by Dina Iglikova
How to Bounce Back from Failure and Find Success: Arsen Dlyanchev’s Journey of Risks, Comebacks, and Valuable Lessons.
Arsen Dlyanchev (CELA’16, Uzbekistan) is an example of someone who doesn't give up, no matter how hard things get. Twice facing bankruptcy, he rebounded through hard work, calculated risks, and an irrepressible entrepreneurial spirit. Arsen approaches life's ups and downs with humor and gratitude, inspired by his eternally upbeat grandfather. Arsen's love of family, passion for learning, and commitment to decency anchor him amidst undertaking varied ventures. His story conveys that with inner resilience, human connections, and faith in oneself, no failure needs to be permanent. Arsen is proof that you can come out of hard times even stronger.
I was about two years old when I got upset about something. It was in my grandfather's house. And he was barbecuing shashlik. And he dropped everything and went to ask me for forgiveness. I don't know; I remember some boundless love.
Arsen, tell us about yourself. Where are you from? How did you get started doing what you do now?
I am thirty-nine years old, born in 1984. My father is Azeri, and my mother is Armenian, allowing me to relate in fascinating ways to both sides in CELA. I was an insider among outsiders, an outsider among insiders. I was born in Tashkent and am now married with three daughters.
Creative pursuits have animated my life, although I graduated from university as a railway systems engineer simply because the institution was across the street. However, I was incredibly fortunate that my university had a vibrant *KVN tradition. Two prior teams had become champions of Uzbekistan's premier league before us, and we became the third such champions. The leadership understood and supported comedy.
What was your first entrepreneurial experience?
My first entrepreneurial experience was during summer break before starting university. I opened a pig farm with a friend, quickly learning that piglets have sensitive stomachs prone to burning if fed hot foods, stunting their growth. When we realized we couldn't manage their care alone, we hired a young man needing lodging in exchange for tending the animals. Unfortunately, he caused them gastric distress. Though six months old, they hadn't grown properly and still looked like piglets. At the livestock market, a veterinarian identified our piglets as old from their long fur. So we shaved them and successfully sold the "young" pigs at a small loss - my first lesson in business.
Certainly, selling shaved piglets was unethical. Looking back, I now realize that I was wrong. However, I also consider that I was only 17 years old, and it was my first entrepreneurial attempt. This venture didn't lead me toward a shady path in the long run.
I am thirty-nine years old, born in 1984. My father is Azeri, and my mother is Armenian, allowing me to relate in fascinating ways to both sides in CELA. I was an insider among outsiders, an outsider among insiders. I was born in Tashkent and am now married with three daughters.
Creative pursuits have animated my life, although I graduated from university as a railway systems engineer simply because the institution was across the street. However, I was incredibly fortunate that my university had a vibrant *KVN tradition. Two prior teams had become champions of Uzbekistan's premier league before us, and we became the third such champions. The leadership understood and supported comedy.
What was your first entrepreneurial experience?
My first entrepreneurial experience was during summer break before starting university. I opened a pig farm with a friend, quickly learning that piglets have sensitive stomachs prone to burning if fed hot foods, stunting their growth. When we realized we couldn't manage their care alone, we hired a young man needing lodging in exchange for tending the animals. Unfortunately, he caused them gastric distress. Though six months old, they hadn't grown properly and still looked like piglets. At the livestock market, a veterinarian identified our piglets as old from their long fur. So we shaved them and successfully sold the "young" pigs at a small loss - my first lesson in business.
Certainly, selling shaved piglets was unethical. Looking back, I now realize that I was wrong. However, I also consider that I was only 17 years old, and it was my first entrepreneurial attempt. This venture didn't lead me toward a shady path in the long run.
*KVN is "Club of the Funny and Inventive People" is a Russian and formerly Soviet comedy television show and international competition in which teams—usually composed of college students—compete by giving humorous answers and showing prepared sketches. Since perestroika opened Soviet borders for emigrants, KVN has reached Europe and the U.S.. Many countries created their own teams, leagues, and competitions. One of the prominent KVN players is the current president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
"After three hellish months, I turned to university friends in event planning. In university, I became the best KVN captain in Uzbekistan twice; we performed everywhere with the team. When you're a creative person, writing a script comes very quickly. I said, guys, I can write scripts. They said, but can you host an event? I said, I've done it once in my life, I'm ready, with few options, I was ready to reboot my career".
