well hello everybody we are back again I am your host Adam cuppy and my guest today is the myth the man the legend I don't know if any of that's true I don't know but this is Josh Maurer he was a recent graduate of Learn Academy from the alpha 2023 cohort at some point in time we'll probably talk about how we do alphabet beta Charlie down to all the things but trust me when I say a recent cohort so Josh now has been in the field working professionally um in a multitude of different ways over the last many months and I want to just kind of talk about that but first Josh uh thank you for joining me today and uh let's take a big step back give me give me a little bit of your origin story let's start with this question what did you want to be as a kid absolutely thanks for having me on Adam um so funny you bring up that statement you started with I may or may not be that but my kids bought me a t-shirt for Father's Day that said I am that so we'll roll with it um growing up I definitely I was always the kid to take things apart sometimes I put it back together sometimes I wouldn't so um kind of like a spaceship engine like spaceship mechanic is like the big thing I always wanted to work on spaceships and planes so that was uh that was really kind of growing up what I wanted to do now I ended up wrenching along the way but I never was that spaceship or airline mechanic yet plenty of future to come so now what got you in that what gave you that idea did you have was it just like the the standard I want to be a cowboy or a a spaceship that's or not I was trying to think I was like what is a spaceship mechanic I think they're crazy I don't know what like where did that come like where did that come from hands down 80s Legos love Legos always have still to this day but they always had the spaceship Legos and that was my favorite growing up so that's like that's what I wanted to do for the longest time yeah so how long did that last before now did you stay on that course I'm assuming that maybe not but um did you pursue that at all as a kid in high school maybe even into early upper Ed anything like that not not as um not the spaceship or Aeronautics side so mechanic yes so I actually ended up starting to be a bicycle mechanic from about the time I was 14 years old till in my early 20s so constantly wrenching I worked for a couple different local shops and then ended up working for a couple um domestic professional race teams and traveling around with them for a summer so that was something I've always enjoyed

what were the attributes about that that really got you hooked in terms of more specifically the mechanic side of it was it was it just something did you ever want to be speaking of cycling did you ever want to be a cyclist or was it more just the bicycle mechanic work that was drawing you like what what about all of that was really interesting so it a little bit of both um I always like to know how things work that's always been the case I was literally that kid that took the microwave apart growing up and had no idea how to put it back together so my parents ended up buying like four microwaves along the lines um but as far as the bicycle mechanic thing that's that's I want to figure out how it worked I strive for that and then the racing kind of and riding just kind of came along with it it's that culture it's a tight-knit community and that kind of came by proxy what I will say is as I got older and decided I liked running and Hiking more the riding kind of tapered off a little bit but the the mechanics and wondering about how things worked and figuring out how how they work that stuck to this day mm-hmm yeah I remember as a kid mine was much more artistic expression so I wouldn't call myself a mechanic but I always had an aptitude towards computers in some way and uh and that really resonated what you were saying there about like taking things apart and wanting to put them together and understand them and like just understanding the bits and pieces um you know one of the common misunderstandings is what are the things coming into the programming industry you should know or you know do you need to have been building websites before you started programming do you need to be great at math you know things like that so how much of that kind of stereotypical Behavior was true for you before you dove into software development um some of it um so I'm I first looked at getting into software development like right before covet hit like end of 2019 um there's a couple boot camps that were Java based I looked into them and that's where I was like oh man I might need more of this I might need to have this extensive background in in whether it be math or you know building websites and things like that um I kind of drifted away from that just due to some life stuff at the time but um I still kind of dabbled in it and that's that's when I kind of started to figure out that hey you know I don't need to go into this knowing everything the whole part of the journey is learning it as you go right you know picking it up seeing what's applicable to you and your specific journey and your specific experiences along the way so that was that was something that really as as I spent more time in it and developed myself that I really kind of found out that you don't you don't need to have a specific skill set going into it just a you know an open mind willingness to learn and continue forward the willingness to learn like what was some area that you found yourself always being drawn to try to understand was it it's how the pieces came together or I don't know like what what part of that drove like Drew you in all