People Fundamentals #11: Mariusz Winiarczyk – Just a Polish Man at Nexo

Over the years, this interviewee has spoken to and helped thousands of Nexo clients, and no one is able to abstract away the complexities of crypto and blockchain like he can. This week People Fundamentals explores what led our adaptable and approachable Client Service Director Mariusz to Nexo – hint: his wife had at least a little to do with it – and how he views the world of crypto in case any of the many clients who have spoken with him over the years were curious.

Mariusz Winiarczyk – Just a Polish Man at Nexo

1) Who are you? Describe yourself in a few words

To steal a phrase from Sting, I’m a Polish man in Sofia :). I work from Nexo’s Bulgarian office, and you’d be able to tell I’m not local by my accent (if you could hear it). I met my wife in the UK over a decade ago and followed her back to Sofia. I relocated back in 2006 and started learning Bulgarian straight away – I have to admit, the grammar is mind-boggling! Which doesn’t stop me from dealing with all kinds of local institutions :).

A little more about my background: I graduated from the Economic College in my hometown Sandomierz. This was back in the era of the first computers, video clubs, and PC games. Interacting with crypto today feels the same as the exhilaration of using the first computers. Like most of my friends, I developed a huge interest in technology and pursued it. I got my Master’s in Computer Technologies and Agriculture Engineering from the University of Lublin, and now I’m here at a high-tech company with a global impact.

2) How would you describe your digital personality #Meta-Identity? (Ex. Internet Aficionado, Social Recluse, Digital Doggo Freak)?

I’m a social media recluse. I very much insist on personal privacy and data protection, that’s why they are a must for all Nexo clients we talk with every day. You won’t catch me being active on popular networks, however, I spend a considerable amount of time following specialized websites for in-depth financial and political analyses – I want to be as objective as possible about what’s going on in the world and what’s to come.

3) You have all the resources you need, what do you want to create?

I’d like to get people to be more humane, less impulsive, and more analytical. This is, perhaps, the most difficult task ever because it comes down to each one of us, and many people don’t feel comfortable facing their personal responsibilities head-on.

4) How did you get into crypto? What’s your Nexo story?

I first heard about Bitcoin in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2017 that I really got hooked because I realized that I could be my own bank. The idea sounded absolutely fascinating! So, I started experimenting and learning about crypto and everything behind it – how it works, how to invest, how not to invest, and how to choose the best trading platform. Everything a crypto self-starter does to dive deep into the crypto world.

Then, four years ago, I accidentally came upon a Nexo job ad and said to myself: “That’s it, my interests and my experience in customer service in one!” I applied straight away, and the rest is history in the making. The funny thing is, around that time, another crypto company had approached me for their Head of Customer Support role, but Nexo won me over with its clear vision of what the company strived to achieve and its really fast and straightforward hiring process.

5) What is your biggest challenge?

Making time for all the things I’d like to do in my life.

6) What is your biggest failure?

Frankly, I don’t know. People I’ve worked and interacted with have the say on this one. Whatever the failures, though, I always view them as lessons learned and an opportunity for personal growth. I think that if we don’t err, life would be rather boring.

7) How many hours do you sleep?

Six, maybe seven, but not enough for sure. Time is the most precious asset we have and nowadays, it’s going by so fast that we need to use it as efficiently and smartly as possible.

8) What’s in your crypto survival kit?

Just a couple of rules that have helped me get through bear markets:

1. Take smart risks.
2. Invest only money you can afford to lose.
3. Diversify.
4. Don’t be greedy.
5. Never panic, and always stick to your strategy.
6. During uncertain times, I do dollar-cost аveraging.

9) What coin are you most curious about?

Bitcoin and Ethereum – the mothers of all coins :). But I’m most excited about NEXO because I’m directly involved in its success, and it depends, first and foremost, on the people I work with and myself.

10) Who’s on your must-follow list on Twitter?

Since I’m not a social media aficionado, I try to only read the Twitter threads my colleagues share in our internal Nexo comms channels. This way, I’m sure the information is really worth my time.

11) Who are you outside of work?

A husband, a father, a friend (a good one, I hope!), a gardener, a mountain lover (I adore climbing the misty Tatras, but Bulgaria’s mount Musala is still on my list). A person who enjoys the stillness of life, even if it happens only for a minute.

To me, crypto and blockchain are transparency, objectivity, financial freedom, and equality, and the only way forward to a more just world.