Interview with Anatoly Winter: How to combine people, ideas and business into your own success story

In an industry where competition is fierce and rules change faster than the weather, he found his place in the sun. Anatoly Winter, the founder of Wintevents and Affiliate Embassy, tells us about his journey from a young man who mastered PPC in the 2000s to the owner of successful event businesses in the affiliate industry.

How did he manage to build a successful affiliate business and not just one? Why did he decide to change his approach to niche events? And what did poker teach him better than any business school? The answers are in our exclusive interview.

In affiliate since the age of 16

Anatolii has been in the affiliate industry since 2000 – he started to understand the advertising tools of the Internet at the age of 16. At that time, everything was different:

• There were no modern advertising formats such as push notifications or teasers. PPC, pop-ups, and click-throughs were in use.
  
• Information about the industry was sought on online forums, and only a few enthusiasts shared their knowledge.
• Everyone did what they could find themselves, there were no large-scale conferences in the field.

Anatolii took advantage of the unfilled niche and started organizing his own events.

Starting an event organization business

In 2006, Winter organized his first event, and this direction became a defining one in his career. However, it’s not always easy to make a profit in this field.

“No matter how many times I fell, I always got up and moved on,” he says about his path.

How did you come up with the idea to create Wintevents

The idea to unite people who can be useful to each other became the basis for the creation of Wintevents. Now the company organizes 5-6 events a year, but Anatoliy has ambitious goals:

• Turn Wintevents into a full-fledged conference, not just a series of meetups.
• Develop new formats: turnkey stands, unique events.

“I do this because it’s what I love. It helps me not to burn out, although I like to recuperate in nature,” says Anatolii.

The secret of his success is the team. Wintevents has a “family team” principle: almost no one quits, and he rarely decides to terminate a contract. Everyone works as a single mechanism, and even if someone makes a serious mistake, Anatolii looks for a new direction, not punishes.

View on partnership and management

Partners, he says, should be taken not to find funding, but to achieve common goals.

At the same time, Anatoly admits:“I can’t do the operational side for a long time. I am interested in launching new formats and customizing processes rather than staying in the current routine.”

On people, generations, and communities

One of the biggest values in the industry, according to Winter, is people. There are different generations of affiliates: those who started in the 2000s, 2010s, or 2020s. They are all different but interesting in their own way.

He advises newcomers:“Don’t look for the top communities right away. Join the community of your level and grow with it.”

Anatoliy also shares his bitter experience: “Even after achieving success and earning some money in practice, don’t forget about the theory. It would help me avoid many mistakes.”

What our guest thinks about technology, AI, and trends

The world of affiliate marketing is changing rapidly. Thus, Winter highlighted the following trends:

• AI makes it easier to enter a niche and creates interesting offers, such as virtual partners.
• Gambling is gradually becoming a “white” niche.
• AI can replace traditional SEO by changing the search for information on the Internet.

Anatolii is actively watching these changes and believes in the industry’s potential.

Plans and dreams

About plans in business:

• Affiliate Embassy in Cyprus is just the beginning. We are planning to launch in Warsaw and Dubai.
  
• Create new event formats and integrate modern technologies.

Also, buying an NHL team is a dream that Anatoliy plans to realize.

Movie recommendations from Anatoly Winter

Series that captivate

• “The King of Tulsa”
  Stalone, in his unique style, reveals the story of a gangster who is building an empire in a completely new territory. The series combines crime drama with subtle notes of humor and unexpected plot twists.
• “Game of Thrones”
  An epic saga of power battles, betrayal, intrigue, and loyalty in a world where dragons and magic are part of reality. An ideal choice for those who love exciting political intrigue and emotionally charged stories.

Comedies for a good mood

• “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia”
  A cult sitcom about four friends who run a bar in Philadelphia but constantly find themselves in crazy situations because of their absurd plans. Sarcasm, black humor and a complete lack of filters are the main components of this series.
• “Shameless”
  The life of the large Gallagher family is a constant struggle for survival. The series combines comedy with drama, depicting funny and tragic moments of people’s lives on the brink.

Intellectual cinema

• “Boston Lawyers”
  An elegant legal series with witty dialogues, thrilling court cases, and charismatic characters. It is the perfect combination of intellectual tension and irony that will make you both think and laugh.

Unusual hobbies: poker and cooking

In 2009, Anatoly created a poker team. For him, poker is not a game of chance, but a strategy:“It teaches you to think not in terms of yes or no, but in terms of probabilities.”

He also loves to cook, in particular khashlama, using secret ingredients. What are they? Find out the answer to this question and many others in our new episode ofThe C-Level Show on YouTube.