Hello and thank you for stopping by my blog. I am a Technology trainer that loves to travel and share my enthusiasm and expertise on Microsoft solutions worldwide. Windows Small Business Server (SBS) is one of my favorite vices and I have been blessed with the opportunity to make a living around Microsoft technologies and SBS.
It all started back in 1991 when I bought my first computer so I could play “Scorched Earth” (The mother of all games!) well, ok and do a couple of German-English engineering translations
I had started my first business translating technical and engineering documents in 1988, two years after I came to Michigan, US from Germany. I worked as a simultaneous translator with Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Chrysler and BASF. It was great fun as I got to work with cutting edge technologies (especially for processes involving plastics and robotics) for there was no words yet invented in the English language for some processes and I had to sit down with the engineers from both sides to figure out creating new terminology that made sense.
Eventually it became apparent that I was more interested in making my PCs talk to each other than using them for my translation work. In addition I was going over to friend’s houses to modify their DOS games to run faster and fix little bugs. That’s just wrong!
One day I heard a radio advertisement saying “Become a Microsoft Certified System Engineer…”, I got my first MCSE under NT4.0 and started to work part time as a system administrator for a management consulting firm. At this time I started my first IT consulting business, installing and supporting NT4.0 networks for small businesses.
In 2000 I moved to the state of Florida (I always wanted to find out how a hurricane would impact my life, NOT), starting a small IT consulting business. To support my upstart financially, I worked as an adjunct instructor at the local college delivering the academic MCSE course and soon led a double-life between being an instructor at night and a consultant by day.
Catering to the three “A’s” (attorneys, accountants, architects), my consulting business finally took hold designing, installing and supporting Small Business Server networks including all the bells and whistles from remote access to mobility solutions. Using technology I also provided evidence presentation in mediation and trial (biggest win US$ 6 Mil) and then some. In 2003 I contracted with a training company delivering Microsoft Hands-On-Labs through-out major cities in the US. So I got the best of both worlds, being up to date having the latest technology insights from delivering training and real clients where I could execute my knowledge and help solve their business problems through use of technology. Many clients became friends as it often happens when working with small businesses, and to this day I enjoy continued contact and consulting with clients from when I first started my business. During this time I authored “Making IT Big in Small Business 2006” and co-authored of two technical books on Small Business Server.
In 2006 I decided to leave my consulting business behind and join SMB Nation (a media, conferencing and book publishing business) where I served as Vice President and Executive Editor of SMB Partner Community Magazine. My work at SMB Nation allowed me to continue delivering training and work closely with Microsoft technologies while co-authoring the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Primer: Your Certification Path to Success! book.
Starting 2008 I went back to being my own boss. I currently work with (can’t tell you which ) beta software, deliver training and doing a little writing all the while preparing for new Microsoft technologies coming down the pipe in 2008!