Hey, I’m Blake.
I’m a husband, a dad, a technology professional, and a perpetually curious person.
I live in central Alabama with my wife, our two boys, and 2 dogs. I’ve spent most of my adult life working in technology, but that’s hardly the whole story.
A little background
My career didn’t start in technology. It started in grocery stores.
I spent years working in retail management before deciding to return to college as an adult and earn a degree in computer science from Jacksonville State University.
It wasn’t the traditional path into IT, but I wouldn’t change it. Managing people, working with customers, and solving problems under pressure gave me a foundation that’s served me well throughout my career.
Today, I’m the Director of IT Infrastructure at HC3. I’ve worked across a pretty broad range of technology disciplines over the years, but these days I spend more time thinking about strategy, leadership, and how technology can help organizations accomplish what they’re actually trying to do.
I still enjoy getting my hands dirty, though. There’s something satisfying about solving a technical problem yourself.
Outside of work
Technology is both my profession and one of my hobbies, which probably explains why I spend some of my free time doing things that look suspiciously like work.
I enjoy building things, experimenting with software, tinkering with my home network, and exploring new technologies. Lately, artificial intelligence has captured a fair amount of my attention.
But my interests extend well beyond computers.
I’ve always enjoyed sports. Basketball was my favorite sport to play growing up, and these days, the Philadelphia 76ers are probably the team I follow most closely. I’m also a longtime fan of Alabama football and the Tennessee Titans, and I try to keep up with Formula 1.
My enthusiasm for different sports tends to ebb and flow. There have been times when I could name practically every player on my favorite teams. These days, I’m more likely to enjoy the games without following every development between them.
I’m also something of a television snob. I appreciate good storytelling, interesting characters, and shows that trust their audiences to pay attention. I watch very little traditional network television, and I probably have stronger opinions about what makes a good series than are strictly necessary.
I’ve been listening to podcasts since before smartphones made them ubiquitous. I’ve always appreciated the opportunity to explore interesting subjects through long-form conversations.
For much of my adult life, I was also a voracious comic book reader. I spent years following monthly releases, maintaining pull lists, and trying to keep up with the endless crossovers and continuity of the major publishers.
Eventually, keeping up started to feel more like an obligation than a hobby, and I largely stepped away. I still love comics as an art form, though, and wish they were more widely appreciated for their storytelling potential beyond superheroes.
My interests have a tendency to wax and wane. I can spend years deeply invested in something, gradually drift away, and eventually find myself drawn back to it. I’ve learned to be okay with that. There’s always something new to explore.
A few things that matter to me
Outside of technology and entertainment, I enjoy reading and thinking about leadership, psychology, philosophy, theology, and the ways people think and behave.
I’m a Christian, and my faith is an important part of my life. It’s also something I’m continually learning to understand more deeply. I have plenty of questions, and I’ve become increasingly comfortable admitting that I don’t have all the answers.
I’ve always wanted to understand how things work. Not just technology, but people, organizations, beliefs, and the systems we build around ourselves.
I value curiosity, integrity, humility, and a willingness to change your mind when presented with better information. I believe good leadership is more about helping people succeed than exercising authority over them. I’d rather be a coach than a manager.
And while I appreciate expertise, I’ve learned to be a little suspicious of people who seem to have an answer for everything.
I’m increasingly convinced that knowing what you don’t know is an underrated skill.
Why I’m here
I’ve owned blake.pm for years.
It’s been a few different things over that time, but I’ve always liked the idea of having a little corner of the internet that belongs to me.
Not a business website. Not a carefully curated personal brand. Just a place to write, experiment, share things I’ve learned, and occasionally put an idea into words to see if it makes any sense.
Some of what I write will probably be about technology. Some of it might be about leadership, faith, family, sports, entertainment, or whatever happens to be occupying my thoughts.
I don’t have a content strategy, a publishing schedule, or any particular expectations about who might read it.
I’m just interested in having a place to think out loud.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for stopping by.