Why I Left My Dream Job to Travel the World
Every journey has its beginnings, and mine started in the world of data automation. Transitioning from a stable job to embracing the life of a digital nomad has been nothing short of an adventure. Join me as I share my story, the challenges I faced, and the exciting future that lies ahead!
🎉 Intro & 100k Abo Thanks
Hey, guys! Today, I want to celebrate a significant milestone—hitting one hundred thousand subscribers on my YouTube channel! 🎉 Thank you to everyone who has supported me by watching my videos, subscribing, and leaving comments. Your engagement means the world to me. I promise to read every comment, even the critical ones, and I appreciate your feedback!
💼 My Career Journey
After graduating, I embarked on a career as a business analyst and BI specialist for a German company, where I spent about ten years. During this time, I worked on numerous data and automation projects, primarily using Excel and VBA. My career was stable, but in 2019, my company sent me to Tokyo, which sparked my interest in learning Python.
While in Tokyo, I began taking Udemy courses and watching YouTube tutorials to learn Python, aiming to create interactive charts from Excel data. However, the pandemic hit, and instead of feeling stuck, I seized the moment. I used my vacation days to attend a nine-week full-time coding boot camp in Tokyo, focusing on machine learning and deep learning. My company supported me by covering half of the expenses, which was a significant help.
It was during this boot camp that I started my YouTube channel, sharing everything I learned about Python and VBA. Reflecting on it now, perhaps I should have named my website differently, but I decided to stick with pythonandvba.com.
🚪 Quitting My Job
Fast forward to December 2021, after completing the boot camp and spending more time in Tokyo, I returned to Germany. I continued working for the same company but transitioned into a more technical role. My life fell into a routine—full-time job, gym sessions, and weekends dedicated to creating YouTube content.
After three years, I felt the urge for change. I wanted to explore the world while I was still young. So, at the beginning of this year, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life: I quit my job. It was tough because I genuinely loved my work and had built wonderful relationships with my colleagues.
However, my gut told me it was the right time to embrace the unknown. I sold my car, packed my bags, and began my journey. My travels started in the UK to brush up on my English skills, followed by six weeks in Bucharest, Romania, and now I’m in Athens, Greece, learning boxing.
🔍 Behind the Scenes
You might think quitting my job would mean more time for YouTube videos, but interestingly, I’ve produced fewer videos since then. The main reason is that I’ve focused more on my website, where I sell Excel templates and add-ins. I’ve been redesigning the website, improving my Excel solutions, and automating backend processes, such as managing purchases.
Additionally, I launched my new Excel add-in called Grafly, which simplifies the creation of interactive dashboards in Excel. I also released CutePlots, a lighter version of Grafly that creates cartoon-style charts. More recently, I updated my Excel templates to send emails directly from Gmail accounts (Gmail Bulk Sender).
Creating these solutions and sales pages has been time-consuming but incredibly rewarding. There’s something satisfying about building automation workflows and seeing them work seamlessly.
🤔 YouTube Content Dilemma
However, this brings a dilemma. While I love developing Excel solutions, I know my YouTube channel drives traffic to my website, leading to sales. I need to balance my passion for creating tools with the responsibility of producing engaging content.
I’ve noticed that certain videos attract significantly more views than others. For example, my tutorial on creating a dashboard from Excel using Streamlit gained over one million views! This interest prompted me to create more tutorials on Streamlit and related tools.
This leads me to my challenge: What type of videos should I publish? Should I focus more on Streamlit and Python web development, or should I continue with Excel tutorials, which are essential for my website traffic? I’m also exploring no-code automation tools and considering making tutorials about them as well.
Ultimately, my true passion lies in creating Excel templates and add-ins, which is the foundation of my website. I’m not entirely sure which direction to take, so if you have ideas, please share them in the comments!
🎯 Future Plans
For now, I plan to continue producing both Streamlit and Excel automation tutorials while promoting my Excel solutions. Additionally, I’m working on creating video courses, which is a common path for YouTubers. I believe structured courses can greatly benefit those wanting to learn more effectively.
My courses will focus on automating Excel with Python and creating Excel add-ins. I wish I had resources like these when I started, and I want to provide practical use cases along with my tips and tricks for managing license key distribution and more.
Many of you have also asked about a Streamlit course. While I’m excited about the idea, I’m hesitant because Streamlit evolves rapidly, requiring constant updates. However, Excel automation topics are more evergreen, making them easier to manage.
🔚 Closing & Q&A
So, that’s where I am right now. Sharing all of this has been nerve-wracking, but I hope it provides insight into who I am and where I’m heading. I wanted to answer some of your questions, but there weren’t many under my latest post. If you have questions or comments, please leave them below, and I’ll do a dedicated Q&A video!
Thank you all for your support, and I look forward to seeing you in the next video. Cheers!