When I was nine years old, my family got our first computer.
I grew up in Conway, AR on a small farm in the Round Mtn. area. An IBM programmer thought we needed a computer, and gave us one. Within a few months, I was teaching my mother how to use it to her best advantage. By the time I was eleven I was a regular at the local bulletin boards - The Rock, Lone Wolf’s Den, and the Skinny Dippers Pond. When I was twelve, I wrote my first code, staying up until dawn to learn to make my first webpage.
College.
When I went to college, I naturally wanted to study programming. However, ASU Beebe had a good Information Technology program. So I went for that. I also joined the National Guard to help me pay for my tuition, as I was paying my way through college, and could afford better schooling I transferred to UALR where I started to studying computer science. However, when thinking about the future of programming for a living seemed like something I wouldn't like. I deferred my skills by learning about business and finance. I started a job at Ft. Roots working under the Engineering Computer Science (ECS) while going to college.
Army.
I transferred to the University of Anchorage Alaska (UAA) close to the end of my studies. However, within nine months I was deployed to Iraq in 2006, where I wielded a machinegun by day and built a secure network providing private Internet access to over 150 soldiers by night. In doing this, I developed a great rapport with Stream-link; our local Kuwaiti satellite provider. I also provided security measures that protected and defended information transmitted on our systems.
Starting the Business
I got married after I returned from Iraq and had a child on the way. I decided to start my own business to provide more for my family. What better way to do this than to do what I do best and enjoy the most? In 2008 I started All Computing Net which proudly provides IT services for small to medium size business in Arkansas.
Starting a business is hard!
Through the help of friends and clients, I was encouraged to do well. I worked long and hard. Never turned down work. Said yes to everything. Gorllia marketed like a mad man. Later when I started to leave difficult clients. Say no more than yes, and raise prices. I started to do well. It's counterintuitive, but it does work like that.
Living the dream, but not done dreaming!
Not everything turns out as planned, and that's okay. I have a great family. We enjoy time together often, and the kiddos live a good life. I'm excited to watch them grow up while making and meeting a better version of myself. I am happy with I have and proud of my accomplishments. There are many more challenges await, and I can not be stopped from pursuing my dreams and passions. I continued to work in the IT field and started marketing with the help of a friend who's been doing SEO since the beginning. I was able to grow faster than I could do the work. Experiencing this has made me want to share this experience with others.
Internet Marketing and Web development.
Growing businesses have been a thrill. The excitement and euphoria of a marketing dream come true is a great feeling. I am doing well with Doctors, Attorneys, and local businesses. It has also made me use my weak programming skills to develop websites in a new web age. I am looking to take marketing nationwide, and grow AllCompU in the meantime.