Michael Mahan - Email Developer

“If you want something you never had before, you have to do something you’ve never done before.” This quote describes my journey.

I came from the non-profit education sector and was a teacher (after-school, summer camp and Pre-Kindergarten) for ten years. I’m a family man and I was burnt out, vastly underpaid and didn’t know what I was going to do. I searched on Youtube for “best jobs for career-changers” and web development was one of the options. In April 2022, I went to FreeCodeCamp and began their responsive web design course. I struggled a lot as their courses are taught terribly. I completed the coursework but I had no idea what I was doing. I thought I could get a job with just that certificate but it wasn’t enough. I took the loss and kept teaching.

In March 2023, I found Joe and Coding Phase on Youtube and learned about the specific career paths of web producer and email development. I signed up for the diamond membership and jumped into the courses. Coding Phase courses on HTML, CSS, content management systems and email service providers were taught with care and are super understandable. Coding Phase made coding make sense and gave me confidence that freecodecamp didn’t.

Unfortunately, before I finished my courses I had to leave teaching and took a warehouse job. By October 2023, I had finished the web producer and email development career paths. I started networking on LinkedIn with other Coding Phase students to build connections. I learned very quickly that I needed experience, as I struggled to get interviews. I volunteered my services to build websites and emails for friends and family and local businesses. At the same time I was applying to jobs and I was getting interviews but I kept falling short in the final round. I learned that there is a psychological and mental fortitude needed during the interview process; especially when you do everything right but still don’t get the job. It was definitely a rollercoaster process because I was also balancing family and the long hours at my warehouse job which kept me out of the accountability meetings while trying to break into the field. I got knocked down many times but I kept getting back up and betting on myself. In May 2026, my LinkedIn network came through with a job lead. I nailed the interview and secured an email developer role at a very nice company. The money is life changing. I can’t thank Joe and Coding Phase enough. I’ve been through a lot but I’m in now. And you can get in too! Get your diamond membership, do the work, be adaptable and stay positive!