Meet Michael Collins
His background and his story
This page is supposed to be About Us.
About us, as Michael’s Engraving [affectionately known as mgravin29], or About Us as in the people behind Michael’s Engraving. So let me introduce myself, my background, my accomplishments, and what motivated me to make a move toward Laser Engraving, a place I never dreamed I would be.
So, if you don’t toot your own horn, no one will know who you are when you’re gone.
I am a certificated, educated, and results-oriented professional of many different technologies.
I have a deep background in Communications Security as an Automatic Secure Voice Communications Technician, Fixed Ciphony, both wideband and narrowband communications with T Sec HY2, KY3, and KG13.
I designed and built the Marine Corps’ 1st Tech Control facility, and designed and built the first 3 color camera TV studio for the Combat Center in 29 Palms.
In cooperation with ‘Mitre’ Corporation, I managed the Marine Corps’ first (Short-haul) Tactical Fiber Optic Program, co-authored, and presented the only DOD paper that was approved for the 26th Annual International Technical Symposium for Optical Engineers in San Diego, California.
I wrote the curriculum for and piloted the first in-depth classroom technical training at the Marine Corps Communications and Electronics School, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms for the Mobile Data Communications Terminal, the AN/TYC-5b.
I was the owner and operator of a local computer business where we built and repaired custom computer and network systems for 22 years. Along with my team at Collins Computer Innovations, affectionately known as CCI.
We pioneered the Internet in the Morongo Basin and were its first Internet Service Provider. Additionally, we were instrumental in designing and installing the City’s first wireless network infrastructure for connection to the Internet.
I held a 14.5-year teaching position with the Morongo Unified School District, Twentynine Palms High School through the San Bernardino County Regional Occupational Program in preparation for certification in the Comp TIA Industry. These certifications were Computer Security+, Computer Network+, and A+ Certification.
Additionally, I taught Office Operations, Foundations of Information Technology, and Digital Design with an emphasis on Adobe’s suite of industry-standard products that include Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, and Dreamweaver.
My most recent area of teaching was Cyber Literacy, which was a hands-on curriculum that built a strong cyber foundation for high school students. The course introduced students to cyber by blending robotics, programming in both Parallax Basic and C++, electricity, electronics, and elements of liberal arts.
I’ve learned that Process is power. As I matured, I became a producer, and I am the quintessential doer of many creative types. People-oriented, analytical, pragmatic, and dynamic, I have a highly creative nature that’s balanced by grounded realism and a get-it-done attitude.
In my eyes, an idea has real value only when it’s turned into something that others can enjoy and benefit from.
Highly goal-oriented and results-driven, I have pursued desired outcomes with a laser-like focus. I derive great pride and satisfaction from my ability to implement ideas and find joy in the process of creation with all its ups and downs. I have grown into a natural organizer with an ability to motivate and inspire others, I have gravitated to collaborative and leadership roles.
I have learned to make everything, and everyone work together to see a project through to the end.
Along with my intellectual prowess and strong work ethic, my greatest strength is my ability to keep a cool head and single-pointed focus as I work through any and all challenges that arise during the creative process.
But while I’m keeping my eyes on the prize, I don’t get too fixated on results. My greatest challenge is anchoring my productivity in a deeper sense of purpose. I’ll tap into my true creative depths when I can tune into the voice of my intuition and use it as a source of guidance. I seek out the company of idealistic and imaginative dreamer types, who remind me that there is limitless inspiration to be found within.
I let the dreamer spark my imagination and inspire me to think even bigger.
During the COVID era, I lost my job of teaching job of 14.5 years and my wife of 50 years. The depression coupled with grief was starting to take its toll on me. All of my firsts and creativeness disappeared as I sank into a place of darkness. My oldest son was not happy watching this change in me and wanted to help me find my way back.
