smile and a good mood. You must deeply understand the issue and always anticipate alternative scenarios. And when you are prepared for them, nothing is unexpected for you; you have a script and knowledge of where to go.”

Herbalife Nutrition Products

Herbalife Nutrition products are distributed through Independent Partners who consult clients on proper and balanced nutrition.

“We Make the World Healthier and Happier”

“How do you ‘reboot’ yourself and cope with emotional burnout? Please give some advice.”

“Honestly, I have never experienced emotional burnout. I don’t understand people who say they have depression. Undoubtedly, there have been periods of distress, failures, and setbacks. But as they say: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ Offense, pain, irritation are temporary feelings. And when these emotions arose, I wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible because they are destructive. An important point is to be able to switch and try to get out of the situation with the help of literature, loved ones, or even, if someone prefers, professional psychologists. Don’t dwell on negative factors because, over time, they will seem not so scary and may even fade from memory if you manage to quickly replace them with something good.”

“How do I ‘reboot’? Self-development, change of environment, reading, or sports help me. If I have the opportunity, I travel. I can go to karaoke with friends – it’s very relaxing! In a friendly team, singing is always easy!”

Beauty Secrets

“Please share your beauty secrets with our readers.”

“The most important things are nutrition and sports. As for balanced nutrition, Herbalife Nutrition helps me with this. For breakfast, I have a protein shake ‘Formula 1’ – a source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Protein bars are great for snacks. I realized that the product ‘works’! I always feel good and have enough energy. Calcium, fish oil, and other dietary supplements are part of my daily diet. You understand that your lifestyle changes when you consume the product and experience its effects on yourself.”

Family Time

“Yulia, tell us about how you spend time with your family. How do you relax?”

“Circumstances were such that I went to work when the children were very young and required my attention. I worried and turned to a psychologist for help. He advised me to play with the children for 15-20 minutes every evening, putting aside all my worries. Now the sons are already adults. Literally before the New Year, my son came up to me and said: ‘Thank you for being there. You are the best.'”

“When difficulties arise, the children support me. I don’t pressure them and don’t try to impose my opinion, although I express it. Every year, the whole family went on vacation, except for the last few years. Last year, everything happened spontaneously: we got in the car and drove to a friend in Italy. I was generally surprised that the sons gave in to my adventure (laughs).”