17 Years Later, Here We Are!

You know what might seem a little crazy?

This domain was purchased back on June 25, 2009. It wasn’t too long after we had arrived home from BC Children’s Hospital with our daughter Natali. At the time, she was less than a year old and had been diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease. Her case was so severe that she was declared a Wish Child recipient.

In 2009, we were told that Natali likely wouldn’t survive very long, and that we should spend as much time with her as we could.

It was during that time that I knew I needed to find a way to be home with my family. At the same time, I still needed to provide for them.

I had an amazing longtime friend from an earlier season of my life who was running a business from home. He encouraged me to take something I had been doing as a hobby and turn it into a business.

So, on June 25, 2009, I purchased this domain. Little did I know at the time that it would be the beginning of a career decision that would change so much of my life.

Long story short, after months of continued care for our daughter, we returned to the hospital and were told that Natali had made a miraculous recovery. Something the doctors didn’t believe was possible had actually happened. With continued monitoring and support, our daughter could potentially go on to live a pretty long and normal life, aside from some lasting side effects.

Fast forward more than 17 years, and this is actually the first time I’ve ever created a website specifically for Wisekal.ca.

For all these years, it’s mostly just been a placeholder. I’ve always had a vision for what I wanted to do with it, but never really pursued it. There was always something else on the go, another project to finish, or something that simply took a higher priority.

And here we are, all these years later, and I’ve finally created a custom-developed theme specifically for our family website. It’s a design I’ve had in my mind for a long time, but never really took the time to piece together and bring to life.

I’m pretty excited to finally have something here that isn’t just for me to enjoy, but hopefully for others too!

So, what’s with the family header on the homepage?

Well, it’s meant to be an interactive way to click into our online lives.

As many of you probably know (I mean, something led you here, right? Maybe you know us from somewhere online? Or maybe you’re just snooping? lol), we’ve always had a variety of things on the go.

We’ve run businesses online, been involved in local missions and nonprofit work, and I’ve dabbled in web design and development for most of my life. Starting back in the ’90s, again throughout the late 2000s, and even more so in the 2020s.

It’s kind of crazy to think about how long I’ve been involved with technology, watching it change and grow while getting to use it firsthand to build things along the way.

Anywho…

The idea behind the homepage is to give you a clickable way to explore our little online world.

There’s my Build With Purpose business, where I offer web design, development, hosting, domain registration, SEO, and a whole lot more. It’s something I’ve been passionate about for years, and I really enjoy getting to help others with their own ideas and projects.

Then there’s my beautiful wife, Desiree, who runs her own business, Wisekal Virtual Solutions, offering a range of professional services including coaching, marketing, and virtual administrative support. She works alongside individuals and businesses, helping them stay organized, navigate challenges, and achieve their goals. She’s also currently working toward becoming a certified counsellor, further expanding her ability to support and encourage others!

And then there’s Natali.

Maybe you’re looking for some amber jewellery? Or perhaps something crocheted, handcrafted, and made with love?

Natali has been blessed with so many gifts and talents, and I love seeing her use those gifts to create things that others can enjoy too.

It’s pretty amazing when I think about where this all started back in 2009, and where we are today.

What started as a way for me to find work that would allow me to be home with my family has grown into so many different things over the years.

And now, finally, this little domain that has been sitting here for more than 17 years gets to be a place where we can share some of those things with you.

So have a look around, click on a few things, and see what we’ve been up to.

Welcome to our little corner of the internet!