My Story

The Early Days

Now, let me take you back to my formative years as a teenager. This was a time when my fascination for the world of fantasy knew no bounds, be it in the form of books or thrilling computer games. I would lose myself in other worlds, and that’s where my love for anything creative and technical began.

Fast forward a bit; I thought becoming a Civil Engineer was the way to go. It seemed like everyone was doing it, and it was a very esteemed field at that time. It was an academically demanding journey, but finally, in 2015 I managed to earn an engineering degree.

Teaching

While studying Civil Engineering, I realized that I had a genuine love for teaching. I enjoyed tutoring my fellow students so much that it started to take up most of my time, making it tough for me to focus on my own learning.

This encounter with a challenge led me to a creative solution. I created a website named Zaliczamy.pl, dedicated to assisting Polish students with their civil engineering studies. It was equipped with in-depth and paid video lessons, all taught by me. This effort of mine was hugely accepted and even after several years, it still continues to serve its purpose actively.

The Turning Point

However, life had a different lesson in store for me. In my last year of studying civil engineering, I interned at a construction company. Those summer months were pivotal in making me realize that the field of work I was headed toward wasn’t for me. It was a job that left me feeling drained and unsatisfied, and I knew then that it wasn’t what I wanted from my life.

Around this time, I often daydreamed about being in my brother’s position who worked comfortably behind an air-conditioned office desk in front of a computer. The tech world had always drawn me but I had, somewhat reluctantly, chosen civil engineering in the beginning because of its promising scope and the prestige it held in the year 2012. But now, after experiencing the actual ground realities of that profession, I realized following someone else’s dream won’t lead to my happiness.

Hence, the moment I officially earned my engineering degree, I borrowed a copy of “Java for Dummies” from my brother. I immersed myself in Java, studying it intensely and piecing together the puzzles of coding.

Transitioning into IT

This journey wasn’t smooth at all. There were instances when I was clouded by self-doubt and experienced severe impostor syndrome. But persistence prevailed, and I eventually landed my first IT job as a trainee at Volvo IT. It wasn’t a programming job per se, but more of a support role for the main Volvo truck dealership application known as GDS.

Meanwhile, I continued my academics and earned a Master’s degree in Management. However, it didn’t live up to my expectations and diluted much of my time. On the bright side, it gave me the chance to meet some wonderful people and create memorable experiences. Parallel to my academic journey, I embarked on a personal development routine. I actively started visiting the gym, looked after my diet (I lost 18 kilograms), and even worked on my mental health. All these steps became the building blocks of my self-esteem and confidence which propelled my journey further.

Seeking for challenges

Almost a year and a half at Volvo made me realize that the job was becoming too repetitive. The comfort and monotony of it didn’t sit well with my inherent desire for challenges.

I left the job at Volvo and took a leap of faith by joining my father’s company where we ventured into selling a new product: LED display boards for trucks. These bright and innovative displays were to be mounted on top of a truck’s cabin.

Much to our disappointment, the business venture wasn’t fruitful. The product wasn’t mature enough and we found ourselves in a stiff competition with already established players in the market. Moreover, handling such a big project was too heavy for me at that time. Despite the product not rolling out as expected, I don’t regret the experience. It was a lesson learned early on about the realities and complexities of running a business. It’s a hard-earned lesson that still serves me.

Dreams of Software Development

I then felt a strong call to return to the IT world. This time I was determined to be a real web developer. This was a time of sheer anxiousness and self-doubt for me as I was 25 with no stable job at hand. The insecurity and instability led to many sleepless nights.

But, as they say, perseverance pays off. After arduous rounds of preparation and countless nerve-wracking interviews, I ended up with a job that I had always dreamed of. I was officially a junior front-end developer at a small e-marketing company, TechMinds. I still remember reading an email with a job offer with a wide grin on my face. It was pure joy and the validation I needed that I was more capable than I gave myself credit for.

Being a part of TechMinds came with a generous boost to my confidence as it was a validation of my skills. The friendly faces of my colleagues and the jovial work environment made me look forward to going to the office each day.

