From Hiding in a Cocoon to Seeking Business Growth with Mikhail Zabazinsky

Mikhail (00:00.11)
I'm out.

Brent Peterson (00:02.404)
Welcome to this episode of Uncharted Entrepreneurship. Today I have Michal Zabazinski. I knew I'm gonna butcher names and I really apologize. Go ahead, introduce yourself. Tell us your correct pronunciation of your name, which I know you just did in the green room. I appreciate that. And do your day-to-day role, your business, and one of your passions in life.

Mikhail (00:26.814)
Sure, sure. So my name is Mikhail Zabazinsky. I own a company called Ocean Tech and actually another company called WipeOS. We are in the what is called the IT asset disposition space. We basically get rid of old technology or no longer needed technology.

And our second company is the software company that then destroys all the data on that outdated technology. So my day-to-day roles now are kind of co-CEO. I have a business partner. We're 50-50 and we share the CEO.

Brent Peterson (01:20.688)
That's awesome.

Mikhail (01:24.125)
Brent, I got kicked out. I don't know if that was normal. Okay, I just, yeah.

Brent Peterson (01:28.344)
It's not normal, but that's fine. We can, we'll edit it later. Um, I heard that you share your CEO role with your partner. So pick up. Yeah, we'll pick up from there.

Mikhail (01:36.617)
Correct. So that, yeah, so, so day to day, kind of in that top leadership position. And our entrepreneurial journey kind of started by working for a company similar to what we do. We were young, right out of college, and we decided to try it on our own.

and with a different idea, a different model from what we had previously worked for, but same industry. And we went out there and we tried it and 18 years later it worked out.

Brent Peterson (02:04.24)
different idea, different model from what we had previously worked for, but the same industry. And we went out there and we tried it and 18 years later it worked out. So you're the serial entrepreneur that's done it in less than 20 years.

Mikhail (02:25.678)
Yeah, well, Ocean Tech, our main company, we turned 18 and then our software company is about six years old. We brought it to market about three years ago. So that is kind of a fast growing, exciting area for us.

Brent Peterson (02:44.14)
Awesome. Give us a little bit of background on how you found the idea, why you decided to do it, and then tell us, like, how is it having a co-CEO?

Mikhail (02:55.093)
Sure, so our idea came from the company we used to work for. They would just fill containers of technology and send it overseas. And they weren't doing much with it outside of that. And there wasn't a huge local US market for these used goods on a national scale at the time, until eBay came about and some of like...

Brent Peterson (03:10.717)
of that.

Mikhail (03:22.857)
the internet really changed things. So we were able to create more of an e-commerce platform that returned value to the customer for their older technology. Instead of just shipping it in a container overseas, we would refurbish it, rebuild it, resell it here, and then give part of the proceeds back to the customer. So that was something actually quite new in our industry. People were not really doing that. So that's one reason.

Brent Peterson (03:33.544)
their older technology instead of just shipping it in a container overseas we would refurbish it, rebuild it, re-solid here and then give the part of the

I think that's actually quite new in our industry.

Mikhail (03:51.897)
why we took off, I feel. And, you know, having a co-CEO is, it's great, and sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's not so great, you know? It's like any other relationship. It has its ups and downs, but when we've been working for a long time,

Brent Peterson (04:14.78)
We've been working for a long time to get our relationship in a place where we're on the same page or we can communicate, even when they're not, we can communicate that to each other. So we actually have quite a great relationship and we're both directed in the right direction of where we wanna grow the company and we're kinda on a mission. So on a mission together and it's good to have a partner, someone that can fill in

Mikhail (04:16.745)
to get our relationship in a place where we're on the same page or we can commute even when they're not, we can communicate that to each other. So we actually have quite a great relationship and we're both directed in the right direction of where we want to grow the company and we're kind of on a mission. So on a mission together and it's good to have a partner, someone that can fill in when you can't and lean on.

and bounce ideas off of and like, you know, he's more conservative and I'm more the risk taker so together we kind of even each other out so that's a good balance. So yeah, overall I would say it's a very positive experience. I would just say, you know, you really need to have the right person in that role. I'm just lucky that my partner has been a childhood friend of mine since we were like eight years old.

Brent Peterson (05:15.054)
So it's worked out. And do you split up your duties by discipline? Like one is going to do marketing and sales, and one is going to do accounting? Or how do you split up the duties?

Mikhail (05:15.879)
Um, it's, it's worked out.

