In 2013, my life took an unexpected turn when I sustained multiple injuries to the right side of my body during a freak fall playing soccer.

The impact was devastating.

A torn ACL, torn meniscus, fractured kneecap, broken wrist, and torn TFCC cartilage (this is in the wrist).

I was 28, and this was already my 3rd ACL tear.

I was shattered and found myself suddenly facing a daunting road to recovery.

And because of my broken wrist, I couldn’t use crutches.

Which meant I had to lay on the couch for days just to walk again.

The real problem?

I was supposed to leave for New York City in 6 weeks for a coding academy.

However, because of my wrist injury, I couldn’t type on the keyboard, let alone prepare for this program.

And typing is kinda important when it comes to learning how to code.

The clock was ticking and I had to make a choice.

Option 1: wait half a year, rearrange everything, join the next cohort, and not be in NYC.

Option 2: don’t wait and figure it out.

It was in this defining moment that I embraced the challenge of learning something new under time pressure, that I decided to not let life hold me back.

So I chose option 2.

And I began to learn to code…while typing with just my left hand (I’m right handed).

From morning until night, this is all I did.

My inspiration and drive stemmed from 4 pivotal factors that transformed my life: the dream of living in NYC, being at the forefront of an expanding industry, my eagerness for change, and overcoming a challenge.

I did eventually learn and took off my cast 1 day before boarding the plane to NYC.

A few months after the academy, I ended up being one of the first students to land a full-time developer position, where I ended up programming at WeightWatchers for nearly 4 years.

When I asked my new manager why he took a chance, he took a sip of his water, smiled, and said, “I didn’t hire you just because of your technical skills, but when I asked you to explain what Angular (computer program) is, you did a great job communicating it.”

That’s when I knew that while I was a rookie developer at the time, where I excelled was socializing, communicating, and connecting with others.

Now, I embark on a new challenge.

To help developers who experience social awkwardness amidst our increasingly lonely, disconnected, and technology and AI-driven society.

Not with their coding skills, but with their social skills – personally, professionally, and romantically.

Many high-performing socially awkward men often find themselves trapped in their own thoughts, hindering their ability to connect with others.

You can’t date if you don’t know how to talk.

You can’t talk if you lack social skills.

You can’t improve socially if you have 100 thoughts.

So, the first step is addressing the foundational problem: learning how to start conversations, comfortably.

Here’s a free framework to help you do just that.