We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Irina Zinovenko a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Irina, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Back in 2010, when I was studying at the Academy of Culture and Arts in Russia, I was invited to work as an entertainer at a children’s party. I enjoyed it so much that when I was asked if I wanted to do it again, I agreed without hesitation! Over the years, I became a great host for all kinds of events. All my friends always called me the ‘life of the party.’ In December 2022, my family and I migrated to America and settled in Pittsburgh. I didn’t speak the language, had no friends, and had no idea what I could do or how to start. Gradually, as I started meeting people and telling them about myself, I kept hearing the same thing: ‘Irina, you need to bring your parties here.’ For months, I had doubts and was really scared — it felt like such a big responsibility, especially for my family: spending money on costumes, finding clients, finding workers. I’m so thankful to my husband! Without his support, I never would have taken the plunge. I remember my first costume, bought on Amazon — it was Supergirl. My first client was a friend of mine, and I was too shy to even charge her. But now, looking back, a little over a year after the birth of ‘Bambini Party for Kids,’ I have no regrets about starting this project. At first, I worked only for the Russian-speaking community, but gradually, Americans started hiring me. That’s the highest compliment for my work. I can confidently say that no American party agency will ever do what I do. We come from different schools, with different approaches. My dream is for the whole city to know about me!
Irina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I always knew I was different from everyone else! I’ve always been creative. That’s why I chose to study at the Academy of Culture to become a director of theatrical performances and events. Thanks to my major and new connections, I started working in the event industry. At first, I was terrified to go on stage and speak, knowing that a hundred eyes were on me. But over time, I started to enjoy what I was doing. I took on any event, any role, and gave 150% of myself to the work! I’m proud of myself, my maturity, and my talent, and of course, I’m proud of and grateful to my clients. They are the best, and I thank them for taking a chance on me, for inviting an unknown girl from Russia to their events, and trusting me with their important moments. In return, I give them bright and warm emotions!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I believe that building my reputation is helped by the quality of my work: I create scripts tailored to each client’s needs. My costumes are beautiful, clean, and neat, I’m artistic, punctual, always friendly, and most importantly, I know how to engage the audience. And that’s the most important part of what I do.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I didn’t have any startup capital. I bought my first costume on Amazon. Then I started looking for costumes in Russia. My mom would receive my packages from all over Russia, pack boxes with costumes and props, and send them to Pittsburgh. I bought costumes as I could afford them. I still can’t create a website because it’s too expensive for me. I have a page on Facebook and Instagram. I even tried running ads on those platforms, but aside from spending a couple of thousand dollars, I didn’t get any results.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambinipartyforkids
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/mjXjtF63pxdCADuh/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