Several years ago my son and I bought an old Massey Ferguson tractor. We paid $2500. I believe I paid $1500 and he paid $1000. It sat for a few years and started to deteriorate. The desert heat along with lack of use, the tires started to dry rot and the bucket broke and needed welding. Someone knocked on my door and offered me $800 for it. I talked with my son about it and he suggested that we sell it. I offered the $800 to my son. He said we should use that money to purchase some Laser Engraving equipment. In past years while attending trade conventions, I was always impressed with the people there and their laser equipment. So we bought 2 Fox Alien diode lasers. The learning curve was steep, very steep for me. I believe it is because of my deteriorating mental capacity which comes naturally with age. I am no longer as sharp and quick as I used to be, but it wasn’t long until we had learned to engrave all kinds of materials like wood, ceramic tile, stainless steel, etc. The items we are engraving were starting to get expensive and pile up, so we need to find an outlet. We spoke with the man who ran the local Farmers’ Market and was invited to participate.
We were greeted and given a prime location to set up. We came back the next 2 weekends and planned to make this an every Saturday event. We purchased 2 additional laser engravers, Popup tents, tables, covers, and so on so that we would have a respectable and professional-looking booth.
Then we were served an unexpected curve ball. We were told that because there were 2 other vendors marketing similar products, we would not be allowed to attend the Farmers’ Market again as a vendor, but after some discussion between the man that runs the market and the other 2 vendors, they decided that they would allow us to set up our booth one day a month; the 1st Saturday of the month, but no more.
It sure would have been nice if the management would have shared this information with us before we got so invested. I was told that the other engravers complained that they were losing business because of us and the policy was to have no more than 2 like vendors. What the Farmers’ Markey manager didn’t understand was that there was really only 1 other engraver there beside us, but there was also a plasma cutter, which he lumped into being an engraving vender. The engraver and plasma cutter and 2 totally different trades.
I began to question the manager’s methods which he took personally and proceeded to ban us from the Farmers’ Market and any place else he could in the Morongo Basin that he had influence.
The exclusion of any business from the Farmers’ Market, based on the products sold by said business conflicting with the sales of others, is fundamentally Un-American. In 1890, congress passed the Sherman Act as a comprehensive charter of economic liberty to preserve free and unfettered competition as the rule of trade. Section 2 of the Sherman Act prohibits the monopolization or attempt to monopolize ANY part of trade within the United States. This promotes competition in commerce, which ultimately benefits the end user of the products.
Playing the Sherman Act card might be an overstatement, but after all, competition among businesses is what drives innovation and affordable pricing. To compete in a Free Market, businesses must choose competitive pricing for their products. This is a protection for consumers, essentially restricting the amount of price gouging a company can inflict on its customers. This also forces competitive businesses to follow the most up-to-date regulations if they want to retain their consumer base.
Competition is good for businesses as a whole, and the consumers who use their products. Denying participation to a business at the Farmer’s Market, because they infringe on the sales of others, goes against the free market system that this country runs on today. If consumers choose one booth over another, that is a free market in action. Giving the consumers a choice, instead of forcing them down the only available route.
Since our exclusion, however, we have been invited to attend other events in the area, from Morongo Valley, Pioneer Town, Landers, Yucca Valley, and Joshua Tree.
We have since purchased a 3rd Diode laser engraver, a 50-watt Fiber laser engraver, and a 100-watt CO2 laser engraver with a built-in Chiller to keep the laser tube cool.
I purchase an office-style storage container which we have placed outside of my home which is now called the Laser Shack which holds our equipment.
We have created a Facebook Page for our engravings along with an Instagram page. We are considering possibly selling our Custom Engravings on Etsy and maybe a Shopify Store. We decided a website might be a great addition to our business. We have done a lot of Custom Designs and engraving for customers all around our community and around the country, shipping Custom products to Texas and North Carolina.
We hope you enjoy visiting our site and reading about how it came about.
You are appreciated.
Respectfully,
Michael Collins