Arsen Dlyanchev
CELA'16, Uzbekistan
I know that you went bankrupt twice; tell us about that.
Sometime after university, I rapidly ascended to store director at an electronic equipment company. During this successful promotion, I denied myself nothing. But hubris precipitated the disaster. And then, within a week, I had two interesting phone conversations, after which everything collapsed. The first conversation was with my wife. I asked her, what do you think? Is this job my last one? And the second conversation was with my classmate. He told me something about a mutual acquaintance, and I allowed myself to say - look where he is and where I am. And less than a week later, I had nothing.
In Uzbekistan, then, entire businesses could unravel overnight. As tenants, we were punished when our building's owner offended someone powerful. They confiscated half a million in our goods, bankrupting us though we were innocent.
After three hellish months, I turned to university friends in event planning. In university, I became the best KVN captain in Uzbekistan twice; we performed everywhere with the team. When you're a creative person, writing a script comes very quickly. I said, guys, I can write scripts. They said, but can you host an event? I said, I've done it once in my life, I'm ready, with few options, I was ready to reboot my career.
A young woman advised me to study, and I've carried that wisdom since. I took six-month courses at the Uzbek-Japanese Training Center, making connections. Studying has always helped me recover. I later graduated from the Presidential Corporate Governance Program and business courses at Skolkovo, and I am now completing an MBA at AlmaU. I became selective in speech. I recognized that one day, you can have everything, and the next day, you can have nothing.
How do you think you recovered after that bankruptcy?
I confessed everything to my wife and parents, getting moral support. Friends wisely counseled me to refresh my mind through study and seize emerging opportunities despite my failures. Their loyalty and sound advice helped me overcome these tribulations.
Sometime after university, I rapidly ascended to store director at an electronic equipment company. During this successful promotion, I denied myself nothing. But hubris precipitated the disaster. And then, within a week, I had two interesting phone conversations, after which everything collapsed. The first conversation was with my wife. I asked her, what do you think? Is this job my last one? And the second conversation was with my classmate. He told me something about a mutual acquaintance, and I allowed myself to say - look where he is and where I am. And less than a week later, I had nothing.
In Uzbekistan, then, entire businesses could unravel overnight. As tenants, we were punished when our building's owner offended someone powerful. They confiscated half a million in our goods, bankrupting us though we were innocent.
After three hellish months, I turned to university friends in event planning. In university, I became the best KVN captain in Uzbekistan twice; we performed everywhere with the team. When you're a creative person, writing a script comes very quickly. I said, guys, I can write scripts. They said, but can you host an event? I said, I've done it once in my life, I'm ready, with few options, I was ready to reboot my career.
A young woman advised me to study, and I've carried that wisdom since. I took six-month courses at the Uzbek-Japanese Training Center, making connections. Studying has always helped me recover. I later graduated from the Presidential Corporate Governance Program and business courses at Skolkovo, and I am now completing an MBA at AlmaU. I became selective in speech. I recognized that one day, you can have everything, and the next day, you can have nothing.
How do you think you recovered after that bankruptcy?
I confessed everything to my wife and parents, getting moral support. Friends wisely counseled me to refresh my mind through study and seize emerging opportunities despite my failures. Their loyalty and sound advice helped me overcome these tribulations.
If a building becomes architecture, then it is art
What about your current business?
At the moment, we have a company called Unique Present Media Holding. We organize events. We have several event companies divided into segments. This year, we broke our own record. In March, our group of companies held 72 events in one month. We own everything in-house. Our own video production, recording studio, marketing company, design company, creative team, SMM company, PR company, etc. I also have a cleaning company together with Kazakh partners. Also, together with Hikmat Abdurahmanov (CELA’9) and Muzaffar Kasimov (CELA’11), I am a co-founder of TEAM University. We are currently finishing the construction of a small resort with two partners. We completed building a business center. My partner and I also have a duck farm. What else - we even have funeral services.
But I can't say everything is working perfectly. I've come to realize that right now, there aren't enough hands to manage it all. My partners and I decided that we needed to create a management company. We have a school for training managers and twice a year, we graduate specialists. We take the best for ourselves, but graduates of our school have already created 38 companies in Tashkent.
When you say "we," who are you referring to?
The company, my team.
Mostly former KVN members?
