By: Joanna Fedos

In February 2022, as war broke out in Ukraine, Oksana Tsvigun was thousands of miles away on vacation in Panama. Overnight, flights were canceled, borders shut, and home was suddenly unreachable. “I felt stranded,” she recalls. “I didn’t know what to do. At the same time, Panama felt so warm and welcoming that I wanted to stay here a bit longer.”

The move puzzled friends and relatives. “Why Panama? Why not return to Europe?” they asked. But Oksana’s instinct told her to stay. It was an unlikely move for someone with her background — an accomplished e-commerce and growth leader with more than 16 years of experience in beauty, fashion, jewelry, and wellness, working for such companies as L’Oréal and Global Fashion Group, scaling digital businesses across Europe. Yes, Europe, not Latin America. Yet, she decided to throw herself into the Latin American market, a region she had never lived or worked in before.

Reinventing in Latin America

What could have been a story of loss and despair became a story of resilience. With no Spanish, no professional network, and only the support of a Ukrainian-French family she had met the day before her planned departure, she decided to rebuild her life from zero.

Within two months, she landed the role of E-commerce & CRM Director for Pandora Jewelry in Latin America — proving her ability to turn crisis into opportunity. How did she manage it? Oksana chose a path that felt unusual — both for her and for many cultures. Instead of waiting quietly or simply sending applications, she began meeting people and telling everyone she met about her background, her work at L’Oréal, her achievements as CEO of online fashion retailer Lamoda, and that she was looking for a role. She said “yes” to every coffee, replied to every email, and thanked every message that came her way. And it worked…

Once she stepped into the role, she wasted no time making an impact. In her first year, she…

Helped increase Pandora’s online sales over her first year.

Launched new e-commerce sites in Peru, Panama, and Colombia.

Introduced new customer services like Click & Collect and Pick Up in Store.

Improved digital experiences across markets, laying the foundation for sustainable growth in the region.

For Oksana, these results were more than corporate KPIs. They were proof that adaptability, resilience, and empathy can cross any border. “I realized it’s not about the region, it’s about mindset. If you have the strength and desire to listen, learn, adapt, and act, you can succeed anywhere,” she says.

The Leap to the United States

At the end of 2023, after her contract with Pandora concluded, Tsvigun made her boldest move yet: starting over in the United States — with no corporate safety net, only her determination to keep growing and remain at the forefront of innovation.

She chose Los Angeles as her landing place. “Honestly, my Panama wardrobe wasn’t made for colder states, and the sun matters,” she laughs. “But beyond that, LA is where innovation and creativity happen first. I wanted to be right at the front line of new ideas, meet new people, and grow both professionally and personally.”

However, the U.S. market turned out to be the toughest of all. “Here, your past titles don’t matter,” she admits. “What counts is how you prove yourself now — and the track record you build in the U.S”. For Oksana, this realization didn’t come easily. It was marked by moments of doubt, sleepless nights, and the unsettling feeling of starting from zero all over again. “I went through several internal crises,” she reflects. “At times, it felt like everything I had achieved before didn’t matter”.

It was in those very struggles that her strength deepened. Piece by piece, she let go of old labels and rebuilt her confidence until new doors began to open.

Within months, Oksana secured a leadership role as Director of Growth at a European Amazon accelerator that was acquiring and scaling brands in the U.S. There, she advised international founders on how to navigate one of the world’s competitive consumer markets and helped position their brands in the crowded U.S. landscape.

From Corporate to Founder

Her impact went beyond scaling established brands; she also stepped into creation. Oksana co-created Pawgress, a premium dog supplement brand crafted from scratch together with one of America’s reputable canine nutritionists. Oksana immersed herself in every stage of the process: researching ingredients, developing formulas, finding and managing U.S.-based manufacturing, designing packaging, labeling, compliance, shaping the brand’s identity, and finally launching and scaling online.

This hands-on experience gave her a rare, 360-degree view of why some brands fail in the U.S. market and what truly sets successful ones apart. Being successful in Europe or other continents does not guarantee success in the U.S. The U.S. customer is different and must be approached differently—from marketing and compliance to customer service and even product formulation.

Her experience with Pawgress reinforced her commitment to product integrity and to helping build mission-driven companies. “I realized how many supplements were designed more for marketing than for true results”, she explains. “For Pawgress, I did deep research and spoke with scientists to make sure our product used only natural ingredients and the right dosages. The result wasn’t just another supplement — it was something that truly made a difference”.

That journey led her to launch her own consultancy, OT Growth Labs, a boutique consultancy where she helps founders turn ideas into sustainable brands. Her mission is not simply to create more products, but to support brands that stand for something real and impactful. “I enjoy working with brands that have a mission and truly serve people,” Oksana says. “In my consultancy, I partner with founders to shape their product, refine their strategy, and scale for the U.S. market — because here, success requires more than a launch, it demands the right strategy and flawless execution.”

A Philosophy of Resilience

Oksana’s journey is not only about survival, but about transformation — showing how agility, vision, and clarity on what you want can turn uncertainty into momentum. Today, as she builds brands in the U.S. and empowers others to do the same, her mission is simple yet powerful: to lead with integrity, to create products that truly serve people, and to remind us all that no matter the circumstances, we are all the CEOs of our own lives.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on publicly available sources and the personal experiences of Oksana Tsvigun. Any claims regarding the effectiveness or success of the products or services mentioned, including but not limited to those associated with Pandora, Pawgress, and The Age Labs, are based on her personal involvement and achievements. These claims may not be universally applicable and should not be construed as guarantees of similar results. All health-related claims should be verified with independent sources and experts. The article does not constitute financial, health, or professional advice, and readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before making decisions based on the content presented.