Hello. I’m Jay.
For 30 years, I’ve lived my life on screens. I’m an engineer by education, a web developer by career, and a serial entrepreneur by nature. I’ve owned a dozen business, built technology companies, managed digital marketing for huge brands, and thrived on the fast-paced energy of the tech world.
But somewhere along the way, the “hustle” started to take more than it gave.
Like so many driven professionals, I found myself battling high-functioning anxiety and burnout. The very tools I used to build my career—notifications, emails, deadlines—were becoming the things draining my spirit. I realized I didn’t need another app or another project. I needed to disconnect.
The Pivot
I found my answer in two things: The Light and The Land.
It started with photography. I began waking up before dawn to capture sunrises along the Central Coast of California. In those quiet, golden hours, I found a stillness that didn’t exist in my inbox. A perfect moment I shared with nature each and every morning.
It was during that journey that I found my wife, Nicolle and married into a family that has been homesteading on the Central Coast for over a century. I shared my mornings on the beach with her, and she shared her love for growing, preserving, and cooking her own food with me.
As we built our life together, I partnered with my wife, Nicolle, and my mother-in-law, Grandma Ingrid, to launch their cooking school. I poured my energy into the branding, the website, and the business management, helping turn their passion into a highly successful business.
But as their business soared, I found myself looking for my own grounding. I loved what we had built, but I needed a place where the goal wasn’t just “business growth”—it was personal peace.
I realized it was time to start something for myself.
Growing a Homestead is that next chapter. It is the result of taking everything I learned about the homesteading world from my family, combining it with my love for photography, and using it to fight the noise of the world. This project is my turn to create something amazing—not for clients, not for metrics, but for the sheer joy of watching things grow.
The Mission
What is “Growing a Homestead”?
This isn’t your typical “influencer” blog. You won’t find loud personalities or chaotic trends here.
I created this space to be a digital deep breath.
I’m using my background in visual storytelling—photography and videography—to document the slow, beautiful, and sometimes messy process of building a homestead. Whether it’s the cinematic process of gardening, the satisfaction of DIY projects, or simply the view of the sun hitting the soil, my goal is to capture the peace that this lifestyle brings.
A Note on Balance
I haven’t quit the tech world—I’ve just learned to balance it. I still run my businesses and love technology. But now, I use the homestead to recharge my batteries so I can show up better for my family, my clients, and myself.
If you are looking for a way to escape the grind, manage your own anxiety, or just want to watch something beautiful grow, I invite you to follow along.
Let’s grow something real.