IT HAS BEEN A COMMON THING THAT PROFESSIONAL AMBITIONS AND NO MAN'S SHOULDER TO LEAN ON BECOME THE MAIN DRIVER IN A WOMAN'S CAREER. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT NATALIA SAMOYLOVA, THE ADVERTISING AND PR DIRECTOR OF ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL INFORMATION COMPANIES RBC HAD TO START WITH.

After attending the journalism faculty of the Moscow State University, working for the Vladimir television channel, ORT news, the Mi (We) program hosted by Mr. Pozner, the Kriminal (Crime) and Chistoserdechnoye Priznaniye (Open-Hearted Acknowledgement) programs on the NTV television channel, TVTs news, many of us would consider this career quite successful, but not Natalia Samoylova. "I always wanted to receive a TEFI award as a symbol of professional acknowledgement. But unfortunately, after 12 years of work in the Ostankino TV center I began to realize that it is absolutely impossible for me. That's when my whole life changed."

Natalia grabbed her three-months-old daughter and left for the other side of the world, to the city of Khanty-Mansiysk, to become the head of a district television channel Yugra. There were news blocks every thirty minutes, and Natalia's baby almost spent most of the time in a newsroom. One year later, the program was granted a TEFI award. As another year passed, another crutial change happened in Ms. Samoylova's life:

- For personal reasons I had to trade journalism for a job at a bank, which was a very painful thing to do. I changed jobs three times in 18 months. I couldn't stay long there because of my mentality. I came to RBC in 2003. Someone happened to have come across my resume somewhere. The first four weeks were a disaster for me as a TV person - IT technologies, banners, rotations, slang, it all was a dark forest for me. But I think I did well.

- It seems like you can do anything, or at least most anything. Are there any other spheres left that you might want to try yourself in?

- I am a Gemini, and I always feel very sorry that I can't try many different professions throughout my lifetime. I would love to be a talented surgeon for a while, then a good teacher, a chemist also: But this is impossible. I simply don't have enough time to learn all these professions.

- Is that because it brings power and adrenaline?

- Having power or not is absolutely irrelevant to me. I am always willing to achieve new goals and move forward to a new height.

- What is your next goal? I am sure there's got to be one.

- I am now in the process of completing my Executive MBA studies at the MIRBIS institute, which are for future top managers, i.e. general directors, heads and owners of companies. I would like my next position to be exactly one of these:

- Many people are interested in what the working day of a business woman is all about. She has to keep everything in her head, supervise everybody, look perfect, find brilliant solutions to both personal and corporate problems. Don't you have too many "must do" things?

- I consider these "must do" things an integral part of my life. Every morning I get out of bed at 6:40 a.m. I grab my daughter and take her to a kindergarten. It takes me an hour and fourty minutes to drive to the office. During this time I make dozens of important phone calls and get ready for a new day.

- Many people say that they used to meditate in the morning, do yoga exercises, swim, cook "the right" food, then go to a masseur, a stylist, a hairdresser or other things:

- When do they work? I'll tell you the truth: I don't go to a fitness center, don't cook "the right" food, and visit beauty shops only when necessary. I simply don't have time for that. My best way to relax is to drive two circles along a Garden Ring at night, or play quiet games with my daughter somewhere in the country, where no one disturbs us.

- What is the most difficult thing that a business woman has to cope with?

- To be able to switch from a business woman and a boss to a kind and caring mom and a loving woman during a one-hour drive from the office. Not to hash business problems during a family dinner. Not to treat family members as employees, and not to give them any instructions.

- Is it possible?

- I can tell you, it works quite seldom. Sometimes I feel sorry about that. Even though I understand that if I stay at home and become a perfect mom spending as much time with my kid as I want to I will turn into a hysterical woman with a self-realization complex. It's not what I want. With the personality that I have, it is the most terrible thing when you wake up in the morning and understand that there's no one to call and nowhere to go.

- Is it easy to be a business woman in Russia?

- Russia is a man's country. And the word "business" itself is masculine in terms of its grammatical gender. When working in a television company I knew that the job I did had to be hundreds of times better than that of my male colleagues. In only this way was there a possibility that I would become a respected analyst. I have to deal with the same problem during negotiations too. I can offer a partner a product in the same way or even in a better way than a male colleague does, but it will take me more time. Finding myself in a business world ruled by men I have to spend the first part of negotiations actively proving my professionalism. I have to make some efforts to convince a person in front of me to forget that I am wearing a skirt. It's an every-day business to convince people that women also have the right to a profession and the lifestyle that they feel the most comfortable with.

- Even a strong woman needs to have someone or something to rely on...

- My mom has been supporting me for many years. We have built quite a unique relationship. We've been friends from my childhood. As far as men are concerned: Only an extremely strong and clever man can tolerate and live with a strong and clever woman...

- Are there any men like that?

- I sure have come across some.

- What is your life's dream?

- I would like to have a second baby that would have a father, and do that without quitting my job. He should be a loving and intelligent dad. And he doesn't have to be riding a white horse...

- You said Russia is a man's country. One woman who was the head of a big construction company told me that at some point she felt that she was turning into a man and realized that the only way of becoming a real woman again was to do a radical thing - to have a baby.

- This sure is possible. To tell the truth, this was one of the reasons why I had a baby. But I managed to "be a woman" for only three months: My daughter calls me dad by mistake from time to time, a typical Freudian slip.

- But in any case. You can pretend to be a weak woman:

- You can do that. But I doubt it's going to work for long. Of course, I play these games, like all women do. It's possible to do that both in real life and in business, too. And I would never believe those women who say that they never use female tricks to achieve professional goals. We know how to sneak into business like a cat. This is our advantage, our best trump that all women use. RBC hosts international investment conferences. Once or twice a year we travel abroad with an impressive group of participants, including businessmen and politicians. Among them are many self-made and strong women, and I see them using their feminine qualities to achieve goals. And you can be sure, they do it wisely and beautifully.

- And how long can you play this game?

- Forever, as long as I have a partner in this "game!"