About

I'm Mark Szymanski.

I'm a 30-year-old entrepreneur, creator, and systems thinker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I live with my wife Amanda in her childhood home that we renovated, along with our cat Minnie and our son Nolan.

I help business owners find where they're bleeding time and money, then build the systems to fix it. Websites, automations, AI workflows, and everything in between. I also create content about business, technology, and AI through YouTube, the Fueled By Progress podcast, courses, and community.

I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018 with a B.S. in Information Science. I paid off my student loans in under a year. I've never worked a traditional job since leaving my last one in January 2020.

My content philosophy is simple: AI and modern technology are powerful, we can't hide from it, and we can't put it back in the bottle. I'm not the hype guy. I'm not the doomsday guy. I'm the realist in the middle.

Mark, Amanda, and Nolan together on the back patio

On the patio.

Quick Facts

A few things to know.

Lucky Husband

My wife Amanda is the most kind and caring woman I've ever met. She's been my best friend since 2016. We got married in October 2023.

Business Bro

I can't work for employers anymore. I value freedom and autonomy far too much. I've been fully self-employed since 2020.

Recreational Athlete

I play ball hockey multiple times a week and picked up golf in 2022. Both are essential for my mental health.

Funny Guy

I love comedies and use movie quotes and impersonations to make my friends laugh. Humor keeps me grounded.

Unlicensed Psychologist

I analyze human behavior and psychology with absolutely zero formal training. It's a lifelong fascination.

Clear Mind

I've never consumed alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, or any recreational drug. I avoid caffeine too. Always have, always will.

The Journey

How I got here.

2017

First WordPress site

Bought my first domain name and hosting. Built my first real website with WordPress. The obsession began.

2018

Graduated & went full-time

B.S. in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Started building websites for clients while working at RE/MAX Select Realty.

2019

Started building

Launched my first YouTube video. Formed my holding company and FindIT Tech. Started the Fueled By Progress podcast. Paid off all student debt.

2020

Quit my job

Resigned from RE/MAX in January. Went fully self-employed. Never looked back.

2023

Married Amanda

Got married in October. Started going deep on WordPress content creation and joined the WordPress community in a meaningful way.

2024

WordPress creator

Attended my first WordCamp US. Hit 5,000 YouTube subscribers. Launched Bridge Builders and WP Townhall. Sold the largest website project to date.

2025

The evolution

Rebranded FindIT Tech to Motive11. Spoke at PressConf and WordCamp US. Started building with AI and agentic workflows. Recalibrated my entire professional identity.

2026