Aaron's Journey: From Software Engineer to Personal Growth Advocate

A Career Forged in Code and Leadership

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Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my journey — it means a lot.

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My professional story began in 1999, when I was a business major at San Diego State University and found myself captivated by the early world of web development. Starting with ASP Classic and later embracing .NET, I quickly discovered a passion for building things that mattered. Over the next decade, I grew from Senior Engineer to Architect, gaining not only technical depth but a deep respect for teamwork, leadership, and continuous growth.

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By 2013, that passion for leadership took center stage. I transitioned into management and scaled a development team from three to seventeen engineers, overseeing software development, QA, and DevOps. A few years later, as a Director, I helped grow an e-commerce personalization startup from 30 to over 150 employees — leading the engineering team through a successful acquisition and a relocation to Austin, TX.

My path then led me to New York City as a VP of Engineering, where I restructured offshore teams, rebuilt trust across departments, and helped stabilize operations during a critical growth phase. Professionally, I was thriving. Personally, life was about to teach me something deeper.

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The Crucible of Transformation

Despite the outward success, I faced a series of difficult personal challenges that ultimately led to my incarceration in the Texas prison system. It was the lowest point of my life — and the moment I realized that growth isn’t always about climbing higher. Sometimes, it’s about rebuilding from the ground up.

I had a choice: to give in to regret and self-doubt, or to take responsibility and use the experience to become stronger, wiser, and more grounded. Through faith, family, and an unwavering commitment to self-improvement, I chose the latter.

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It was during this time that I created PPF, and ultimately PPF Success: Positivity. Patience. Focus.

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Discovering the Power of PPF

In the hardest season of my life, I discovered that mindset isn’t just about motivation — it’s about survival and growth. Over time, the PPF framework became my compass:

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Positivity — The first step toward any change is choosing to believe in possibility, and sometimes hope. Positivity reframes your outlook and transforms setbacks into stepping stones. It’s not blind optimism — it’s the quiet conviction that you can rise again.

Patience — Real transformation takes time. Whether you’re rebuilding a career, a relationship, or yourself, patience creates the space for progress. It reminds us that growth happens one step, one day, one decision at a time.

Focus — Clarity fuels results. By identifying what truly matters and concentrating on the few things that move you forward, you build steady momentum. Focus isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what counts. Focus on one or two things and get them right. Your probability of success dramatically decreases if you focus on 10 goals at a time.

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These principles carried me through adversity, and they continue to shape the way I live, lead, and coach today.

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Empowering Others Through PPF

Out of that transformation, I founded PPFSuccess.com — a platform where I bring together decades of experience in software engineering, leadership, and coaching to help others unlock their own potential.

Whether I’m working with professionals navigating career transitions, leaders developing stronger teams, or organizations striving for clarity and execution, my approach is grounded in the same philosophy that guided my own growth: Positivity. Patience. Focus.

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My journey wasn’t easy — but it gave me perspective, purpose, and a calling to help others turn their challenges into breakthroughs.

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If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to understand not just what I do, but why I do it.

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Stay P.P.F.
 

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- Aaron

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