Leadership is a journey filled with challenges, milestones, and growth. Alina Famenok, CEO of Already Media, has led the company from a small team of 13 people to an international business with nearly 300 employees. In this exclusive interview, Alina shares her personal leadership philosophy, reflects on key moments in the company’s history, and offers insights into building a strong corporate culture and team. From scaling operations to navigating the complexities of global markets, this conversation provides a glimpse into the strategies and principles that have driven her success as a leader.

You’ve likely observed how other CEOs lead their companies and the results they achieve. Can you share what makes your leadership style unique? How did you develop it?

My unique approach lies in striving to be not just a leader but also a partner to my team. I firmly believe that a company’s success is not solely the result of a CEO’s efforts but the collective contribution of every employee. That’s why my leadership style is built on trust, openness, and collaboration.

I arrived at this through personal experience—experimenting with various approaches, observing others, and, of course, learning from my mistakes. Early on, I thought a leader had to be strict, maintain full control, and always stay “above” the processes. But over time, I realized that wasn’t my path. When you show your team that you value their opinions, embrace their ideas, and share your own, you achieve much more.

I’d describe my style as “flexible”: sometimes I guide and support, and other times I simply trust and step back. This approach allows me to stay informed about all processes without becoming a micromanager. I believe the key is maintaining a balance between control and freedom.

In short, my “secret” is people and the ability to truly listen to them. When you invest in your team’s growth, they reciprocate with engagement and results.

Can you name the key milestones in your growth as the leader of Already Media? Dates in the company’s history, successful moments you contributed to.

Over nearly five years with the company, there have been countless significant events, but some stand out as particularly memorable. These moments were pivotal in my growth as a leader and milestones in Already Media’s history. Here are a few of them:

These milestones are not just chapters in the company’s history; they are personal growth points for me. They have shaped me as a leader and taught me to value every victory, big or small.

Were there times when you had to change your management approaches, learn something new, or completely relearn in a certain direction?

Yes, there were such moments, and more than once. Leadership is a constant journey of growth, and the more you work, the more you realize that what worked yesterday might already be ineffective today.

One key moment was scaling the team. When I joined the company, there were only 13 of us, and I could make decisions personally, knowing every employee and all the processes. But as the team began to grow, I had to learn to delegate, trust, and build structure. This wasn’t easy—initially, I tried to keep everything under control, but over time, I realized that control isn’t about effective management; it’s about limitation.

Another critical moment was managing during a crisis. There were periods when we had to quickly adapt to market changes and rethink established approaches. In such moments, you can’t rely solely on intuition or past experience—you need to explore new strategies, be flexible, and learn to make decisions in uncertain conditions.

And, of course, there’s working with people. Every team member is unique, and I learned that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. I had to understand different types of motivation, develop empathy, and find a balance between achieving results and supporting the team. This is perhaps the most challenging yet rewarding part of the job.

Overall, being a leader isn’t about “knowing everything”; it’s about being willing to learn and adapt every day. And in that lies both the greatest satisfaction and the challenge of this role.

What challenges did you face as a CEO when entering the global market?

Entering the global market required us to reevaluate internal processes to meet new standards and work at an entirely different pace. The hardest part was shifting my mindset—to think on a larger scale, considering not just immediate tasks but also long-term prospects in a global context.

At the same time, one of the most significant challenges was maintaining a balance between the company’s rapid growth and preserving its internal culture, which has always been a top priority for me.

How do you structure communication within the team? What tools or principles do you use to maintain a balance between efficiency and cohesion?

Honestly, there’s nothing extraordinary—we build communication on clear and proven principles. First, we have a well-defined structure and clear distribution of responsibilities. Everyone knows their tasks and goals, but we’re always ready to support one another when needed. This helps maintain a balance between efficiency and team spirit.

In terms of tools, we use PeopleForce as our HRM system to manage employees and processes, Confluence for organizing internal knowledge and information storage, Slack for daily communication, and Jira and Notion for task management. We also hold regular team calls and quarterly large-scale meetings to synchronize and review results.

Informal communication is equally important. Even small online team-building activities, memes in chats, or casual conversations help foster cohesion, especially since a significant part of our team works remotely.

Do you think corporate culture plays a role in the overall success of a company? Has it changed as the company has grown?

Corporate culture plays a tremendous role in a company’s success. It’s more than just rules or values—it’s what unites people and creates an environment where they want to work and achieve results. Without a strong culture, it’s hard to retain talented individuals and build long-term relationships within the team.

As the company has grown, our culture has naturally evolved. When there were just 13 of us, everything was simpler—communication happened organically, and everyone knew each other personally. But as the team expanded to hundreds, we had to consciously shape the culture: define our values, establish rituals, and implement processes to maintain cohesion.

What’s most important to me is preserving the core elements: respect, support, and openness within the team. Even now, as we’ve grown into a large holding, I see how essential it is to remain flexible so the culture can adapt to changes while staying true to its foundation. A strong corporate culture is the cornerstone of any sustainable growth.

Employee turnover, including both junior staff and C-level specialists, is always a challenge. How do you motivate employees in the long term?

Long-term employee motivation is always a balance of material and non-material factors. We strive to take a holistic approach, considering the diverse needs and interests of our team.

Professional Development. We offer opportunities for growth: training, participation in exciting projects, and increasing responsibilities. It’s important for everyone to see a clear path for advancement within the company and understand how their work contributes to overall success.

Transparency and Engagement. We make an effort to keep employees informed about what’s happening in the company by sharing plans, results, and discussing goals. When people understand the direction we’re heading and why, they feel part of something greater.

Recognition and Support. A simple “thank you” or acknowledgment of achievements can go a long way. We make it a priority to celebrate successes, whether individual accomplishments or team efforts.

Work Environment and Culture. We ensure employees feel comfortable, whether they’re working in the office or remotely. This includes creating supportive working conditions as well as fostering informal communication to relieve stress and strengthen team spirit.

Financial Motivation. Naturally, salaries, bonuses, and other material incentives remain key elements. We strive to stay competitive in the market so that employees know their efforts are valued.

Ultimately, long-term motivation isn’t just about money or career advancement—it’s about creating an environment where people feel engaged and comfortable working, where they know their contributions are valued and meaningful.

Conclusion

As Alina Famenok’s journey demonstrates, effective leadership is not about perfection but about adaptability, collaboration, and vision. Her commitment to empowering her team and fostering a strong corporate culture has been instrumental in Already Media’s remarkable growth. This interview serves as an inspiring reminder that true leadership is about balancing ambition with empathy, strategy with innovation, and progress with a shared purpose.