MY STORY

I am a devoted husband and father of three kids and two cats. I enjoy spending time hiking outdoors with my family and tackling the latest DIY house projects. My desire to tinker, experiment, and build extends into my professional career as well. While I started my software engineering career focusing on building Windows desktop software applications, I then pivoted to web and mobile application development. While most of my development is for web applications these days, mobile application development remains a favorite of mine.

At this early juncture of my career, I put intense focus on my personal and career growth, and within 17 months of the pivot, I was promoted to a senior developer role. Three years later, I was leading a team of developers on a brand new consumer mobile (iOS and Android) app for a major healthcare provider in Arizona. I scaled that team from two developers to eight over the next year, at which time I was promoted to solution lead. In this role, I led and managed multiple development teams across both mobile and Azure cloud applications/APIs, starting with 20 developers and growing to over 40 the following year. Due to my success in technical leadership, I was given the lead solution architect role, where I provided technical leadership for the entire digital innovation project portfolio, which totaled more than 20 projects valued at over $5 million.

While I had incredible successes throughout this significant growth period of my career, I also made many mistakes. I worked so hard for career growth that I deprioritized my health and my family. When the world shut down due to COVID-19, I was furiously working at home and driving myself into the ground further. It was only after hitting complete burnout during this time that I finally started to realize the need for change.

Since then, I have been on a journey of discovery to create balance in work and life and unlearn the bad habits and mindsets I had developed. My goal is to balance my desire for excellence with a balanced life, a standard I want my leaders to maintain and encourage others to achieve as well. It took a long time to dig out of the hole I created for myself, but I can say I have come a long way from that time.

My Mission To Give Back

This blog serves two primary purposes: firstly, to document my experiences for my own self-reflection, learning, and growth; and secondly, to use those reflections as a platform to help you avoid making the same mistakes I have made.

My journey has taken me from mid-level developer to senior engineer, team lead, tech lead, solution architect, and engineering manager – a path that uniquely positions me to guide you towards your next career milestone.

Having worn multiple hats in the tech world, I've gained invaluable insights into the nuances of each role:

• As a solution architect, I've designed complex, cloud-native systems that solve today's problems while anticipating tomorrow's challenges.
• In my tech lead role, I've bridged the gap between high-level architecture and hands-on development.
• Leading teams of 30+ as an engineering manager, I've nurtured talent and driven product innovation in highly regulated environments.
• And as a team lead, I've learned the delicate balance of technical expertise and people management.

This diverse experience allows me to offer something truly unique: personalized guidance on which path – technical or managerial – might be the best fit for your skills, aspirations, and work style. I can provide first-hand insights into the pros and cons of each role, helping you make informed decisions about your career progression.

Are you a mid-level developer wondering whether to pursue a senior engineer or team lead position? Or a senior engineer debating between the architect or engineering manager track? I've been there, made those decisions, and can help you navigate these critical career junctures.

My mission is to help you not just advance, but to find the role where you'll truly thrive. Whether you're aiming to:

• Transition from coding to system design
• Step into your first leadership role
• Maximize your impact as a senior individual contributor
• Or explore the world of engineering management

I can provide the roadmap and strategies to get you there, backed by real-world experience and proven success.

Ready to find your ideal next step and accelerate your tech career? Let's get started:

Dive deeper into role-specific insights on my blog.
Connect with me on LinkedIn for tailored career advancement tips.

Your journey to becoming a standout tech leader starts with choosing the right path. Let's work together to align your career moves with your long-term goals and unlock your full potential in the tech industry.

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As a privacy advocate myself, I care about digital privacy and will never resell your data to third parties.