Amid the onset of the Russian invasion, we acquired an e-mail from Ukraine. The sender was the co-owner of the Whidegroup, an ecommerce company in Zaporizhzhia, close to Crimea. Politely, Anastasia Zhuk requested if we might renew her firm’s listing itemizing.

She didn’t point out the warfare and its upheaval on her enterprise, household, and life — solely the request, adopted by a thanks.

Thus started my dialog together with her, resulting in this interview. Our complete audio dialog is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for readability and size.

Kerry Murdock: Inform us concerning the Whidegroup.

Anastasia Zhuk: Whidegroup is a boutique ecommerce growth company. We work with small-to-medium-sized ecommerce companies worldwide. We give attention to Shopify and Magento, though we’re skilled on many platforms.

We do design, growth, and integrations of ecommerce websites with ERPs, CRMs, logistic options, and so forth. We additionally work with service suppliers —  transport, funds, others — and assist them develop extensions and functions to combine with the most well-liked ecommerce platforms.

My husband Anton and I based the Whidegroup in 2014. The corporate is situated within the industrial metropolis of Zaporizhzhia. My husband already had expertise working within the ecommerce trade, managing initiatives and consulting with ecommerce retailers. We now have about 20 staff, all in Ukraine.

Murdock: Zaporizhzhia is in southeastern Ukraine close to heavy preventing.

Zhuk: Sure, that’s right.

Murdock: Inform us concerning the warfare’s affect on you, your loved ones, and the Whidegroup.

Zhuk: It’s undoubtedly not the best of instances for us. A few of our staff tried to go away Zaporizhzhia for safer locations. Anton and I are in Western Ukraine, as is our 5-year-old son. We didn’t depart town due to the warfare. We had been on trip on February 24, when the Russians invaded. We’ve been unable to return.

I’ll always remember that morning. My husband woke me up and mentioned, “The warfare has began.”

It’s historical past that we’re seeing with our eyes. Our youngsters see, too. It’s a tragic state of affairs. We’re praying and hoping that the warfare gained’t final years.

Two of our staff are outdoors Ukraine now. They went with their kids to Poland and Serbia. A number of are right here in Western Ukraine. The others stay in Zaporizhzhia.

Our authorities has enlisted individuals to patrol and shield town militarily. So, a few of our guys full their each day duties for us after which combat within the warfare afterward. I don’t understand how they do it. Possibly they don’t sleep. I’m unsure.

However I’m very grateful and comfortable to report that we will nonetheless meet all expectations of our purchasers.

Murdock: The place is Anton?

Zhuk: Anton isn’t with me. He left us yesterday and went to Lviv, a metropolis in Western Ukraine. He joined a volunteer group that receives humanitarian support from Europe — medication, hospital provides, tools — and distributes it to these in want.

Murdock: Let’s discuss extra concerning the Whidegroup. You talked about experience with Magento and Shopify.

Zhuk: We began as Magento builders. That was Anton’s experience. He had his personal ecommerce retailer on Magento. He was additionally a developer, designer, and marketer.

We do all sorts of integrations, extensions, velocity optimization, and consulting. We do migrations from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

Murdock: You are able to do it.

Zhuk: We are able to do it. Our Shopify experience was necessary throughout Covid as many retailers needed to transfer shortly from offline to on-line. We had been capable of assist them.

Regardless of the warfare, we’re open for enterprise, able to serve ecommerce corporations.

Murdock: How can of us attain out to you and the Whidegroup?

Zhuk: They’ll join with us by way of our web site contact type or by way of e-mail.

We shall be very fast with consultations, recommendation, and no matter help they want.

Murdock: Anything?

Zhuk: I hope everybody learns extra about Ukraine and our historical past. We now have all the time been a nation that loves freedom, that doesn’t invade different nations. We solely need to stay our life. Don’t watch Russian TV or learn Russian media. It’s a fairytale they inform concerning the warfare.

We don’t want anybody on our land. We would like solely to have our nation.