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Brandon
Hawley
Hi! I'm Brandon Hawley, a software developer, game designer, and father of three.
I love creating (and I have WAY too many hobbies). Some of my earliest memories are full of overstuffing notebooks with maps, stories, and mechanics I wished existed; a lot of them I'm still working on. With creating comes the challenge of "how." It's honestly what drew me to development. Anyone can have a cool idea, but how do you make it a reality? Can you break it down into actionable steps? Can you see it through to the end? It's not easy, but I like a good challenge.
My path here wasn't exactly straightforward, I spent my first year of college studying electrical engineering. (I also really like electronics and robotics... did I mention I have too many hobbies?) But that wasn't the right fit. I tried physical therapy as well, and found that was absolutely the wrong direction. I quickly moved onto Computer Science at Missouri Western State University, and boy was that a breath of fresh air. I loved my time there, and I was even invited to tutor Java my Junior year.
It was going great until the pandemic hit in 2020. Classes started getting canceled, everyone was struggling going remote, and to over-simplify it: I was paying thousands per semester to teach myself. I thought, "Wait a minute, I just got married, I have skills, and I already have a side business. I'm going to go all in and learn programming on the side." So I did.
Running Hawleywood Electronics gave me invaluable experience across a much wider range of technology than I had any business taking on (pun intended). It was exciting. So many fresh systems to learn, almost every job requiring something new. It also took a lot of my time and attention— significantly so. That was alright though, and expected. I worked around 60 hours a week and actually saw good growth in clientele and scope. But family life, and my dreams of programming for a career, started getting completely drowned out in the flood. Then our 9-month-old son passed away. And at that moment, something broke inside me.
The period that followed completely changed how I think about time, purpose, and the type of life I wanted to build. And gradually, I had to step away and reevaluate. Running Hawleywood taught me that success doesn't matter if it comes at the cost of the things that matter most. Hawleywood wasn't my calling, it was a stepping stone, one that led me here.
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present"
Every one of my software projects, on this site or otherwise, is a testament to not giving up on this dream. Each is an idea brought to life, a challenge solved, a piece of notebook paper actualized—something that wouldn’t exist if I didn’t make this choice. I hope you enjoy exploring my portfolio as much as I enjoyed creating it!
Thanks for stopping by!
"I have had the pleasure of working with Brandon for multiple years in a variety of capacities. I always appreciate Brandon's positive approach to his work and his immense wealth of knowledge. He is and has been an excellent asset to our team here at Cumoratek!"
"... We're pleased to have had Brandon as part of our team and wholeheartedly recommend him to any organization he considers joining. He is an invaluable asset to any team and working alongside him is a genuinely enjoyable experience."
