Finding UX
User Experience Design with a Human-Centered Approach is a people business. It’s about solving problems, simplifying the complex, and selling those ideas.
Entrepreneurship
Throughout my youth, I was surrounded by entrepreneurs. Both sets of grandparents owned their businesses and had multiple streams of revenue. One grandfather was a barber who owned & operated various shop locations in the Maryland/Washington DC area, bred and sold pedigree dogs, owned a fruit & vegetable stand, and a nursery. The other grandfather was a lawyer, federal judge in the Maryland/Washington DC area, and farmer/rancher. My dad was in the insurance business and partnered on an independent agency toward the end of his career. It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t eventually create and run my own business.
The trait that was most visible and most influential on me as a child was their ability to quickly build personal relationships. I watched my dad, and both grandfathers genuinely interact with people, forming friendships while providing these same people services through their particular craft. They built lifetime friendships, loyal and long-term patrons.
Networking/Connection
My dad was the most visible example of networking and building relationships while growing up. He was an avid athlete and participated in local and church basketball and softball leagues, in many cases volunteering or being asked to plan and run them. He managed to take his love and passion for sports to network. Eventually becoming very well known and trusted throughout the state of Maryland and the Washington DC area, creating a natural pipeline of friends who wanted to do business with a man they knew and trusted. In the business of insurance, my dad understood that people, when a tragedy or calamity occurred, wanted someone they could call day or night that would help them handle their claims and take care of them. He was loyal to them, and they were loyal to him.
Character & Core Values
I was raised with five brothers, one sister and we all participated in athletics as soon as each of us was old enough to play catch and dribble a basketball. I learned self-discipline, teamwork, personal responsibility, loyalty, and to always strive to be & do better, showing up with my ‘A’ game because others were counting on me. These are the core values that make up who I am.
Human-Centric
I love helping people. All the businesses, projects, companies, and training that I’ve participated in are based on this fact. I am drawn to companies, products, and services that make mine and others’ lives easier, healthier, and happier. I started my entrepreneurial run as a partner in a few chiropractic offices, an esthetics trade school, a mental health agency, and a web development program partnering both industry and education. I’ve been trained in skill sets that include dental assisting, massage therapy, master esthetics, IT project management, front-end web development, business management, digital marketing, holistic chef skills training, colon hydrotherapy, health insurance and currently coach friends and family on how to implement a healthy ketogenic lifestyle.
At the outset, these may seem very different, but they are not. These businesses and certifications have provided me with tools and vehicles that squarely center on my core values. Products and services that provide tools and education for individuals and the community with the potential to provide an easier, healthier, happier life.
Technology
My passion for technology launched in my position as a contractor for a mental health agency. I was introduced to this business by the owner and asked to help shine a light on why the company was losing money. Over a period of months, I was able to understand that almost all processes were being duplicated, prone to human error, and no constraints or checkpoints existed to detect or correct any of it! The company itself was the only one taking a hit as well as setting itself up for huge liability. I solutioned automation and streamlining most processes could remove almost all human error. This process of developing a custom software application took roughly 18 months and at about the 2-year mark I had the opportunity to open up my own brand and take over the old company with a clean slate, fully automated. I was hooked! Stress levels decreased for administrative staff, and I was able to take those savings and invest back into employee training, hiring, benefits, incentives, and growing the business.
I have a knack for seeing human and business needs, ideating on what product or process might fill that need, pitching solution ideas, and gaining buy-in from stakeholders. I was able to take this skill and implement it in a program aptly called xactechED for the company Xactware. This program helps fill a huge gap and shortage of software engineers in Utah County and has been one of my biggest successes to date. This program, web programming and development, is currently being run at the local technical college, MTECH, in Lehi, Utah.
Conclusion
My resume does not follow a traditional, linear path. However, all of the employment opportunities I’ve had, have provided me the ability to work with some crazy intelligent people where I’ve been able to learn and finally navigate to this place called User Experience Design with a Human-Centered Approach.
User Experience Design is a career that requires the use of all my unique experiences, skill sets and talents to be successful. It requires tenacity, strategic thinking, being open to feedback, and a willingness to improve through continuous learning and application.
Why did it take me so long to conclude User Experience Design with a Human-Centered Approach is where I belong?! I believe it’s because User Experience is entirely misunderstood. Very few people understand what User Experience Design is and what it is not. I was in that camp too until I had the time over the most recent lock-down and hiring freeze to dive on in and I’m so glad I did!
