The Journey: From Construction to Code

Growing up, I learned to make do. My family didn't have much, so we built what we needed, fixed what broke, and made the rest work with whatever was on hand. I spent my early years alongside my grandfather in his masonry business, where the tools were about as reliable as our own two hands, and when something quit on us, we fixed it ourselves. When my father built his house, he wired the electrical, laid the flooring, and handled every job he could reach, because paying someone else wasn't in the cards. I learned by doing. And by doing, I learned to stay with a problem, to be resourceful, and to respect honest work.

Every project comes down to a few choices. How fast does it need to happen? How well does it need to be done? What do you have to work with? Those questions shaped the way I solve problems, and they shaped the person I became. The early lessons stuck: a do-it-yourself streak and the kind of resilience you don't get from a book. Life is a lot like a backcountry trip. You carry only what you truly need, you make the most of the weight and energy you've got, and you learn that getting through, sometimes even getting ahead, comes down to preparation, adaptability, and grit.

My goal is a simple one. Do what I can with what I have, and leave things better than I found them, whether that's a project, a place, or the world around me. I design futures by learning from the past, paying attention to the present, and building toward what comes next.

About Me

My name is Steve Dickens, and at 42 I find myself in a season of life centered on family, creativity, and discovery. I was born in Springfield, Missouri, and my childhood was a string of moves. When I was young, my parents took our family first to Florida and then to Knoxville, Tennessee, where we landed by the time I was in third grade. After they divorced, I grew up going back and forth between Missouri and Knoxville. You learn to adapt when your address keeps changing. You also learn to stand on your own, and you come to appreciate different places for what each one has to teach you.

Today I am back home in Knoxville, where I moved at the start of 2026 to live with my wife, Sarah, and her two children, Ethan and Avery. My son, Brydon, is in high school, and he stays at the center of everything I do. Together we are raising teenagers, doing our best to hand them the skills and the values that will carry them into adulthood.

Creativity has always been the heart of who I am. I am a poet and a musician. I play guitar, piano, and banjo, and I write songs about the things I've lived and the world I see around me. Nature is where I go to fill the tank. I hike, mountain bike, camp, and wander through Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, always after the quiet places and the stories hidden in the land and its history.

I've loved figuring things out for as long as I can remember. I built my first computer in middle school, and that itch never left. I like understanding how a thing works, fixing what's broken, and building something that makes the day go easier. I'd rather teach myself than wait to be shown, I try to keep learning, and I like to work smart enough that the effort actually counts for something.

Underneath all of it is a simple idea: leave the world better than you found it. Through music, family, technology, and teaching, I try to live with purpose and a little kindness, passing on what I've learned and leaving things a bit brighter for the people around me.

Values

  • • Hard work & discipline
  • • Continuous learning
  • • Problem-solving
  • • Innovation
  • • Integrity

Skills

  • • Full-stack development
  • • AI/ML integration
  • • Project management
  • • Business strategy
  • • Technical writing

Interests

  • • AI & automation
  • • Entrepreneurship
  • • Process optimization
  • • Education & mentoring
  • • Sustainable tech