Built Under Pressure: Growing Up Military, Staying Focused, and Building a Career | Ep 22

My wife Teri flips the script and interviews me.We talk about how the world feels different now—more tension, less freedom for kids—and how technology went from dial-up and MS-DOS to modern software and frameworks. Then we get into what actually shaped me: growing up mostly homeschooled, a stretch in public school, being bored when things came too easily, and how OCD/obsessive tendencies showed up in real life.From there we go practical: why deadlines and pressure pushed me forward, why I finished school the way I did, and how I taught myself to program—using edX, mentors at work, and sheer repetition—until I moved from analyst to software developer.We also talk about growing up in military culture (commissary, BX, base housing, moving often), what surprised me outside that “tribe,” and a parenting truth I learned the hard way: what you require of your kids ends up requiring something from you too.📍More from the podcast: https://www.brentonpeckpodcast.comHashtags:#discipline #softwaredevelopment #homeschooling #parenting #OCDChapters (YouTube):00:00 Role reversal — Teri interviews Brenton00:46 How the world changed (tension, safety, people)02:01 Technology then vs now (early web + modern frameworks)04:28 Biggest challenge growing up: talent vs hard work08:41 Parenting, homeschooling, martial arts, and discipline at home09:52 OCD/obsession and how it shows up in adulthood12:22 Focus, interruptions, and getting work done with kids13:54 Favorite books + why story matters16:34 Books vs movies (adaptations + expectations)17:55 Pressure, “I can’t,” and learning hard things19:10 Back to school with a deadline (why math)23:33 “Do or die” discipline24:05 Applied math → software dev (teaching myself to program)31:51 The long college road (residency/transfers)34:27 Advice for drifters: vision, deadlines, and direction42:18 Homeschool vs public school (creativity + ADHD misdiagnosis)50:00 Growing up military: commissary, BX, and moving a lot1:04:12 Biggest surprises: leaving the military “tribe”1:06:23 Parenting truth: what you require of kids pulls it out of you1:08:09 Closing thoughts