From Crane to Jet Plane: the story of my life

This article is my coming-out. I have never shared my life story in full. The below is obviously just a sketch - the rest will be covered in the book I am working on. And so...

My name is Feodor Kouznetsov. I am the Executive Assistant to an ultra-high-net-worth individual. There is no job description for what I do. I deal with anything and everything and I love it.

I was born in Soviet Russia. I lived with my parents in a communal flat until, when I was ten, my mother and I moved to Denmark. 

Being raised in a poor neighbourhood of Aarhus, the second-largest city in the country, I started working at the age of twelve. For several years I made a living taking random job opportunities. I worked as a night driver, a computer repair handyman, a sales assistant in an electronics shop. Later, my friends and I launched our first startup, the early version of today's Airbnb. But our venture didn't survive. 

One day my friend's mother introduced us to Mateusz, an engineer from Poland. His plan was to bring Polish construction brigades to Denmark matching the Danish market need for quality work and a great value proposition from Polish workers.

Incidentally, I found myself in the construction business. We built a basic website, bought a domain name, and started recruiting clients for commercial real estate development projects.

Over those years, I learnt to drive a tower crane, manage construction workers, and got a taste of real entrepreneurship.

Most of the time, I spent travelling between construction sites in my truck which was both my transport and home. I was making enough money to buy a flat and a car but there was nothing in my everyday life that made me 'jump out of bed in the morning'.

Until one day my father called and said: 'There is a rich family. They are moving to Europe and need someone on the ground. Are you interested?' This was when I was sitting in a cab on top of a crane, swinging in the strong winds. 

I didn't take long to book a flight to Russia. 

We met in Saint Petersburgh where I got a stack of cash and the first assignment - to prepare the family's Swiss chalet for Christmas. From that day on, I waved farewell to my life in Denmark and entered another dimension.

My life has been nothing of the ordinary ever since. I travel the world in private jets, get to enjoy the sun on superyacht decks in Monaco and St Tropez, and reside with my family in an affluent and very English countryside.

These luxuries which I live but do not own come at a cost. I must be available to the boss around the clock 365 days a year. I manage some of the world's most luxurious estates, hundreds of people, and on top of that I have to be emotionally involved in the private life of my employer's family. 

In 2015, I experienced a major burnout which came as the result of the enormous amount of stress associated with my role as an EA. I had to re-think how I lived my life and work. Supported by the boss, I started building Raino.app, the software which would help me be the best EA there is. At the same time, I was looking for solutions to future-proof my mental well-being. Alongside Raino.app, I invented Formula.life, an innovative breathing technique which allows the ultra-busy multitaskers like me to regenerate in a matter of a few minutes, to calm down, and to maintain healthy sleeping routines. 

My life is not another rags-to-riches story. Yes, I am no longer haunted by the misery of my earlier years but I have not become wealthy. My most important achievement is the gained ability to be the master of my own life - through the tech-driven tools that I have been able to create and through the human relationships I've built.

Today, in my role as the EA I operate at a much higher level. I am preparing Raino.app for the commercial launch. And I am working on promoting Formula.life to the people who understand the value of mental well-being and are actively searching for a long-lasting happiness.