– Hello, Olga! Where did you live and work before Texas? Tell us about your history in America
I was born and raised in the marine city of Sevastopol, on the Black Sea coast. My parents and grandparents were military engineers and navy officers, my grandpa was even involved in the testing of the first atomic submarines in the Soviet Union. I did not share my family’s passion either for engineering and sciences or predetermined careers. I studied Linguistics and Translation in college and right after graduation started my own translation company which did pretty well for about six years until I moved to the States and sold the company to one of our project managers. The company is still doing well back in Sevastopol.
– Was moving to Austin a choice or a coincidence?
I moved here because of my husband Marc, he was living in Austin when we met. And we met on Twitter of all places. It was a random coincidence. You see, in 2014 Crimea was a hot topic in the international news because it seceded to Russia after the Ukrainian Maidan. In a matter of weeks my boring Twitter account gained more than 1500 followers because I happened to be one of the rare people in Crimea who had a Twitter account and who posted in English. My future husband was one of those new followers. It turned out that he was a translator too and he spoke fluent Russian (among many other unusual languages: Japanese, and Basque to name a few). When we started talking, I actually thought he was Russian. It took me awhile to figure out he was American and lived in Texas. In December 2016, I got a one-way ticket to Austin and we started a new chapter of our life together.
– What do you like most about Austin?
Coming to Austin somehow felt like coming home, I instantly felt that I belonged here. I visited many cities in the world but never felt as close to the mentality and culture. I might be biased though because moving to Austin also coincided with me starting a family, so, those experiences overlap in my mind.
– Tell us about your work and professional background.
For many years I thought that translation was my true calling, something I would be doing my whole life. When I moved here, I worked in other industries and realized that what I am really drawn to is the administrative part of business. I am not a 9 to 5er, never have been, when I work on a project it takes over my mind completely, I think about it day and night and forget about the time. In September 2020, I started a new company focused on helping women with the same mindset achieve their business goals. It is called Austin Business Woman www.austinbusinesswoman.com, a directory of woman-owned businesses in Austin. I felt that the local female entrepreneurs just like me needed a platform where they could promote their products and services without having to compete with multinational companies and men-owned businesses which are a majority. The Directory is doing great and my website is getting more and more following. I think I tapped in something that had been needed. I hope it will grow and bring value to a lot of women-owned businesses in town.
– Are you missing your home country?
Somehow, I don’t really miss the place, I miss the people. I try to visit at least once a year, but the pandemic changed our travel plans. Also, our youngest kid is only one year old and I’m scared of the idea of flying with him, considering that to get to Crimea from Austin one needs to have three or four layovers. As to the aspects I miss, well, probably the affordable healthcare and the Russian sense of humor. The American humor is a little too tame.
– Tell us about your family
It is hard for me to talk about our family because in 2017 we lost one of our kids. Our son was only 13, a healthy and happy boy who one day just did not wake up. The doctors still don’t know what had happened to him, just one of those rare unexplained cases that mercilessly stop a life without any reason. It changed our lives forever and when people ask how many kids we have I usually say: three – two here with us and one in heaven. My husband and I are trying to be good and supportive parents to our daughter Riyo who just started college and wants to become a pediatrician, and our son Isaac who is a cheerful and rowdy toddler. We hope to have more kids in the future.
– How does your family participate in the life of the Russian-speaking community?
We are trying to be involved with the Russian community in Austin. Almost all of my close friends here are from Russian-speaking countries and I’m also very excited about the new Russian Cultural Center and the School. We don’t attend a lot of events yet because my son is too young for group activities but I’m looking forward to doing more. I also work on translating interviews of our community members into English (my profession came in handy). So if you have seen your interview translated into English, there’s a probability it was me.
– Which of our projects have been the most memorable? Why?
I really enjoyed the Business Club for Russian speakers hosted by Dmitriy Ovcharenko. It has been a great opportunity to learn about the business experience of my fellow immigrants, avoid the common mistakes of beginning entrepreneurs, explore life hacks for starting a new business in Texas and a lot of other topics. Dmitriy invites speakers from a variety of relevant fields (business incorporation, accounting, marketing, law, etc.) who provide the much-needed guidance and structured approach. I met a lot of interesting people there, many of which became good friends. I could not join the club this year because I’m currently a full-time mom and a businessowner which doesn’t leave me much time for regular meetings but I’m looking forward to going back in the future.
– What would you like to wish to the Russian-speaking community in Austin and Texas?
Be welcoming and understanding of the local life and mentality. Try to make friends with people from other cultures so you can share yours with them. We all moved to the country of immigrants so we can live and grow together, celebrate our Russian roots and traditions and at the same time benefit from the cultural exchange with Americans and our fellow-immigrants. And, of course, stay close to the Russian Cultural Center, which will help you remember your history and identity and not lose yourself in the new world.
Contact information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olga.adler.atx
Email: info@austinbusinesswoman.com
Interviewer: Dmitriy Ovcharenko
Editor: Irina Horoshavina
Publisher: Russian Cultural Center