I joined BizStream on May 5, 2002. I remember the exact day because it was right after I graduated from Grand Valley State University. I had been promised a position with a large West Michigan employer, and for one reason or another it just didn’t work out, and next thing I knew I was looking for my next opportunity.
That same day, I met Mark, who I knew from my college days, for lunch. It was just happenstance we had lunch the same day I was suddenly without a job. He offered me a position on the spot.
I went back to the office with Mark after lunch and he showed me the product he was building. The technology was really advanced at that time. I knew right away this was the place I wanted to be. It was the second-best decision I have ever made in my life (sorry Mark, but the best decision still is the day I decided to take my wife out on our first date).
I was really attracted to BizStream because of the vision and possibilities Mark had for this new start-up company. I believed in BizStream so much that after 3 and a half years I became a co-owner.
I like that BizStream is purely powered by its employees. Every minute of every day that we put into BizStream is a direct correlation to the amount of success BizStream has.
We have a group of like-minded people here. There’s a great spirit of camaraderie. The passion for what we do shows in each team member. I’m confident that with our team, no matter what the product or project is, we can do it. When people think it can’t be done, we’ve done it.
I love my work, especially the problem-solving. I like saving companies time and money. And, I like to build web apps. It’s what I’d do even if BizStream didn’t exist. What we do at BizStream isn’t easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s challenging, sure, but I couldn’t be in a job that wasn’t. In addition to development, I do project management, operations, mentoring, sales, and marketing.
It also makes me happy that we’ve put our feet down here in Allendale, and that we give back to the community with things such as the BizStream Academy — a program where we offer development training for students — and by supporting community events and non-profit agencies.
I work a lot because I love it, but I do have a life outside of work, which is one of the great things about BizStream — the work/life balance. Outside of work, I hang out with my wife and 3 girls. I’m no stranger to Barbie and pink princess stuff. Watching them grow has been incredibly rewarding.
When I was in high school, I was the Grand Rapids City League champion of cross country (distance running), and at GVSU, I was the president of the Ultimate Frisbee Club. Now, I still love to watch sports, play video games, and golf when I can. Finding a nicely crafted beer is also on the top of my list of things I enjoy. I spend a lot of time writing tips and tricks about Kentico’s platforms, Kentico Xperience and Kontent.ai, on my blog at www.mcbeev.com. In 2012, Kentico recognized me as one of the few Kentico MVPs in the world. When I have a rare few minutes of downtime, I dive into reading about and exploring new technology.
As a kid, I delivered newspapers, which taught me a lot about getting things done no matter what. People don’t care that it’s raining or snowing; they want their newspapers. I owe a lot to my parents for the way they taught me life lessons early on, especially for not letting me take a day off even when I wanted to. I worked for a local grocery store chain in just about every position, from grocery to floral, to the meat department. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but I was learning what “whatever it takes” really means.
I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, which makes West Michigan my home, and I absolutely love it here. However, in my role as Kentico MVP, I’ve had many opportunities to experience a number of places around the US and the world. That said, I’m pretty sure that Las Vegas is the 2nd best place on earth for me. I’ve never met a Roulette table I didn’t like.
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