A candid look at the winding path that led me to create Wapiti Digital—and what I learned along the way

I’ll be honest: recording this episode felt uncomfortable. Sharing your life story publicly isn’t exactly easy, especially when that story includes failures, missteps, and hard-won lessons. But as I thought about it, I realized that my background—messy as it sometimes was—shaped everything about how I run my business today.

So today, I’m taking you on a journey from my earliest memories to where Wapiti Digital stands now. If you’ve ever wondered what makes us different, or why we’re so passionate about building websites that actually convert, this is that story.

Early Years: Learning Customer Service the Hard Way

My earliest career memory starts at my grandfather’s blueprinting company in Tucson. For those unfamiliar, this was essentially a Kinko’s for architects—creating massive 24×36 copies of building plans using ammonia-based blueprint machines. It was fascinating work, and honestly, one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had.

But the real education came at my next job: America Online.

The AOL Years: A Masterclass in Customer Service

I joined AOL right at their peak—when leadership was cashing out massive stock options and I thought I’d struck gold. The reality? Three years on customer support for Apple computers, dealing with known software issues that had no fixes.

Imagine telling the same frustrated customer for the tenth time that yes, the problem exists, and no, there’s nothing we can do about it. Not exactly fulfilling work.

But here’s what I learned: In those first two months on the phones, I made what they called the “90-90 club” twice—90% or better ratings for both friendliness and technical knowledge. I was the first person at that entry level in our Arizona call center to achieve that.

The lesson stuck with me: Customer service isn’t just about having answers. It’s about making people feel heard and helping them feel confident in the solution, even when the situation isn’t ideal.

Of course, I also learned what happens when you burn out and start making poor decisions (like hanging up on angry customers). I was eventually let go—a humbling experience that taught me the importance of professionalism even in frustrating circumstances.

The Coffee Years: Learning to Run a Business (Sort Of)

After a few months of unemployment and mounting credit card debt, my uncle threw me a lifeline: Come work for his coffee roasting company in Washington State.

At 21, I packed up and moved from Arizona to the Pacific Northwest to learn the coffee business. What started as operating small one-pound air roasters eventually evolved into managing a 12-kilogram roaster, building the company’s first websites, and becoming a crucial part of the operation.

The Partnership That Taught Me Everything (And Nothing)

For 12 years, I worked alongside my uncle as we grew that coffee company. I learned roasting, operations, customer relations, and web development. I became a part owner. On paper, I was running a business.

But here’s the truth: I was never fully trained to actually run a business.

I wasn’t allowed to see the financials. I made major operational decisions but only through a small “portal window” into the company’s bigger picture. My uncle would disappear into other ventures—frozen drink bases, franchise concepts, Middle Eastern training programs—while I ran the day-to-day coffee operations.

The family dynamic eventually became toxic. After watching my uncle cycle through multiple potential business partners (clearly trying to replace me), I finally left to focus full-time on the side business I’d started: Brand Shouter, which would eventually become Wapiti Digital.

What I Learned About How NOT to Run a Business

Those 12 years taught me invaluable lessons—mostly about what I don’t want to do:

  • Transparency matters. I now share appropriate financial information with my team
  • Focus is essential. While I have multiple interests, Wapiti remains my primary focus
  • Support over criticism. I wanted help and guidance; I got criticism without context
  • Play by the rules. While I saw success built on skirting regulations, I prefer operating within defined boundaries

I’m not saying my uncle’s approach was wrong—clearly, we built a successful business. But watching that journey showed me I wanted to build something different.

Starting Over: Building Brand Shouter (Now Wapiti Digital)

When I left the coffee company in 2014, Brand Shouter was making less than $1,000 a month. I had three kids (soon to be four), mounting debt, and no clear path forward.

I sold my ownership stake in the coffee company for just enough to mostly clear my debts. It was painful—that ownership represented 12 years of my life—but it was necessary to move forward.

The Original Vision: Being the Support I Never Had

I started Brand Shouter because I wished someone had been there to help me when I was learning to run the coffee business. I wanted to be that support system for other small business owners.

Here’s what I quickly discovered: Most successful business owners already have support networks—partners, mentors, business groups, chambers of commerce. Those who don’t often struggle.

More importantly, businesses don’t want someone to “help them think through” their problems. They want someone to do something that solves their problems.

The Pivot to Website-First Services

We pivoted to marketing services with websites as our entry point. I noticed a pattern: businesses would only trust us with their marketing after we proved ourselves by building their website.

That made sense. Your website is often your biggest digital asset. If someone can’t build you a solid website, why would you trust them with your marketing?

Over time, I realized marketing wasn’t my forte. Google Ads, social media management—we could do it, but it wasn’t where we excelled. So I made another pivot: focus exclusively on what we do best—building conversion-focused websites.

We still handle two marketing services: email marketing (the technical side, not copywriting) and SEO. Why? Because these are functions of the web itself, and marketers rarely understand the technical side well enough to do them properly.

What Makes Wapiti Different Today

At 45, I’m “old” by industry standards. My team and I compete against young, well-funded agencies with slick portfolios.

Here’s the difference: They build websites that just look good. We build websites that look great AND convert.

I’ve seen plenty of visually stunning websites from competitors. But when I dig into the code, I find weak foundations and poorly structured, slow-loading sites built on drag-and-drop builders that sacrifice function for form.

The Results Speak for Themselves

I have clients whose websites paid for themselves within months simply from increased conversions. No other changes to their business—just a website built to guide visitors toward action.

When I quote $12,000 for a site, I understand the sticker shock. But when that investment pays for the build in the first year and then starts earning the client money (which I’ve seen happen repeatedly), suddenly it’s not an expense—it’s one of the best investments a business can make.

The funny part? Some clients haven’t needed website updates in 4+ years because the site we built is still converting so well. That makes it harder to sell them on a refresh, but honestly, it proves our approach works.

What 2025 Has Taught Me

I’m recording this on December 10, 2025, and I’ll be frank: this year has been rough. Business has been slower than I’d like.

But here’s why I’m not panicking: The foundation is solid.

We have excellent client retention because we do excellent work. We have recurring clients who rely on us month to month. We have potential projects on the horizon. And most importantly, we’ve built a business model that sustains even in difficult years.

If Wapiti were to end tomorrow, I believe it would simply be another stepping stone in my journey. That said, I’m working hard to make sure this is the final destination—or at least the platform from which everything else grows.

The Lesson I Want You to Take Away

Your background shapes who you are. Every experience, good or bad, builds the person you become.

Growing up with divorced parents and being raised by my grandparents taught me resilience. Working at AOL taught me customer service. Getting fired taught me humility. The coffee years taught me operations and showed me how I don’t want to run a business. Starting over in 2014 taught me to focus on what truly matters.

As a Christian, I believe God directed my path through all of it. Even the painful exit from the coffee business—which at the time felt like the end of everything—was preparing me for what came next.

Your past doesn’t define you, but it does shape you. Embrace it. Learn from it. Let it inform how you move forward.

Ready to Talk About Your Website?

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for letting me share my story. Hopefully, it gives you insight into why we do what we do at Wapiti Digital—and why we’re so passionate about building websites that don’t just look good, but actually drive results.

Whether you need a sales-focused website, an e-commerce platform, a learning management system, or a nonprofit site with donor management, we’d love to talk about how we can help.

Visit us at Wapiti.digital or reach out directly. Let’s build something that converts.