In the very beginning, yes. Because they were friends who were willing to work for food because there was nothing else, but then we transformed. We won a grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Uzbekistan and contracted a consulting company that worked with us for a year. They radically changed our composition. People came to us from big international companies, cell phone operators, tobacco companies, etc. Completely different people joined who greatly strengthened the company. Currently, about 120 people work in my events holding. Maybe three or so from KVN. Overall we employ over 800 people.
Considering you operate in various market sectors, how do you manage this diversity?
First, I want to dispel the myth that it's impossible to manage everything. People constantly ask how I do it all. In my opinion, having managing partners is the key algorithm for scaling and running multiple businesses simultaneously. Of the 24 companies in our holding, 10 partners grew from hired employees. It motivates others. Now, we're building a management company because, again, it may be a placebo effect, but I think it will help us manage these projects.
At the moment, we have a company called Unique Present Media Holding. We organize events. We have several event companies divided into segments. This year, we broke our own record. In March, our group of companies held 72 events in one month. We own everything in-house. Our own video production, recording studio, marketing company, design company, creative team, SMM company, PR company, etc. I also have a cleaning company together with Kazakh partners. Also, together with Hikmat Abdurahmanov (CELA’9) and Muzaffar Kasimov (CELA’11), I am a co-founder of TEAM University. We are currently finishing the construction of a small resort with two partners. We completed building a business center. My partner and I also have a duck farm. What else - we even have funeral services.
But I can't say everything is working perfectly. I've come to realize that right now, there aren't enough hands to manage it all. My partners and I decided that we needed to create a management company. We have a school for training managers and twice a year, we graduate specialists. We take the best for ourselves, but graduates of our school have already created 38 companies in Tashkent.
When you say "we," who are you referring to?
The company, my team.
Mostly former KVN members?
In the very beginning, yes. Because they were friends who were willing to work for food because there was nothing else, but then we transformed. We won a grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Uzbekistan and contracted a consulting company that worked with us for a year. They radically changed our composition. People came to us from big international companies, cell phone operators, tobacco companies, etc. Completely different people joined who greatly strengthened the company. Currently, about 120 people work in my events holding. Maybe three or so from KVN. Overall we employ over 800 people.
Considering you operate in various market sectors, how do you manage this diversity?
First, I want to dispel the myth that it's impossible to manage everything. People constantly ask how I do it all. In my opinion, having managing partners is the key algorithm for scaling and running multiple businesses simultaneously. Of the 24 companies in our holding, 10 partners grew from hired employees. It motivates others. Now, we're building a management company because, again, it may be a placebo effect, but I think it will help us manage these projects.
"Anyway, we started landing. I don't see how it looked, but it felt like this - Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The pilot tried to control the plane. I later learned that hydraulics regulate the steering column. When they do not work, it's like driving a truck with no power steering. The pilots barely kept us on the runway, and we landed. The thought it wouldn't happen to us is false. Anything can happen".
Arsen Dlyanchev
CELA'16, Uzbekistan
You mentioned going bankrupt twice; tell us about the second time.
The pandemic hit us incredibly hard. During the pandemic, I sold everything - car, house, dacha. Everything. Just to support the team. The scariest part of the pandemic was not knowing when it would end. When it started, we paid 100% salaries for two months, then 50% for seven more months. Not one top manager left. One person did, but he had another offer. He had only joined us six months before the pandemic, while the rest had been with us for a long time.
Now we have absolutely no turnover. The entire top team has worked together for the last 3-4 years. I have employees who have worked with me for 18 years.
How do you motivate your team?
First, I'm confident there are no situations where an agreement can't be reached. Second, I require everyone, no matter what happens, to not keep it inside. Otherwise, a person can imagine more than reality. Like a snowball effect, discontent grows. Eventually, it's impossible to talk to anyone. You can't let it get to that point.
What lessons have you learned from these experiences? Do they help you?
They help. Each time, the lesson is new. First - choosing partners. Sometimes, you have chemistry with a partner and think they are that person, the missing puzzle piece. And you close your eyes to certain things that aren't spelled out, then collapse ensues. The euphoria disappears, and you're left alone with your problems. A partner is essential, especially one who serves in a management role. If someone entering a partnership says they can do X, Y, or Z, you need to record it all, verify their competencies, and test them continuously.
Second, what happened during the pandemic - was having all eggs in one basket. Before the pandemic, we narrowly focused on services. We're a service company, but who needs a video or event when there's nothing to eat? No one. The first week, we had event cancellations worth $600,000. For nine months, we had zero income. Everything we had earned before I invested back into the company.
