Archiwa #biznes - Untold

I don’t have to do anything

Aleksandra Strugalska — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:15:00 +0000

At the end of 2021, I had the pleasure of attending the National BNI Conference, where I reconnected with old friends from the organization, met new managers and directors within the structure, strengthened relationships with my Łódź team, and listened to presentations from entrepreneurs of BNI Corporate Connection, which inspired me to make changes in my business and to write this article.

I traveled from Łódź to Kraków in the company of Katarzyna Radziejewska, Area Director, and Agnieszka Cyniak, Regional Director. The trip took twice as long as planned – the girls were an hour late in total, and just a few minutes after we finally hit the road, we stopped for dinner 😄 Of course, we soon realized we were running low on gas, so we had to find a station – and once there, we spent quite some time choosing wine and snacks, wandering around aimlessly, not really knowing where or why 😂

We arrived at the Hilton Hotel just before midnight – fashionably late by about two hours – but luckily no one was waiting for us, so our schedule was only slightly disrupted. Well, technically my schedule, since the girls don’t actually keep one 😄

At this point, it’s worth emphasizing that we are so different in so many ways, that even now I’m still amazed at how it’s possible that not only do we genuinely like each other, but we also manage to work together so effectively and harmoniously.

After a short night’s sleep, early in the morning we were already sitting in the restaurant, having breakfast, tuning in, and preparing ourselves for an intense and long day followed by the evening gala.

The fact that we were staying at the Hilton felt a bit extravagant — but I had no idea what was waiting for us next. When I entered the hall and saw the massive screens on the walls, photographers, videographers, sound technicians, hostesses, and the entire event crew, I was genuinely shocked that we, as an organization, were doing this on such a grand scale, when, as my practical side of the brain suggested, a simple conference would have been perfectly enough.

But as time went by, looking around at elegantly dressed entrepreneurs, in a spacious and comfortable environment, enjoying delicious food, I had a revelation. I realized how important it is to celebrate success and to treat ourselves, others, and every opportunity to celebrate as something truly special. The success we achieved as a region and as an organization over the past year, and the amount of effort we all put into our own growth and the growth of our teammates, was absolutely worth celebrating in this way.

Thanks to that, we could truly feel how well we had done, recognize what an exciting moment of our lives we were in, and sense that we were part of something extraordinary. If I had been the one organizing this conference, with my practical approach, very few people would have had a chance to experience something like that 😄

The first speaker was Adrian Stachura, the owner of Barel, who shared his story of how he reached the point where he is today — among the wealthiest Poles and owners of some of the most profitable businesses.

We all know those stories of people starting from nothing, working in a basement with friends, struggling for years, and then suddenly one event changes everything. It was somewhat similar in his case — though not exactly — and, to be honest, that part didn’t catch my attention at first.

However, the moderator began asking Adrian questions that directly and indirectly touched on one topic — his recipe and definition of success. Since I love asking people that question myself and often write about it, I sat completely still, barely breathing, waiting for his answer.

Adrian explained that his success came from 20 years of hard work, seizing opportunities, and making the right decisions. He consistently worked toward his goals and built his days around discipline, persistence, early mornings, and conservative principles. He emphasized the importance of perseverance and never giving up.

From his talk, I learned about the hockey stick effect — the idea that when you work persistently and systematically toward one goal, progress appears slow for a long time, until, suddenly, there’s a steep upward curve — a spectacular success. That success isn’t a coincidence but a result of consistent, long-term action. I compared it to my own business chart and was amazed to see that it had the very same hockey stick shape.

Adrian also encouraged building a personal brand and pointed out that, out of everything he had done, only 10% turned out to be successful — the 10% he lives off today — while 90% were failures and attempts along the way. He didn’t say it explicitly, but let me add this: if he hadn’t made those 90% attempts, he would never have reached that 10%. It’s the failures — and the lessons learned from them — that made his success possible. If he hadn’t acted, nothing would have happened. If he had given up after the first failure, the same. And if he hadn’t had a strong sense of self-worth, clear goals, persistence, determination, and humility — none of his dreams would have come true.

