Pole. Painter. In Germany for about 20 years. Also a TikToker followed by hundreds of thousands of people. And now also the man who invented his own sports gala, built the stage and put together an event that attracted Poles living in Germany.
His name is Daniel. On the internet you know him primarily as STOSIO.
And it is from him that we are starting something new on TwojaNorwegia.no.
We want to go beyond Norway and find out how the Polish diaspora really lives in different parts of the world. No advertising brochures, no telling that everything is beautiful everywhere and no pretending that emigration is only a bigger paycheck.
First up: Germany.
And it will be literal fire.
Hold N Hit by Stosio. One hand on the bar, the other in the glove
Daniel came up with an idea that on paper sounds absurdly simple.
Two competitors stand facing each other. Each holds onto a bar with one hand. On the other hand they wear a glove.
And the fight begins.
You can hit your opponent, you can defend yourself, you can try to withstand his blows. But there is one detail that changes everything:
do not let go of the bar.
Points are scored similarly to boxing, but letting go of the bar can practically decide the defeat if the opponent holds on until the end and their hand is not torn off.
That's how Hold N Hit by Stosio came about.
The first gala took place in Germany in 2026. Daniel's idea proved interesting enough for the audience that the project did not end as a one-off experiment. Another edition is in the works.
Interestingly, Daniel did not receive a ready-made product to promote.
He created the concept himself. He took care of the organization himself. He built the stage himself.
And that is what interested us the most.
Because maybe the story of Hold N Hit is not a story about slapping each other in the face.
Maybe it is a story about what a Pole can do on emigration when, instead of saying "I'll do something someday" once again, he takes the tools into his hands and simply starts.
Who exactly is STOSIO?
Before the gala, TikTok and hundreds of thousands of followers, there was regular work.
Daniel has been working in Germany as a painter for about two decades.
And that's why our conversation will not be solely about Hold N Hit.
The gala is a great pretext to talk about something much bigger.
What does the life of a Polish skilled worker in Germany really look like after so many years?
Not after three months.
Not after the first good paycheck.
After years of work, getting to know German clients, hiring people, observing Poles and building one's own position.
How much can you really earn in Germany?
That will be one of the first questions.
We are not interested in the answer: "in Germany you earn more than in Poland".
We want specifics.
How much can a good skilled worker earn? How much does life cost? How much is left after paying for the apartment, the car, insurance and all the bills?
Is Germany in 2026 still a place worth coming to for work?
Or perhaps the times when merely going across the western border meant financial advancement have long since passed?
Are Poles taking on extra work themselves?
There is another topic that we especially want to raise with Daniel.
A Polish skilled worker comes to the client.
The client orders A.
The Pole does A.
But since he's already on site, he'll fix B as well. Then he'll notice C. And since C looks bad, it would be appropriate to do D as well.
In the end the job is beautiful.
Except that the client ordered and paid for A.
Haven't we sometimes taught clients that a Pole will do more, faster and even better for the same price?
Should a good craftsman always do everything "as if for himself", or above all learn to listen to what the client wants?
And where is the boundary between thoroughness and adding work for oneself that no one will pay for?
We will also ask STOSIO about that.
And how is it to work with fellow Poles?
That may be even more interesting.
Because it's easy to say: Poles abroad should stick together.
But how does it look in reality?
Does a Pole who has lived in Germany for 10 or 20 years still want to work with other Poles?
Is it easier to find someone already living locally, or to bring a craftsman directly from Poland?
Do we help each other while living abroad?
Do we compete with each other more than with Germans?
And after so many years, how do German clients view Polish workers?
These are things we don't want to check with statistics.
We want to ask a person who has been there for years.
Germany versus Norway
And because we talk on TwojaNorwegia.no and on Radio Wataha, we will not skip the comparison either.
Germany versus Norway.
Work.
Earnings.
Client.
Own company.
Taxes.
Sick pay.
Vacation.
Attitude toward the craftsman.
Cost of living.
Possibility of starting from scratch.
And finally, the simplest question:
If Daniel were 20 years younger today, with a suitcase in hand and had to decide again – would he choose Germany, Norway or stay in Poland?
Can TikTok change a craftsman's life?
Daniel is also an interesting example of how the world of small entrepreneurs has changed.
Once a painter needed a recommendation, a phone number on the van and a good reputation.
Today he can build a personal brand viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
So we'll ask directly:
Has TikTok translated into money?
Has recognition led to better contracts?
Does a client view a craftsman differently if they had seen him on their phone before?
And would it have been possible to launch Hold N Hit without the community gathered around STOSIO?
And Poland?
After about two decades outside the country, one question remains.
Where is home actually?
After so many years, does one still miss Poland?
Does a person already start thinking in German?
Does one return permanently, or does Poland over time become a place you only visit to see family and friends?
We also want to talk about that.
Without grand theories about emigration.
Simply.
Like one Pole to another.
Polish diaspora – we start with Germany
The conversation with Daniel opens a new series on TwojaNorwegia.no.
Norway remains our home and main topic, but Poles are everywhere.
They work in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, the USA and dozens of other countries.
We want to get to know them.
Not through reports.
Through people.
How do they work? How much do they earn? How do the locals treat them? Do they help each other? Have they started businesses? Do they want to return? What has emigration taught them? And what would they tell a Pole who is currently considering leaving?
The first stop is Germany.
Our guide will be Daniel „STOSIO”.
Painter.
A Pole who has been working on German soil for about 20 years.
Creator of Hold N Hit.
And the man we intend to ask about Germany without sugarcoating reality.
Watch the LIVE conversation
The full interview with STOSIO can be watched live on the Radio Wataha YouTube channel.
We will talk about work, money, running a company, German clients, cooperation with Poles, TikTok, Hold N Hit, longing for Poland and whether after so many years Daniel would do everything exactly the same again.
And because it's STOSIO...
there will probably also be a bit about f***ing off without scruples.
And about a shot in the face.
On German soil.
This content is provided by YouTube.