Third lesson - listen to smart people. Steve Jobs once asked why you hire competent people just to tell them how to work. When we went through a consulting transformation, a financial manager joined us. I'd never had one in my life. Looking at how we operated, he went gray and started building a system.
I also wanted to share a story about how most people think nothing will happen to them. When I played KVN, returning from Moscow to Tashkent, a captain told us the plane's hydraulics failed, and we had to return to Moscow airport. About 20 minutes before landing, flight attendants started seating us. They said, put on your jacket passport in your left pocket; remove glasses; those with dentures, remove them. Loose ties. No one's was laughing. Approaching Moscow, we saw emergency and fire vehicles lining the runway. We circled, burning fuel. At one point, everyone prayed any way they knew. Not an atheist on that plane, can you imagine?
Anyway, we started landing. I don't see how it looked, but it felt like this - Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The pilot tried to control the plane. I later learned that hydraulics regulate the steering column. When they do not work, it's like driving a truck with no power steering. The pilots barely kept us on the runway, and we landed. The thought it wouldn't happen to us is false. Anything can happen.
The pandemic hit us incredibly hard. During the pandemic, I sold everything - car, house, dacha. Everything. Just to support the team. The scariest part of the pandemic was not knowing when it would end. When it started, we paid 100% salaries for two months, then 50% for seven more months. Not one top manager left. One person did, but he had another offer. He had only joined us six months before the pandemic, while the rest had been with us for a long time.
Now we have absolutely no turnover. The entire top team has worked together for the last 3-4 years. I have employees who have worked with me for 18 years.
How do you motivate your team?
First, I'm confident there are no situations where an agreement can't be reached. Second, I require everyone, no matter what happens, to not keep it inside. Otherwise, a person can imagine more than reality. Like a snowball effect, discontent grows. Eventually, it's impossible to talk to anyone. You can't let it get to that point.
What lessons have you learned from these experiences? Do they help you?
They help. Each time, the lesson is new. First - choosing partners. Sometimes, you have chemistry with a partner and think they are that person, the missing puzzle piece. And you close your eyes to certain things that aren't spelled out, then collapse ensues. The euphoria disappears, and you're left alone with your problems. A partner is essential, especially one who serves in a management role. If someone entering a partnership says they can do X, Y, or Z, you need to record it all, verify their competencies, and test them continuously.
Second, what happened during the pandemic - was having all eggs in one basket. Before the pandemic, we narrowly focused on services. We're a service company, but who needs a video or event when there's nothing to eat? No one. The first week, we had event cancellations worth $600,000. For nine months, we had zero income. Everything we had earned before I invested back into the company.
Third lesson - listen to smart people. Steve Jobs once asked why you hire competent people just to tell them how to work. When we went through a consulting transformation, a financial manager joined us. I'd never had one in my life. Looking at how we operated, he went gray and started building a system.
I also wanted to share a story about how most people think nothing will happen to them. When I played KVN, returning from Moscow to Tashkent, a captain told us the plane's hydraulics failed, and we had to return to Moscow airport. About 20 minutes before landing, flight attendants started seating us. They said, put on your jacket passport in your left pocket; remove glasses; those with dentures, remove them. Loose ties. No one's was laughing. Approaching Moscow, we saw emergency and fire vehicles lining the runway. We circled, burning fuel. At one point, everyone prayed any way they knew. Not an atheist on that plane, can you imagine?
Anyway, we started landing. I don't see how it looked, but it felt like this - Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The pilot tried to control the plane. I later learned that hydraulics regulate the steering column. When they do not work, it's like driving a truck with no power steering. The pilots barely kept us on the runway, and we landed. The thought it wouldn't happen to us is false. Anything can happen.
Are you a risk taker?
Yes, I am quite risky. No truly successful person avoids risks. Sometimes, I envy small business owners with modest, stable incomes and clear plans for their stability. But it's too early for me to be like that.
When did you develop your drive to make money?
I come from very modest means. My father worked for 44 years in the same place. He started as an electrician's assistant at the central department store and worked there for 44 years until he retired as chief engineer. My mother taught music at school part-time. We were the last among relatives to upgrade our car. Though we ate and dressed well, we never had anything extra. I remember my parents would buy a bar of chocolate, and once a week, on Sundays after dinner, we would have tea with the chocolate bar.
Sometimes, I compare my kids' lives to what I had. My kids have a five-day break in November and will likely go to Dubai. We never had anything like that; we never went anywhere, not even to Samarkand or Bukhara. It was me who took my parents there when they were older. My kids' weekend in the mountains while I never went there.
