Hi, I’m Wendell Payne. There are a lot of things I want to share but most of all I
want to work with everyone towards being able to have financial freedom.
Along the way I’ll share some of my 40 years in technology, 22 years in karaoke, fun stuff, food, and lots more. Billy Joel said, “If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time”, and I’m finished wasting my time.
I’ve worked since I was 15 years old and as of March 2023,
that will be 55 years of working for the “man”.
By the end of this year, I’m done. Going to do all the things I love including my family, karaoke, and more.
I’m looking forward to enjoying my family, friends, and
Karaoke as we all gain financial freedom.
Technology Career
Wendell Payne started career as a college intern at early computer timesharing company providing services to fortune 500 companies. Moved to full time as programmer analyst. Then moved on to juvenile furniture manufacturer as senior software engineer and promoted to manage information technology. Wendell then moved to the pharmaceutical industry as a Manager Information Technology.
In 2001, founded information technology consulting business from ground up, providing hands-on support to over 40 small businesses, including network support, website design and hosting, e-commerce development, and custom programming with PHP, MySQL, and .NET In 2013, began work as a QA Automator with a credit card processing company and within 60 days was leading a team of 30 QA automators. In 2015 became the manager of SDLC tools, then moved to manage DevOps, cloud, and microservices and promoted to Development Directory supporting a team of 22 across USA and India. Team builds AWS and Azure infrastructure and creates automated pipelines for product delivery. The company has had many acquisitions and mergers and is currently one of the largest fintech companies in the world.
Karaoke
Hosted Karaoke for 20 years while working full time, and then while running two businesses.
Wendell Payne was the licensee for the Karaoke World Championships USA from 2007 to 2013. During his tenure as licensee, Payne oversaw the organization and management of the competition, which included local qualifying events held in different cities across the United States, regional finals, and the national finals.
Under Payne’s leadership, the Karaoke World Championships USA continued to grow in popularity and gained recognition as one of the premier karaoke competitions in the United States. Payne also worked closely with the Karaoke World Championships organization to ensure that the competition adhered to the international standards set by the organization.
In 2013, the Karaoke World Championships USA was acquired by a new licensee, and Payne stepped down from his position. However, his contributions to the competition and his dedication to promoting karaoke as a form of entertainment are still recognized and appreciated by many in the karaoke community.
The Karaoke Battle USA was a televised karaoke singing competition that aired on ABC in 2011. The competition was produced by Fremantle Media and was hosted by Joey Fatone.
Wendell Payne was the Executive Producer of Karaoke Battle USA. He oversaw the production of the show and played a key role in the selection of contestants and judges. Payne’s experience as the licensee of the Karaoke World Championships USA was instrumental in bringing the show to the airwaves.
The format of the show was similar to other singing competitions like American Idol and The Voice. Contestants from across the country auditioned to compete in the show, and a panel of judges evaluated their performances. The contestants were then divided into teams, and they competed against each other in a series of challenges.
The show was broadcast for six episodes, and the winner of the competition was declared in the final episode. The prize for the winner of the competition was $100,000 and a recording contract with Hollywood Records.
While Karaoke Battle USA only aired for one season, it was a significant moment in the history of karaoke competitions in the United States. The show helped to bring karaoke to a wider audience and demonstrated the popularity and appeal of the karaoke format.
The winners of the Karaoke Battle USA television show in 2011 were Josh Scholl and Cassandra Jopp and went on to represent the USA in the Karaoke World Championships in Ireland where Cassandra won the female championship.
Family
I am the oldest of a family of 6 and we grew up as children of an army drill sergeant that he really accomplished many great things that I will share later. We got used to moving every 2 years or more growing up
I have a daughter and a son. I have no relationship with my son due to divorce conflicts and other issues. I have a great relationship with my daughter although I don’t see her, her husband, or my grandchildren as much as I would like. But then again that is why I am doing this now.
Today, my wife and I, have a 15-year-old rat terrier and 22-year-old Quaker parrot.
Future
I am building my affiliate marketing and going to help others do the same. I am working hard to have it replace and double both of our incomes by the end of the year and more by March 2023. I also want to do this all in 3 hours a day or less and have complete freedom to go anywhere and anytime.
So far, it is going very well, and I will accomplish my goals. Do you want to join me?