by Elena Kuklova
Hi! My name is Elena Kuklova, I am the founder of the EJ-UNI designer bag brand, and before that, I spent 15 years working in foreign trade. Today, I want to share a story about how, once at Skolkovo, I realized that I was learning in the wrong way.
No, seriously. I was that person who would sign up for everything: the Presidential program, trainings, courses, off-site sessions, workshops.
Wherever there was something to “boost,” I was already there with my notebook and shining eyes.
And so, I’m sitting at another workshop on negotiations. The speaker is saying smart things, sharing cool cases, the audience is nodding. But in my head, I’m thinking— “Geez, but this just isn’t about me.”
Not because the information was bad. But because it didn’t match my inner position, my business, or even my region. But! Suddenly I catch a thought that, like a key, unlocks something I heard at a previous training.
And then it hit me:
Knowledge is a buffet. Take only what you need right now!
Imagine: there’s a luxurious buffet before you — dozens of dishes, aromas, colors. But you don’t just pile everything on your plate, do you? You take what you want right now, what matches your mood, what won’t make your stomach feel heavy.
It’s the same with learning.
I used to think: “I have to absorb EVERYTHING, just in case I need it…” But then I realized: 90% of the information will either be forgotten or won’t work in my reality.
I felt like a “first grader” in business, trying to write an essay before I’d even learned to do summaries. In other words, I had to filter, process, and take only what’s mine.
And then I did two things:
1. I stopped chasing after systematization. Let the experts build their neat theories—I’ll take only what resonates with me.
2. I focused on emotions. Because, in the end, we don’t sell goods—we sell feelings.
I realized: I’m not selling bags. I’m selling emotions!!!
When I launched EJ-UNI, I quickly realized: people don’t buy a particular model or hardware. They buy:
– Confidence (“With this bag I feel put-together and stylish”)
– Inspiration (“It’s so unique, I stand out”)
– A story (“I like that it’s handmade, there’s a soul to it”)
Just like at that training in Skolkovo, I didn’t take the whole methodology but one phrase that sparked a new idea—so too do clients take not just an accessory, but a feeling.
So, what should you do with this information overload?
1. Stop being afraid of missing something important. What’s important will find you.
2. Take only what is “yours.” Even if a course has 100 life hacks and only one resonates with you—it’s already a win.
3. Sell emotions. People forget prices and specs but remember how you made them feel.
And yes, now I don’t study.
I choose.
Just like you can choose—whether to keep reading articles to the end or close this one at the paragraph that’s already given you the insight you needed.