So, I grew up in a very modest family and, of course, wanted a little more. I distinctly remember in 9th grade reading a newspaper ad near us selling an apartment for $800. A computer cost $850 at the time. And I went to my dad and said, Dad, they're selling an apartment here for $800. And he said, why do you need that? It seemed to me back then, there were so many opportunities we didn't take advantage of. Maybe my kids will look at my life and say there was such an opportunity, but out of fear of risk, we didn't take it. But risk can also be justified, like in chess. I play chess, by the way.
Yes, I am quite risky. No truly successful person avoids risks. Sometimes, I envy small business owners with modest, stable incomes and clear plans for their stability. But it's too early for me to be like that.
When did you develop your drive to make money?
I come from very modest means. My father worked for 44 years in the same place. He started as an electrician's assistant at the central department store and worked there for 44 years until he retired as chief engineer. My mother taught music at school part-time. We were the last among relatives to upgrade our car. Though we ate and dressed well, we never had anything extra. I remember my parents would buy a bar of chocolate, and once a week, on Sundays after dinner, we would have tea with the chocolate bar.
Sometimes, I compare my kids' lives to what I had. My kids have a five-day break in November and will likely go to Dubai. We never had anything like that; we never went anywhere, not even to Samarkand or Bukhara. It was me who took my parents there when they were older. My kids' weekend in the mountains while I never went there.
So, I grew up in a very modest family and, of course, wanted a little more. I distinctly remember in 9th grade reading a newspaper ad near us selling an apartment for $800. A computer cost $850 at the time. And I went to my dad and said, Dad, they're selling an apartment here for $800. And he said, why do you need that? It seemed to me back then, there were so many opportunities we didn't take advantage of. Maybe my kids will look at my life and say there was such an opportunity, but out of fear of risk, we didn't take it. But risk can also be justified, like in chess. I play chess, by the way.
What draws you to chess, and what professional lessons have you learned?
Chess develops strategy, forecasting ability, and coordination and explores endless variations without repeating games. You can study openings, endgames, middlegames - infinite nuances across a lifetime. The combined lifetimes of 17 world champions haven't mastered it.
Friends know I play constantly, self-taught. At 27, I asked to be rated and was trounced by a 16-year-old girl, an international master. She said with dedication, I could reach the master candidate level. Twelve years later, I still play and win often, loving the game.
Who has most influenced you?
My Armenian grandfather - for his humor and entrepreneurial spirit. Of 100 youth who left his tiny Nagorno Karabakh village for World War 2, only he and his brother returned alive. Their father said they must leave since the entire village had lost sons except them, they could be jinxed.
Remembering Tashkent as an enchanted land of fruit and warmth during one of his four injuries, he later moved there alone. Working in a canning factory, he built his home and raised chickens, pigeons, and rabbits, making wine on the side - an entrepreneur exploiting opportunities. Despite enduring the unimaginable, he never lost hope.
How do you see yourself?
I aspire to visionary status but realistically view myself as a serial entrepreneur, enthusiast, and calculated risk-taker seeking adventure.
What are your core values now?
Decency is important. A decent, well-mannered person instilled with parental values from childhood is very comfortable in life in general. I remember when I was young, I used to come to my dad's work; everyone respected him there, even then when he did not hold any position yet.
I am absolutely sure that a sense of humor helps absolutely everyone in life - both family, colleagues, and friends. And this is not about the ability to joke, which is also good; it's about understanding humor. Because I never gave up trying to joke somewhere in absolutely different conditions. I joked all the way up to the prime ministers of the country. Sometimes, I meet people who sincerely do not understand sarcasm or humor; they just don't get it. And I think, my God, this is just a tragedy.
I love people who can get things done. The world has many starters but few finishers. I'm fortunate my business partner embodies all I seek - he gets things done.
Loyalty also matters greatly. Despite my blunders, my team stayed loyal. With my history, they had every right to abandon me. Their reasons baffled me, but they believed me.
What personal qualities helped you overcome adversity and retain employees?
Initially, charisma and persuasion fueled me. I believed in the projects so fiercely that I sold belongings to invest and inspired others with my zeal. The gift of persuasion, charisma, and sense of humor helped, too. I openly acknowledge half-year pay delays in the past. But today, no one can accuse me of underpayment. I'm grateful for the loyal, decent people around me.
