Our Sweet Adventure to Ukraine

Hey Babes! So just a couple weeks ago, I teamed up with a new company called Mau Productions and hopped on a plane to Kiev, Ukraine! Mau is a startup production company that is attempting to provide smaller businesses with tools to grow their business and online presence, all while saving them substantial money! Having a small business and all, I thought Mau’s mission was genius! Even with my luck of having talented friends that are photographers and models who have been so wonderful in helping us put together and grow our online store, keeping up with social media, constantly coming up with new content, and always having new images has NOT been easy! If you’re not located in a major city, expanding a business can be super hard, believe me, I’ve been experiencing it first hand, so to hear about a company that could help so many businesses grow was exciting! Once I was told about Mau’s plan and offered to join them on their first shoot, I obviously had to go! And so, I packed a couple suitcases up with some of my favorite new BitterSweet arrivals, and after about 24 hours of traveling, I had (finally) arrived to Ukraine! I had never been to Ukraine before, and while a little nervous, I was super excited to explore! That first day I was exhausted, but I couldn’t let that stop me, there was no time to waste! The Mau team was so welcoming and friendly and the town of Kiev was so interesting! We were staying in the center of the city filled with tall buildings, hundreds of pedestrians, and huge light-up billboards, super modern and industrial, and yet, if we were to walk a few blocks in any direction, we’d be surrounded by beautiful old churches and intricate architecture, a definite site for my very tired and sore eyes. Also, they had a coffee shop literally every ten feet that served excellent cappuccinos for about 70 cents, it was truly unbelievable! That night, it was a Tuesday by the way, we went out for some wine and dessert and the city was alive! The people, while they spoke very little English, were so welcoming and cheerful, the weather was chilly yet comfortable, and the food and wine was delicious! It was definitely a little overwhelming, mostly because I was still exhausted from traveling, but I was so excited for the days to come! Now onto the more interesting stuff, the photo shoots! We shot for a total of three full days, and I got to see all of Kiev! From local coffee and eclair shops to the century old National Opera house, there was so much to see, so many great locations for photoshoots, and so much beauty to take in! And while this was the first real photoshoot the company had done, I was super impressed! From the makeup and hair artists, to the 6 photographers on set, the entire production was very well put together and professional.  And while the shoots weren’t seamless nor perfect, I knew right away that this company had a lot of potential! And with each day and new shoot location, we were constantly learning what worked better. Everyone was doing their best so that we could have the best outcome for the photos and I think that was evident with the results! And just as quickly as I had arrived to Ukraine, it was already time to head back to the US! While my trip only lasted 6 short days, these photos will last much longer! As for Mau Productions, I’m super excited to see where the company goes next, because I know they will be doing big things! Throughout the few days, there were tens of thousands of pictures taken, and while I have yet to finish looking at all of them, here are a few of my favorites! Check them out and if you have any questions about our trip, Mau Productions, or anything else when it comes to growing an online business, just let us know! Until then, I’ll just be here in Virginia, missing Ukraine’s excellent coffee! And keep an eye on our instagram as we release more photos daily! XOXO, Paula