Developer (Developer Avocado)

My time at Mirasee, a business-education startup, was as a developer/developer advocate.

Work included building all the Membership Sites and microsites, creating the wire framing and user experience, developing internal tools for data analysis, custom plugins for user tracking and integrations to pass data between all the various technologies we use. (Like Hubspot/Slack/Ultracart/WordPress/HelpScout/etc)

As my developer advocate (avocado) role – I was ‘the guy’ who translated the needs of the stakeholders into wireframing/spec docs/project timelines. I reviewed bug reports and feedback requests, and managed technical priorities.

I’ve also built apps for lead generation and provided in-person technical support at live Mirasee events, and attended some conferences representing Mirasee. I was selected because in spite of my technical background, I’m really cool to talk to!

Course Technologist

At Mirasee, I started in the business support team. My experience in business, technology, and teaching bumped me to the course development team, developing courses focused on business education.

This was a mix of graphic design, video editing, web development, student management, instructional design, data analysis, technical support, project management and a whole lot of personality, as I appeared in front of the webcam a LOT.

My primary goal was to get students to course completion. Meaning, digging through student data and determining what interventions (actions) and building the technologies/systems needed to take to get them to finish the course.

I also blogged!

Courses I’ve built include all these courses here on Udemy, along with our high-end courses like Art of Offer Craft, Business Ignition Bootcamp, Standout Guest Posting, Leveraged Learning Intensive, Audience Business Masterclass, Strategy School and Mirasee’s flagship course Course Builder’s Laboratory.

Developer at HeyItsRocky

You: Wait, you're just a developer at HeyItsRocky? Isn't that you're own company?

Me: Yeah. There's no upward mobility here.

Jokes aside, I've had the privilege to always take clients outside of my primary work. Some of my clients in the past few years include MagueyMelate.com (Senior Dev / Consultant), Mitch Joel's site... i've also worked with studios who work directly with big name clients, like Blue Tiger Studios (Dev).

Online Marketer

I worked at the prestigious Helium Comedy Club, as it was growing from two clubs to infinity. Online marketing in the late 2000s was a shotgun approach. I was part of the revolution of online marketing that focused on the customer’s wants and needs and trusting on analytical data to make marketing decisions.

That finely-tuned approach of highly-targeted content marketing & advertising on social media massively increased revenue and became a template for all online media campaigns for the company.

Hungry for more experience in this wild west of online marketing, I provided consulting services – from small businesses like local coffee shops/legal firms, to even a national insurance company. (Which I won’t speak of – These old out-of-touch companies can die in a fire and be eaten up by hungry startups.)

Game Developer

During the mobile gaming boom – I started a game development studio with my classmates to make a iOS game. Bad project management and seriously bad leadership on my part, it launched to terrible sales. After investing $20k in a stunning failure, I hustled as a Animator/Art Instructor/Burrito Maker to repay my debt.

There was a podcast about my journey here.

Art Instructor

During College/Post-College, I worked as a art instructor for the Fleisher Art Studios, Philadelphia Mural Arts, and the Asian Arts Initiative. I taught many types of classes – from Art Foundations with pre-K through 6th grade to game art/animation with 7-12th grade. Mostly servicing under-privilege youths in the Philadelphia metro area, providing an art curriculum to school budgets who couldn’t afford art education.

Teaching has always been my passion. Since high School failed me as a student (5 years of HS!), I’ve always looked for alternative ways to learn, teach and grow – and ensure that anyone who is willing is given the tools to succeed.

Animator

After college, this was one of three jobs I worked at as I hustled out of debt. I worked at SanAngel Studios as the Animation Director of the Koaloha Story. It won a HBO award for Asian American short films award, and got me listed on IMDB! (I’m waaay more excited about my IMDB profile)

Burrito Maker

After college, this was one of three jobs I worked at as I hustled out of debt. I worked for a Tex-Mex style restaurant (not Chipotle!). Food was great. Pro-tip at places like this (Not Chipotle!), order a naked burrito and ask for your wrap on the side. You’ll get more stuff.

Pokemon Master

In 1998, two years after the release of Pokemon Red, I caught all 151 Pokemon. I did it by getting my hands on Pokemon Blue, trading the Pokemon I was missing to myself and capturing Mew using the Nugget Bridge glitch. Of all my achievements, I’m pretty darn proud of this one!