About Me
WHO AM I, REALLY?
Hi there. Nice to meet you. My name is Max – I do things with tech. I build computers as a hobby (when I can afford to do so), I create online content, and I play a lot of video games. I’m a relocated California kid living in the lovely state of North Carolina. I’m a web designer by trade, a geek by nature, and a gamer when I’m not dealing with the other more social facets of adulthood. I run a handful of online communities and recently started streaming fun gaming content on Twitch with some of my best friends. Over the years, I’ve acquired a pretty solid set of skills that you may or may not be interested in. If you’d be so kind, allow me to give you a proper look into who I am, what I do, and why I do it.
As the title of my website suggests, I’m a bit of a geek. I play video games with friends all over the world on a near daily basis. Gaming has been a huge part of my life, and I’d like to think that they’ve helped me develop into the person I am today. Ever since I was young, I was always curious how software was made – specifically video games. It was fascinating watching all the colors fly by on the TV. It was absolutely mind-blowing that someone could type some cryptic garbage on a computer and make beautiful environments pop up in my living room! Because of my fascination with video games, I was put in various positions where I could pursue various other interests of mine.
After moving out of my parents’ house in 2010, I became a bit of a recluse. After work every day, I would do nothing but play online games like Diablo and Minecraft. Oddly enough, it was Minecraft that ultimately brought me to the place I currently am in life. After searching for a good community server for a few months, I discovered a place that I could call my virtual home. Over time, I ended up becoming the community manager for the server. Eventually I took that role in a sizable number of other groups on various other platforms. I spent huge amounts of time getting to know people, many of which were developers of some sort or another. Some of them taught me a bit about coding. I noticed some of the communities didn’t really have a place to communicate outside of being in-game, so I offered to build websites for the owners of the servers. I didn’t know the first thing about web design or development, but I took a few weeks to learn as much as I could. For my first stab at web design, it wasn’t half bad!
Okay, it was pretty bad, but those sites seemed good at the time. Anyway, the websites that I built had all sorts of fun things. I learned how to use various web development languages to make game servers communicate with websites. I pieced together basic chat rooms and forums for people to keep in touch and share ideas. I felt like the world was in the palm of my hand. Between managing websites and getting to know my community, I discovered a passion for creating things that would bring people together. I loved designing things that would inspire people. I found what I could only assume was my calling.
Over time, I taught myself everything I thought I would ever need to know about designing websites. I ended up helping various local artists and developers create sites that would really stand out in the community. My first “official” website was for my good friend Tony, who is one of the best photographers I’ve ever met. I was inspired by his art. I loved the passion he put into everything he did with his camera. Because of him, I challenged myself to be better at what I did. Eventually, that became a career path that would help me learn so much more about myself. I’ve been creating websites for people since early 2013 – a career I thought would be impossible to maintain. For a long time, I struggled to find freelance work. I still do freelance stuff now and then, but I’ve put a majority of my focus on working with a company called Seven Ages Design in Raleigh, North Carolina. I’ve been building websites there for a few years now. It’s a job I love, and I’m thankful that I found a place where I can pursue my ambitions. Having the ability to create sites that really speak to the community is a blessing. And all this was made possible because I love playing video games.
Why Work With Me
WEB • BRANDING • HOSTING
Whether you’re looking for a new website, a re-skin of an old one, or just want to chat about the best way to build your digital footprint, I’m your guy. I’ve got tons of experience designing and building websites for businesses of all shapes and sized, from one-man shows to full-sized companies. If you need help behind the scenes, I’m also experienced with giving brands a little nudge in the right direction. Or maybe you just need a place to put those things. I offer a reasonable, flexible website hosting package that will more than suit your needs.
WEB DESIGN
BRANDING
HOSTING
Words To Live By
THINGS THAT INSPIRE ME
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
“Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
“A good idea is something that does not solve just one single problem, but rather can solve multiple problems at once.”
Leave Me A Note
I WANNA TALK TO YOU
If you’ve got a project in mind that needs a helping hand, or if you just wanna drop in and say hi, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s discuss a website or games or something. You’ve made it this far – the ball is in your court.