the time it was it was how the pieces go together like I would see this finished product I've known plenty of of friends and relatives that were software developers or you know built websites on the side or anything and I saw the finished product I always like to know what what's the nuts and bolts whether it be of a physical mechanical piece or whether it be you know a website or a web application or you know the video games I played growing up um you know throwing back to like you know Daggerfall back in the day and Zork and all that stuff how does that go together and how does that get from you know this computer to you know whether it be something like that's terminal up to you know the screen and stuff like that I just love understanding how things work and that's really a lot of what's Driven me forward now did you do anything in web application or design before you started the program were you did you build websites or anything along those lines websites no so a little bit more of the background I was a a bomb Tech so an explosive ordinance disposal um technician in the Army and then I did some um some Government Contracting but a lot of what I ended up doing was um coffee manufacturing and beer manufacturing so a lot of my actual initial exposure to that was PLC programming like how to make adjustments to the packaging machines and the manufacturing machines and how to adjust those those more you know manufacturing based programs to the needs that I had at the time

so I would imagine that

a lot of that was well I want to take a step back because I'm curious about how much of that has translated over now that you've kind of moved into software development do you feel like you took has take you have taken a lot of that with you or is that stuff that was like good kind of dip your toe in the water experience and your you know but very new now but you're glad you did it to understand it like how has it played a role in what you do today um it's actually been huge because it's again it's that following that process and troubleshooting has been massive you know going into something not knowing the person that left it to you so being able to go in kind of figure it out you may not be given all the tools but learning learning how to learn right learning how to troubleshoot being able to okay I don't know this where can I go to figure out what I need to know to get the job done um a lot of what I've done my entire life is operational based right like you've got this endpoint you need to get there and you're over here and one way or another you need to figure out that path from A to B and so that that type of experiences in my past have been absolutely invaluable when it comes to whether it be learning new you know new technologies debugging it's been huge um but yeah just kind of you know A to B I'm at a I need to get to B and I really need to figure out how I'm going to get there and that's those experiences have really really been been helpful along the way so does it does it feel like the timing of joining a trade school program like a boot camp was that well timed for you or do you feel like you would have done it sooner is there something you wish you would have done in the meantime and done a little later like how did that fit for you on your trajectory and life path as you kind of look back at it since I've fallen in love with software development I definitely was like oh I wish I would have been doing this last 20 years however what I what I would say though is I don't know if I would have been a success as successful um because those life experiences really added up to a point where it's like I really made the decision this is what I want to do this is the path I'm going to be on and now how do I get and continue along that path um so I would say as much as it would have been great to have done it in 2020 or as great as it would have been to just come right out of high school going to college get my you know computer science degree and go from there I don't know if I would have been as successful or have enjoyed it or fallen in love with software development as much if I hadn't had all those previous life experiences that led up to the point where I finally made the decision stopped Heming High made the leap and went that direction

so going through the program we've got some you know kind of fundamental skills of software development to come about you talked about learning to learn and that model now that you're a handful of months out and you know you're working as a contractor to a certain extent uh like what are some of those tried and true skills that you you've carried through from even dating back to your prior career path then through the program and into today is it that same stuff of just having a really strong sense of you know like needing to get from A to B and that drive to kind of find and finish that objective or what are some of those other skills that may have come up for you that you can really identify as being beneficial throughout this entire Journey you've gone through honestly a lot of the soft skills being able to you know Network being able to hey I don't know this and having an open mind and going to hey I don't know can you help me or can you point me in the direction that's that's been huge um I feel like asking for help when you don't know is is one of the biggest things that I learned along the way um because not only do you have to fight like you know your own ego stuff but the reality is too is if you get you know so stuck down a rabbit hole you can waste your time you can waste a client's time whereas you know obviously you don't want to anytime