About Us

Hello, and welcome to TrainingMagazine.com!

My name is Steve O’Hearn, and I’m the founder of this site. Let me give you a little background about how we got here.

First, I happen to come from a family that includes a number of educators. I have uncles and aunts and other relatives who are or have been schoolteachers, or involved in training companies in some way. But that’s not why we’re here, that’s just an interesting connection … perhaps more so to me than to you.

In 1997 I started teaching classes in information technology for a company called Advantec Institute, which was the evening adult-training wing of Computer Learning Center. Advantec was focused on more advanced topics than CLC, and we had a great set of students and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a trainer. When Advantec decided to close its doors due to reasons having nothing to do with the program I was teaching, I collaborated with a business colleague, and we founded our own training company. I registered the domain name “databasetraining.com”, and we opened up for business in the Northern Virginia area, where we eventually taught a few thousand students.

We weren’t online at the time, few training organizations were. But we were quite innovative in that we provided online seminar registration, using a system I originally created from scratch. We also pioneered online interactive examinations that allowed students to take tests online. The online exam system included context-sensitive help, course suggestions, and delivered results back to instructors, as well as to those of us in the corporate office, in real time, with drill down analytics. Such systems are not unusual today, but were quite innovative in 1999 and 2000.

We sold that business in 2002. Since then, I’ve authored books for McGraw-Hill on topics of industry certification. I created a course for the National Press Club that taught members the skills of online news generation and the use of software in creating newsletters and working with press releases using electronic publishing systems. My work has included various consulting and other information technology services. I’m also working with a few colleges and universities in providing consultation on topics of online course delivery and related issues.

This site is the result of a number of discussions I’ve had over recent years with a variety of people in the fields of training and education, in media and journalism, and in the fields of information technology and new media “web 2.0” and even “3.0” areas. The general consensus is simple: at the place where these varied and fascinating fields intersect, there is tremendous upheaval in progress. Far-reaching innovation combined with geopolitical shifts in demographics, economies, and politics, are creating changes that are occurring more quickly than ever, resulting in both fearful uncertainty as well as inspiring and brilliant opportunity. There needs to be a place where the participants in these various fields can communicate, share ideas, run rumors to the ground, confirm new ideas, promote innovation, and encourage each other as we lead the world forward.

After all, that is what educators do – share ideas. So welcome to your site.

But wait, this is the “About us” page, isn’t it? Well – for now, “us” is just “me”, but that won’t last long.

• I’m currently working with the good folks at Atrexa, an important startup consisting of key individuals who have led print publications into online content delivery, and are actively working with a variety of corporate clients in delivering online training via webinars.
• I also have a team of advisors from the world of media, some of whom are household names, who are actively working to provide input and insight. As the site moves forward and the functionality matures, I’ll announce their involvement more formally and you’ll get a chance to meet them here.

And then there’s you. If you’re here, chances are you’re in the industry and have a vested interest in everything I’ve just spoken about. So join the community! Use this site to promote yourself, your skills, and let’s work together to make each other “rock stars”.

That is, after all, what we do.

Thanks for visiting, and please enjoy the site.

– Steve

P.S. Questions? Contact us!