Ever wondered what it takes to start a business in the US? In this interview, Denis Eliseev, Founder & CEO of Got Added Value, shares his inspiring journey from co-founding one of Russia’s top ad agencies to starting fresh in the US. Gain first-hand insights, real experiences and discover Denis’s ambitious and creative plans to empower entrepreneurs through his educational platform.
Founder and ex-CCO at Friends Moscow.
Founder and ex-Creative Director at MADS, School of Conceptual Thinking
Cannes Lions Award, Epica Awards, Golden Drum, Golden Hammer, PIAF, ADCR, Red Apple, Effie, KIAF, Idea, White Square.
Anna: Denis, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Could you share a bit about your business journey — how it all began, and when you made the move to the US?
Denis: Sure! In a nutshell, Got Added Value marks a fresh chapter for me – almost like starting a new life. Before 2022, I lived in Moscow, where I co-founded and co-owned one of the most successful advertising agencies in Russia. We became a TOP-3 agency, frequently ranking number 1 or 2, with over 450 international awards under our belt. We worked with some of the biggest clients, including Google.
We initially started as a creative agency, but eventually, we evolved into brand guardians – not just developing brands but also overseeing full-scale advertising campaigns. Alongside this, I also founded Mads Courses, a top advertising school that earned global recognition: we were named the most creative ad school in the world due to the international success of our students, many of whom continue winning awards today.
In 2022 I had to left all of that behind and relocate here to the US. For about a year, I took a step back to figure out my next move. During that time, I focused on consulting, working with businesses and agencies across the post-Soviet space. While running an agency no longer appealed to me, consulting did. It allowed me to apply my skills to different businesses and see how my expertise could impact them. And it worked.
I'm still consulting, but over the past year and a half, I had the luxury of thinking deeply about what I truly want to pursue next. I realized that creativity, marketing, and advertising have always been at the core of who I am. And education has always been a big part of my journey too. So here in the US, I decided to launch something new, but in a completely different way.
Anna: Sounds inspiring. So, what’s the core focus of your business here in the US?
Denis: Education is at the heart of everything I’m building. It’s the foundation and everything else I do will stem from that. In December 2023, I launched Got Added Value, an educational platform with a mission to help businesses unlock their creative potential and build their brands. The name itself reflects the essence – it's all about adding value, providing an edge.
Currently I’m still shaping the exact scope of the platform. It could stay focused on advertising, expand into marketing and branding or even go broader into creativity as a whole – specifically for people who create and innovate. I envision it as a hub for what I like to call “creative business.” It’s designed for entrepreneurs, small companies and business owners who want to craft and grow their brand creatively, whether it’s developing a compelling brand identity, creating standout advertising, or nurturing their team’s creative skills.
At its core, the platform will deliver knowledge on how to build and develop a brand from the ground up, primarily targeting entrepreneurs in the small and medium-sized business space. Initially, we’re launching in Russian, but as we refine the offerings, we’ll be expanding globally.
Anna: How did you enter the US market? I assume you contacted Pixel Tax Consulting to handle the paperwork and set up your company and bank accounts, right?
Denis: Yes, I came with an established business already in place and did reach out to Konstantin for tax and reporting guidance. However, in terms of fully entering the US market, I’m still in the experimental phase—I haven’t completely launched yet.
When it came to setting up my business entity, I hired someone I knew to handle everything. In hindsight, I probably could have done it myself, but when you’re just starting, it’s hard to gauge how complicated the process might be. I wanted to avoid the hassle and focus on other aspects of getting the business off the ground.
Anna: Exactly, that's why we decided to offer these services as part of Pixel Tax Consulting. It saves our clients valuable time, cuts down on unnecessary expenses and eliminates the stress of navigating complex paperwork. By handling everything from company formation to tax guidance, we make it easier for businesses to focus on their growth and success without getting bogged down in administrative tasks. So, Pixel Tax Consulting handles your bookkeeping, record-keeping, and accounting, right?
Denis: Yes, that's correct.
Anna: And how does your communication work? Are you heavily involved in the process, or is it more hands-off, with just periodic reports?
Denis: We’ve set up 2 effective and comfortable ways of communicating. First, the team connected me to an app that tracks all my transactions. When it’s time to compile a report, we simply export everything and they take care of the rest. I barely need to do anything, aside from issuing invoices through the app to ensure they’re accounted for. But if some issues appear, we do have a Telegram chat. The second way is whenever I have specific questions we arrange a quick call and Konstantin walks me through any clarifications I need. Lately, I haven’t been in touch as much, but I have a few questions building up, so I’ll be reaching out soon.