The next speaker was Dawid Zieliński, CEO of Columbus Energy. His story was quite similar to that of Adrian Stachura, yet I got the impression that while Adrian seemed content with his achievements, Dawid still hungers for even greater success. He emphasized that for him, this is only the beginning — because in the eyes of others he has achieved a lot, but in his own eyes… not nearly enough.

I truly admire his drive and ambition, but I also believe it’s important to pause and appreciate what we already have, so that we don’t turn our lives into an endless chase for “more,” without realizing that success might already be within our grasp. Let’s remember to celebrate our achievements and appreciate ourselves along the way.

However, who would we be as individuals without goals? It’s only natural that after reaching one milestone, we strive for the next.

His ambition also resonated through the company values he spoke about. He highlighted that in his organization, there is no room for compromise and that the team doesn’t merely delegate tasks — they take full responsibility for them. On one hand, I’m slightly concerned about the tone of excessive ambition, but on the other, it’s hard to disagree with his point. Compromise can often be the worst possible solution, as it leaves neither side fully satisfied — each has to give something up.

This concept is widely described by the well-known psychiatrist Stephen R. Covey in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” I had the pleasure of discussing this very topic on the Emocjonalne channel together with Ewa Baszun and the respected mentor, linguistics lecturer, and mediator Wojciech Kurzyk (you can watch the episode below).

Returning to Dawid, what caught my attention was how proactive he is – truly a man of action. During his presentation, he quoted: “Challenges are for those who set out on the journey. Dreams are for those who stay at home.”

This statement confirmed my belief and gave me a broader perspective — that his formula for success lies in determination and persistence. Yet Dawid never forgets about values — on the contrary, he places them above all else. He devoted a significant part of his talk to this topic and built his entire sales philosophy on it — one that focuses on selling the value behind the product, not the product itself — in his words, offering access instead of a connection.

He also said that his company does not serve clients who don’t believe in them. Well, what can I say — bold, but effective. I really liked that approach and took it with me, then implemented it in my own company. Because when you think about it more deeply — how can collaboration truly succeed if one of the parties doesn’t trust or believe? In such a setup, instead of real cooperation, one side spends their time and energy not on achieving results or fulfilling responsibilities, but on convincing the other that they are a trustworthy partner and a competent team of professionals. Such cooperation is, from the very start, doomed to fail.

The third and most calm, composed speaker — compared to the previous ones — was the well-known Polish investor January Ciszewski, founder of JR Holding. His investment portfolio includes companies such as Columbus Energy, All in Games, One More Level, Nexity, and Beskidzkie Biuro Inwestycyjne (widely associated with Friz and his company Ekipa).

January pointed to perseverance as a key element of success but also emphasized the importance of giving yourself a second chance and not rejecting opportunities that appear along the way. He illustrated this through his experience with Friz — admitting that, at first, he didn’t even want to meet him. When, upon his assistant’s insistence, the meeting finally took place, he didn’t take the young YouTuber seriously. It was only during their second meeting that he recognized the potential of the collaboration and the possibilities it created for both sides. I believe this beautifully shows how crucial it is to keep an open mind and maintain a fresh perspective on the world — free from limiting beliefs and biases.

January also mentioned that in his business, he avoids large, complex structures, focusing instead on simplicity, flexibility, and human relationships. He reminded everyone that people are the most important element of any business — sitting in an office behind spreadsheets can limit growth. It’s something I try to remember every day, even though it often pushes me out of my comfort zone.

Another thing that stood out to me was the overall atmosphere of the event. The speakers and most attendees looked great — fit, well-groomed, and full of energy. They spoke eloquently and respectfully, had different opinions but knew how to listen to others with genuine interest. They carried themselves with grace, maintained eye contact, and exuded calm confidence. They knew who they were, why they were there, and, above all — they were happy. It was a pure pleasure to be among such people. As the saying goes, you become like those you spend time with. I have felt incredibly grateful to be part of an organization that gathers such inspiring individuals.