you stumble hit a roadblock stop but finding you know the life skills that brought me to the point of where is that balance between figuring it out on my own and asking for help was a was a big one um that's that's a lot of that but as long as as well as you know just the troubleshooting you know it's very process oriented everything I've done is very processed oriented like Hey we're here there is that a to B but not necessarily always being all over the map but following following a path so that way you're checking the box is not you know doing things two three times and being efficient about it while still being able to you know learn along the way I find that it's such an important life skill in general uh especially with programming I think back in the times early on especially when you know I would I would interact with the computer and I felt like the thing had a mind of its own and it was doing its thing and it was like oh it just has them has an opinion right now that's going to do one thing over another and then getting into software development realizing it doesn't exactly work that way they're not that smart there is an actual causal reason why something does or doesn't work right now and um I feel like there's an aspect of that that is very resonant for me now and and kind of like you I I would get the question a lot about what are some of the skills I gained as an actor that have pulled through even to this day and through software and marketing and all that stuff and there's definitely a few fundamentals there that have held true and I'm very glad and proud that I had that history because I do feel like it had made me better in what I'm doing today and even throughout all the stages moving backwards in time so is is uh I I want to hone in for a minute on some of the harder choices to make to make that kind of leap because I know you talked about being in the Army at one point in time um and you mentioned that you have a child and so I'm just curious about what were the hard parts that sort of held you back from maybe either making the decision sooner or the times in which you were you know enough is enough and I'm going to make the choice what were those things that you were really working and grappling with what was that stuff absolutely so it's actually something I've given a good amount of thought to because I really really it was something I struggled with was because I'm a single dad with two kids full time like income was a huge one um it's not a cheap you know thing to make that jump you know where I'm going to devote myself wholly to this you know this career path for a minimum of four months and not do anything outside of that so that was that was a massive one always you know wanting to make sure I could provide for my kids and do that but also somewhat being unhappy with where I was at in my previous careers like I wanted there this was the route I had spent years kind of coming to this is where I want to be but then like you know I was talking about in 2019 like ah maybe I'll do it maybe I won't and it took me about you know three years to get to the point where it's like this is the time there is never going to be the perfect time I can I could wait decades I could die of old age before it becomes the perfect time to take the jump um so I just kind of came to that conclusion where like I did the best I could to prepare for it I'm gonna hope that I can get it all figured out and just make the leap and that's and that's how I ended up in Alpha 2023. that's awesome well I applaud you for sure um for all the reasons one for picking learn but more importantly for for betting on yourself I appreciate that is the hardest yeah that's the hardest bet to take for sure it is I would never change looking back I would never change it but man some of those times going through it's like am I making the right choice but on the back end I wouldn't trade it for the world now do you that identify as a risk taker in that way or you risk a verse like where kind of where do you land on that Spectrum it it's funny because there are some things where people look at me like you are just an absolute you know adrenaline junkie you're looking for this but when it comes to like my family and like making sure they're taken care of I am very risk-averse because I'm like I want to make sure that they are taken care of always no matter what um just like like I was a bomb Tech when I was you know a single guy with no kids and had kids I'm like all right let's reevaluate re-evaluate what I'm doing with my life right now so playing with explosive as a profession is probably not the best so um I I do tend to you know take those those risks but I I as I'm getting you know older and you know having more experience I definitely try to weigh them out with you know counterbalances a little bit with some knowledge and experience as well I have a feeling of all of my guests you definitely have the greatest idea of what risk sounds like in practice as being a bob Tech come on like what was your previous profession I was a professional dog walker okay well the worst that happens is rabies I guess I don't know Josh is what happens is he doesn't come back that's wild right it's uh it's one of those things where it's either I was right or it's just suddenly not my problem anymore um all right right but it is one of those things where over the years after that it's been many times where I've you know had a rough day or things aren't going right at work or whatever it is where I've kind of sat back and like all things said and done you know what nobody died right like that's that that's a big one for me as