I pivoted from a career selling automotive parts behind the counters of retailers when I saw my future there as the dead end it was. I let that discouragement fuel many late nights and long weekends until I had learned enough about programming to finally land my first job doing it. That was over eight years ago. Since then, I’ve moved up the ladder to become a Lead Engineer because I’m motivated to be the best that I can be at what I do. In my industry, this means making sure your skills are up to date, and nothing has made that more important than the onset of AI-fueled software development. It’s driving innovation like nothing that’s come before it, and utilizing it well allows me to deliver value in a uniquely impactful way. I put my all into every line of code I write, and I expect to maintain the systems I build for years to come.