Bitcoin Peer Stories: #04, Purpose Beyond Paychecks

Publication: Şelale Malkoçoğlu | Date: 9/22/2024

The following content was published on behalf of Bitvocation—a unique space dedicated to helping Bitcoiners break free from fiat jobs with resources and guidance—as part of the monthly series "Bitcoin Peer Stories."

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” — easy to say, harder to experience. It took me years of wrong turns and burned bridges to feel this truth in my bones.

Like probably many of you, I studied something completely unrelated to where I’d actually end up. Over the years, I’ve collected two university-degrees and a pile of courses. Most of them, including the very beginning, English Studies and Journalism, maybe somehow help me daily, though they didn’t shape who I am today. It was a long journey of varied experiences that eventually made me grow into my own skin.

Right after graduation, I left behind my early—yet already successful—entrepreneurial life to chase ‘corporate ambitions.’ For example, I walked away from thriving youth education camps that I’d built from scratch with a university friend.

It's actually fascinating how hustle culture tricks us into trading dreams and talents for 'stable jobs’. At 20-something, I didn't get it. It was a demanding but rewarding lesson… Though now I also know that age isn’t the factor… The mindset is.

In Bitcoin, I've met 50-year-olds with teenage enthusiasm and 15-year-olds wiser than most adults. Fact: A revolution doesn’t ask for ID.

Here, I'm sharing my story to maybe warn you or to inspire your future steps.

Waking Up From the Dream That Wasn’t Mine

My ‘fiat career’ included various areas: digital branding, automotive, workforce and tech, social trading, and finally banking. Big names, international firms. I climbed fast, from a simple corporate grunt to top management.

I even dabbled in a few startups and Web3, naively thinking they'd help me "orange-pill" the masses (silly, but no regrets, the mess I witnessed was eye-opening).

Yet, the higher I got, the sicker I felt. By all metrics, I’d won: great salary, team, prestige. But every morning, I’d stared at my reflection and ask: Why does it feel like a betrayal?

The answer is simple: I wasn’t myself.

I felt like a slave compromising my inner values. The more "open secrets" I uncovered, the more absurd everything seemed, and the stronger my pull towards freedom became.

It took me years to break free from that self-made prison. When I finally quit, I made one promise: No more working just for money or approval.

Three years later, I work exclusively in Bitcoin, and I’ve never felt more aligned.

Side note: If this part resonates with you, you might also like "Bitcoin Gypsy Secrets: Living Rich on Bitcoin Alone" — the interview where I unpack my story most holistically. No fluff, just real talk.

My Breaking Point Became My Breakthrough

To an external observer, my current workload might seem endless. But here’s the thing: nobody owns me anymore. I’m not frustrated. Not depressed. Neither drained nor bored.

Quite the opposite. I’m investing my time and talents where my heart truly resonates. Remember, "Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life..."? It isn’t just a saying. It’s my reality.

Every project I work enters my bloodstream. Piece by piece, they rewrite my sky. New constellations.

Unlike many stories you’ll probably encounter, my Bitcoin journey didn’t involve traditional hiring. It emerged organically—through focus, determination, a bit of luck, and of course PoW (in every sense). These elements mixed together evolved over time into what I am.

Below are just the cornerstones of my working life, the most substantial commitments in my ‘business dossier’:

• European Bitcoiners: The first Bitcoin project I started contributing to under my own name. A mix of translations and original pieces, serving as both publishing platform and educational hub I frequently share with newbies.
• Bitcoin FilmFest: The unique intersection of my love for cinema and belief in cultural change. Three years of intense collaboration with a small group of activists and a growing network of independent filmmakers—all to to build both an annual festival and year-round ecosystem.
• Wearables By Şela: What started as my quirky orange-pilling experiments (see more in “Bitcoin Zoo + The Story of My Wardrobe”), eventually evolved into more serious fusion of fashion lines and freedom advocacy.
• Bitcoin Junior Club: My newest "baby" (just over a year old). An education-fun zone for kids, teens, and parents alike. Focused on financial literacy, self-directed education and creative thinking. It offers a full treasure chest of resources—curated and handmade materials to play, watch, read, listen to, and more—while also supporting physical events that aim to build something meaningful for youngsters. Honestly, it’s my most passionate endeavor: nurturing sovereign minds in the next generations.

All these span from basic steering to design, video editing, a bit of coding, and finally, the constant dance of promo, sales, and communication. The perfect fuel for 'my sharp mind and creative soul'.

I don’t just go with the flow, I ride it. For now, it feels like home.

Between work, life, and travel, I’m always learning and stretching my horizons. Sometimes, that simply means contemplating and doing “nothing”, and sometimes random extras like writing fiction stories, crafting playful edu-songs, advising selected projects or simply connecting people who amplify each other.

Freedom Isn’t Free (But It’s Worth It)

Now, let’s weigh the results:

• Is my new journey successful? Depends on your definition. I’ve still got miles to go.
• Financially sustainable? Not quite yet but I make it work.

Regrets about leaving fiat? Hell no! This is the life I've chosen. No regrets, no turning back, only forward. The decision I made years ago gifted me the ultimate luxury: sovereignty. The foundation I keep building on.

It all started in my mind but needed way more—action, grit, and so many amazing rebels who joined me along the way. Every friend, every collaborator, every kindred spirit I've met, and those I've yet to meet, has shaped my present reality in countless meaningful ways. But the warmest embrace belongs to my life-partner, my husband and the mirror soul: the one who’s stood by me through every high and low: motivating, challenging, and weathering my storms with endless patience.

By the way, I mention ‘highs and lows’ intentionally.

Fact: Freedom carries weight. Its responsibility sometimes stings.

Life isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a daily choice to build something real in a world full of comfortable illusions, and to tear down the prison we first built in our minds.

Final Word: Your Path, Your Timeline

A few tips, if you're considering the leap into a Bitcoin-based career:

1. Build your financial and mental runway first before taking any drastic steps.
2. Leave whatever you're doing if it violates your values. Yet, don’t stress immediately about finding a new job. Use this time to relax and recharge your batteries (find your inner peace and calling).
3. Forge your own army: people from whom you can learn and who will support your journey. But never outsource your thinking to others.
4. Focus on your talents and passions but imagine out-of-the-box. Working in Bitcoin doesn't mean 100% following your current profession (but of course it can).
5. Remember, there are plenty options (full-employment, freelance, or your own venture). Bitvocation is a super useful source proving this point.

Still on the fence? No worries.

Your moment comes when you're ready. Not when some ‘guru’ says you should be.

Until then? Live deliberately. Spend time like the scarce resource it is.

Stack sats. Explore. Improve. Grow.

Maybe rediscover your forgotten fires. Learn new skills.

Last but not least:

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” isn't just cute advice — it's liberation.

Whatever path you choose, run towards freedom.

Şelale Malkoçoğlu (aka AZA 21m)

Enjoyed this story? Discover more: Tanja Baechle "Pursing The Pathless Path", Philip Charter "From English Teacher to ‘Totally Human Writer", Felix Billert "Building Europe’s First Zero-Euro Bitcoin Lifestyle".

Want to share your own? Contact Bitvocation. They will always give priority to their POW Lab members, but there might be room for others too.