far as keeping perspective as well no matter what industry or career field I'm in um that I've really taken away from that experience in my life so there's a great sense of personal risk and uh risk aversion for family reasons and I applaud you for that as a as a fellow data too that those and those two little ones um become a pretty high priority pretty quick and uh and making choices like this you know I I was telling my wife about this the other day that I don't know that I could be doing what I'm doing today if we had had kids longer ago because we you know I'm in my 40s and we had kids a little later in in life and looking back I'm like man I making those big career shifts and not having a huge Network yet and taking that leap and dive earlier on with kids would have been really tough for me really really hard and so anyone that I'm talking to that has gone through that with kids and making such a career leave I massive kudos to you and huge Applause um for betting on yourself so again I applaud you for that definitely appreciate that thanks Adam so as far as how you went through the process of evaluating that um to maybe give some advice if the listener is someone who is at that same you know Crossroads of I don't know am I ready like do I have everything in line is this A wise choice like how did you process that decision did you sit down and do a budget or did you sit down and just say hey I've got this great support network around me we're never going to starve like what what boxes had to get checked that made you feel like yes there's risk but the risk is greatly mitigated yeah um honestly it was you know it was a minor budget I want to make sure that I could put food on the table and keep the lights on for for that four months um but that being said too there was multiple times where I had done that previously and I'm like ah maybe I could just prepare a little more or maybe I could do this a little better I'll just I'll wait a couple of months and a couple months turned into a couple years and you know again I don't regret that it brought me to where I'm at but if there's anything I could say prepare the best you can there's never going to be the perfect time do the best you can and take the leap because it's it really does pay off in the end you know it might not seem like it for the first few months maybe a year who knows how long everybody's journey is you know unique to themselves and their experiences but the reality is it is worth every second and every ounce of effort you put into it because again I wouldn't change it for the world and it's opened up so many doors I have developed some amazing friends um some of my my uh I made really good friends with three guys from the cohort where we actually were traveling together right after we all finished our internships we all met up and we went actually went up to San Diego we hung out for a few days and we're planning an annual trip now so we've already got the next one in one of the other guys stays in Missouri so it's it's all these aspects of life that I never would have had the chance to have experienced if I hadn't just said you know what I'm gonna do it the time there's never a great time there's no better time than now here we go wonderful well with that I think I want to wrap up for today uh Josh I appreciate you sharing with us your journey I think that uh what the choices you have had to make in various ways are admirable to say the least um and you know you're the chapter you're writing in your book right now will be a good one there's no doubt about it so with that thank you so much for your time Josh um anything that you would like anything else that's on your mind that you'd love to share with our audience right now any uh words of advice or consideration as somebody might be making this choice or if they've made the choice and they're now on the job hunt and trying to figure out how to get their legs in them how to realize this career for themselves anything along those lines absolutely well one thank you for having me on Adam it's uh it's been great it's fun to talk about um but as far as for anybody listening I would say two things one as you've stated a couple times bet on yourself like there's nobody else can do it better than you bet on yourself you can do it but the other thing is stick with it you know there is a process in place it might be you know a lose process at times but the reality is stick with it even if you get out of the program you don't find a job right away stick with it if you have to go find another part-time job to make ends meet while you're still looking for a job stick with it spend an hour a day half hour a day whatever it takes to just keep up with it and you know eventually it'll all come together that's the biggest thing I could say biggest advice I could give for anybody I love that well with that let's bring it to a close again thank you Josh and to all of you listening I hope you got a lot of value out of this and saw a little bit of yourself in the things that Josh was sharing today we have other episodes I I encourage and invite you to listen in on those find the encouragement that you need to be able to realize your path and detect whether that is one that you are about to make and the big leap is right in front of you or you've made the leap and you're now trying to stick with it stay in it wait in line so hopefully one day you're at the front of that cafeteria line eating the good stuff um but with that if you have any questions feel free to reach out to us at Learning Academy we'd love to be able to help and with that happy day and with that I better do bye everybody