About

How it all started

I first got interested in computers back in the 80's. Windows wasn't even around back then. You could get a computer from Radio Shack with the keyboard attached to the console with a monochrome screen. All this with a printer for around $2000-3000.00.

For an operating system, you had your choice of TRS-DOS, MS-DOS, IBM-DOs or any number of DOS depending on whether you were working with ... Tandy (Radio Shack), Microsoft, or IBM ... etc...

The trick was to find a platform that worked in businesses that didn't require a Main Frame or Mini computer ... which were thousands and thousands of $$$. The Micro computer was just beginning. For businesses, they tied a bunch of micros together with a server acting as the brain with a Unix language platform ... of course everyone had their own names for their version of the software and I used the "Xenix" edition from Tandy.

For home use, the micros allowed everyday people to have something in their homes that they could use for word processing and simple spreadsheets.

For business, the new micro networks allowed a number of users to access a central computer brain from a "dumb" terminal ... in other words, the terminal couldn't do anything on its own without the main computer being turned on.

My job back then was to accompany the Tandy (Radio Shack) salespeople as a private consultant when they did a presentation to a small company that wanted to get computerized. They had me do a simple program design based on the reports that the prospective company needed ... I would create screens that allowed them to input the data needed for the reports and then show them how to get what they needed from it.

The prospects loved the fact that multiple terminals could be used to create a database that everyone could access in different departments. Even back then the concept of a paperless business was being pushed ... what a joke!!!! We generated more paper reports than they ever had before. The difference was that now the data made sense when it was put together!

With the sale of the equipment from Radio Shack, I would be hired to do the programming for them at a hourly rate of $25 an hour. Less than my competition, but enough to provide me with what I needed as a one man consultant company. The list of companies grew as the systems were sold until I was supporting 17 companies in the South Puget Sound area.

I did this for quite a few years using a program called Profile, (Tandy version of filePro), a 4th generation database program. I became the go to guy in the area. I found this out when I had a problem and called the Tandy help desk and they referred me to the local expert ... me!

With the advent of windows from Microsoft, the TRUE home pc arrived, with Compaq, IBM and Microsoft battling it out with Tandy ... the prices were unbelievable. A good system was around $10K ... I got a deal from Radio Shack and purchased a 486 machine with a color screen for $4K ... about all I could afford. At least the keyboard wasn't attached to the monitor anymore!

 The Next Step

 I started working for an insurance company who specialized in Labor Benefits. After working as an Agent, then Agent Manager I transferred into the MIS department and eventually became the MIS Director working with their computer network and maintenance.

At the time, the General Agent in Washington also was responsible for mulitple states in the US. They needed a system that could assist the agents in setting appointments with their clientelle. They had me partner up with the main programmer from the home office and develop a phone dialing system that could be set up in each office they owned. The process took months as we worked out the details of merging the dialing software with the home office software.

The system was finally finished and it was working great. I had spent four months in Minnesota finishing the process and training the people. I was greatly surprised that as I was returning to Seattle after completing the job that the CFO of the local State Agent had decided to dump the project.

In fact, they decided to dump me too. So I took a voluntary retirement ... for about a month.

I got a phone call from the Florida State General Agent asking if the system we had developed worked. I informed him that it was working well ... and that the Washington SGA had canned it. They asked me to come and install it there at their offices. Which I did ... then Boston called and we repeated the process. Houston was next, then Kentucky and a return trip to Houston for training.

I was now a private contractor installing the same system on multiple sites. I got a call from the Home Office ... the CEO wanted to talk to me. So I traveled to Waco and met with the top management of the company ... the CEO, President and Vice-president.

He contracted with me to visit all the offices around the country and do my thing. I was to setup systems and train the people to use the software we had developed. I did training videos and started my campaign of visiting the USA for a year and half, visiting 27 offices and hitting every state except Alaska, Hawaii and Maine. I feel like I learned my geography by braille ... literally traveling around the country and seeing the sites.

My bubble burst when the entire company was sold ... the top management/owners retired and I was out on my own. Time for some changes!

Unfortunately, my wife decided that she needed some changes too ... so after a divorce and loss of property that usally attends such an activity, I decided to really make a change.

 New Life

 I remarried in 2001 and moved to Lacey Washington where we both chose to return to school and start new careers. My wife as a medical assistant ... and me as a chef.

A far cry from my life before ... I worked at a couple colleges as a sous chef and at a casino as a banquet chef until I had enough experience to open my own restaurant ... a German Bakery, Deli and Cafe. The Sauerkraut.

Even though I had enough experience to get the restaurant open ... I apparently didn't have enough experience to keep it open and due to economic decline ... and probably poor financial judgements, we lost the restaurant.

In the following years, we still did catering, but my focus was returned to the computer industry where I now create websites and work as an affiliate marketer. What a difference there has been in the computer world. The things that we take for granted today were so hard to create back in the old days.

I designed a complete accounting package for a company in the late 80's for around $100K over 4 years ... today, you spend $300 for a program off the shelf and you think that you've just made a huge investment and the software is much more comprehensive than anything we would have had back then.

Hardware today is amazing! I have a desktop with four full color screens and a laptop with 2 screens that I use daily to do my work. Something unimaginable back in the 90's!

With all the technical opportunities we have out there ... especially with the Internet, there is just no one that doesn't need to know more or understand more about computers and what they can do for you.

Especially in business ... if you don't have a website or a web presence ... you will not succeed in a growing business. People today EXPECT you to have one. Nowadays we even have Social Media to work with ... Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

My job now ... I really enjoy! I get to create. I get to help people. I get to use my expertise in both Webdesign, Webconstruction and Social Media knowledge to build a great online presence. All from the comfort of my home office! I hope that I can assist you in meeting your desires and needs!

Warmest Regards!

Tom