Senior Laravel/Livewire Engineer + IT Director building secure, maintainable systems across application, platform, and operations layers.
name: Stephen Sawyer
roles:
- IT Director
- Senior Full-Stack Engineer
- Platform and Operations Lead
primary_stack:
- PHP
- Laravel
- Livewire
- SQL
extended_stack:
- Python
- JavaScript / TypeScript
- PowerShell
- Bash
operating_systems:
- Linux
- Windows
- macOS
mission: Build systems that are fast to ship, hard to break, and easy to operate.
signature_projects:
- TALLstack (RBAC + admin API template)
- PodDashboard (OTP auth + session API)
- MyLife RPG (gamified productivity platform)
- Codex Web (browser UI for Codex CLI streaming)- Production-ready Laravel 12 + Livewire 4 apps with clear architecture and strong defaults.
- Security-first auth flows: Fortify, OTP, verification, rate limiting, and policy-based authorization.
- Admin and internal tools with role/permission systems, versioned APIs, and practical operator UX.
- Real-time and evented workflows, including SSE streaming interfaces and resilient server-side validation.
- CI-backed engineering discipline using Pest, Pint, and repeatable deploy commands.
| Project | Summary | Stack |
|---|---|---|
| TALLstack | Laravel + Livewire admin starter with RBAC, policy checks, versioned admin API, and CI-backed reliability guardrails. | Laravel 12, Livewire 4, Fortify, Pest, Tailwind |
| PodDashboard | Lean pod/event management app with passwordless OTP sign-in and session-authenticated API endpoints. | Laravel 12, Livewire 4, OTP auth, Flux UI |
| MyLife RPG | Gamified productivity engine with quests, habits, XP/leveling, achievements, and stat progression. | Laravel 12, Livewire 4, Fortify, Pest |
| Codex Web | Browser console for Codex CLI sessions with SSE streaming, resume support, and strict workspace path boundary validation. | Laravel, Livewire, SSE, CLI orchestration |
| MTG Card Bot | Discord automation bot for trading-card workflows and utility commands. | Python, Discord API |
- I lead IT as a systems operator who can define policy and implement the platform.
- I build maintainable Laravel/Livewire products with practical boundaries, test coverage, and deploy discipline.
- I connect engineering and operations across Linux, Windows, and macOS environments.
- I automate repeatable work with Python, PowerShell, SQL, and shell tooling.
- Laravel 12 + Livewire 4 systems with strong auth, authorization, and API contracts.
- Internal platform engineering: admin templates, dashboards, and real-time tooling.
- Reliability patterns teams can keep running after handoff.
- High-leverage automation that reduces operational drag.