Abstract
It was a Monday morning in March 2025. Andrii Rodkin sat down at his desk and pulled out the small spiral notepad he had been scribbling in the night before. It was so full of things to do that he could barely see the ruled lines in between his handwriting. At last count, there were over 30 calls he had to make, and that was before he started his other work. Making it worse was the fact that his to-do list was filled with tasks he had never done before.
Rodkin was the chief commercial officer (CCO) and co-founder of Glamping UA (https://glamping.ua/). His partner, Oleksandr (Alex) Konovalov, was the chief executive officer (CEO) and managed the operational side of the business so Rodkin could focus on strategic partnerships, client relations, and project execution. In the six years since they had founded their business, they’d grown their start-up to the point where it had 50 full-time employees; its own production facilities, which included a sewing factory and polyvinyl chloride, metal, and wood facilities; and a 3,000-square-metre warehouse. It was a full-cycle production business with exports to the United States, France, Poland, and other countries throughout Europe. Rodkin and Konovalov also owned three glamping sites in Ukraine and a glamping consultancy company. Their mission was “to give tourists around the world new experiences of vacations in exciting natural locations, creating reliable glamps and providing entrepreneurs with expert advice.” The slogan for their business informed all decision-making and captured the spirit of glamping: “Where nature meets luxury.” Glamping meant glamorous camping—it was a camping experience for people who wanted to spend time in nature while also enjoying the comforts of “real mattresses, running water, and an actual toilet instead of an outhouse.” With the glamping industry estimated to be worth US$3.79 billion in 2024 and the European glamping market accounting for 35 per cent of the global market, Glamping UA’s growth trajectory was looking good.
Yet on that particular Monday, Rodkin was sad. He was also utterly exhausted through to his bones. His co-founder and best friend since childhood, Konovalov, had just been conscripted to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It had all happened so fast. They were together at work the Friday before, and then on Monday he was gone. He left behind his pregnant wife and two children. Rodkin and his own wife vowed to help them through this difficult time. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew they would. It was a snow-covered morning in yet another brutally cold winter in Ukraine, and despite feeling alone, Rodkin had to figure out a way to keep his organization operational without his business partner and lifelong friend by his side. As he sat there, pausing for a moment to sip his coffee, he felt overwhelmed by the responsibility. He had to ensure the business wouldn’t collapse with Konovalov now in the military and helping Ukraine win the war against Russia.
Rodkin was the chief commercial officer (CCO) and co-founder of Glamping UA (https://glamping.ua/). His partner, Oleksandr (Alex) Konovalov, was the chief executive officer (CEO) and managed the operational side of the business so Rodkin could focus on strategic partnerships, client relations, and project execution. In the six years since they had founded their business, they’d grown their start-up to the point where it had 50 full-time employees; its own production facilities, which included a sewing factory and polyvinyl chloride, metal, and wood facilities; and a 3,000-square-metre warehouse. It was a full-cycle production business with exports to the United States, France, Poland, and other countries throughout Europe. Rodkin and Konovalov also owned three glamping sites in Ukraine and a glamping consultancy company. Their mission was “to give tourists around the world new experiences of vacations in exciting natural locations, creating reliable glamps and providing entrepreneurs with expert advice.” The slogan for their business informed all decision-making and captured the spirit of glamping: “Where nature meets luxury.” Glamping meant glamorous camping—it was a camping experience for people who wanted to spend time in nature while also enjoying the comforts of “real mattresses, running water, and an actual toilet instead of an outhouse.” With the glamping industry estimated to be worth US$3.79 billion in 2024 and the European glamping market accounting for 35 per cent of the global market, Glamping UA’s growth trajectory was looking good.
Yet on that particular Monday, Rodkin was sad. He was also utterly exhausted through to his bones. His co-founder and best friend since childhood, Konovalov, had just been conscripted to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It had all happened so fast. They were together at work the Friday before, and then on Monday he was gone. He left behind his pregnant wife and two children. Rodkin and his own wife vowed to help them through this difficult time. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew they would. It was a snow-covered morning in yet another brutally cold winter in Ukraine, and despite feeling alone, Rodkin had to figure out a way to keep his organization operational without his business partner and lifelong friend by his side. As he sat there, pausing for a moment to sip his coffee, he felt overwhelmed by the responsibility. He had to ensure the business wouldn’t collapse with Konovalov now in the military and helping Ukraine win the war against Russia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Specialist publication | Ivey Publishing [Case Studies] |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Jul 2025 |