Category: working (page 2 of 2)

November 7, 2013 / 0 Comments

My Desktop, My Mind

“People should see how we’re living.” – Lorde, Buzzcut Season

I made this revelation on twitter today:

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I was sure this was a boring tweet. A meaningless little victory of efficiency for me that had no bearing on anyone else. I was wrong. It sparked a conversation for the rest of the morning about mac setups and app choices and the approach to work.

It was sparked, for me, by this MacWorld article. I was surprised to see how many people don’t use things I use on the regular and how unique our setups are. This line was the most fascinating:

“I sort the apps in my Dock by color, because my brain remembers where things are by where they fall on the color spectrum.”

— Faith Korpi

What?! Perhaps our desktops are windows into our minds.

So, here, let me open the blinds…


Fullscreen_11_6_13__5_23_PM.pngFullscreen_11_6_13__5_23_PM.png

I’m currently using a 13 in. Macbook Air. At work, I have a large monitor that I use as a second screen. At home, I mostly stick with just the laptop screen although, occassionally, I use my iPad as a second screen using Air Display and, once in a blue moon, I’ll use our gigantor HDTV just because I can but that’s just me being silly.

As of today, I have my dock exposed and mounted to the left side. Previously it was docked at the bottom and hidden. So far, I like this new placement.

My dock is sorted by apps in order of usage and only features apps I use regularly. I use Chrome, Rdio, my mail program (as of today, trying out postbox), iCal, tweetbot, and evernote most. I just recently bought the MS Office suite after tiring of having to convert my beloved Keynote presentations into less awesome powerpoints that I couldn’t fix after conversion without opening a different laptop. When I’m at work, these all are open on the laptop screen.

My desktop stays pristine. I do not leave files up here.

On the second monitor, I place my browser windows. Usually a standard chrome window and a chrome incognito. If I’m testing something, firefox and safari will go over here, too.

I use full screen apps on both monitors (thanks Mavericks) and do a lot of swiping.

I use Launchpad a lot, too. I’m learning to use Spotlight more but it doesn’t come to mind first.

I use a program called EVE to remind me to use keystrokes over mouse strokes. This is a habit I’ve found hard to break.

Wallpaper is by Sam Ellis and from The Desktop Wallpaper Project.

So, that’s me.

What’s your brain, uh,  desktop like?

 

October 16, 2013 / 0 Comments

My Tumblr is Tryin’ to Tell Me Somethin’

“If I were you I would say yes.” – Margaret “Shug” Avery, Maybe God Is Tryin’ to Tell You Somethin’

Make something people will love. 

“We used to have Internet companies we loved. This isn’t rose-tinted nostalgia about The Good Old Days; The apps were uglier, and harder to use, and less popular back then. But we rooted for the companies that made them, because we knew that the people who made Flickr, or Blogger, or Movable Type, or Upcoming, or Manila, or Delicious, or countless other early social apps really loved the web. We loved the web because it changed our lives, permanently and for the better. That is, in fact, what I was really grieving for almost a year ago when I wrote The Web We Lost. But I was wrong. That web isn’t lost. It’s just dormant.”

— Anil Dash

Make something people need.

“The world needs sustainable, profitable, vibrant content companies staffed by dedicated professionals; especially content for people that grew up on the web, whose entertainment and news interests are largely neglected by television and newspapers.”

— Jonah Peretti

Know why you’re making it.

“[T]he best brands focus not on what they do or how they do it, but why they do it. Find your why and you’ve found your story. Transcend category by focusing on your role in people’s lives. Compelling brand stories speak to values, to what your brand stands for and why it exists.”

— Scott Donaton

Be the change.

“The job of the change agent is not just to surface high-minded ideas. It is to summon a sense of urgency inside and outside the organization, and to turn that urgency into action. It’s one thing for leaders to use fresh eyes to devise a new line of sight into the future. It’s quite another to muster the rank-and-file commitment to turn a compelling vision into a game-changing performance. My friend and Fast Company cofounder Alan Webber puts it well. Progress, he likes to say, is a math formula. It only happens when the cost of the status quo is greater than the risk of change. That’s why the third principle of change is for leaders to encourage a sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo, to persuade their colleagues that business as usual is the ultimate risk, not a safe harbor from the storms of disruption.”

— Bill Taylor

Think the best of people.

“Design everything on the assumption that people are not heartless or stupid but marvelously capable, given the chance.”

— John Chris Jones

Know your principles and values.

“Designers would do well to embrace this parent-as-designer comparison. There are limits to how much you can control the life of something you’ve created. What matters is being clear about your principles. Then you can have faith that the final product will turn out fine.”

— Baratunde Thurston

Quit coasting.

“I want you to think about something.
Maybe you’re like me: coasting along, doing okay, not lacking for anything material. You have a good life.
What else is there? Oh, that’s right: everything.”

— Chris Guillebeau

Okay. 

September 5, 2013 / 1 Comment

One Year After “The Red Wedding”

“Tell me lies and lullabies but don’t tell me to change.” – Rhye, Last Dance

A year ago today, me and 100-150 of my friends and colleagues were laid off. Months later, a friend would call it The Red Wedding in conversation. I laughed a hearty gallows laugh at that idea. The Rains of Castamere didn’t play and, all things considered, it could’ve been worse: it was over quickly; most, if not all, of us got soft landings from the Company; the vast majority of my colleagues that I keep in touch with are working again and began work pretty close to their own needs & timetables. It was still traumatic, though.

But, you know me, I’m not one to dwell.

I do, however, want to take stock of what I learned and am still processing in the aftermath.

