Applying a Testing Mindset — In Real Life In late September of 2020, my brother and I compared home renovation projects. I spent several months of COVID-19 quarantine ripping up carpet and laying a floating hardwood floor. I then spent several more weeks measuring, cutting, laying, and nailing in quarter round trim over all the gaps along the…

“All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you.” - Octavia Butler In the last couple months, we’ve seen an unprecedented number of white people (myself included) become aware and passionate about Black history in America. The thing that has struck me most, though, is how late…

Thoughts from someone who’s looked at a bunch of em. — Portfolios are hard. They’re supposed to represent your philosophy, process, work breadth, and skill sets. They’re supposed to tip the odds of getting a job into your favor. But every hiring manager, recruiter, and potential teammate has something specific they’re looking for in a candidate’s portfolio. …

Vernus Equinox Today most especially we hover in the balance. Day meets dark in equal parts, but we — we are tipping into the light. 2. Winter’s End Out of a season of pruning, pause, prudence, of waiting waiting waiting, we emerge: bony, ashen creatures lapping at dregs weary of cold hungry for light, wringing gray flake from…

Last fall, a coworker approached me with a question. They said, “Now don’t freak out, but — “ and I couldn’t tell you a word of what came next. My brain was stuck. When had I become the one who freaked out? I started asking people close to me, who…

Sitting in a coffee shop, in wintry pre-dawn light, my friend Nik and I were discussing the idea of positivity. Despite being a popular self-help trend for decades, we decided positivity wasn’t the point. Language was. The language we use shapes our reality. Ten feet away, the only other customer…

Recently, I put myself in a very awkward situation. Awkward for me — from the outside, no one could really tell that anything unusual was happening (I asked!). The experience lasted maybe an hour, but in the space of an hour, I went through an incredible range of feelings: resentful…