Lloyd Swaniawski

Why this persona fits the audience

He and one operations partner gather public LLMOps examples in Airtable to shape proposals for retail and professional-services clients. The firm is just 2 people, and they rotate research manually between client projects, using free sources and note templates to keep examples organized.

• Age: 37
• Location: Chicago, Illinois, US
• Occupation: Founder, AI Automation Studio
• Income: $125,000
• Education: Bachelor's in business
• Company size: 2
• Years in role: 3

“We're not just selling AI; we're selling a more efficient future for businesses that are often drowning in manual processes.”

Lloyd Swaniawski, 37, is the founder of a boutique AI automation studio based in Chicago. With a Bachelor's in Business, he transitioned from a corporate background into entrepreneurship three years ago, driven by a conviction that AI could democratize efficiency for smaller businesses. He co-founded his current firm with a single operations partner, recognizing the need for specialized expertise in the burgeoning field of AI automation. Their current operational model is lean and resource-intensive: they manually gather and categorize public LLMOps examples in a shared Airtable database. This painstaking research forms the backbone of their client proposals, which target retail and professional services firms looking to streamline operations. Lloyd's income of $125,000 reflects the early-stage nature of his business, where reinvestment is prioritized over personal extravagance. He's deeply committed to his clients' success, viewing adaptability and resourcefulness not just as business values, but as essential survival skills in the fast-evolving AI landscape. He recently decided to double down on refining their internal Airtable structure, believing that a more organized repository of use cases will significantly speed up proposal generation, a critical bottleneck for their two-person operation. This decision underscores his pragmatic approach to growth, focusing on optimizing existing processes before scaling the team. He sees time as a critical, finite resource, both for himself and his clients, and his work is fundamentally about reclaiming that time through intelligent automation.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Lloyd's typical weekday begins around 6:00 AM with a walk for his dog, Max, followed by coffee and reviewing overnight emails. By 8:00 AM, he's deep into client work, often on a video call with a prospective retail client discussing their inventory management challenges. Mid-morning involves a deep dive into their Airtable base, searching for relevant LLMOps examples to illustrate a proposed solution. Lunch is usually a quick, healthy meal at his desk while catching up on industry news. The afternoon might include a strategy session with Sarah, refining proposal language, or onboarding a new client. He aims to wrap up by 6:30 PM, though late-night client emergencies aren't unheard of. Evenings are for dinner, walking Max again, and perhaps an hour dedicated to learning a new AI tool.

Lifestyle

Lloyd lives in a rented two-bedroom apartment in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, sharing it with his golden retriever, Max. He's a creature of habit, waking early to walk Max before brewing strong coffee and diving into his workday. His income allows for comfortable living, but he's mindful of expenses, preferring to invest in his business rather than luxury goods. Socially, he enjoys occasional craft brewery visits with a small circle of friends and attending local tech meetups, but his work often takes precedence. He prioritizes efficiency in his personal life, meal-prepping on Sundays to save time during the week.

Work life

As co-founder of a two-person AI automation studio, Lloyd's days are a constant juggle between client-facing strategy and the nitty-gritty of research and proposal development. His primary role involves understanding client pain points in retail and professional services, then architecting potential AI solutions. He and his operations partner meticulously gather and categorize public LLMOps examples in Airtable, a process that's entirely manual and time-consuming. The pressure is on to deliver compelling, cost-effective proposals that demonstrate tangible ROI, often with lean resources and tight deadlines. He spends significant time refining their internal note templates and optimizing their research workflow.

Relationships

Lloyd's closest professional relationship is with his operations partner, Sarah, with whom he shares a complementary skill set and a mutual respect for each other's contributions. He maintains a network of former colleagues and industry contacts from his previous corporate roles, occasionally tapping them for advice or potential leads. His family lives out of state, and he connects with them via weekly video calls. His social circle is small but loyal, consisting of a few long-time friends who understand his demanding schedule.

How they decide

Lloyd is a research-heavy decision-maker, especially when it comes to business tools or methodologies. He meticulously gathers information, compares options based on practical utility and cost-effectiveness, and often seeks input from his partner or trusted contacts before committing. He values evidence and demonstrable results, preferring solutions that offer clear benefits and a straightforward implementation path.

How they sound

Lloyd speaks with a clear, measured cadence, often using precise business terminology but can pivot to more accessible language when explaining complex AI concepts. He avoids overly technical jargon unless speaking with a technical audience. His tone is generally optimistic and forward-looking, but grounded in practical realities. He tends to use phrases like 'essentially,' 'at its core,' and 'the key takeaway is' to summarize points. He's not prone to hyperbole or overly casual slang.