• Spotify
• YouTube
• Instagram

Listen to or watch this instead

When we talk about Artificial Intelligence in today’s world, we often rush to the latest headline: the breakthroughs, the fears, the ethical quandaries. But in our rush toward the future, we sometimes forget that every bit of technology is shaped — not just by coders and data scientists — but by people with inspirational AI career stories. And often, those people have stories that don’t start in a lab or a boardroom. They start at a checkout counter.

In this first episode of our special series, What the People People Need to Know About AI, I sat down with someone who knows AI from both the boardroom and the bakery: my brother, Gavin Bull. Today, Gavin is a Principal at AWS, working directly with some of the world’s largest organizations on their AI strategy. But he didn’t get there through an MBA or an accelerator program. His journey started, quite literally, in the meat section of a supermarket.

The Humble Beginning (That Wasn’t So Humble)

Gavin’s first paid job was in a local SPAR in South Africa — stacking shelves, working the till, sweeping the bakery floor, and reconciling tills long after the store closed. As he told stories about walking to work after school and developing a strange fondness for the smell of fresh bread, I was reminded of something we in the learning and development space often overlook: real development rarely starts with a formal course. It starts in the moments when people learn to show up, solve problems, and deal with difficult customers.

“Working in customer service teaches you that people have wildly different expectations,” he said. “One thing that pleases one person will annoy another. It taught me adaptability long before I ever heard that word in a business context.”

That foundation followed him into roles at a clothing retailer, Edgars, where he worked in everything from the shoe department to high-end fragrance launches. It was there, oddly enough, that he learned the correct way to spray perfume — a tip I still use to this day.

But more importantly, it’s where he developed early exposure to process, precision, and the nuance of human behavior — insights that, decades later, would shape how he talks to executives about AI adoption.

Career Growth Without a Straight Line

After high school, Gavin initially planned to attend a small computer college, driven by a love of tech. But in a conversation that proved pivotal, our dad encouraged him to consider a more recognized qualification — something that would hold weight on a résumé. He listened (which, as every parent knows, is a minor miracle in itself) and pivoted toward the University of Johannesburg (then Technikon Witwatersrand), where he studied Computer Systems Engineering.

That decision opened the door to an internship with IBM in South Africa, which became a full-time job, then a leap to London and a new role at BNP Paribas. It’s a story of global mobility, sure — but it’s also a story of personal growth and professional humility.

Because when Gavin and his wife moved again — this time to Canada — things didn’t go as planned.

“I thought I had top-level skills. But what I had was BNP Paribas skills,” he admitted. “I didn’t realize how narrow my toolkit had become. I failed a few interviews. And it hit me: I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

What Do You Do When You Realize You’re Out of Date?

You learn. Fast.

In a story that will hit home for any L&D leader, Gavin described how he spent two intense weeks upskilling himself. He studied AWS cloud architecture at night, got certified, and eventually landed a role at an AdTech company, managing billions of data transactions per day.

It was that job that cracked the AI door open. There, he worked behind the scenes of the very systems that predict what ads you see and how platforms make real-time decisions at scale — laying the groundwork for the AI-powered world we now inhabit.

It’s a far cry from baking bread. But the through-line? Curiosity, effort, and a deep understanding of people.

Why This Story Matters for People Leaders

In the L&D and HR world, we often talk about career paths like they’re highways — straight, fast, efficient. But the real ones are more like hiking trails: winding, uneven, full of wrong turns and unexpected vistas. Gavin’s story is a reminder that potential doesn’t come from pedigree. It comes from adaptability, humility, and the relentless pursuit of growth.

It’s also a call to action for us as talent professionals. Are we hiring for titles, or for trajectory? Are we preparing our people for what’s next, or assuming their current tools will always be enough?

As AI reshapes how we work, the people who will thrive aren’t the ones who already know everything. They’re the ones willing to re-learn everything. Gavin’s story shows us what that looks like — not in theory, but in life.

So before we dig into machine learning and predictive models in Episode 2, I want to leave you with this:

Your best AI leader might be someone who once wiped fingerprints off shoe racks.
Your most strategic mind might be sitting quietly in a role they’ve outgrown.
And your own next chapter might start with a conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew.

Let’s not underestimate where the future might come from.

After all, it might smell like fresh bread.

_______________________________________________________________

Click here to learn more about Next Gen Cloud Academy.

Click here to learn more about the Talent Development Academy.