Roman Zrazievsky is a survivalist of sorts. His company, Mira Safety, sells protective gear for seemingly real events such as nuclear attack or chemical warfare. He calls the threat of a geopolitical crisis causing fear in consumers a “red alert.”
zlazhevsky appeared first In a recent conversation, he shared Mira Safety’s evolution, staffing strategy, growth plans, and more.
The entire audio is embedded below. The transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
Eric Bandholz: Please give us an overview of your business.
Roman Zlazhevsky: I own Mirasafety. We focus on protection from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. The company sells directly to consumers through e-commerce, providing products such as gas masks and protective clothing. We also sell to government agencies and wholesale customers.
We launched Mira Safety in 2018, but I’ve been in the industry since 2013 with Ready to Go Survival, selling ventilators, although we didn’t have much success initially. Then, in 2015, came the Ebola scare. We call such events “red alerts,” and they are geopolitical issues that drive people to buy emergency equipment. Another example was in 2017 when tensions arose between Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. This increased sales by $50,000 in just one week.
Emergency alerts cause a significant increase in demand. Recently, the 2022 Ukraine war was the biggest emergency alert. Many believed the conflict could spread beyond Ukraine and lead to a major war between East and West. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but it did spark a wave of purchases.
Interestingly, when something like this happens, people gradually become fed up with it. There is a sense that each emergency alert does not cause as much fear as the previous one. But if something catastrophic were to happen, such as Russia attacking Poland, there could be another huge spike in demand.
Bandholz: Your business will thrive even when the world is in crisis. How do you deal with that?
Zlazhevsky: I don’t struggle with it. We provide products that save lives. Our mission is protect peopledon’t hurt them. We are like an insurance company. It’s a necessary service. We help people prepare for the unimaginable, and we’re proud of that.
Bandholz: How do you manage during an emergency alert?
Zlazhevsky: We keep things lean, avoid overspending, and keep reserves in case of a downturn. My rule is to have at least one year’s worth of working capital. Even if sales drop or there are no emergency alerts for a while, you can continue operating without making significant cuts.
I’m conservative when it comes to debt. We do not like to borrow money and only take risks regarding inventory and product launches. Our only major debt is the mortgage on our headquarters building, which we plan to pay off early.
I avoid excessive leverage because it can destroy a business. I’ve seen many entrepreneurs go bankrupt because they took on too much debt and couldn’t recoup it when things didn’t go as planned. I slowly and steadily bootstrapped growth.
Bandholz: You have invested heavily in your physical workplace.
Zlazhevsky: strong corporate culture important to us. We want people to work in the same building. While remote work has its benefits, it also has its problems. So we decided to keep most of our team in one place. Facilities such as a sauna and red light therapy are part of our wellness philosophy.
When employees feel better, they perform better. If our team is happy, healthy, and enjoys being here, they’ll likely be more productive and stay longer. Plus, I enjoy doing these things and want to share them with my team.
Bandholz: What are the long-term goals for your business?
Zlazhevsky: Our mission is to protect people from the worst threats. That’s what drives us. We are releasing more products especially for children. There is a lack of protective equipment for them. We are one of the few companies offering ventilators for children. Protect your family’s daily life.
We also deliver ventilator assemblies to the usa That’s our next big move. The machine has already been ordered, and once assembly begins here, the company plans to apply for certification from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This opens the door to more government contracts and allows sales to private companies that need NIOSH-rated products.
It’s difficult to plan for five years, especially in a business like this. I am also still learning, especially about manufacturing and leadership. There’s always room for improvement.
Bandholz: Where can people buy your product?
Zlazhevsky: our site is mirasafety.com. progressing ×, Instagramand YouTube.
