I am a builder. Just like my father before me. And his father before him.
My father and grandfather built with lumber and nails, plumbing and plaster. I build with servers, software, and pipes of an entirely different nature. And although the materials and environments may be different, we do the same job: we build with the materials we have mastered to solve the problems of those who ask for our help. And while I didn’t directly inherit the family business, in a lot of ways, I have continued on in their legacy.
And now the next generation has arisen. My son has declared he wants to follow in my footsteps. He is interested in a career as an IT professional. And so the Family Business continues.
This site is my professional legacy. It is my attempt to teach the next generation in the ways of the IT Jedi. It’s over 30 years of experience developing principles and skillsets that have served me well. Regardless of the era or the technology.
I hope you find something here that can take your skills to the next level.
My Journey
I first figured out I wanted to work with computers as a profession while I was in college in the 90s. I enjoyed helping people in my dorm with their computer problems. This turned into a job at the computer lab and one of the academic departments.
I loved solving computer problems so much that I switched my major from Sports Medicine (I was set on becoming an athletic trainer) to Computer Science. In the 90s, “Computer Science” meant software developer. I enjoyed writing code, but not enough to make it a career. So, I transferred schools to one that had a program in Computer Networking.
While going ot college, I picked up my first real IT job, I was in charge of setting up workstations for a small software training center. I initially applied to be a trainer because I also love to teach. I got that job, too.
Before I could complete my degree, I moved to a different state. I intended to go to college and complete my education, but within a month of my move, I was hired by an on-site service company. And that’s where the REAL education began…
I started out working on desktops that got brought into the office. If there was a server being prepped, I wanted to watch and learn. I quickly became the “go-to” person for one of our main solutions (Lotus Notes/Domino). Within a year, I was going out into the field and consulting with small to medium-sized businesses regarding their IT needs. I worked with law firms, accounting offices, medical offices, manufacturing facilities, retail locations… You name an industry, and I probably worked on their IT systems (yep, even that one).
One of my favorite things about this time in my career was the variety of businesses I got to work with. I loved learning about the processes behind each industry and the systems needed to help them excel. I loved driving all over the city. I also loved all the different people.
In 2008, a medical condition made it unsafe for me to continue driving. Not good for a business whose entire model was on-site service. My employer and I tried to make it work. But a year later, I was let go.
Next, I landed in a small garment manufacturing company as their system administrator/engineer. I was hired as a temp to take the support load off of their IT Manager (who was basically a developer). My role was made more permanent, but, eventually, after a couple of years, I was let go from there, too.
A few months later, I started at the company I work for to this day. 13 years ago, I was hired as the “IT Specialist”. Back then, we were a company of 12 employees. My job was mostly support, supporting users, managing servers, managing network equipment, and managing vendors. Now, I am the Director Of Information Technology. Not just for my company, but for our sister company as well. Now, my roles are to oversee the IT operations of both companies as well as design, build, and implement solutions that have a dramatic impact on how we do business and how our employees get their work done.
I love working for a small business. I love knowing that my ideas and my work have helped shape and grow the business. My father and grandfather didn’t build corporate headquarters; they worked for small homeowners in small towns.
I am a builder. Like my father and grandfather before me. Same job, different materials.