My Story:
I’m Jason. Here I write about my projects, tech, networking, security, cloud, and everything in between.
Blogging is actually a pretty good stimulus and ranks high on Bloom's Taxonomy. Not only does it re-enforce what you're learning but you want to pay particular attention to what you create because it will be out in the open.
My biggest thing that I have found that works for me is using the concept of the knowledge force multiplier. Not just read, or watch a single course, but also teach, document, and create. I have an approach in how I like to learn in this blog post. I promise it will not be a waste of time. 👉 How To Learn
I like to learn a bit then go build something, then break it, then fix it, then do it again, and then build on iterations. It's enthralling, and sticks better albeit, just slower.
My whole journey transitioning into tech began early 2024 when I attended a cloud tech summit and I saw myself doing this for a very long time. I already work in "tech" it's just my focus has always been on the generating revenue side. But I throughly enjoy my studies and learning how/why things work and how tech solves business solutions.
One thing that stuck with me in one of my bootcamps was my CCIE instructor of 25 years said, "Enjoy preparing and passing for your certifications; CISSP, CCSP, CCIE, AWS Pro, Azure Expert, SANS, OSCE3 etc. After those beginner certifications, that's where the real learning starts". I will carry that tone and perspective throughout my entire career.
Background:
Despite working 8 years in construction and 5 years in finance, tech has always been "my thing". My first computer was a Compaq Presario 5000 that my mom spent a fortune on. I took that thing apart no less than 10 times trying to figure out how it worked. Amazing how much evolution we saw in the last 20 years pre dot-com bust. I have been hooked on tech ever since.
I managed, very successfully, a full service remodeling business that contracted with The Home Depot, Lowes, Crown Hotels, JP. Morgan, Bank of America, Amazon, and many other. When I graduated University with a mountain of debt I knew making $14 wasn't going to cut it, so I started 4 businesses that failed until I started my construction business. I did everything from photography, building websites, trash removal, furniture repair, you name it. In my tenure I successfully managed over 600 projects and drove over 6m in revenue. I built a lot of skill-sets and literally have experience with thousands of people in a very wide setting of scenarios.
After the pandemic unfortunately I wasn't able to keep up with my bills because we didn't have a customer for over 8 months and I lost my business but quickly saw the underpinnings and transitioned successfully into finance.
Current:
I am the principle consultant/analyst & engineer for a successful trading community of over 2000 members. We were sold in 2023 for just under 2m with 5 active administrators including myself. Check us out 👉 Highstrike.com
My transition in cloud should have been 10 years ago, but as a kid in college, working a job and paying my way by myself, I was definitely in survival mode. Now that I have the opportunity to study and learn without as much pressure and I can afford to self-educate. Believe me when I tell you I am enjoying going through the material and all the certifications. It brings me tremendous joy looking at my stack of books and projects to go through. Most days I spend 10-14 hours going through things and barely feel it, I kid you not.
Going Forward:
This platform serves as my professional portfolio, where I showcase a diverse array of projects that highlight my skills and accomplishments. Whether you're interested in cloud optimization, machine learning applications, or advanced security protocols, you'll find detailed case studies and project walkthroughs that demonstrate my ability to solve complex problems and innovate within the tech landscape. Additionally, you can explore my work on GitHub, where I continuously refine and expand my projects. I enjoy sharing and learning and there is no question I make a lot of mistakes but I extend myself to learn from people better than me. I am not a bare minimum type of person, never fit my personality.
While I transition my goal is to eclipse the fact that I started a bit later in my life building the skill-set, portfolio, and certification smorgasbord that would be the envy of any professional. Ultimately, we are professional problem solvers that focus on making any business a well-oiled machine. The majority of problems and massive security risks with any business comes from people that are either not trained properly and/or mis-configurations, something that I have a decade of experience with. I am partial to well architected systems because I know that's what drives businesses, and what I did for my businesses.
Whether you're a tech recruiter or a techie, I invite you to check out the blog. I am not foolish/egomaniacal enough to think I know everything, I welcome corrections and conversations. My goal is to grow and improve which means being around people a lot better than myself. I don't have this problem at all. Just fair warning, things around here are long-winded. Cheers.