The job did not just bring peace of mind but also brought forth my talent in web development. The more I got immersed in my tasks, the more complex they became, and surprisingly, the more I enjoyed solving them. However, after seven fulfilling months at TechMinds, I felt that my scope for growth had become stagnant and I was ready for tougher challenges.

The thirst for performing more intensive tasks and challenging projects led me to seek opportunities beyond. I wanted a job that would push me out of my comfort zone and make room for exponential growth.

Finally, I found my match in Gorilla Group, a renowned company specializing in e-commerce solutions. With higher standards and larger responsibilities, it wasn’t just a step up from my previous job, but it also brought promising financial prospects.

I was just about settling into my new job when the devastating pandemic hit the globe. But it came as a silver lining in the chaos, at least for the e-commerce world that I was a part of, resulting in a surge in business. As we maneuvered through the pandemic, I soon found myself shifting to a completely remote working lifestyle.

A full-time work-from-home scenario was unfamiliar territory for me and it took quite some time to adapt. But once I did, I realized that it increased my productivity and focus drastically, a surprising revelation about my working style.

Despite the flourishing e-commerce market and my exponentially increasing skills, nearly two years at Gorilla Group made me sense an itch for something more. My growth there felt slowed and I began itching to explore the rapidly advancing technological world further instead of being confined to Magento’s outdated system. The idea of being a freelancer started taking root in me.

Igniting Passion for AI

This growing self-assuredness in my technical competency led me to Sii, one of the largest IT companies in my homeland, Poland. Sii proved to be a beneficial platform as it bridged the gap between companies in dire need of software solutions and IT specialists like me. My association with Sii introduced me to my first project with a British company, Sales-i.

At Sales-i, I got the chance to delve deep into the AI realm of the project. My task was to devise and incorporate reports and analyses based on artificial intelligence. This was the moment when I committed myself to learning the potential of AI tools.

During this time, I embarked on another creative journey by creating an app as a side project. The app was designed to generate personalized sentences for email marketing, and it leveraged the potential of the GPT-3 engine. All the app needed was the URL of a prospect’s business, and within a few seconds, it would generate three personalized sentences that could be used in email campaigns. The concept was further enhanced to process a CSV file with leads, resulting in the generation of thousands of personalized sentences in minutes. A lack of resources led me to abandon this side project, but the overall experience exposed the inner workings of GPT and the limitless possibilities it brought along.

The more I delved into the world of AI, the more I discovered different tools that could revamp productivity levels and provide a cutting edge to any business. I developed a solid resolve to master them all and leverage their strength to the fullest.

A New Chapter: Content Creation

Around this time, I began traveling since I could work remotely. Especially after a month-long trip to Thailand, my perspective of life took a tremendous shift. The newfound freedom and experiences during the trip illuminated my goal for the coming years: to acquire maximum freedom in my life.

Despite having a lucrative job that supplied financial security and opportunities for personal growth, it was not enough. As I evolved with age and through my experiences, I realized that the traditional 9-to-5 employment was relatively limiting. Money was comfortable to earn, but I realized that true success lies beyond monetary achievement. I craved something more significant. The vision of freedom extended not just from financial independence but also in terms of time.

Piecing together all my passions for business, AI, and content creation, I had a moment of clarity—starting a blog was the way forward. The culmination of my varied experiences, trials, and triumphs, and the spark inside me for an uncharted path finally bore fruit.

After a rewarding 18 months at Sales-i, I took a significant risk and decided to walk away from my conventional IT job. Drawing from my experiences and passion, I initiated my journey as a full-time content creator, running my own blog. The venture you see today is the result of several ups and downs, moments of doubt and disappointment, and unwavering determination and belief in my passion. The fields of artificial intelligence, business, productivity, and self-growth have all led me here and I hold immense pride in every step of my journey.

Now, with all that I’ve been through and my love for AI, my goal now is to educate and introduce people to the world of AI tools. My commitment is to produce excellent and reliable content that unravels the possibilities and opportunities AI brings into our lives. I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey and joining hands with my readers for an enriching ride into the future of AI.

So, what do you say? Let’s dive together into this fascinating world. I’m thrilled to have you on this journey with me.

Warm regards,

Przemek Wołk