A Long Overdue 2-Year Progress Report on Me

Whoa… Can you believe that it’s been just over two years since I last blogged here on my personal website??? That’s mind-blowing. At least, for me, it is. I used to blog here all of the time. Well, I’m going to be blogging here more often now. There are many reasons for that. For one, I have stuff to say. Read on for some more the other prominent details.

For things that are more strategic- and/or business-related, you'll most likely find those articles on my business website, Upendo Ventures.  Everything else will be here.

A lot has been going on over the past two years...  (I mean, there’s much more than this, but these are some highlights that I don’t mind sharing now.)

Upendo Ventures

First, I've been growing my business.  Upendo Ventures is going strong.  Our team has grown and we cover a variety of platforms and services now.  Basically, nearly anything not PHP-/LAMP-based.  That includes Sitecore, SharePoint, Umbraco, Sitefinity, and even Squarespace.  Our services now include monthly social media account publishing/management and content generation/marketing. 

We also have a lot of very interesting things coming down the pike.  Much of it even my team doesn't know yet.  I can't wait for them (and you) to find out!

WillStrohl.com Upgraded

Next, I accidentally applied the wrong upgrade DNN package to WillStrohl.com just over two years ago.  Due to what happened and how, the only real way to truly recover from it was to rebuild it from scratch.  It was necessary anyway because this website has been around and getting upgraded for many years now.

As of today, I'm very proud to announce that this website is running the latest and greatest version of DNN (and other software).  Woo hoo!  ( It was also very refreshing to take care of a lot of housekeeping on this website that I’ve put off for years now.)

Health and Fitness

If you don't already know, I used to be a fitness maniac a long time ago.  It was originally inspired and informed by being a wrestler in high school, then a U.S. Marine.  I learned a lot back then, but over a year ago I found out that nearly everything I learned about fitness and nutrition is as outdated as bellbottom jeans. 

I've been on a very regimented fitness and nutrition program that I put together myself, based on a lot of ongoing research.  I've been tweaking it about every two months or so, but the results are outstanding.  In less than a year, I dropped about 40 pounds (~10% body fat) and I've seen my muscle mass grow about 3-4%.  I'm currently at my high school weight, but with more muscle mass.  I would say I'm in the best shape of my life, but my high school self could probably kick my ass. 

My current workout routine is 3-4 days of weightlifting followed by cardio, with rest days or yoga in between.  My diet loosely follows a paleo-style diet, but I'm usually only eating one meal a day (a.k.a., a non-strict version of the OMAD diet).  ( By the way, I wouldn't recommend anyone just jumping to either of these routines - I worked up to it over the course of months. )

Besides the obvious visual and health benefits of OMAD, I really love that I spend less money on food and I spend a lot less time planning, preparing, cooking, and eating food.  It's like I quit one of my jobs or something.  I have so much more time back in my day. 

New Year, New Me

Yeah, I also don't like that cliché.  It's fitting though.  I first notice a receding hairline when I was a teenager.  It's slowly grown since then, and last year, I decided to give up on it.  Why fight it?  I decided that I didn't want to gradually fall into the combover hairstyle trap.  So, I'm embracing it.  I began buzzing my hair last October and then shaving my head altogether about two months ago.  I must say, I love doing this. 

This hairstyle only requires that I manage it 1-2 times per week.  I don't need any hair products, really.  I don't have to worry about wind, rain, hats, or how I put on my shirt.  Oh, and I save a ton of money on not getting haircuts anymore. 

Add to that a goatee.  That's not really new for me, but I usually only kept it for up to a month at a time.   It's mostly here to say at this point. 

New Headshots

When these changes first came about, I wasn't sure if I'd keep them, but I've gotten overwhelmingly positive feedback from both personal and professional sources.  So, I kept it all that way for about 6-months before deciding to keep this as my new "me."  The result?  New headshots!  You add it all together, and I'm like a whole different person!

I know I've kept this fairly brief, but I hope that this inspires someone.  If you have any specific questions, please leave a comment.  I'd love to chat with you more.  Have a good one!