Any unfulfilled dreams you want to achieve soon?
Within ten years, I want a U.S. company. I don't need more money, just the satisfaction of doing it and the reputation as someone who succeeds and fulfills ambitions. I'm saying this, but I don't believe it yet. This is awful, you know, right? That is, I want to pronounce it and believe it. Building a $200-300 million company is achievable, but I don't believe in the billion-dollar figures. I need to envision that level of success and make it real.
Chess develops strategy, forecasting ability, and coordination and explores endless variations without repeating games. You can study openings, endgames, middlegames - infinite nuances across a lifetime. The combined lifetimes of 17 world champions haven't mastered it.
Friends know I play constantly, self-taught. At 27, I asked to be rated and was trounced by a 16-year-old girl, an international master. She said with dedication, I could reach the master candidate level. Twelve years later, I still play and win often, loving the game.
Who has most influenced you?
My Armenian grandfather - for his humor and entrepreneurial spirit. Of 100 youth who left his tiny Nagorno Karabakh village for World War 2, only he and his brother returned alive. Their father said they must leave since the entire village had lost sons except them, they could be jinxed.
Remembering Tashkent as an enchanted land of fruit and warmth during one of his four injuries, he later moved there alone. Working in a canning factory, he built his home and raised chickens, pigeons, and rabbits, making wine on the side - an entrepreneur exploiting opportunities. Despite enduring the unimaginable, he never lost hope.
How do you see yourself?
I aspire to visionary status but realistically view myself as a serial entrepreneur, enthusiast, and calculated risk-taker seeking adventure.
What are your core values now?
Decency is important. A decent, well-mannered person instilled with parental values from childhood is very comfortable in life in general. I remember when I was young, I used to come to my dad's work; everyone respected him there, even then when he did not hold any position yet.
I am absolutely sure that a sense of humor helps absolutely everyone in life - both family, colleagues, and friends. And this is not about the ability to joke, which is also good; it's about understanding humor. Because I never gave up trying to joke somewhere in absolutely different conditions. I joked all the way up to the prime ministers of the country. Sometimes, I meet people who sincerely do not understand sarcasm or humor; they just don't get it. And I think, my God, this is just a tragedy.
I love people who can get things done. The world has many starters but few finishers. I'm fortunate my business partner embodies all I seek - he gets things done.
Loyalty also matters greatly. Despite my blunders, my team stayed loyal. With my history, they had every right to abandon me. Their reasons baffled me, but they believed me.
What personal qualities helped you overcome adversity and retain employees?
Initially, charisma and persuasion fueled me. I believed in the projects so fiercely that I sold belongings to invest and inspired others with my zeal. The gift of persuasion, charisma, and sense of humor helped, too. I openly acknowledge half-year pay delays in the past. But today, no one can accuse me of underpayment. I'm grateful for the loyal, decent people around me.
Any unfulfilled dreams you want to achieve soon?
Within ten years, I want a U.S. company. I don't need more money, just the satisfaction of doing it and the reputation as someone who succeeds and fulfills ambitions. I'm saying this, but I don't believe it yet. This is awful, you know, right? That is, I want to pronounce it and believe it. Building a $200-300 million company is achievable, but I don't believe in the billion-dollar figures. I need to envision that level of success and make it real.
"I grew up in a very modest family and of course wanted a little more. I distinctly remember in 9th grade reading a newspaper ad near us selling an apartment for $800. A computer cost $850 at the time. And I went to my dad and said, Dad, they're selling an apartment here for $800. And he said, why do you need that? It seemed to me back then there were so many opportunities we didn't take advantage of. Maybe my kids will look at my life and say, there was such an opportunity, but out of fear of risk we didn't take it.".
Arsen Dlyanchev
CELA'16, Uzbekistan
Arsen, now there will be quick questions. Don't think too much when answering:
Who would you most want to have dinner with, living or deceased?
My grandfather, for love, and Richard Branson - a man blessed by God.
Do you want to be famous? If so, in what?
I would like to be famous in entrepreneurship.
If you could live to be 90 and keep your mind or body as a 30-year-old for the last 60 years, which would you choose? Mind or body?
I am willing to be old, but by no means an invalid, bedridden, sedentary, etc. Visually, I am willing to be old, but I want my mind to be bright.
Name three traits that you and your spouse both have.
Damn, remembering her, I want to say beauty—actually, a sense of humor, perseverance and hard work.
What are you most grateful for?
