It was a warm day in May 2007 when I landed at London Stansted, UK:
- Around £500 in my pocket.
- A handful of printed CVs.
- And one simple goal: Get a university degree.
I didn’t come here to wreak havoc or chase benefits.
I came here to do the work.
I had no job lined up.
No backup plan.
No idea what I was really in for.
Just a rented room in a city I didn’t know and a head full of stress about rent, tuition fees, and whether I’d be able to keep up.
Spoiler alert:
I had no clue.
So I did what any law-abiding student without rich parents would do:
- I baked cakes in a café.
- Waited tables in a pub.
- I even packed flour in a local factory.
I did whatever it took to pay rent and keep the lights on.
After every shift, I’d hit the books and hope I could keep my eyes open long enough to get through the reading list.
And on weekends?
I cracked open far too many beers with my fellow students—united by stress, overdrafts, and a shared disdain for 9am lectures.
There was no one looking over my shoulder.
I was thousands of miles from home.
I was on my own.
No safety net.
No shortcuts.
Just me, figuring it out.
It wasn’t easy.
But it was mine.
The First Door Opens
Then came the final year. Work placement time.
Everyone around me seemed fine working for free.
But I wasn’t buying it.
There was no way I could afford that.
And honestly?
No one should ever work in exchange for nothing.
So I went hunting for a job that paid—and could double as my work placement.
Eventually, I landed a role as a Polish translator and content editor in the head office of a well-known British betting company called Ladbrokes.
It was relevant.
It was interesting.
It paid actual money.
And somehow, I convinced my manager to sign it off as my official placement.
That job opened a door.
I started learning digital stuff: content, user behaviour, how people click, scroll, and buy.
For the first time, I wasn’t just working to survive.
I was actually interested.
A year and a few months in, it felt like I was finally finding my rhythm and work life balance.
And then—just like that—it all collapsed.
The Polish government brought in new taxes on foreign betting companies.
The company pulled out of the Polish market.
I lost my job.
Almost no savings.
No backup.
Just a CV and a decision not to waste time.
So I did what I’ve always done.
I rolled up my sleeves.
Sharpened my cover letter.
Uploaded everything to every job board with a “Quick Apply” button.
Fired off 100+ applications a day.
Simple formula:
More shots = better odds.
Precious Metals, Steep Curve
One of those shots landed in the inbox of a guy named Nittin.
He gave me a chance. Invited me for an interview.
Next thing I knew, I was walking into a small but well-run company in Hammersmith.
Did I know anything about precious metals?
Not much.
But I had:
- Relentless curiosity
- A steep learning curve
- And that weird Polish charm you can’t quite explain—but somehow, it works
I got the job.
The title?
US Operations Executive.
Which was a fancy way of saying:
Polish graduate helping Americans invest in gold from a small well-run office in West London.
But markets don’t care where you’re from—just the price, the spread, the execution, and your profit and loss.
I got thrown straight into the deep end.
The US desk was new and already busy.
I learned everything from scratch—sales, trust, payments, client psychology, markets, and what not.
Year after year, I took on more.
Got better.
Leveled up.
Started getting amazing client reviews.
My confidence soared.
Eventually, I worked my way up to Senior Precious Metals Trader.
And here I am.
Almost 14 years in the industry.
About 5 years as a trader.
And I still love it.
The work matters.
The pace is sharp.
The price swings keep me on my toes.
The job demands focus—and I thrive in that space.
I’m very proud of what I do at BullionVault.
It’s meaningful.
It’s global.
It’s real.
The Voice I Couldn’t Ignore
Now, at 40—with a solid job, London as home, and a little boy calling me “Dad”…
...there’s been a voice in the back of my mind I can’t ignore anymore.
Not anxiety.
Not a crisis.
But a quiet, persistent truth:
There’s more I’m meant to build. More I want to leave behind. And time isn’t slowing down for any of us.
So I ran the numbers on my life:
Health. Wealth. Purpose. And all that.
And I realised:
I wasn’t unhappy.
I wasn’t lost.
But I was still playing small.
So I made some changes:
- I gave up smoking.
- Hired a nutritionist.
- Cleaned up my diet.
- Started training again.
Between December 2024 and March 2025, I dropped over 10kg.
The goal?
To be in the best shape of my life by the time I turn 40—on 9th September 2025.
Not for vanity.
Not for Instagram.
But because I want to take full control of my life—before life starts calling the shots for me.
The Retirement Realisation
During that audit, I realised the truth:
The old retirement plan? It’s broken. And the only real way to build lasting wealth—the kind that gives you time, control, and legacy—is to build something that’s truly yours.
For the first time in history, we actually can.
With the internet and AI, we can start lean, move fast, and build something that fits who we are—without quitting our jobs or faking a personal brand.
That’s what I’m doing.
And that’s what I’m sharing.
What Most 40-Somethings Really Want
Because most people I talk to—especially in their 40s or around that age—don’t want to become influencers.
They don’t want “passive income” schemes.
And they definitely don’t want to start from scratch.
What they want is:
- Work that feels meaningful and appreciated
- A way to use what they already know
- A path to more freedom—without faking it
But they don’t know how to:
- Turn their knowledge into income
- Build something fulfilling without quitting everything
- Create personal brands without feeling fake
That’s why I started a newsletter.
Meaning. Money. Mastery: After 40
Every Monday, I send one honest, no-fluff insight from the real journey of building a one-person business from scratch—while working full-time, raising a son, and figuring it out in public.
Some of it will flop.
Some of it might stick.
All of it’s real.
If you’re 40+, tired of waiting for the system to save you, and ready to build something that’s yours—I’d love for you to join me.
One honest insight. Every Monday. Free, human, and built for people who want to build something real.
