Techlife Coach 

    As a curious 16 year old, I found myself with a camera in my hands all of the time. I was always documenting and making photographs of the world around me. You may wonder what that has to do with technology but that plays an important part in the development of my passion for computers and technology. The camera led to my discovery of digital manipulation and retouching earlier than most my age. I started using Photoshop at version 3 on a 486 IBM computer which was all that my family could afford. I felt like the world was at my finger tips in regards to creating amazing things and I developed a passion for technology.

    During my Senior year of High School I was photo editor for the yearbook. I led the Yearbook staff and also prepared images for press. At that point I had the privilege of using Macintosh computers with Photoshop version 5.5 and the capability of using Zip disks to save my work. Sounds funny now but it was a great improvement in what I had been using. I became very familiar with scanning to computers and keeping on top of new technology that was being developed.  I discovered my ability to easily learn and implement technology in my day to day life.

    I started my photography business at 18 years old and started to really focus on developing my talent. I continued to learn and grow during my undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts at Brigham Young University. Keeping current on software was very important during my education as the digital photography medium had become more dominant. With this focus on developing my talent and skills with new hardware/software and technological advances, I started helping others learn on a personal basis through private consulting.

    Being recognized for my high standards and capabilities in digital photography and the computer arena, BYU Museum of Art hired me as their main photographer. My job description was very vague. They told me that they wanted me to help the museum digitally capture and organize their entire collection while photographing specific pieces for a book to be published. There were no processes in place which ended up being beneficial to me. I was able to take initiative and accomplish what the museum wanted, even though they did not know exactly what that was. This job developed a love for workflow and digital organization on computers that boosted my computer consulting to another level.  I discovered that many people struggled in their understanding of technology and how to implement it in their lives.

    I also discovered that many people didn’t know what was even possible with their new found technology.  It is one thing for people to learn technology but that is hard to do when you don’t even know what you need to learn.  That is what I love to teach people.  I teach people technology regularly through my in home consulting and I focus on helping them learn the possibilities of the amazing technology that they have at their fingertips.

    All these years later my love for technology is what continues to drives my life. My friends often comment on the fact that I am always at the computer or have a camera or device in my hands. I have worked in many different roles throughout the country and the world that have allowed me to reach a greater potential utilizing various forms of technology.