Of course, not everyone is the same, but the conference was filled with regional and organizational leaders — people from whom you can learn immensely, both professionally and personally. These are personalities shaped by experience, knowledge, and wisdom. The entire day of networking, lectures, and training sessions culminated in an evening gala, where awards were presented, and we ate, drank, and celebrated late into the night (and for some — into the early morning). Most importantly, we enjoyed the chance to celebrate our success together and simply be in each other’s company.

The next morning was just as fresh and joyful as the one before. Surprisingly, only a few people were nursing hangovers in their rooms — most entrepreneurs, sticking to the schedule, had breakfast and either went to their planned meetings or started heading home. Together with Kasia and Agnieszka, by nine o’clock we were fed, packed, and ready to hit the road.

Of course, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned — our parking card got demagnetized, we couldn’t lift the barrier, and before we knew it, we had created a little traffic jam at the exit.

In a hurry, I jumped out of the car, walked up to the driver behind us, and said: “You need to back up a bit so we can make a turn and pull over. Then we’ll clear the exit.”

To which — as it turned out — the man, a director who actually knew me (though I didn’t recognize him), replied calmly: “Aleksandra, I don’t have to do anything.”

At first, I thought, “What a weirdo, how rude!” but a moment later, I realized he was right — and I smiled at him.

That moment perfectly summarized my stay and reinforced what I had already realized earlier: that I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who don’t feel they have to do anything. They are free, independent thinkers, and to them, problems aren’t the end of the world — they’re interesting challenges and adventures.

As I returned with a new parking card, I looked around at the drivers waiting in line. No one was annoyed, no one honked or yelled for me to move. Quite the opposite — people rolled down their windows, asked where we were heading, wished us a safe trip, and one of the participants even recommended me an audiobook for the road.

If you’re now feverishly planning your next steps toward success, remember the words of that director — whose name, unfortunately, I still don’t know:

“I don’t have to do anything.”

Exactly. You don’t have to do anything. You can simply choose to, and with that conscious choice, make decisions that will take you where you truly want to be — or maybe even somewhere more exciting, a place you can’t yet imagine. I’m rooting for you.

Organize your life.

The first publication in the Untold product series, created to share methodology for organizing everyday life, cultivating systematic discipline, and developing proper habits. Drawing from the author's experience, knowledge, beliefs, and commonly available coaching tools, she aims to inspire you to take action and present you with a straightforward approach to achieving fulfillment and building self-esteem. Written in a simple way, it contains examples from everyday life, practical tips, exercises, and beautiful graphics. Available in e-book and audiobook.

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Do You Feel Inspired? Act!

Aleksandra Strugalska — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:32:00 +0000

How often do you experience a surge of inspiration, a unique idea that sparks your imagination? You may even jot it down in a notebook, but do you follow through on it later? Many of us have been in this situation; we feel a strong urge to create or act, but the demands of daily life and current responsibilities often cause us to postpone or forget about these opportunities.

I found myself trapped in this cycle when I conceived Untold back in 2020. My daily routine involves extensive reading, watching movies, consuming a vast amount of content on social media, and holding numerous meetings with people from various industries. Consequently, new ideas flood my mind at a staggering pace. To ensure I didn’t forget them, I noted them down on Trello, promising myself that I would sit down and bring them to life when I “found the time.”

The first obstacle I encountered was that the elusive “free time” never seemed to materialize. The never-ending list of tasks and my tightly packed schedule left me perpetually exhausted. Even when I finished my obligations, the last thing on my mind was nurturing my inspiration. However, the most significant challenge emerged when, at the end of 2021, I finally attempted to give life to the ideas I’d jotted down. To my dismay, I discovered that more than half of the concepts no longer resonated with me. The topics remained appealing, but my inspiration had waned. My moment had passed. If I had acted immediately when inspired, I could have produced truly intriguing work. Now, if I were to revisit these ideas, the result would be decent at best, but forced and lacking the genuine spark they once held. I had evolved, and the time for those concepts had passed.

