Nina Verzhbolovich’s journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur in Israel is as unconventional as it is inspiring. As the founder and CEO of Oh My Cleaning, she has not only built a thriving business but has also provided meaningful employment for other immigrants, all while navigating the complexities of her own aliyah and a profound sense of purpose that emerged from personal hardship.
Born and raised in Yekaterinburg, a large Russian city on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, Verzhbolovich had limited connection to her Jewish heritage until her teen years. As an adult, she relocated to Moscow, where her life was once a world of hi-tech and creative industries, and then she worked as a film producer. An experimental short film she produced was screened at film festivals, including the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival.
She later worked in global marketing for major companies like LG Electronics, where she was in charge of marketing for Russia and its surrounding countries, operating out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
However, the political situation in Russia led her and her husband to make the life-altering decision to leave their home in Moscow and make aliyah. She arrived with her infant child, fully expecting her professional background to pave the way for a smooth career transition. “I was sure with my background, I looked at it like everywhere,” she said, believing her skills would easily translate to the Israeli job market.
Starting over in a new country
Verzhbolovich’s early days in Israel were a stark contrast to her previous life. Her son, just six months old, didn’t sleep, and she found herself taking on entry-level jobs to get by, starting her day at 5 a.m. She worked as a hostess at a restaurant and eventually took a junior sales position at Checkpoint, where she spent six years. Despite her past success, she had to start from the bottom, building her career back up “slowly to marketing.”
She eventually reached a senior position but felt a familiar burnout. “There is so much you can do at one specific place, and especially in hi-tech, it’s a man-driven world,” she said. After a divorce eight years into her aliyah and facing a renewed need for financial stability, she decided to take a career break. This period of personal reflection became the unlikely genesis of her cleaning business.
While trying to find herself, she began cleaning her house to de-stress. “I loved it. I really did,” she said.
What started as a personal outlet quickly evolved into a business idea after she anonymously posted in a Facebook group, offering her services. Initially afraid to clean someone else’s toilet, she soon found a calling, noting that soon she had so many clients that she had to open a business.
A cleaning business is born
Verzhbolovich’s business grew rapidly, in part due to her meticulous, detail-oriented approach. She taught herself deep cleaning techniques from YouTube and Instagram, and then began recruiting a team. Her approach was to hire people who, like her, had experienced burnout or career challenges in the hi-tech world. Her team now consists of 11 people, each with a unique story and a shared sense of purpose.
She was particularly fortunate to bring on as her chief operating officer (COO) a former product manager for a global company who also felt burned out. The COO, who joined the team after meeting Verzhbolovich through a mutual friend, has since streamlined operations, developing an app and pitching an AI model for job estimation.
“Actually, we have a product, and everything else has an app where we put the quality, the taxes you should do, etc.,” Verzhbolovich said.
Her team also includes a doctor from Ukraine who made aliyah due to the Russian invasion but found the process obtaining a doctor’s license in Israel to be “crazy” and “impossible.”
She has found her second wind by opening Oh My Cleaning, with employees who largely came from high-pressure tech executive positions and sought change. Other team members contribute their high-level skills to the company’s marketing and social media efforts, demonstrating a collective commitment to building a new life in Israel.
Verzhbolovich’s journey was not without its obstacles. She recounted a frustrating month working on a construction site as a cleaner – the only woman in the building – for a company that never paid her. However, she views the experience not as a failure but as a valuable learning opportunity. “I never got paid… but at the same time, I learned a lot,” she explained, gaining insights into how the construction industry works and how to manage a team.
Overcoming obstacles
She saw this experience as a boot camp for deep cleaning.
Her personal journey to embrace her Jewish identity also shaped her resilience. Raised in Russia at a time when “you couldn’t be a Jew,” Verzhbolovich discovered her Jewish grandfather in her teens. This newfound heritage profoundly impacted her, and the Oct. 7 massacre served as a catalyst for her to pursue an official conversion. “It changed my perception of Jewish life, and it changed my perception of myself,” she said, solidifying her sense of belonging in Israel.
Less than a year ago, she adopted her dog, Shaleg, after some children found him abandoned on a beach as a puppy. The children’s mother was a friend of hers, so Verzhbolovich was able to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a dog mom. In the land of opportunity, she took what came to her by the leash and guided Shaleg through puppyhood, much like she’s guided her team.
Verzhbolovich’s mission with Oh My Cleaning goes beyond just business. She aims to inspire other immigrants, particularly those from Russian-speaking countries, to “not be ashamed” of their struggles and to find meaningful work, even if it’s outside their original profession. “This is high-quality human capital – educated academics – but the state is putting up obstacles instead of helping them,” she asserted.
She believes her work is a form of activism, a way to show that with persistence and a willingness to adapt, anything is possible.
Through Oh My Cleaning, Nina Verzhbolovich is not just cleaning houses – she is helping to build a new life for herself and her team, one project at a time, proving that resilience and resourcefulness can turn a career setback into an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Nina Verzhbolovich
From Moscow
to Tel Aviv, 2015