About Bentley Christie
Who is this crazy, bald man?!
In my header I’ve used three terms to describe myself on a professional level. I’m really not a huge fan of labels however, since they are a far cry from ‘making the man’. Like Popeye, I prefer the “I yam what I yam” approach - or if you prefer a more eloquent offering, here is what Walt Whitman had to say about it:
“I exist as I am, that is enough, If no other in the world be aware I sit content, And if each and all be aware I sit content.”
Rebelious tendencies aside, let me attempt to tell you a little more about myself, so that you are better able to come up with your own assessment.
Here are some other descriptives that apply: husband, father, son, brother, neighbour, friend, university graduate, goofball, blogger, marketer, optimist, leadership instructor, writer, naturalist, gardener, and of course…composter! haha
I currrently work from home in beautiful Small Town Ontario, Canada. I’ve always been a person with a keen desire to be independent of “the man”, so finally leaving the rat race several years ago was definitely one of the highlights of my professional career.
Trying to explain exactly what I do for a living is certainly not without its challenges. Aside from my desire to avoid labels whenever possible, I wear so many different hats it becomes very difficult to firmly nail down a particular vocation. I create websites, I write (for my own projects, and for others), I’m an online traffic/promotion specialist, and a Google Adwords marketer.
I use the term “web developer” very loosely, that is for sure. It is probably the closest I can come to accurately summing up my business in one word [Ed. Note: hmmm…last I checked, ‘web developer’ was TWO words!] .
All of my web know-how has developed slowly over time, and is not the result of any formal training. Truth be told, I’ve never really been (nor am I now) a technically gifted individual - so my current skill set is largely the result of a lot of ‘blood, sweat and tears’. My academic background is in the sciences - I focused primarily on aquatic biology during my undergrad years (which led me to spend several years working in this field as well). I later went back to school to learn more about soil and plant science, and even ended up in a Masters degree program in a related field. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on perspective - this was not meant to be, and I decided to leave the program before completion. It was at that time that I decided to take a ‘leap of faith’ (a BIG one I might add - my wife and I had recently purchased our first home) and try to make a go of it with my online venture, which was a hobby at the time.
I haven’t looked back since!
I strongly believe that everyone should do what they TRULY want to do. We get so wrapped up in convincing ourselves what is and is not possible, and often end up constricting our dreams (based on flawed logic I might add) in the process. I know firsthand that venturing out on our own can be really scary, and believe me - I still encounter many bumps in the road, but it can also be so much more rewarding!
Anyway, enough about me…haha
If you’d like to get in touch, feel free to send an email to b @ bentleychristie.com (no spaces) and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can.
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