This is a common mistake people make—having inspiration but waiting for the “right time,” which often never arrives. It’s like having a surge of intuition to act but putting it off until the opportune moment has slipped away.

"Act fast on inspiration”

I came across an intriguing statement from a well-known mentor on Tik-Tok: “Act fast on inspiration.” She provides an analogy involving a surfer who arrives at the beach, sees perfect waves, and instead of seizing the opportunity to surf, sits on the shore and waits. By the time he decides to take action, the waves have passed, and he missed the moment for surfing on that particular wave forever.

Inspiration is like an opportunity, and a savvy entrepreneur or someone with business intuition seizes it. They understand that the timing and pace of action are crucial. Successful individuals often emphasize the importance of “timing,” intuition, a touch of luck, and taking action. Think of it as buying stocks in the stock market—timing is everything here. Buying when stocks have low value and selling when they peak leads to the highest profit. It’s simple math. For instance, I invested in Allegro shares when they debuted on the stock exchange. I learned about the presale of Alior shares at around PLN 45 each, sensing their potential, so I made a purchase. Over the next few weeks, their value soared to PLN 89. While I hoped they’d climb even higher, I calculated my profit optimistically. However, the values started to decline, so I decided to sell at PLN 85, which was a smart move because I earned significantly. Most of my friends didn’t sell; they neither gained nor lost at that time, but as of the day I’m writing this article, they’re worth only PLN 43. If I had hesitated to buy during the presale, I wouldn’t have obtained them at a favorable price later. If I had ignored my intuition and not sold, I would have lost out. If, out of fear of my ignorance regarding stock market matters, I had chosen to educate myself on economic mechanisms instead of purchasing shares, I would have gained neither profit nor practical experience. I would have only possessed theoretical knowledge and dreams of future fortunes.

Live in the flow, catch the wave.

Business-minded individuals observe the situation, anticipate opportunities for growth, and make decisions based on intuition and data gathered through observation. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they don’t, but statistically speaking, you have to succeed once in every ten attempts, even by sheer chance. Success is often attributed to luck, but it’s rarely a result of blind luck. It’s the outcome of systematic work.

Am I still investing in stocks? Yes, I am. Have I experienced losses? Absolutely. Did this deter me? No, I continue to observe, learn from my experiences, and study the subject. In my free time, I deepen my knowledge. But I don’t wait until I possess a diploma in the field; I combine practice with theory.

Waiting until you’re “ready” or “educated enough” is also a common mistake. We are taught to follow paths established by previous generations. We’re told to attend college, secure a stable job, and build a career before starting a family. But who makes these rules? If, for instance, you aspire to become a programmer, you don’t necessarily need to pursue formal education in the field. Instead of investing time in college, consider finding a company willing to offer internships. You might start by making coffee and gradually learn while on the job. Learning to program primarily involves taking action—sitting in front of the computer, observing others, learning basic commands and concepts, and eventually coding. Do you know where many programmers acquire their knowledge? It’s from resources like Google and fellow programmers. If your priority is to start a family, why wait to complete your education and establish a career? Begin building your family now. If you have a business idea, don’t wait until you’ve completed a five-year management degree. Learn from practitioners, gain hands-on experience, and act on your inspiration and intuition.

Who makes the rules? Let us act as if there were no rules, let us create a model of conduct ourselves.

Live as if there were no predefined rules, while adhering to the law, respecting others, and staying true to your values. Your life belongs to you, and you set the rules. You’re wholly responsible for your choices. Don’t let life just happen to you; experience it in harmony with your true self and in rhythm with the music of your heart and soul. When inspiration strikes, you have a moment to act—not necessarily to do everything right away but to act on the strong impulse and ride the wave of inspiration as long as it lasts, as long as you’re in the “flow.”

Organize your life.

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