Anna: Yes, speaking of that, I know your company is still in its early stages, but what differences do you notice between doing business in the US versus Russia? With your years of experience in Russia, maybe there are some cultural or tax-related differences? What stands out most to you?
Denis: Honestly, when it comes to business interactions, I don’t see major differences. My job has always involved working across different countries, not just in Russia but also throughout the post-Soviet space. I’ve developed systems to adapt to new markets where the cultural landscape may be unfamiliar, so navigating that here in the US feels quite similar. The process of creating advertising and building brands—conducting in-depth interviews, researching cultural nuances and developing strategies remains the same.
What did surprise me, though, was the level of competition. I expected a much higher concentration of big brands in the niches I'm working in, but I found only 3-4 main competitors in each niche, which isn’t too different from Russia. The key difference, however, is that the US economy thrives on an abundance of small and medium-sized businesses and this is where the competition really heats up.
What’s unique here is the high degree of specialization among marketing agencies. There are agencies that focus on incredibly narrow niches—like only creating titles for movie teasers or designing websites for pharmacies. This level of specialization is something you don’t see in Russia, where agencies tend to cover broader fields. That’s been a real eye-opener.
Anna: And what about the technical side of managing reports, taxes, and accounting compared to Russia? What are your impressions so far?
Denis: Honestly, the US feels like it’s built for business. Everything I’ve experienced so far suggests it’s far more advantageous to be a business owner here than an employee. The tax system is notably more business-friendly, and one thing that really surprised me was the option to defer taxes—that’s a huge advantage.
Overall, things feel much simpler and more transparent here. Even California’s taxes don’t intimidate me because I was paying more back in Russia. Even though the tax system here might take me a few years to fully grasp, I feel incredibly comfortable so far. Maybe I’m still seeing things through rose-colored glasses, but for now, I feel completely relaxed and eager to keep growing my business in the US. Curious fact, the highest taxes I’ve encountered in the US are still lower than what I was used to paying in Russia.
Anna: Do you currently hire anyone for remote work or have employees in the US?
Denis: Right now, it’s mostly separate project-based work. I’ve hired people in the US for certain tasks and made some payments to experts in Europe, like when I brought in jury members for specific projects. But this brings up a bigger question I want to explore—how can I hire non-US employees, and what’s the best way to do it?
In terms of hiring, my goal is to keep the team as small as possible. In my previous business, we had around 70 employees, which isn’t huge for large companies, but I realized that I felt more comfortable when we had 20-30 people.
Yes, hiring is regulated by certain documents, but they’re fairly straightforward. Our partners like Deel or EasyStaff are great for hiring outside the US. At Pixel Tax Consulting we also help organize the hiring and payment processes, making everything much smoother
Anna: Do you currently use any legal support or are you relying on legal templates for now? How do you manage that?
Denis: At the moment, I’m handling everything myself. I’d be happy to use legal services, and if you’re offering, I’m definitely interested. But for now, I rely on Chat GPT for most of my legal needs
Anna: Denis, given that you're in the early stages of building your business in the US, what advice would you offer to someone looking to start a business here?
Denis: It really depends on the type of advice they need because it’s a broad question. Lately, people have been asking me about the technical side of things, like how I opened my company, so I’ve shared my experience on that front. For setting up a legal entity or handling taxes, I typically direct them to Konstantin for expert advice. California also has plenty of online tools where you can easily check if your business name is available, which simplifies the process.
The biggest challenge for me was figuring out where to start. You can't just Google everything and expect clear answers—it’s not that simple. I reached out to friends who had already set up businesses in the US and asked for their recommendations on things like which bank to choose, what services to use, and which steps to prioritize. Coming from Russia, where I had a deep understanding of the banking system, navigating the US market was tricky without that same context. I wasn’t sure whether to go with CitiBank, Bank of America, or Chase, so I relied heavily on advice from those who had been through the process already.
Once you have contact, basic understanding of how things work, it becomes much more manageable. So far, I haven’t encountered any major obstacles, but getting the right guidance early on makes all the difference
Anna: Thank you so much, Denis, for sharing your journey and insights with us today. It’s been fascinating to hear about your experience transitioning into the US market and your plans moving forward. For entrepreneurs who are looking to enter the US market and might need guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to Pixel Tax Consulting: you can coordinate a free consultation with Konstantin, who can help navigate the complexities of starting a business here.
We wish you all the best with your business, Denis, and we’re excited to see how your innovative approach continues to develop.
