Hi, I'm Marlon

Here are a few notable things about me:

• I'm the author of multiple best-selling books, including The Smart Home Manual and The Personal Cybersecurity Manual.
• I've published over 200 articles on my blog and other publications.
• I speak at conferences and appear on podcasts a few times a year. I focus on smart home, cybersecurity, and home technology topics.
• I’ve had a winding career. I’ve been a financial planner, a director of independent living programs for children, a software engineer, a data analyst, a college instructor and an IT director. I’ve worked at Fortune 500 tech companies, tech startups, non-profits, financial services firms, social work agencies, universities, and more. I’ve found the common thread in jobs I enjoy is work that directly serves and helps other people. That’s why I write technology self-help books and provide online courses. I love helping people achieve their goals. 

I mention these things to let you know that I've accumulated a lot of home technology expertise over the years and that I have experience teaching others how to successfully make the most of the home technology that is out of there. Through my courses and books, I can help you achieve your smart home and other home technology goals. I teach from experience.

Some of the companies I've worked with

What is HomeTechHacker Academy About?

I created HomeTechHacker Academy so that I could help more people make the most of their home technology. Some people can learn all they need from scouring the Internet for hours. However, many others might need an organized how-to book and/or detailed visual instructions to accomplish their goals. That's where HomeTechHacker Academy comes in.

Home technology that improves our lives should be accessible to everyone. You don't need tons of experience or degree in computer science to make your home smart, improve your home network, or practice good cybersecurity habits. You just need good, to-the-point, and entertaining instruction to get you there. That's what we do! in addition to our best-selling technology how-to books, HomeTechHacker Academy provides online self-paced training courses that consist of:

• Bite-sized and easy-to-digest 5-10 minute videos
• Written instructions that accompany the how-to videos 
• Checklists and resource lists to help you after you've completed a course
• Self-assessments to help you ascertain how well you've mastered the material, and what sections you may want to revisit

We offer some free courses so you can see what we are all about. You can also search through my blog for all kinds of free advice and resources about home technology. After that, be sure to come back and check out our books and other courses!

My Story

I’ve wanted to make technology work for me since I was a young child. The advanced technology of TV shows like The Jetsons and Star Trek inspired my interest in gadgets that make home life more entertaining and fulfilling. As a child, the first home automation I ever created was programming the cable box to change the channel to ESPN at 8:00 p.m. every day so I could watch SportsCenter. Not everyone in the house was happy with that programming, but I thought it was great!

My passion for technology remained a constant force in my life. I’ve spent most of my career in technology—working as an IT help desk technician, a software developer, a business systems analyst, and eventually an IT manager. Although I love that IT management allows me to strategically direct the work of others, I really miss the hands-on technical work that I used to do.

I’ve filled that hole by taking on various technical projects around my house. I first started building my smart home around 2006. I spent a lot of time trying to stream media throughout my house. I ended up learning a lot about home networking, cybersecurity, and streaming media devices. I learned the value of automation and remote access to my home as I branched out into installing timers for my outdoor lights, a Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat, and an Internet-connected home security system.

My smart home projects have grown over the years. Piece by piece, I've added more and more smart lights, smart plugs, smart switches, smart door locks—the list goes on. Friends and family were constantly asking me for help with their homes. They inspired me to start blogging about projects. The response to my blog was extremely positive; Many people contacted me for help and advice with their smart home projects and home network improvements. Over the past couple of decades I've assisted and consulted with others on dozens of projects. Some of my favorite projects are custom smart LEDs that can be used for various holidays and events throughout the year, like below:

I love helping people, so next I decided to write some books to help make the home technology I love more accessible to others. I truly believe that anyone can do most of the projects I've done, they just need a little assistance.

I know books aren't for everyone, and that's why I started HomeTechHacker Academy. I want to reach even more people and share the utility and joy of technologically advanced homes while helping everyone stay safe and secure online.

While you're here, go ahead and get our free resource guide!

It's filled with a listing of resources that can help you make the most of your home technology, as well as checklists that can keep your smart home, home network, and cybersecurity efforts on track.