Founder's Letter

My story with technology began long before Upper-Room.dev. I was the kid who took things apart, rebuilt old computers, and tried to understand how everything worked behind the scenes. In my freshman year of high school I got into trouble for what the school called "hacking." In reality, I had discovered that I had command line access on a lab machine and used a simple shutdown command to power off a few computers across the network. It was nothing more than curiosity paired with a little too much confidence, but it made one thing very clear: I had a real pull toward systems, infrastructure, and understanding how things connected.

Not long after, I launched my first business hosting websites. That led to an internship at a datacenter where I learned how real infrastructure was built and maintained. I bought used servers, racked them myself, and began renting out unmanaged hosting services. Eventually I expanded into managed hosting and virtual machines, building a small but functional environment that I architected entirely on my own. At eighteen I was operating everything from storage to virtualization to customer support. The business eventually ran its course, but the experience shaped the way I think about systems to this day.

When the hosting chapter ended, I transitioned fully into the IT industry and started the managed services division of my company, JTN Solutions. This marked a shift from hosting servers to supporting people and businesses directly. During the day I worked at the local cable company, a job that kept the lights on while my girlfriend, now my wife, was in nursing school. At night I designed networks, supported clients, wrote documentation, and learned the art of service and operational reliability.

After she graduated, we moved from Maryland to Greenville, North Carolina. I continued building JTN Solutions part time while working in low voltage. That role filled technical gaps and gave me a deeper appreciation for the physical layer that sits beneath every network. Eventually I stepped back into the ISP world, working for a fiber provider that was later acquired by a major carrier. As the IT company grew, I eventually reached the point where I could step away from traditional employment and operate remotely. My wife began travel nursing, and I took the business on the road.

Those were formative years. The company had wins, but it also had painful setbacks. Some clients were supportive and fair. Others were not. A few situations created strain that was difficult to recover from. After multiple experiences with non-payment and the emotional toll that came with them, I made the hard decision to shut down JTN Solutions for my own well-being. It was one of the most difficult choices I had made, but it ultimately led to growth.

When travel nursing ended, we moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, a place we had always wanted to call home. Through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, the pressures of leadership, and the challenges of starting over, something deeper happened. I rediscovered my faith. I found a renewed and genuine relationship with Jesus that reshaped my priorities, my leadership style, and the way I serve others.

Today I am a devoted Christian, husband, and father, and I work with an MSP in Wilmington where I design, build, and manage the systems that keep the business operational. I focus on clarity, automation, systems thinking, and people-centered leadership. I bring calm, maturity, and empathy into technical environments where those qualities often matter the most.

Upper-Room.dev is the culmination of everything I have learned. The curiosity that got me in trouble in high school. The late nights rebuilding servers. The datacenter years. The first business I built with almost no resources. The managed services company I grew and eventually closed. The travel years. The lessons learned through exhaustion, rebuilding, and transformation. And the faith that became the foundation of everything that followed.

This firm exists because experience creates conviction. Because process creates clarity. Because strong systems support strong people. And because my calling is to help leaders build organizations that operate with purpose and precision.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. It is an honor to partner with leaders who care deeply about their teams and about the quality of the work they deliver. I look forward to building something meaningful with you.