About Chris
I’m moving through Life along the “thread of excitement”.
Since much of my professional life overlaps with my personal life, I’ve gone through a few transformations since starting my entreprenurial journey in 2015. At this point, I realize exactly what my gifts are because they always bring be back to center when I’m out of balance. Now I choose to live in a way which may be familiar to some:
1. Acting on my highest passion to the best of my ability.
2. Taking it as far as I can for as long as I can, with no insistence on the outcome.
3. Remaining in a positive state no matter what happens.
4. Exploring any negative belief systems that come up, and dropping the ones which no longer serve me.
Photography is my first love, writing a close second. As such, I’ve always felt the urge to share, so “C. Duayne Pearson” is my platform. No witty or esoteric blog name, no hiding behind the scenes, just me publicly being a work-in-progress while staying true to my ikigai (here’s a great primer on ikigai if you’re new to the concept).
You’ll find honest photos and honest words here. I’m at my best when I’m no longer overthinking and holding on to work I’ve been led to create. As I mentioned before, I have no insistence on the outcome of anything I do. I simply move based on inspiration and see where it takes me. If nothing else, I just enjoy the process and beauty of life
I’m big on helping others, so aside from sharing my work, learning from other people, and building a community here, I hope to bring more awareness to different topics I cover and organizations I mention.
First Welcome! If you’ve stumbled here from 31/30 Design, you’re at the right place. In this digital age where time is valuable & personal introductions can be rare, I think it’s fair to offer an honest glimpse into who’s running the business so you can trust your instincts.
Back in 2013 I was a very well-paid US government employee fast-tracking to retirement, but feeling imposter syndrome on a daily basis. A rekindled passion for photography, and a series of major life events around that time (some of which you can read about here & here) caused me to have my first “awakening” moment to what really mattered in life. I had plenty of money, but I hated my job, barely saw my family, and knew I wanted to do something more meaningful.
So like any well-intentioned, ambitious family man high on past success and the proliferation of “be an online entrepreneur” podcasts, I quit my “safe” government job and jumped into the labyrinth of full-time entrepreneurship shortly after our second daughter was born.
After a swift and painful fall, I learned/improved upon a few technologies & skills on the way back up such as:
Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Lightroom, Photoshop), Amazon Audible Audiobook Publishing, Amazon FBA, Amazon Kindle & Print Publishing, Blockchain Domains, Business Finance, Canva, Capture One Pro, ChatGPT, Confluence, Cloudflare, Conquering Doubts, Copywriting, Crypto Integration, Die Deutsche Sprache, Dropshipping, eCommerce, Elementor Pro, Email Migrations, Event Photography, German, Google Workspace Administration, Graphic Design, Hacked Website Recovery, Jira, Mailchimp, Membership Websites, Patience, Payment Processors (PayPal Business, Square, Stripe, etc.), Project Management, Privacy Compliance, Repairing Neglected Websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Squarespace, The Wonderful World of Taxes, Website Audits, Website Automation, Website Development, Website Security, WooCommerce, WordPress Site Management, Working across timezones and cultures, & many more things I’ll add to this list as they come to mind.
Like many ambitious entrepreneurs, I still struggle with never feeling like I’ve done or know enough–aka Imposter Syndrome. I list my skills above as a reminder to myself more than anything. I utilize them for personal projects, and mainly to serve fellow entrepreneurs & artists through 31/30 Design.
Other related experiences:
- From 2010-2016 I was a network/server admin for the US Department of Defense where I managed shared network & server resources for an organization spread throughout Western Europe. This included managing access through Microsoft Active Directory, Windows physical & virtual server management, hardware procurement, Cisco router, switching, and WLAN administration, and more.
- From 2003-2010 I was active duty with the US Army, including deployments to Afghanistan (2005-2006) and Iraq (2007-2008). During this time I managed Windows servers and desktops, Cisco network & VoIP devices, cryptographic devices, small tactical teams in garrison and combat environments.
- From 2001-2003 I worked for Karibu Books, the largest African-American bookstore chain in the US at the time. That experience (along with working in my father’s business in my youth) fueled my desire to be an entrepreneur one day–and to never fear the process. (I may add this later as part of something larger like a blog post) [ADD IMAGE; THE KARIBU LOGO AT A MINIMUM]
Due to my broad experience, it’s been hard to define what I do. ”Web designer” or “web developer” never seemed to fit because I’ve always solved problems that fell outside of the scope of just “web design”, leaning more into strategic thinking such as building revenue systems & cost-benefit analysis of major changes on a live international website. I think an accurate description is that:
I serve as a trusted problem solver/tech advisor for a number of small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the United States & Europe. I focus on security, efficiency, & reducing risk for the owners of business websites.
Focusing on those three things means:
- I do not believe in cutting corners; cheap or “free” technology creates expensive problems and/or irreparable damage
- I do not believe in locking clients into contracts
- I believe every client should have a full understanding and access to their website(s)
- I believe I work best with clients who have a business mindset and clear goals they’re working towards
After serving many great clients since 2017, I’ve decided to narrow my focus on a handful of long-term partnerships, serve at the highest levels imaginable, and give back via referral payouts & philanthropic efforts. From the start, I’ve always aimed to provide the best solutions and maintenance for clients of all sizes–sometimes at a loss as I learned the business and how to be sustainable.
If you’ve invested the time to read what I’ve invested the time to write, I appreciate it and consider that a positive indicator. Apparently, I’ve also achieved the goal of keeping the reader engaged. Feel free to peruse my blog and check out some of the projects I’m working on as well!
Interested in working together?
Artist Bio
By day and night I am a father, husband, and entrepreneur. I spend most of my days providing web strategy for small businesses & non-profits through 31/30 Design. When not doing that, I’m either doing something photography-related or writing.
A Few Organizations I Support
