In just a few years, WEMED has achieved nearly sevenfold growth, establishing itself as a major force in Ukraine’s beauty industry. In this interview, Kateryna Patsanovska discusses the strategic decisions behind the company’s success, purpose-driven leadership, the impact of motherhood on business, and the values she hopes to pass on to her daughter.
Since 2022, WEMED has grown by nearly 700%. Which decisions were instrumental in driving the company’s rapid expansion—and how has your role in the business evolved during that time?
I believe our growth has been the result of a clear strategy and consistent work. From the beginning, WEMED was created as an ecosystem in which partners receive far more than a product: education, expertise, international experience, marketing support, a professional community, and opportunities for growth.
Another important factor has been the careful selection of brands. I have never sought to expand our portfolio simply for the sake of quantity. It is essential to me that every brand has a strong identity, a scientific foundation, exceptional quality, and genuine potential in the Ukrainian market.
And, of course, the team has played a defining role. At a certain point, I realized that scaling begins when the owner stops trying to be the most capable person in every area of the business. Today, my role is more strategic: I set the direction for WEMED’s development, seek out new opportunities and brands, build partnerships, and work on international expansion.
For me, this has also been a personal transformation. I have learned to delegate and to build a system capable of growing faster, powered by the people within it.
Motherhood often changes a woman’s perspective on leadership, responsibility, and her own ambitions. How has the birth of your daughter, Melaniia, influenced you as an entrepreneur and a leader?
Motherhood profoundly changed my relationship with time. After Melaniia was born, I became acutely aware that time is our most valuable resource: it cannot be recovered, accumulated, or bought.
I have become far more selective about the people, projects, meetings, and even the ambitions I choose to pursue. I began asking myself more often: Why am I doing this, and does it truly matter?
At the same time, my ambitions have only grown stronger and more intentional. In the past, I largely defined success through professional achievements. Today, I want to build a strong company while creating a life that has room for loved ones, travel, personal growth, quiet, and time for myself.
Motherhood has also made me a more empathetic leader. Behind every job title is a person with a family, personal concerns, and difficult periods in their life. That feels especially acute now, as all of us continue to live and work in Ukraine under extraordinarily challenging circumstances.
Is true balance between business and motherhood possible, or is it more a matter of continually reassessing your priorities based on what each moment demands?
I do not really believe in perfect balance, especially when you are leading a rapidly growing business.
Sometimes the company demands a great deal from me: business trips, negotiations, launches, and difficult decisions. At other times, nothing matters more to me than Melaniia. For me, balance does not mean dividing my time evenly. It means being honest about what needs my attention most at that particular moment.
I stopped trying to live up to the image of the “perfect mother” or the “perfect businesswoman” a long time ago. That pursuit creates an enormous sense of guilt: when you are at work, you feel that you are not giving your child enough time, and when you are with your child, your mind remains on the company.
What matters to me is being fully present. When I am with my daughter, I try to devote that time entirely to her. At the same time, I do not hide the fact that I love my work, want to grow the company, and have ambitions of my own.
The SENSILIS portfolio includes products for different stages of a child’s development—from sun protection for the youngest children to a line designed to address teenage acne. How much does your personal experience of motherhood influence your selection of brands and products for WEMED?
It absolutely does. After having a child, you begin to evaluate ingredients, safety, scientific evidence, and a manufacturer’s reputation very differently—especially when considering a product you would use on your own child. I have a simple personal standard: I must feel comfortable recommending a product to the people I love.
That is precisely why the SENSILIS philosophy resonates with me. The brand focuses on skin health, sensitivity, the skin barrier, and the different conditions and needs that arise at every stage of life.
Melaniia is growing up, and I understand that a new stage lies ahead: developing her first beauty routines and navigating the skin changes that come with adolescence. As a mother, I want her introduction to skincare and beauty to begin with understanding her own skin’s needs and learning how to care for it properly, while social media trends remain a source of inspiration rather than instruction.
In my view, the beauty industry should help girls develop a healthy, thoughtful approach to caring for themselves without making them feel that they are in constant need of “fixing.”
What example do you hope to set for your daughter as you combine motherhood with leading a rapidly growing company in Ukraine’s beauty industry?
The most important thing I want to show Melaniia is that a woman should not have to choose between loving her family and pursuing her own big dreams.
I want her to see a mother who works, travels, builds a company, makes mistakes, starts again, and makes difficult decisions while staying grounded and true to herself through it all.
I want her to grow up with a sense of inner freedom, build a life aligned with her own values, and never be afraid to be ambitious simply because someone else might consider it “too much.”
I also want to show her that strength can take many forms: staying true to yourself, being kind, loving deeply, protecting your boundaries, rising after setbacks, and refusing to lose yourself in the pursuit of results.
If Melaniia says to me one day, “My mother wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t afraid to live life on her own terms—and she taught me to do the same,” I will consider that one of my greatest personal achievements.