Blessed: My Journey From a 1998 Cartoonist to a Lifetime of Code

Every once in a while, I take a step back from the deadlines, the projects, the late-night messages, and the constant flow of work — and I realize just how blessed I am.

I’ve been writing code since 1998.
My senior year of high school.

Back then, I didn’t plan on being a developer.
I didn’t dream about building platforms, coding APIs, or working with brands like Evil Knievel, White Claw, or Wells Fargo.
I wanted to be a cartoonist.

So I did what any teenager in 1998 did when they wanted to show off their art:

I made a website.

And oh, it was peak 1998 — in the best and worst ways.

MIDI background music.

• Animated GIFs everywhere.
• Blinking text.
• Scrolling banners.
• Rotating banners.

It was gaudy.
It was ridiculous.
And I absolutely loved every second of building it.

Where It All Changed

As I kept working on that goofy little art site, something clicked.

I started enhancing it using Java, building Java applets just for fun.
I realized how similar coding felt to drawing:

You start with nothing… and you create something.

That was the spark.

What began as a way to share my sketches quickly turned into a passion for development. I started teaching myself JavaScript.
Then C++.
Then digging into database design, COBOL, and C in college.
I hit the ground running and never looked back.

And somehow, that little website full of cartoon drawings and blinking GIFs turned into a career that’s lasted more than two decades.

Blessed With the Work, Blessed With the Journey

Since that first site in 1998, I’ve had an incredible career path:

• Building large-scale platforms and digital experiences

• Working with major brands and companies

• Leading projects across WordPress, JavaScript, PHP, React, Node, AI tools, and full-stack systems

• Running two companies — 815 Media, LLC and Ironcrest Software

• Teaching, helping, and supporting local businesses

• Building tools, solving problems, and making things that matter

And here’s the truth:

I still love it.

I still wake up excited to work.
I still enjoy creating something out of nothing.
I still get amped when a project goes live, or when I solve a weird bug, or when I build something that makes a client’s life easier.

Not once — in all these years — have I dreaded “going to work.”

That’s not luck.
That’s being blessed.

Still Hungry, Still Grateful, Still Creating

I’ve been in this industry long enough to have seen the entire internet transform multiple times. From 1998 sites with flashing banners to today’s AI-driven world, I’ve lived through every era.

And what surprises me most is this:

My excitement hasn’t faded.

If anything, it’s stronger now than ever.

I want to do more.
Build more.
Help more businesses.
Keep pushing forward with AI, automation, and modern development.
Keep treating this work as the art it’s always been to me.

Because building software — like drawing cartoons — is still creating something from nothing.

And that will always feel like magic.

To Everyone I’ve Worked With

If you’ve trusted me with your business, your website, or your ideas — thank you.

I’ve been blessed beyond measure.
Not just with a long career, but with the people who’ve allowed me to do what I love for more than 25 years.

Here’s to the next 25.