Mikhail (05:28.425)
So yes, we have some duties we split and some duties we share. So my partner's got a financial background more than I do, so he has done a lot more of the accounting, bookkeeping side, finance side. He's also gotten pretty good at the HR side, so he does a lot of the HR stuff. I'm pretty good.

with the sales side and the processing equipment kind of technology side. So I'm all, I'm more heavily running like the sales teams and the equipment processing teams. But together, we come together on large things like marketing, like inbound sales, stuff like that. We, we, we work together and we try to.

Brent Peterson (05:58.432)
with the sales side and the processing equipment kind of technology side so I'm all I'm more heavily running like the sales team and the equipment processing teams but together we come together on large things like marketing like inbound sales stuff like that we work together

and we try to put our heads together and we try to hold our leadership accountable so I guess both of us on certain things like that. Have you implemented anything like EOS or a structure to put into place?

Mikhail (06:28.337)
put our heads together and we try to hold our leadership accountable to, I guess, both of us on certain things like that.

Mikhail (06:41.745)
So, you know, we did, I read traction and my partner also read traction within like the last six months. And we both really liked it. It definitely opened our eyes to a lot of things in our company. So, you know, we did the thing that they say not to do, which was like, you know, we implemented some of it ourselves. Like, we definitely cleaned up.

last year, at the end of last year, we used it as an opportunity to like clean up our organization and the structure a little bit and the account of like we built an accountability chart and we built some of you know we went through some of those exercises ourselves and uh but we both are kind we on the same page that we want to move towards a full EOS implementation so we actually going to be talking to some implementers.

in the next couple months, like we have some referrals that have been given to us. I think our concern, our issue is that right now we don't have possibly the right integrators in our company and we're not integrators, so we do not want to play that role. We clearly belong in that visionary strategy role up there. So

Brent Peterson (07:40.954)
some referrals that have been given to us. I think our concern, our issue is that right now, we don't have possibly the right integrators in our company and we're not integrators. We do not wanna play that role. Like we...

clearly belong in that visionary strategy role up there. So we recognize that. And so we don't think we would be successful if we tried to be the integrators ourselves. And so we're just trying to figure out where do we find the right integrators to make it work for us, I guess. Yeah, that's really interesting. So, you know, I think in, so over this 18 year,

Mikhail (08:07.449)
We recognize that and so we don't We don't think we would be successful if we try to be the integrators ourselves. And so we're just trying to Figure out where do we find the right? integrators to make it work for us, I guess

Brent Peterson (08:30.858)
journey, first, why did you decide to try EOS and then second, why did you decide to join EO, Entrepreneurs' Organization?

Mikhail (08:40.685)
So, you know, it kind of started, we met somebody through an associate we worked with and doing some networking and this person was an EO member. And they are also like, you know, we hit it off and we started talking and they're doing really well in a similar space. And we were like kind of dumbfounded like.

how he was able to accomplish some of the stuff he did. And we're like, you know, what's your secret? And he said, you know, traction. I don't know if you guys read traction. And I said, no. So he kind of pointed us to it. So then we read it. And then, you know, I asked him about EO and he said, yeah, he found a lot of value out of EO. And I have been wanting to.

Brent Peterson (09:23.909)
And then I asked him about the y'all and he said, yeah, you can.

Mikhail (09:34.281)
get back into kind of like the entrepreneurship community and like, you know, meet more peers and do more of that. I actually used to, when we first started 15 years ago, I was part of a CEO round table through the Minnesota High Tech Association. And that was like a really great experience, big learning experience for me. But then, you know, like honestly, like success made us

Hide in this cocoon like we were just like in the trenches for 15 years and then like didn't look out You know, that's how it just felt and so we were completely disconnected from any kind of entrepreneurship community We we honestly didn't weren't even really involved at all in our industry like we were like we were trying to hide and like

because people kept copying us every time we did something smart. And so we were just like, focused on our own success. Like we never really went after competitor. It wasn't about that. We were just like, we're forging our own road and that just took so much of our mental energy that we forgot that there was like a separate world out there. So like I'm trying to, to expand back out there because you find yourself on this island, you know.

Uh, and, uh, and, and so that's one thing going forward. Uh, I felt like you would be a good, uh, mechanism for that or a good avenue for that, you know, after going through forum training yesterday, you know, I wasn't, uh, I guess I didn't understand how much like personal growth and kind of the mechanisms of the 5% and some of that.

Brent Peterson (11:16.554)
You know, I wasn't, I guess I didn't understand how much like personal growth and kind of the mechanisms of the 5% and some of that how involved it was, right? I didn't, you know, so I'm interested in that and we'll see how that goes for me.

