About Humanear
Hi, I'm Phil.
I've been in tech since 1991 and running Humanear since 2001. When you call, you get me. Not a ticket number, not a call center, and not a different person every time.
The short version
- 1991
Joined Gateway Computers in tech support, during the years the PC went from novelty to necessity.
- The '90s
Taught myself HTML and moved onto the team building Gateway's website, right as the web took off.
- 2001
Laid off. Took the severance, skipped the job search, and started Humanear.
- The 2000s and '10s
Websites first, then email, hosting, networks and phones, because clients kept asking.
- Today
A virtual tech department for small businesses across Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, plus web clients nationwide. Now with a lot more automation.
The longer version
I worked at Gateway from 1991 to 2001. I started on the phones in tech support, picked up HTML along the way, and ended up working on the Gateway website. If you were in Siouxland back then, you know what Gateway was. It was a great place to learn.
When I got laid off, I decided I didn't want another job. I took my severance and figured out what I wanted to do for a living. Building websites seemed like something I could probably do. In hindsight I had a little impostor syndrome, but it worked out okay.
Over the years, the same clients who hired me for a website started asking about their email. Then their Wi-Fi. Then their phones. Small businesses don't need five tech vendors who don't talk to each other. They need one person who sees the whole picture. So that's what Humanear became.
Humanear is me, plus a small bench of trusted contractors I bring in when a job calls for it. Either way, you deal with me.
About the name
Yes, it's from Blue Velvet.
A friend and I used to watch David Lynch's Blue Velvet a lot. Early on, the main character is walking through a field and finds a severed ear. He takes it to a detective, and there's a deadpan exchange where everyone agrees: yep, that's a human ear.
Somewhere around the thirtieth viewing, I told my friend that if I ever had a business, whatever it was, I was going to call it Humanear. We had a good laugh.
Then I got laid off, and I kept my word.
It started as a joke. It turned into the whole idea: listen first. Most problems get solved faster when someone actually hears the whole story.
How I work
Four things you can count on.
Listen first
I want to understand how your business actually runs before recommending anything.
Prevent, don't just fix
Most clients come to me with a fire. They stay because the fires stop.
Plain English
You'll understand what I did and why. No jargon, no mystery invoices.
Yours is yours
Your domain, your data and your accounts stay in your name.
Let's have a conversation.
It never hurts to talk. Tell me what's going on and we'll figure out whether we're a good fit.