I pray every day and say thank you for everything I have. For the fact that I have living parents, for the fact that I have the opportunity to help my loved ones, and for the fact that I have a wonderful family with wonderful children. I make a morning round before waking them up for school. This is my job; I wake them up and make them breakfast. And every time I kiss them and say thank you, Lord, for what I have. I am a grateful person in general. I am grateful for what I have.
If you could wake up tomorrow with some new skill or superpower, what would it be?
A person who, when touching someone, absorbs all the information that person has. Imagine, you speak Chinese, I tell you, Dina, hello. And now, I also speak Chinese.
What is most valuable to you in friendship?
Loyalty.
What is your most cherished memory?
I was about two years old I got upset about something. It was in my grandfather's house. And he was barbecuing shashlik. And he dropped everything and went to ask me for forgiveness. I don't know; I remember some boundless love.
If you had to die by the end of today and not speak to anyone about anything left unsaid, what would you most regret not having said? And why haven't you said it yet?
I call my parents every day. On Sundays, we go out to breakfast together, we travel together, we were recently in Georgia, Israel, Jordan, and Dubai. Not that often, but twice a year, I try. But I have difficulty saying, "Mom, I love you," or "Dad, I love you," instead, I say, "Dad, Mom, how are you? How can I help? What do you need?" For some reason, I do not pronounce it; I don't know why. Maybe it was the upbringing. I don't remember being praised for anything. Maybe I was praised for something, but it wasn't often. For some reason, I don't say "I love you," but I should. When we finish this interview, I'll call and say it.
If you imagine your home burning down with all your possessions, and after saving all your loved ones and pets, if you have any, you have time to run back in and save something else from the flames, what would you take? And why?
Interesting. I do not get attached to things. And a pragmatist has come to my mind right now. I would only run back for a bag of documents; that's all because it is a hassle to restore documents. But otherwise, there is nothing. Screw it, let it burn. We will build another one.
Who would you most want to have dinner with, living or deceased?
My grandfather, for love, and Richard Branson - a man blessed by God.
Do you want to be famous? If so, in what?
I would like to be famous in entrepreneurship.
If you could live to be 90 and keep your mind or body as a 30-year-old for the last 60 years, which would you choose? Mind or body?
I am willing to be old, but by no means an invalid, bedridden, sedentary, etc. Visually, I am willing to be old, but I want my mind to be bright.
Name three traits that you and your spouse both have.
Damn, remembering her, I want to say beauty—actually, a sense of humor, perseverance and hard work.
What are you most grateful for?
I pray every day and say thank you for everything I have. For the fact that I have living parents, for the fact that I have the opportunity to help my loved ones, and for the fact that I have a wonderful family with wonderful children. I make a morning round before waking them up for school. This is my job; I wake them up and make them breakfast. And every time I kiss them and say thank you, Lord, for what I have. I am a grateful person in general. I am grateful for what I have.
If you could wake up tomorrow with some new skill or superpower, what would it be?
A person who, when touching someone, absorbs all the information that person has. Imagine, you speak Chinese, I tell you, Dina, hello. And now, I also speak Chinese.
What is most valuable to you in friendship?
Loyalty.
What is your most cherished memory?
I was about two years old I got upset about something. It was in my grandfather's house. And he was barbecuing shashlik. And he dropped everything and went to ask me for forgiveness. I don't know; I remember some boundless love.
If you had to die by the end of today and not speak to anyone about anything left unsaid, what would you most regret not having said? And why haven't you said it yet?
I call my parents every day. On Sundays, we go out to breakfast together, we travel together, we were recently in Georgia, Israel, Jordan, and Dubai. Not that often, but twice a year, I try. But I have difficulty saying, "Mom, I love you," or "Dad, I love you," instead, I say, "Dad, Mom, how are you? How can I help? What do you need?" For some reason, I do not pronounce it; I don't know why. Maybe it was the upbringing. I don't remember being praised for anything. Maybe I was praised for something, but it wasn't often. For some reason, I don't say "I love you," but I should. When we finish this interview, I'll call and say it.
If you imagine your home burning down with all your possessions, and after saving all your loved ones and pets, if you have any, you have time to run back in and save something else from the flames, what would you take? And why?
Interesting. I do not get attached to things. And a pragmatist has come to my mind right now. I would only run back for a bag of documents; that's all because it is a hassle to restore documents. But otherwise, there is nothing. Screw it, let it burn. We will build another one.