Personal Revolution and Professional Evolution

Lately, career development has been a constant in my thoughts. For the past 13 years, I've been with Blue Acorn, mostly helming our Adobe Commerce practice as its technical architect. It was a grind, but the kind of grind that pays off in spades. They handed me a team after a year or two, marking a high point in my career. Working with that squad for five or six years, despite the natural ebb and flow of personnel, connected me with some of my closest friends and colleagues. Yet, as I've grown, I've realized the comfort of past victories isn't quite enough; there are always new peaks to scale.

A pivotal moment came a couple of years back, stemming from an unexpected scenario in a dentist's office. Long story short, they couldn't perform a simple cavity removal due to my high blood pressure, revealing a startling personal truth: I weighed about 480 pounds. Lying there, in what can only be described as the plush confines of a Charleston dentist's office, I had an epiphany about where my current lifestyle might lead. That day, for lunch, I chose a salad, a habit I've stuck with since, marking the start of what I've resigned to call my weight loss journey. This journey wasn't just about salads; it involved embracing a whole new lifestyle, guided by calorie tracking and regular weigh-ins through an app named Noom.

Around the same time, my career path veered towards sales—a drastic shift from my technical roots. This wasn't a decision broadcasted at work; it was a personal acknowledgment of needing a change. My role had morphed into a mix of tech lead and DevOps resource, which had its own set of challenges, including the odd all-nighter or early morning troubleshooting sessions. I've always thrived under pressure, a trait I pride myself on, but the realization of my health situation underscored a broader issue I had ignored: the slow but steady toll of neglect.

The dietary changes were just the beginning. The impact was immediate and profound, not just physically but mentally. It wasn't simply about cutting down calories; it was about reevaluating choices, like swapping out gallons of sweet tea for water and rethinking what constituted a 'normal' meal. This transformation spilled over into my professional life, pushing me to reassess my role and how I engaged with my work and colleagues.

My transition to sales was driven by a need for clarity and purpose. Sales demanded a level of communication and vision that felt foreign to me, exacerbated by my battle with imposter syndrome. Yet, it forced me out of my comfort zone, encouraging me to articulate my thoughts more clearly and assertively. I learned the value of one-on-ones, not just as a means of exchange but as an opportunity to refine and test my ideas, much like a comedian honing their act.

This journey, both personal and professional, has been about embracing change and confronting challenges head-on. It's led me to start a blog, a platform where I can share these experiences, insights, and the odd ramble about technology—my true passion. Here, I intend to dive into topics that intrigue me, from the latest in consumer tech to the broader implications of digital commerce innovations.

But this blog isn't just a tech diary. It's a reflection on the interplay between personal growth and professional development, a testament to the idea that one can indeed influence the other. Through this medium, I aim to engage with others on similar paths, share perspectives, and perhaps offer a bit of inspiration.

In sum, this is more than just a narrative of personal change; it's an exploration of how such transformations can reshape our understanding of work, technology, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. It's about finding and climbing those new mountains, equipped with the lessons from the valleys below.