Daily Inspiration: Meet Vitali Zahharov

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vitali Zahharov

Hi Vitali, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Originally, I’m from Northern Europe, specifically Estonia—a country known not just for its cold weather, but for its reserved people, quite different from Californians. I was born and raised there, but I never felt attached to that location. I’ve always wanted to travel more and see the world because, after all, you only have one life. My wife and I have lived and worked in Singapore and Spain, and together we’ve traveled to more than 40 countries, and we’re still counting. Travel is big part of our life, even being in USA for a while we already visited 20 states, we did fantastic trip from West Coast to East Cost, I can definitely tell that America is beautiful in all the ways.

To be honest with you, I never dreamed or considered America to live in. Yes, America always intrigued us, but we never seriously considered moving here. We spent our summer in Estonia (we have 2 months of sun out there, so it’s perfect time to be there), then when it’s winter we moved to sunny countries. Then, one day, we decided to take the plunge and start fresh in sunny California, because I’ve tired of listening all the friends of mine keep telling me about how is great here and how is different, why you guys not moving there etc. One day I just said to my wife – Enough, let’s see what America made of! Leaving everything behind and moving into the unknown with just a few suitcases was terrifying, but it turned out to be the best decision we ever made. It’s been tough, but every success motivates me to work even harder to achieve more. I think that drive is part of my nature. We took a direct flight from Europe to Los Angeles because we knew we couldn’t live through another winter—we needed more sun. So, our choice was obvious, even though I have many friends living in San Francisco. That city is similar to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, which is known as the “Silicon Valley of Europe” due to its high number of startups per capita.

Being immigrant is tough, coming to the country with just a few suitcases and starting over without knowing anyone in the city, especially that big city – is double hard, but in the end it’s turned out the best decision ever!

I currently run my own design agency called MØDDEN, where we are creating digital products for businesses all around the world. However, we primarily work with locals, which gives me the opportunity to meet new people, get to know the culture better, and improve my language skills of course. I’ve worked with a range of clients, from small startups like Duffl and Double to tech giants like Samsung and Google. One of the reasons we moved here was because the possibilities are endless, and the opportunity to work with such amazing people and companies is a blessing for me. You have great environment out here, you have also Hollywood here—I couldn’t find a better place for someone like me, a designer. Maybe New York is also a cool place, but I can’t live in a city with all four seasons and strong winds. San Francisco is better known for tech, Los Angeles for media, and New York for finance and fashion, so the choice was obvious for me!

Growing my company while building my personal brand is challenging, but I’m committed to being among the best. I believe I’m living my best life right now.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course not. As I mentioned before, we arrived here with just three suitcases. Now, we have more stuff than we ever had in our country after 10 years of living together. When we first came to Los Angeles, everything was shocking for us—from the variety of the food to the process of renting an apartment.

We started our journey with a small apartment in Woodland Hills, which was nice. We had a pool and our own gym—great benefits, and very different from our country, where even new buildings don’t offer such amenities.

Another culture shock was the tipping culture. When we first went out to dinner and didn’t leave a tip, the waitress actually chased us down, shouting, “Hey, where are you from?” We told her we were from Europe, and she said, “Well, in America, we tip.” She basically forced me to tip her. That was unusual for us.

On the plus side, the weather here is amazing, and there’s such a wide range of things to do. For example, whenever we have time, we always take the chance to go to a concert. We’ve already seen so many artists like Doja Cat, Travis Scott, Backstreet Boys, Alicia Keys, Usher, and others. Every week, someone is performing in Los Angeles. It’s incredible.

People here are a bit different—they’re super friendly and positive, but when it comes to friendship, it can be challenging. I think people are just self-centered; they’re always working, and after work, no one wants to meet up because they don’t want to sit in traffic for an hour. That’s why so many people struggle to find friends here.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a digital designer with about 10 years of experience. Originally, I started as a web developer, that was 2010, working in that field for several years during my college years and then I continue to work a few years more after that. I also hold a bachelor’s degree in programming. However, I found development quite boring just starting at my display seeing code and always had a passion for design. Fortunately, these two areas are closely related, so my transition was very smooth and know my hobby and my work matches which I’m supper happy about!

I began my career working with local design agencies in my home country, then gradually expanded myself to Europe and Asia. I was fortunate enough to live and work in Singapore, where I helped doing the large projects for companies like Toshiba, JLL, and even the Singapore government. Working there was challenging due to the cultural differences—Singaporeans are even more reserved than Estonians, and building friendships as a foreigner was almost impossible with locals. Being in Singapore at 27, starting from scratch, was an incredible experience for me, maybe at that age I didn’t realize how hard immigration is and what holds me in the future, but I’m so grateful for that experience.

I’ve also worked on fantastic projects with brands like Dosist, Thrive Market, Royal Caribbean, Samsung, and Legrand. My focus is primarily on branding, and I love being creative, making something special to help businesses stand out. I’m always trying to do my best with every single project. I just can’t fail, I’m new here and started chasing American dream, so I must be number one in my sphere!

Currently, I work as a designer, helping startups enhance their appearance and profitability. At the same time, I’m building my own design agency. Balancing these two roles is challenging, as both demand significant time and effort. I strive for perfection in everything I do (maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo), and I can’t settle for mediocrity—it just doesn’t sit right with me. As a founder, I know how crucial it is to make careful decisions and lead a team effectively. There’s no room for failure, especially when it comes to delivering for clients or ensuring my team performs at their best.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
When I was younger, I remember spending countless hours in front of my computer. I got my first PC at the age of 10, thanks to my parents. Growing up in that part of Europe after the collapse of the USSR wasn’t easy for them, but they did a great job. Of course, I played a lot of computer games, but I also recall the first time I opened Adobe Photoshop. That tool became my favorite “game.” I could easily spend four or five hours using it without a break. I remember making photo retouches for all my classmates and their friends.

I created my first website when I was 12. It was a simple page about me and my friends. Soon, I started making websites for others. At that time, we played a lot of games like Warcraft and Counter-Strike, and I even made websites for our gaming clans. Sometimes, friends of friends would ask if I could build a website for their clan, and in return, I’d get to play with them.

Step by step, I started creating more complex websites from scratch, including e-shops, blogs, and e-commerce sites. There was a critical moment when I didn’t know whether I wanted to focus on design or development. I even worked as a developer for three years, but design has always been my passion. You can’t ignore what you truly love, so I chose design and have never regretted it.

My goal was always to create my own agency. I wanted to build something, but I was scared—how to do it, when the best time would be, where to find clients, etc. Eventually, I realized there’s never a perfect time—just do it, do it now. That was my mindset. I felt that if I couldn’t build it today, I might never build it. I lived in my home country my whole life but started my business in America because I feel like I belong to this culture and these people. I understand how people work here and what they’re looking for, and I really enjoy working with everyone I meet.

Pricing:

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Contact Info:

• Website: https://vitali.work
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitali.work

Image Credits
03.jpeg – G L Askew II
00.jpeg, 08.jpg – Kseniya Kurs