"In order to do something good, you don't have to have a hard personal experience"

In 2021, Ksenia Rykova, a successful Moscow lawyer, left her career in a large company and opened her own business, a social project for the employment of the blind and visually impaired. Today, the Sixth Sense massage salon chain founded by her is expanding to the regions — branches will open in Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk on October 15. Ksenia Rykova told Izvestia about her project, about the features of social entrepreneurship and what is needed to successfully help people with disabilities.

— What motivated you to take up such a project? After all, you were a lawyer in a large company with career prospects?

— I just burned out at some point. I found myself just looking at the monitor screen and clicking the mouse and realized that I could not further realize myself in this profession.

I was involved not only in the legal part, but also in the management of quite a few areas: accounting, finance, sales. It was a constant stress, which greatly affects the general well-being and health. I always went for a massage to keep myself in shape, so I was familiar with this topic and liked it. I decided to try to open a massage studio. But I didn't want to open just a massage studio, I wanted to promote an interesting idea. I knew that there are blind massage therapists, which is a fairly common phenomenon in some countries, and I was surprised that this was not the case here.

People often think that there must be some kind of personal story behind such a business. But in order to do something good, you don't have to have a hard personal experience, just good intentions are enough. When I opened the studio, I didn't think it was a social business, some kind of social mission. I liked the idea, the concept, but it didn't occur to me that my project had an important social impact.

— Then how do you see it now — how much is the "Sixth Sense" a social, and how much is a commercial project?

— Initially, it was conceived as an absolutely commercial project, it was important to make a sustainable model that can be self-sustaining.

Now, after a while, I understand that we are growing, there are some tasks that are already difficult to solve internally. In other words, the project is no longer just about the fact that we employ blind and visually impaired massage therapists. It's about the fact that it's important for me to engage in development and training. And maybe not only for massage therapists, but in general for career guidance for the blind and visually impaired. That's what I'm focusing on right now.

— What do you mean by "social business"?

— There is a definition of what social entrepreneurship is and what criteria it should meet. In my opinion, in order to be a social business, you need to meet several important human criteria. That's probably the main thing. People are the most important thing to me. I love people, I respect them very much. The idea of a human-centered business organization is very, very close. For me, it's all about making the world a better place.

— Who is helping to implement the project — the state? Private sponsors?

— When I tell you that I am engaged in this business, people often start to think that I receive grants and subsidies from the state. But this is not the case. Now the government and large foundations are really doing a lot to support and develop such social projects. The government provides excellent training programs, helps with the promotion of goods and services, and helps with contacts. But if we are talking about entrepreneurship, then this is, in fact, an activity aimed at making a profit, which you carry out at your own risk. This should always be taken into account. This is your idea and your responsibility. I have such a position. And I started a business completely relying on my own capabilities.

— How was the team recruited?

— It was quite difficult. When the studio opened, there was only one massage therapist, Alyona, who is still with me and helps other guys get comfortable at work. Over time, the team began to grow, and Perspektiva helped me a lot — they began to direct candidates. Later, the VOS and the medical college, which trains children, joined. And organizations that are engaged in professional Abilimpix championships.

Plus, the guys themselves come to us, because they have their own community, in which I have a good reputation. And they're coming to work for me. By opening new salons, I want to attract at least 15 more people with disabilities.

— What are your requirements for candidates? Is it necessary to have the skills of a massage therapist and experience for this?

— At the medical college, children are taught basic massage skills for free. Then the graduate can go to finish his studies and improve his qualifications. It is ok. All my massage therapists do this all the time. This is a continuous continuous process of personnel training. We hire people with good social skills and a good professional base. The experience may be small, and sometimes it is limited to relatives and colleagues in training. But we also have experienced massage therapists. For example, I have a two-time Russian massage champion working for me. Not among people with disabilities, but among all massage therapists.

We still have career tracks, but we would like to take this to a more serious level. And my task is to make sure that not only blind massage therapists can work for me, but that they can easily find work on the open labor market. I always talk about it. We are only in favor if people have really gained cool skills and good experience, and it's great if they find themselves somewhere else. And my task for the future is to create such an opportunity so that the blind can realize themselves and be in demand. And also to reduce the stigmatization of people with disabilities, which still exists in society, both among clients and employers. Especially among employers.

— What else is needed to help visually impaired people?

— There is pity, but there is help. And it is very important to turn off, probably, pity. Massage therapists are actually very offended when people feel sorry for them. They say we are exactly the same people, we have the same normal life, why feel sorry for us? And it doesn't make any difference to me. I also demand indicators from them, and I'm probably a tough leader in some places. There are certain requirements for employees, as everywhere and as for everyone.

By the way, I categorically do not hire those who live in a victim's position and believe that they owe everything. This is probably my main criterion when choosing people.

It is important not to feel sorry, but to treat exactly the same as everyone else. And then, I think, it will help people integrate.

— Why were Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk chosen for promotion to the regions?

— I have long looked towards the development of the project not only in Moscow, but also in the regions. But I've always been scared by the fact that it's not clear how to recruit people there. This is probably one of the most problematic areas of work. And the Visible Opportunities project has been organized in Kuzbass with the support of the Art, Science and Sport Foundation, the Ministry of Labor of Kuzbass and VEB.RF Corporation. We called on the phone, and it turned out that there are many specialists who find it difficult to find a job. And we realized that we needed to open a studio there, because they train people with vision problems, but then these guys can't find a job. And my project is perfect for them.

— How do you see the prospects of the project? What are you planning to do in the near future?

— We plan to open two more salons in the near future. I would really like to open more in several regions. And, accordingly, they are already engaged in a part of the training center in order to support the masters in principle in Russia. We are open to suggestions. The most important thing is that there are people in the field who want to work, or those who want to engage in such a business.