Discovering My Love for Tech and Adventure
I was born in Belarus and moved to the United States as a teenager, ready for new opportunities. Technology quickly became part of my life—whether I was tinkering with early consoles like the Gameboy, customizing forum posts with CSS, or figuring out how the latest gadgets worked. This curiosity sparked my passion for shaping the digital world, even in small ways.
I also loved being behind the wheel. I learned to drive at 12 and spent my teenage years exploring New Jersey with friends, getting lost with just a flip phone and a map. The thrill of driving and figuring out our way home was as much a lesson in independence and problem-solving as any tech project I'd taken on.
Life on the Road and Shaping Skills through Carpentry
My love for cars led to my first full-time job as a valet driver. What started as a fun way to spend time around cars turned into a role managing a team of over a dozen drivers at busy Brooklyn venues. Handling 100+ cars a night, I learned the importance of teamwork, staying calm under pressure, and delivering great customer service.
After a while, I pivoted to carpentry, where I took a job building stairs. It was tough work—sweating through summers and freezing in the winters—but I enjoyed the challenge of building something tangible. Carpentry taught me patience, attention to detail, and the satisfaction of pushing my limits beyond what was comfortable.
Returning to Tech and the Hustle of Building a Future
Eventually, I returned to tech, taking a role as a Computer Operator at Brookdale University Hospital, keeping the server rooms running and solving tech issues. It was steady work, but a family trip to Belarus changed my path—I met my future wife there, and suddenly my goals shifted. I wanted stability and a future we could build together, which led me back to the U.S. with a renewed focus.
I took a job as a Compliance Officer at a VoIP company, an experience that pushed me to grow professionally. Around the same time, I was working full-time, finishing my associate’s degree, studying for my CCNA, and even picking up extra valet shifts and Uber Eats deliveries. My wife was pregnant, and we were saving for our first home—it was an exhausting but rewarding period.
We both pushed ourselves to the limit, knowing it was all for something bigger. Those years taught me resilience, the power of perseverance, and the importance of never losing sight of what you're working towards.