Interview With Editor Andrey Pilipets

New Writers Welcome

Welcome, Andrey Pilipets. It is excellent that you have agreed to this interview; we are the only guys on the editing team, so it is once to sit down for a virtual pint!

Thanks for the opportunity Robert Ralph!

Before we get into writing and the Medium platform, tell me about your background in fitness, as I know this plays an integral part in your life.

You are right that fitness is an integral part of my life. It took me leaving my home country to find my passion and shift my career. What are 3 awesome things about my fitness?

• My fitness is spiritual. I have a commitment to help people get their health back. I trained a few couples who couldn’t have babies for years. They were able to conceive and give birth to healthy babies. How powerful is that?
• My fitness is inspiring. Why? 90% of my clients who started their health journey with me are still exercising. They stopped training with me but had enough drive to continue. I’ve been doing fitness since 2011 and I’ve been feeling inspired all the time.
• My fitness is creative. New exercises come to my mind every day. I’m always keen to find what works for my clients. I have over a thousand exercises with variations by now.

You are clearly a family man; it is great to see some of your family pictures in your articles; what does family mean to you?

Family means everything to me. I love my wife, my kids and my parents. I brought my parents here to live under one roof with us in February 2021. My wife likes to joke that I’m anti-social because I prefer to spend time with my family. It’s me, I’d rather read a book to my kids or take them for a walk than go to a social event to meet more people. I’m an introvert for sure yet I refuse to call myself anti-social. I love people and love helping them, yet I focus on being there for a smaller circle.

Can I ask why you joined Medium, and has it lived up to your expectations to date?

I joined Medium in October 2021. I love the platform and the people here a lot! My intention was to bring value to a bigger audience. It’s a work in progress and I have to get out of my comfort zone as well. I enjoy every single day on Medium.

I started by writing 4 exercise guides. The fitness publication I aimed for published the very first article. I was so happy about it! They went into ghosting mode after that. There were no notes and no rejections. My stories froze in their drafts queue for a week. I was frustrated and looked for a way out.

I came upon “New Writers Welcome” and it was a breeze! NWW became my reliable partner ever since. The first pub was like a date that ghosted me without giving a reason. You can read about it here.

I recently read your article “Hands Off David Perlmutter!” I like most love David for his continued support and contributions. So why did you feel the need to protect him? Is this an instinct of yours?

I got bullied in my early school years. I got stronger since then and became a martial artist. The philosophy of martial arts is to protect the weak. You also need to challenge stronger opponents if you want to improve.

The bullying of David Perlmutter became an elephant in the Medium room. Why did a number of established writers exercise their writing muscles on him? Some authors did praise David, yet no one wanted to protect him. So I raised my flag to his support!

What was your reaction when you were selected to be an editor for “New Writers Welcome”, and how have you enjoyed the journey so far?

My first experience with “New Writers Welcome” formed into a healthy relationship. I had an impression that your load was too heavy for one person to carry. I felt it natural to offer my helping shoulder when I saw your call for a new editor, Robert.

I was happy to find out that you decided to accept my help. I’ve tried my best to bring value to the publication. I keep learning to be a better editor and help other writers. It’s been a great journey with you and our 3 beautiful ladies, Francesca Dallaglio, Marilyn Glover, and Sally Prag.

In our editor’s private group, we have spoken about many of our writer’s articles and, at times, have had debates on if we should publish them or not. What is the most frustrating thing about being an editor?

I love the atmosphere in our editor’s private group. We agree to disagree. The most frustrating thing about being an editor? Nothing comes to my mind.

What is your most successful article to date? Why do you think it did so well?

My article to protect David Perlmutter! As my wife Rose Cao put it, people like drama. 4.5K claps and 71 comments as of today.

Who is your favourite writer on Medium, and why? Now just to be fair and give everyone a fair chance, you cannot say it is me 😆

Sorry, Robert Ralph. I respect you a lot yet you are not my favourite author😆. It’s Taylor Davidson, this lady doesn't write a lot yet I enjoy her attitude and humorous style. I still remember reading her first story, it was a blast! Where’s Waldo? I’ll See You in Court — or Not (Satire).

You started a “New Writers Welcome” Bootcamp; what is your inspiration behind this, and how have you enjoyed it?

My idea is to help people start their fitness journey. My experience whispers the first step is always the hardest. People can do baby steps and introduce exercise to their life. I solve one issue a week, be it lower back pain, leg cramps or a weak core. I include a link to a short video to demo a mini-workout for convenience. I encourage everyone who confirms they’re done for today.

What advice do you have for new writers joining Medium?

That’s a great question, Robert!

Write about your personal experience. It’s tough but it’s the right path to follow. You have to be passionate and honest with your writing to make it consistent. I wrote about it here I Became 2x Top Writer in 3 Days.

You wrote “about me” part 1 then part 2, will there be a part 3 that we can look forward to? It is nice to know the background behind the man.

There will be about 5 parts in total, maybe more😆. ‘About Me’ is an evergreen topic. Writing it is a tough confession-like experience. My initial idea was to write one article. By the time I covered my childhood and university years it became a 10 min read!

It was almost midnight so I went ahead to publish part 1. The next day I brushed part 2 and published it as well. The story of my life unfolded in front of me as I wrote it. It sounded more interesting with certain details. Example? I didn’t realize I liked to help people in difficult situations since my childhood.

Well, Andrey, it was great to talk to you today. Thank you for this interview; I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have.

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