DadOfTheClan
Moving Forward
A decade of technical excellence. A year that tested everything. A new beginning built in her memory.
2025: The Year Everything Changed
On June 14th, 2025, our daughter Alicia Mae was born. Perfectly healthy, bright blue eyes that defied genetics, a smile that never stopped. She was our fifth child—Mommy's "little goose," the baby who loved mornings and Barney with her big sister Bean. She was named after her great-grandmother, my grandmother Alicia.
One week after Alicia Mae was born, on June 24th, 2025, my grandmother—the woman she was named after—passed away.
On November 2nd, 2025, I found Alicia Mae unresponsive in our bedroom. CPR on the kitchen floor. My father arriving while I was on the phone with 911. The ambulance to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing where they brought her heart back. The life flight to Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. Two days of watching EEG flatlines and knowing she was already gone while waiting for organ donation matching.
On November 5th at 2:06 PM, at four months old, Alicia Mae left this world—saving others through the gift of her organs.
2025 took everything from us. Birth and death within a week. Joy and devastating loss within four months. The kind of year that breaks people.
But here's what 2025 didn't take: a decade of proven technical excellence, the ability to show up and deliver even when everything hurts, and the perspective that comes from knowing what actually matters.
Built in Her Memory
This push into consulting isn't just a career pivot—it's a memorial to Alicia Mae. It's me taking her with me as I move forward, letting her give me purpose in a way that honors the time we had together.
During her four months, I was working. A lot. Doing what I've always done—managing infrastructure, solving problems, being available for clients at all hours. But I was missing moments. Moments I can never get back. Moments with her. Moments with my other four children who still need their dad present—not just physically there, but actually there.
So this consulting venture is about doing the work I love, for many, in a lot less time. It's about reclaiming hours I lost to endless availability and dedicating them to the people who matter most—my family, the ones still here who need me to show up every single day, not just when there's an emergency.
Alicia Mae's four months taught me that time is the only currency that truly matters. This is me spending it differently. This is me honoring her by being the dad I wish I had been during those four months—fully present, deeply engaged, and living with intention.
The Numbers That Carry Her Forward
$4/Hour
For Her Four Months & Four Siblings
Four dollars—one for each month she was with us, and one for each of the four siblings she left behind. The first four clients are those who lend their trust when there's no public portfolio to point to, no established consulting brand to fall back on. They're taking a chance on me, helping build the foundation that makes this new chapter possible.
In return, they get a decade of enterprise expertise at a price that honors her time with us—brief, precious, and transformative. They help me build the public presence that makes this sustainable, and I deliver results that prove the trust was earned.
$42.50/Hour
A New Beginning, Every Time
Forty-two fifty. She was born at 4:25 AM on June 14th—a new beginning, a moment that changed everything about what I thought I knew about joy, love, and what truly matters.
Every client engagement after the first four is another new beginning—another chance to build something meaningful, to deliver expertise that matters, to work with organizations that value both excellence and humanity. The rate reflects the value of a decade of proven technical leadership, while the number itself carries her forward into every project, every conversation, every new relationship.
This isn't desperation. This is purpose. This is me taking what she taught me about time, presence, and what actually matters—and building a life and a practice that honors those lessons every single day.
What the Work Has Built
Grief doesn't erase expertise. Loss doesn't delete institutional knowledge. Tragedy doesn't diminish technical capability. If anything, it sharpens what matters.
10+ Years of Impact
Primary technical lead for 35+ organizations across healthcare, government, manufacturing, and professional services. Near-zero downtime on mission-critical migrations.
Leadership That Builds
Led teams of up to 10 engineers. Nearly 8 years of progressive advancement at one organization. Someone who mentors, builds culture, and earns loyalty through respect.
Perspective That Matters
Someone who knows that systems serve people, that infrastructure enables organizations to thrive, and that the work should mean something beyond a paycheck.
Technical expertise earned over a decade. Perspective learned in a year that tested everything. Purpose driven by a daughter who taught me what matters most.
What Comes Next
We lost our daughter. We lost my grandmother. We experienced a year that would break most people. We didn't lose our drive, our expertise, or our belief that there's still work worth doing with people who understand what truly matters.
What can we build together?
Note: This page is personal because I believe real resilience is forged in life, not just in server rooms. The empathy and perspective I've gained make me a better problem solver and a more dedicated partner. I'm looking for work that matters—whether that's consulting projects, fractional leadership, or a long-term home where I can build something lasting while honoring the lessons she taught me about presence, time, and what actually matters.