Spotlight on BLOOM Media Co. Client Peter Swimm

Personal Story + Origin Questions

What inspired you to start your business/work in your field? 

Since the pandemic began, I’ve had a real mask-off moment in my appraisal of the expertise I bring to software development. Things that have hurt me as part of enterprise organizations, such as asking questions about power dynamics and interrogating the value that tech brings to individuals, are things that people who consume these technologies need—getting consul that can explain and design technologies for domain experts way more important than a technical expert trying to mock that expertise using technology. 

Was there a defining moment that made you realize you were meant to do this work?

 At a major enterprise company, the head technologist challenged me to create a 100% contactless contact center in 90 days. (He also wanted it to tell jokes). Putting aside the technical feasibility and the impact to potentially thousands of people, it struck me that often the folks deciding what stacks win have a vested interest that in no way whatsoever is concerned with the quality of society their workers and their customers inhabit. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to represent the reality of technology and fight and advocate for net positive outcomes in all community members.

How did your background or past experiences prepare you for what you do now?

I’m from a very working-class and diverse community in Chicago named West ridge. The best education I’ve had in my life was that k-5 experience of growing up in classes taught by hard working union teachers and full of just about every type of creed and background you cna possibly imagine. Ive been introducing people to technology about all my life, and I try very hard to ground that experience in utility and compassion for differing viewpoints.

What’s the story behind your business name/brand name?

Toilville is a name that has bounced around in my notes for almost 30 years. I think it's a testament to a state of mind that people put themselves where they love their work but maybe not the organization that produces it. I firmly believe that technology should make the rote, uninterting parts of your job invisible and allow you to chase what drives your connection to what you do.

Was there ever a moment when you thought about giving up? What kept you going?

I try to book a few minutes daily to feel sorry for myself. It’s tough to stay excited and engaged in what you do, but all the work I do at the end of the day belongs to me. This realization has been the number one thing that has sustained me as I working on making Toilville my career.

Thought Leadership + Expert Positioning Questions

What’s the most significant misconception people have about your industry/work?

That people who know how to solve problems with technology are any more savvy than those who solve them through other methods.

What advice do you find yourself giving to your clients/customers repeatedly?

Be confident in your instincts. If software feels like its forcing you into bad patterns – stick to your guts!

What do you believe sets you apart from others doing similar work?

I’m not selling access to models or cloud services, and I don’t want to be in the business of support contracts. I imagine every engagement has a point where I’ll leave my clients’ lives and they will succeed exponentially based on their expertise, not my safe advice.

What’s one unpopular opinion you have about your industry?

Many of the biggest faces in conventional AI have zero interest in staying engaged with folks once they own your business. Choose your partners wisely!

Media Readiness + Visibility Questions

Why do you think your story or expertise is valuable to the media now?

There is no hype, no promises, and plenty of experience building tooling for almost every industry, I've been on the leading edge of hype for over a decade and things have improved but there is still tons more work to do.

What’s something you’ve been dying to share publicly but haven’t had the platform to do so yet?

People keep trying to build c3p0, when everyone knows that r2d2 is all they need.

Fun + Personality-Driven Questions

What’s your guilty pleasure when you need to unwind?

Ive been watching actual play Dungeons and Dragons at 2x speed because it’s so relaxing somehow. I love Dimension 20 so hard in 2025.

Call-to-Action Questions (Great for Visibility)

Where’s the best place for people to connect with you or learn more about your work?

www.itstoilville.com or bluesky!