1. Letting your personal identity be dominated by where you work is a trap. Jobs come and go. You, what you do, how you do it, and how you treat people while you do it remains. And, more than that, I’m continuing to realize how important it is for me to lead a big life outside of the office rather than being overly focused on being big within it.

2. Beloved brands and great content do matter. Outside of the people, the thing I most miss about that gig is the constant delight around the types of stories we were trying to tell and showcase. That, and the dogged obsession with creating and presenting great, uplifting content, isn’t everywhere. It’s hard to do and sustain.

3. I’m still figuring out what I want work to mean for me. I know I like doing work that I’m proud of that people I respect will respect. I know I like solving strategic problems. I know I like helping to tell stories. I know what that looks like for me today. What I don’t know is what I want that to look like three or five or ten years down the line.

4. Life goes on. I’ve been laid off twice in my career. Outside of a few moments to mourn and acknowledge the change, the rest of my life quickly filled in where work had been. Real stuff that matters keeps happening: Illness and death; little victories and moments of joy. The people and issues that I care about got the attention they deserve. I am learning to keep that in balance with the needs of work.

A year ago today, I attended The Red Wedding and survived. A year later, I feel more balanced and more thoughtful about my days and actions. A year later, I’m just as optimistic about the future and more aware of the realities of work.

Twelve months does wonders for perspective. 

August 22, 2013 / 2 Comments

A Trio of Thoughts

“The name of the game is you.” – Raymond Scott, Lightworks

It’s been two weeks since we launched the re-design of Examiner.com. It’s product design and strategy I’m proud of and I might find some time to talk about it but, at the moment, I’m in the dumps.

Summer is ending. The exciting big bulls-eye of that project is gone. And, now, I’m in the slog of things. Thinking a lot about the meaning of work both personally and professionally.

This trio of thoughts I came across yesterday are helping me come to some resolution.

All good ideas are terrible until people realize they are obvious. If you’re not willing to live through the terrible stage, you’ll never get to the obvious part.

– Seth Godin 

The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to the art.

– Junot Díaz 

I trust, at some point, it’ll make sense but, for now, let’s get to work. 

November 8, 2012 / 0 Comments

Mr. No Days Off

“Call the crib. Same number. Same hood. It’s all good.” – The Notorious B.I.G., Juicy

Monday was my last day as part of The Walt Disney Company. This coming Monday I start my next gig. I’m excited about it and it’s a big challenge that I’m ready to take on but I’ll reveal more about that after I’ve got a few weeks under my belt.

As I’ve gone through the process of finding this next move, I’ve learned a few things about myself and about the current work landscape.

1. Digital has matured. The last time I was in the job market, 7 or so years ago, the web (I think we still called it that then) was still the wild west. You were more likely to meet an self-trained-hobbyist-turned-internet-guru running something impressive as you were to see a comp sci person or properly trained online expert. Today, in Los Angeles where traditional media is fighting extinction and startups and serious digital first companies have opened up shops by the hundreds at the beach, this is no longer the case. People know what the hell they are doing and digital initiatives aren’t relegated to the back room. You better be on your game. 

2. Relationships and conversations, real face-to-face, voice-to-voice communication still rule. I used linkedin and RiseSmart in some key ways—resume re-writing, lead generation, and first contact—and they were great for that (glassdoor and indeed are cool, too. Monster was not useful at all) but actual movement came from talking to people. Old bosses, mentors, acquaintances, loose connections—from these individuals came possibilities. And support and comfort. And they happened on the phone, over coffee, at a pub, via video chat. A text message or an email just ain’t gonna do it.

3. Your resume is about what you did not your titles. Sure, your portfolio is great but what shows that you can think, problem solve, and adapt? A good shop and hiring manager isn’t just looking at where you’ve worked in the past. They know when you say you’ve worked on social media or strategy or something nebulous like that that they can’t see what you did by you showing them a link. If you can’t answer the question, “but what specific things were you responsible for” in a real way or talk through how you solve problems on the spot, you’re in trouble.

4. Work is work. Always be honing your skills and using them in meaningful ways. Pro Bono consulting is a real thing. You know people. Get them around a table and work on that great idea and see if its something. Say yes when someone else needs help with their thing. And give it your all. Good work doesn’t always require a paycheck in the layoff happy reality of our current job culture. Sharing your expertise now pays off later.

Of course, none of these are absolutes and everyone’s job hunting experience will be different but I thought about these things every day of my search and, every day, I felt like I was on the right path even if I didn’t know where the journey would end.

That certainty saved my sanity. And, here I am, with no days off.

October 4, 2012 / 2 Comments

fun.

“None of us trying to lose.” – Wale, The Number Won (Competition)

Do the extra work not because you have to but because it’s a privilege. – Seth Godin*

Scene: Interior. The couch. Family room. Our house. 1am.

The infomercials are coming on. The house is quiet but for the creaks and the click-clacking of the keyboard. It’s work. Extra work, even. I fire off an email right before closing the laptop. “I’m having fun :-)” is the opening stanza.

I’d repeat those words again at lunch  today. It’s been the key phrase of the week.

I’ve been working on a few projects over the last month, none of them for pay. These are passion projects for friends or for myself that happen to take advantage of my career skills and talents. There are real constraints in these projects but not around how I work on them.

I get to use the tools I want. I get to try things and say things and imagine the infinite possibilities.

There’s no system. Processes are yet to be defined. My role itself undefined beyond “helper monkey” “trusted advisor” “that dude”.

And I’m having fun.

I could get used to this.

*hat tip to Michelle who quoted that Seth Godin bit on her tumblr today.

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