Building Brands, Carrying Weight, and Finding Freedom

The last four months have been the most transformative of my life.
Not in the "overnight lottery winner" kind of way, but in the slow, heavy, exhilarating way that only real growth brings.

Back in November, I started a project with a client. It wasn’t supposed to be anything massive—just a consulting engagement to help them integrate AI more effectively into their business. Fast forward to today, and that "small project" has turned into something much bigger: pushing the company toward a $10 million target and helping them evolve into an AI education powerhouse. We're building a paid community, aiming for 10,000 members, and positioning the brand to become a real leader in the market.

At the same time, I accepted something I had never done before: stepping into a Director of Operations role for a startup.
It was daunting.
It still is.
But it’s also one of the most invigorating challenges I’ve ever faced.

When people talk about carrying the weight of a company, it often sounds abstract. Let me tell you—when you're deep in it, when decisions hit your inbox that can genuinely make or break the future of the business—it feels real. Sometimes I imagine myself as Atlas, shoulders straining under the invisible weight.

But here's the thing: growth doesn’t happen without weight.
It doesn’t happen without hardship.
And it doesn’t happen by accident.

In the same way your body grows stronger from lifting heavier weights, your mind and your character grow when you willingly step into bigger arenas. You can't avoid the stress—you have to choose it.

That’s exactly why I keep saying yes.

From Consultant to Creator

As the project grew, something inside me shifted too.
I realized I wasn’t just helping companies grow with AI—I was also creating the foundation for my own brand.

What started as a consulting career is now evolving into something much larger:

• A full AI education startup
• An entrepreneurial community called Niche Hackers
• A growing network to connect creators who build AI solutions in specific industries
• And a personal brand—Jens Heitmann—centered around operational strategy and growth thinking

I’m building multiple brands at once. Each one speaks to a different part of the same goal: empowering people to use AI meaningfully to transform their businesses and their lives.

And even though it sounds crazy, doing all of this at once has actually given me more clarity, not less.
Because every brand, every project, every conversation points toward the same mission: build smarter, grow faster, live freer.

Living Abroad (and Working Relentlessly)

On the surface, the last few months look like a dream.
I finally secured my European passport. I’ve traveled across Germany, Austria, Romania—and soon, Croatia. I’ve spoken at events in the U.S. about AI agents, with more speaking opportunities lining up for this summer.

But behind the scenes, the reality is a little different.

While living in Romania this past month, I’ve been working twelve to fourteen hours a day.
Most days look like this: wake up, work out, eat, work until I literally can’t think straight, sleep, repeat.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not easy.
And it leaves very little room for anything else.
(If I’m being honest, I’ve had maybe four real days off in the past month.)

But this season of intense focus has taught me something I’ll carry with me forever:
The freedom you want doesn’t come from working less. It comes from owning what you build.

Traveling is amazing. Seeing new cities, living in beautiful spaces, feeling the energy of different cultures—it’s all incredible.
But the real reward isn’t the travel. It’s knowing that every hour of hard work is pushing my projects, my brands, and my future closer to the life I actually want.

Lessons in the Pressure

If you’re standing on the edge of a big decision, here’s what I’ve learned from living inside the pressure:

First, pressure is not a sign you’re failing. It’s a sign you’re growing.
The bigger the dream, the heavier the weight. You can’t avoid it—you have to embrace it.

Second, you don’t have to be "ready" to start. I wasn’t ready to run operations for a startup. I wasn’t ready to oversee a massive educational platform. But waiting until you’re ready is just another way of procrastinating. You figure it out while you're building it.

Finally, sacrifice is real.
There’s no shortcut around the long days, the missed outings, the extra effort. But if you know what you’re building—and you believe it’s worth it—then the sacrifices don’t feel like losses. They feel like investments.

What's Next

Next week, I’ll be flying to Croatia to continue this crazy journey.
In June, I’ll be heading back to the U.S. for another speaking engagement.
And after that, who knows? Florida? Back to Europe? A new chapter entirely?

What I know for sure is this: the storm isn’t slowing down.
And honestly, I don’t want it to.

Because inside this whirlwind of growth, pressure, travel, and sacrifice—
I feel more alive, more free, and more me than I ever have before.

If you’re at a crossroads—if life is asking you to step into something bigger, something scarier—say yes.
Take the weight.
Carry it with pride.
Because one day, you’ll look back and realize the weight didn’t break you.