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About Me
Who am I
Started Career
January 2003Work Style
Focused and DynamicLocation
Toronto Canada AreaAbout me
I’m a technology professional focused on the web who’s been in the industry for over 17 years. I’ve had the privilege of working for one of the largest media companies in Canada with Astral and Bell Media. I have also experienced working as a leader at tech startups, running my own full time business, and building successful digital departments with established agencies.
I build relationships with clients and departments through a genuine excitement of the work we’re doing, and what we can accomplish together.
Never stop learning
Experience
Business Logic
Start with why.
Building a digital product and selling it seems easy, but just like any industry, there’s a lot of factors when it comes to success. Understanding hard-costs, knowing the market, identifying cost savings, efficiencies and knowledge of different revenue models like software as a service (SAAS) are key. I bring each of these skills in proven situations.
Leadership
Helping your team be the best they can be
I’ve had the privilege of leading teams both on site and across Canada for web development, content, and branding related initiatives. I focus on building a strong relationship with team members and believe in a Radical Candor approach of managing both up and down.
Project Management
Understand and Plan
Understanding what you’re doing is the most important part of any project. I have experience extracting that information from people and using it to set goals, roadmaps and action items. This helps fine tune budget, risks, quick wins, and timelines.
Web Development
Server Side
Web Development is at my core and it’s where I started my career. I stay focused on new technologies and what trends are emerging. Over the years I’ve primarily worked with PHP but I’ve recently moved to newer stacks with Javascript/Nodejs and modern frameworks like React, Angular and Vue. For secondary languages, it would be easier to list the ones I haven’t worked with then the ones I have. A strong understanding of how programming works, knowledge of what you need to know and how to learn it is a strong factor for success.
Web Design
Front End Development
I’ve had the luxury of working alongside some great artists that let me bring their designs to life through W3C compliant HTML, CSS, and Javascript. I work with the Adobe Creative Suite and mainly focus on Adobe XD and Photoshop. I’ve used many different front end frameworks and design libraries over the years and have a mobile first mentality until the next great trend comes along.
Frameworks
Work smarter not harder
From the days of physical hardware at 151 Front and the shift to the cloud, I’ve worked hands on with the continued evolution of hosting and infrastructure. I primarily work with AWS across various services including EC2, RDS, S3, Cloudfront, Route53, Lightsail and others. I always focus on backups, monitoring, caching, and failover.
My Career
Experience gained over the Years
Webmaster Diploma
Jan 2003 to Jan 2006
The Webmaster program at the International Academy of Design and Technology was an accelerated 4 year program condensed into 1 year. I learned all the different areas of the early online industry including multiple programming languages, servers, networking, project management, and graphic design. I graduated top of the class with a 4.0 GPA on the Dean’s List.
Street Solutions Inc.
Jan 2003 to Jan 2006
Joining Street Solutions was my first jump into the industry as a full time employee. I joined a team working with stock data from the TSX. I filled many different roles from programming in PERL, server administration, graphic design and databases.
Joined C7
June 2006 to December 2006
I joined cSeven as a webmaster focused on web development and customer care. I had a great relationship with the team and in particular, the owner of the company. With his advice, I stayed general in my skills and focused on my ability to build relationships with clients and help them with their challenges and meet their goals.
Standard Broadcasting
January 2007 to November 2007
I started at Standard Broadcasting as a Drupal website support person working 12pm – 8pm and serving our radio markets in Alberta and British Columbia. I quickly made a name for myself working hard and learning everything I could while taking on any project I could get my hands on.
Astral Media Purchase
November 2007 to September 2010
In November 2007, Astral Media purchased Standard Broadcasting and I joined their team. During this time I took every opportunity to prove and enhance my skills, becoming the digital support lead, taking on quality assurance responsibilities, and eventually moving into a project management and leadership role as the digital lead for all 102 radio station websites Canada wide.
Bell Media Purchase
September 2010 – April 2015
In September 2010, Astral Media was sold to Bell Media and our roster of amazing talent and brands grew. With this change, my portfolio grew to over 130 websites including iconic brands like CHUM, TSN, and the Bounce. We expanded into new markets across the country and I started working with team leads from CTV, The Loop, Discovery and other media brands.
Rejoining C7
April 2015 – May 2016
After spending so much of my career with large companies, I was ready for a change. After a few conversations, I joined back with C7 to focus on their client relationships and helping improve their digital products. I had the chance to work with large brands like the NBA, multiple charities and medium sized businesses across Canada. It was also my first real step into being an Entrepreneur.
WebUpdate Canada
March 2016 – Present
After getting a taste of managing a business with C7, I felt it was time to scratch the entrepreneurial itch and go out on my own. WebUpdate Canada was built around the goal of helping people update their website, digital marketing and building new websites. I’ve worked with many local and large brands and continue these relationships today.
Sims Advertising
August 2017 – February 2020
After working on my own for 3 years and experiencing being my own boss, I was ready to join up with a company again. I came across Sims Advertising and things lined up very well. Over the next 3 years, I helped grow their digital department as the director of digital through business development, client relations and leadership. Our clients included GE Appliances, Carrier Enterprise, GFL and more.
What I’m Doing Currently
After much thought, I said goodbye to my friends at Sims Advertising (although we still do work together) as I was ready to look for new challenges. Over the past few months, I’ve continued to build my skills while freelancing, consulting and looking for the right opportunity.
Everyone loves keywords
My Key Strengths
I’ve worked with a lot of different Programming Languages, Frameworks, Software, Hardware and Digital Marketing areas over the years.
Here’s a list of those areas I have experience in.
Coding
PHP, Javascript, NodeJS, React, Angular, Vue, C#, ASP.NET
Design
HTML, CSS, Javascript, Bootstrap, Foundation, Adobe XD/Photoshop
Digital Marketing
Social Media, Newsletters, SMS, Video, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Landing Pages, Technical SEO, Content/Keyword SEO, Drip Marketing, Digital Ad Buying and Strategy
Content
Wordpress, Drupal, Emmis Digital Suite, Strapi, Sitecore, Shopify, Ghost, Mantis, Expression Engine, Perch, Alembic, Magento, Joomla,
Server Administration
Linux, Apache, NGINX, IIS, Windows Server, AWS EC2 and Lightsail, Bitnami, VMWare, Let’s Encrypt, Crontab, Load Balancing, Firewall Configuration, Server Hardware, Advanced Networking, SSH.
Project Management
Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Risk Management, Requirement
Discovery, Roadmap Planning
Things to keep creative, make money, stay healthy
My Interests
Blog Posts
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