Mikhail (11:27.553)
how involved it was, right? I didn't, you know, so I'm interested in that and we'll see how that goes for me. So I guess it's a little bit more in depth and intense than I thought it would be, but I'm open to the journey.

Brent Peterson (11:49.913)
So I guess it's a little bit more in depth and intense than I thought it would be, but I'm open to the journey.

Brent Peterson (12:07.168)
You know, in our green room, we did talk a little bit about maybe having a revisit in six months, but for now I wanted to kind of capture what those expectations are that you would like to see out of EO. And then maybe let's revisit this in a short amount of time or six months to a year to see how we connect those dots. Right. I'm really interested in hearing how you think or what you'd like to get out of this and your expectations. And then.

Let's go back and revisit it to see if those things have come true. I would also say that before you did forum training, the idea of being in a forum is different than what maybe you expected, right?

Mikhail (12:53.849)
Correct, correct. So yeah, you know, I think my main expectation going into it and one that I still have is that I'm really looking for help in my growth journey, right? But really in my business growth journey was my initial intent, right? Like I'm trying to grow my business, I'm trying to get it to the next level. Obviously there's problems.

and issues that I'm going to encounter that I haven't encountered but I'm sure many others have. So I'm looking for help in that business growth journey, right? That's one main thing. And like I'm not against and I will definitely commit to trying on the personal growth side as well.

and we'll see where that leads. But my initial intent was, hey, you know, I'm really trying to grow my business. I really want to meet other people with the same intention, it's like, and hopefully, like, they will help me.

Brent Peterson (14:01.95)
initial intention, hey, you know, I'm really trying to grow my business. I really want to meet other people with the same intentions, and hopefully it will help me. Yeah, that's awesome. So, I mean, just so our listeners understand that EO is not a networking group. It's not a group where you're really intending to try to find more business. In fact, it's the opposite. We have a no solicitation policy. So...

Mikhail (14:25.749)
Correct.

Brent Peterson (14:26.34)
What I found is that I've been able to share my experiences with other entrepreneurs. And no matter what the space is in, if you're in the software business or you're in the hardware business or you're manufacturing something, everybody has the same challenges, right? We all have the same challenges as being a business owner. So I think that's what, when I first started, my realization was, hey, wow, I've been doing all this all by myself and I can get some help.

Mikhail (14:56.497)
Right, and that's kind of where I'm at is, I could use some help.

Brent Peterson (15:02.136)
Yeah, that's awesome. Mikael, we have a few more minutes left here. Well, what would you like to see in your future self in one year? From an entrepreneurial standpoint, what would you like to see out of that?

Mikhail (15:20.665)
I'd like to see myself achieving more of my vision, obviously. And part of that is implementing EOS, finding the right integrators, being able to elevate myself a little bit out of the business to focus on some of these other entrepreneurial endeavors.

my overall strategy of growing the business, hopefully through even acquisition. So it would be nice to, by the end of the year, to see some of that happen. So if I'm running EOS and it's going well and I have the time and resources and energy to be looking at acquisitions, that's where I would love to be in a year from now.

Brent Peterson (15:59.964)
see some of that happen. So if I have if I'm running EOS and it's going well and I'm you know and I have the time and resources and energy to be looking at it acquisitions that's where I would love to be in here for now. That's awesome and so you know as we close out I want to give you an opportunity to just do a shameless plug about yourself or about your business. Tell people how they can get in touch with you and why they would get in touch with you.

Mikhail (16:31.157)
Sure. You know, people would get in touch with us for one of two reasons. One is they have a lot of technology to retire or a data center that needs to be decommissioned and they're looking for some value back on that equipment, as well as if they have any kind of data security.

issues where they need to destroy a lot of data or wipe their data center or wipe all of their equipment before it leaves their door, then WipeOS is kind of the solution for that. So yeah, if you need a data center, be commissioned. Ocean Tech is your company. And if you need some data wipe, WipeOS is your company.

Brent Peterson (17:01.38)
and LifeOS is kind of the solution for that. So yeah, if you need a data center to be commissioned, Ocean Tech is your company. And if you need some data life, LifeOS is the best. That's awesome. Thank you, Mikhail Zabazinsky. Did I get it right? All right. You got it. Yeah, thank you so much for being here. It's been a pleasure speaking to you today.

Mikhail (17:21.607)
Yep, you got it right.

Mikhail (17:26.493)
Well, thank you for having me. It's a real pleasure. And I really am looking forward to my EO journey. So.

Brent Peterson (17:33.328)
Great, perfect, thank you.