"Courage is not about taking risks for the sake of taking risks. It's about being ready to act, even when it's scary and unclear," says Zhuldyz Bulatova, head of telemarketing at Kolesa Group.

Today, she manages an entire department that influences the company's key business indicators. And just two and a half years ago, Zhuldyz joined Kolesa Group as a user care specialist. Then she was just looking for her place.

Zhuldyz herself is from Karaganda. Since childhood, she has been an empath and loved helping people. After graduating from high school, in 2018 she enrolled in a medical university to become a dentist. But in 2020, when lockdown began all over the world and there was a lot of time for reflection, Zhuldyz realized that this was not her vocation at all. After carefully considering her decision, she decided to radically change her field of activity and follow the path that she had liked since childhood.

Zhuldyz started her career at the age of 15. She has always worked in the service sector — she was even trusted to be responsible for the cash register of a large branch where she was a sales consultant. After this job, she decided to try herself as a specialist in the care service. Krisha.kz in the Kolesa Group.

"And I realized: this is it — working with people, helping them, making their lives easier. To teach, to develop a team, to create something really cool, which has not yet been on the market, and every time to go beyond the usual - that's what I really like," recalls Zhuldyz.

In six months, Zhuldyz has grown to become a senior specialist.She took special training courses for service specialists at Kolesa Group, and also tried not just to complete tasks, but to see what could be improved. It was important to her that her contribution was tangible — for both the client and the team.

When a vacancy for a team leader opened in a neighboring telemarketing division, Zhuldyz was offered to be selected.She had no management experience, but she had motivation and support. The Kolesa Group internal mentoring program has been particularly helpful, in which experienced managers help newcomers develop managerial skills and adapt to the role of a leader. Another important stage was the training program for future team leaders, a course where employees learn how to lead a team, set goals, and achieve results. 

"I went to an internal team leadership course, where for three months we pumped hard and soft skills, I was given feedback and there was a lot of reflection. It gave me a good start. In December 2023, I became the team leader, in June 2024 — the head of the department, and in July 2025 we launched the telemarketing department in Uzbekistan. Everything happened quickly because there were clear steps inside the company and people who believed."

"When people hear telemarketing, they immediately imagine intrusive cold calls. It's different with us. We work with a warm target audience. Our operators do not impose, but help customers understand the product, find the right solution, remove barriers and build a dialogue.  

In addition, we work closely with analysts and marketers: we share customer feedback, test hypotheses, and improve interaction scenarios. We have clear goals, metrics, and a culture of constant feedback," explains Zhuldyz.

Zhuldyz says that her management style is based on three pillars:

• Consistency and transparency: Everyone in the team understands how the funnel works, where efficiency is lost, and what can be improved. This creates clarity and trust.
• Focus on people Here, not only tasks are important, but also creating an environment where everyone can grow, learn, and feel that their contributions are important.
• Empathy and honest feedback In the team, openness is appreciated, but without rigidity. The goal is to remain productive even in difficult situations.

"For me, the main thing is not to be the boss, but to be close. To help, to involve, to trust. Leadership is not about power. It's about taking responsibility for people."

Zhuldyz is sure that you can grow in any field if you treat work as a territory of growth, and not just a set of tasks.

• Take more if you can handle it — the initiative is not punishable.
• Learn to formulate ideas and explain why they are needed.
• Ask and don't be afraid that you look "out of place"
• Look beyond your area of responsibility
• Don't expect someone to "give you a chance" - create it yourself. 

Kolesa Group has everything to develop internally:

• mentoring and support from experienced colleagues,
• internal courses and training platform,
• a clear system of grades and career steps,
• monthly team leader meetings to share experiences,
• individual development plans and more.

The company also has a referral program. You can recommend your friend for open positions and earn up to 500,000 tenge.

Go to referral.kolesa.team for more information.