Vladyslav Ladygin is the owner of Spyder Moving and Storage, a moving company based in Oxford, Mississippi. He grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he began playing tennis at age three and later competed in tournaments across Europe and Africa. After moving to Mississippi, he graduated from William Carey University in Hattiesburg before eventually founding Spyder Moving and Storage.
In this Q&A, Ladygin reflects on how his understanding of success has changed since his years as a competitive tennis player and how he measures it today, both in business and in his personal life.
A Conversation on Success
How Do You Define Success Today Compared to When You Were Playing Tennis Professionally?
On the tennis court, success was easy to measure. You either won the match or you lost it. There was a scoreboard that gave you an immediate answer.
Running a company is different because there is not always a clear result at the end of the day. I have learned to look at success through smaller things. Did we solve the customer’s problem? Did the crew have a good day? Did we deliver what we promised?
Those may not feel as significant as winning a tournament, but they matter. When those things happen consistently, they become their own kind of achievement.
What Did Competitive Tennis Teach You About Success That Business Did Not?
Tennis taught me that losing is part of improving. A loss does not mean you should quit. It means there is something you need to understand and work on.
I lost plenty of matches growing up, both in Ukraine and while competing abroad. Each one gave me something specific to evaluate. Maybe my backhand needed work, or I was slow getting into position. Whatever the issue was, I had to recognize it before I could improve.
Business has taught me the same lesson in a different setting. When something goes wrong, it is more productive to look at what happened and figure out what can be done differently than to spend time making excuses. Improvement starts with being honest about where you can do better.
You Moved From Ukraine to Mississippi for College. Did That Change What Success Meant to You?
It did. Growing up in Kyiv, much of my definition of success was connected to tennis. Rankings, tournament results, and improvement on the court gave me clear goals.
Moving to Mississippi to attend William Carey University forced me to develop a different sense of direction. I had to figure out what I could accomplish outside of tennis while also adapting to a new country and a different environment.
That experience taught me that starting over does not mean starting from nothing. You bring what you have learned with you, but you still have to be willing to put in the work and learn how things operate in a new place. Founding a moving company years later was another opportunity to apply that mindset.
What Role Do the Books and Speakers You Follow Play in How You Think About Success?
Reading has always given me different perspectives on how people approach their goals. Grant Cardone’s writing about aiming to be first rather than being satisfied with coming close is one idea that has stayed with me.
Damon West’s book The Coffee Bean also made an impression on me. I like the idea that we have a choice in how we respond to the environment around us instead of simply allowing circumstances to determine our behavior.
I also appreciate Warren Buffett’s approach to patience and long-term thinking. These ideas do not replace hard work, but they can influence how you approach that work and how you think about the results you want over time.
How Do You Measure Success at Spyder Moving and Storage Day to Day?
For me, it comes down to whether we deliver the experience we promised the customer.
That means showing up when we said we would, treating someone’s belongings with care, communicating clearly, and making sure the final bill reflects what the customer was expecting. Those details may sound simple, but consistency is what makes them meaningful.
When we do those things well, other measures of success can follow. Customers come back, people refer us to others, and the business has an opportunity to grow. I pay attention to all of that, but it starts with taking care of the customer in front of us.
Does Giving Back Factor Into How You Define Success?
It does. I do not see community involvement as something completely separate from the business.
Supporting organizations and causes such as Move for Hunger, the Denver Children’s Foundation, and Golf for Good is part of how I think about having a successful company. Financial growth is important, but I also want the business to have a positive impact beyond its own walls.
To me, success should include being in a position to contribute when there is an opportunity to help. If the company is growing but never giving anything back, I would feel like something was missing.
What Does Success Look Like for You Outside of Work?
Outside of work, success looks pretty ordinary to me. It is having time to go to the gym, getting through a good book, going for a hike, or having a quiet cup of coffee before the day gets busy.
I still enjoy sports in many forms, including tennis, golf, boxing, hockey, and football. I also enjoy getting outside and making time for the things that keep life interesting.
I do not think success needs to look impressive every day. For me, it is about building a life where there is time for work, personal interests, relationships, and the things I enjoy. If you can appreciate an ordinary Tuesday just as much as a major achievement, I think you are doing something right.