Personal project stories

The issue, what I did, and how I fixed it

These are real engagements told in my own voice. I start with the operational problem, then walk through the work and the fix.

4 stories shared

Hands-on delivery

Momo Donair first

Website and growth rebuild

Owner-first context

No generic playbooks

Local volleyball club5 weeksMetro Vancouver, BC

A local volleyball club needed enterprise-level registration without redesigning their public site

Engagement: Custom registration system, WordPress theme parity, Payload CMS implementation

The issue

The club had outgrown basic forms and spreadsheets. Registrations needed to handle player tiers, waivers, emergency contacts, parent approvals, and waitlists, while leadership insisted the public website remain visually identical to the existing WordPress design.

What I did

Mapped the full registration lifecycle with staff, from tryout interest to confirmed roster placement
Built a custom registration workflow with multi-step validation, age-group logic, capacity controls, and admin-side review states
Modeled member, guardian, team, season, and document relationships in Payload CMS collections
Recreated the old WordPress theme structure in the new frontend so returning users saw no visual disruption
Implemented a page/content management layer in Payload using globals, reusable blocks, and role-based editing permissions
Connected the public site to Payload APIs so staff could update pages, announcements, and seasonal details without developer support

How I fixed it

Used Payload's code-first schema and access control functions to enforce who can view, edit, and approve sensitive registration data
Enabled auth features and account safeguards to support secure parent and player account flows
Structured content with reusable blocks so non-technical admins can manage pages while preserving the inherited theme layout
Kept frontend templates intentionally aligned to the old WordPress visual system so launch risk stayed low
Set up drafts/versioning-friendly editorial workflows so staff can stage and publish updates safely

Result

The club now runs a significantly more robust registration operation with cleaner data, fewer manual handoffs, and better control for administrators. At the same time, visitors experience the same familiar website design, while staff can finally edit content and manage pages through a modern CMS.

“We got the advanced registration system we needed without confusing our members with a brand-new website. The backend is far more organized, and our team can now update pages ourselves.”

Club Operations Lead

Local volleyball club, Metro Vancouver

Momo Donair1 weekNorth Vancouver, BC

Momo Donair: from outdated website to a brand owners are proud to share

Engagement: Website rebuild, performance tuning, dynamic menu updates

The issue

Momo Donair had great food and loyal regulars, but the website looked old, felt slow on phones, and did not reflect the energy of the restaurant. Menu updates required manual edits and customer reviews lived on separate platforms.

What I did

Spent time with the team to understand their in-store vibe, busiest customer flows, and what people ask before ordering
Rebuilt the website with a cleaner visual style that matches the brand and makes ordering decisions easier
Implemented a dynamic menu system so updates can be handled quickly without waiting on developer turnaround
Improved speed across core pages with optimized assets and tighter layout structure
Integrated live review visibility so new visitors can instantly see current customer sentiment

How I fixed it

Reframed the homepage around trust + appetite: clear food visuals, clear menu sections, and clear next actions
Removed friction in the content flow so users can find what they want in fewer taps
Set up a maintainable structure for menu data so pricing and item changes are simple
Connected social proof directly into the site so trust is not buried on third-party pages

Result

The business now has a faster website that actually feels like Momo Donair. The team can maintain the menu with confidence, and customers get a stronger first impression before they walk in.

“Ashwin was easy to work with. He understood what we needed, what our brand represents, and transformed it into a working reality. Within hours of sharing the idea, we had a polished final product.”

Owner

North Vancouver

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Local accounting firm4 daysGreater Vancouver, BC

A local accounting firm was drowning in cloud storage costs and folder chaos

Engagement: Synology NAS setup, migration, file governance

The issue

The team was paying heavily for cloud storage while struggling to find files quickly. Duplicate folders, unclear ownership, and inconsistent permissions made collaboration frustrating and expensive.

What I did

Audited storage usage, duplicate patterns, and team access behavior
Designed and installed a right-sized Synology NAS for local speed and reliability
Migrated files into a clear, role-based folder structure with better permissions
Configured backups and recovery policies so the new setup is safe, not just fast
Ran practical onboarding so staff could keep the system clean long-term

How I fixed it

Reduced unnecessary paid cloud usage by moving core workflows to on-site storage
Created a simple storage architecture people can actually follow
Standardized naming and folder ownership to prevent future file sprawl
Added backup guardrails so operational speed did not compromise resilience

Result

Monthly storage costs dropped, file access became much faster in-office, and the team now works from a structure that scales instead of fighting a growing mess.

“I got in touch with Ashwin and he was at my site within the day. He understood exactly what we needed and got us set up with a system that just works.”

Business Manager

Local accounting firm, Greater Vancouver

Independent pizza shop2 daysMetro Vancouver, BC

After-hours breach scare at an independent pizza shop required a full network reset

Engagement: Network segmentation, hardening, incident readiness

The issue

One compromised device opened paths to printers and other internal systems on a flat network. The owner needed a safer setup fast, without shutting down daily operations.

What I did

Performed a full network audit to map exposed devices and risky communication paths
Redesigned the network layout to isolate POS, office systems, printers, and guest traffic
Updated router and switch configurations, firmware, and removed unsafe legacy settings
Set up monitoring and provided a simple response checklist for after-hours incidents

How I fixed it

Separated the POS system, office computers, printers, and guest WiFi into different network zones
Restricted access between zones so a problem in one area cannot spread to others
Set up alerts so the owner gets notified quickly if something unusual happens
Created an easy-to-follow response guide so future issues can be handled quickly

Result

The shop moved from reactive fire-fighting to a segmented and easier-to-manage network with lower operational risk during both service hours and off-hours.

“Ashwin came in and sorted everything out in just two days. Now I can sleep better knowing our network is actually secure and I understand how it works.”

Owner

Independent pizza shop, Metro Vancouver

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