There are people who can talk and talk and talk. You know who I’m talking about. They have opinions on pretty much everything and can relay facts and anecdotes on any topic. And they like to share it all. Then there are people who write prolifically. It’s their main medium of communication. Ask them to… Continue reading Dealing with public speaking panic attacks
Four simple truths about entrepreneurship
I'm going to give a solo speech this week at Diablo Valley College. I'm the headliner of the event. It's going to be an hour and a half (!) and is part of a "Business Beyond the Classroom" series that the business department has been doing annually for three years. I'm excited about it. Scared… Continue reading Four simple truths about entrepreneurship
Back to the office and back again
I'm just going to say it. Offices should be optional. They are a tool to be used when you need them, not a mandate, not an expectation, not an assumption that the tool is always needed. I'm not saying that offices are useless and face-to-face interactions are not worthwhile. I want to be clear --… Continue reading Back to the office and back again
Read Write Play: Q2 2019
This quarter there was not a tremendous amount of reading or writing. But playing was good. Very good. Here's the usual summary of last quarter's progress. Read I tried to start on my design curriculum. I really did. I purchased Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner, a drawing book at the local Amazon store… Continue reading Read Write Play: Q2 2019
The things we all want
Yesterday was July 4, and on this day for the last four decades my neighborhood has held a day-long celebration of community and country, in that particular order. I was reminded how much this neighborhood is cherished by an older woman I sat next to. Her son-in-law was raised on the street where we spoke,… Continue reading The things we all want
How to bring more businesses to Contra Costa County
I recently joined the Business Advisory Board in Diablo Valley College's Business Administration department. I thought it sounded like not only a great way to volunteer, give back, and meet similarly-minded people in my community, but also I was simply impressed that DVC had this. What better way to prepare business students for the real… Continue reading How to bring more businesses to Contra Costa County
Building a family culture
Today is Father's Day, June 16, 2019. It's my fifth one as a dad and my thirty-sixth as a son. Last night my girls, exhausted from a day playing in the cul-de-sac and then romping all around UC Berkeley with our neighbors, went to sleep blissfully early. My wife and I watched an hour-long episode… Continue reading Building a family culture
On nine whole years of marriage
Note: my wife did not know I was going to write and publish this. I am a lucky man. I think most people in my neighborhood would recognize this. My wife is friendly, attractive, likes to cook and do laundry, is a wonderful mom to my daughters... and works! She makes a lot of money.… Continue reading On nine whole years of marriage
What my grad school experience meant to me
I write this from Cambridge, MA. I took the red eye last night, flying in from SFO. There used to be a lot more flights out of OAK a decade ago when I did this trip several times a year. Now they are few and far between. This time I have a house and a… Continue reading What my grad school experience meant to me
What I’m most afraid of
I started writing this post at my most recent Contra Costa County Sustainability Commission meeting which was aptly held on Earth Day. Since then I've been thinking more about this content, tossing it around in my head. The problems I described, just in the past month, have only gotten worse: historically high temperatures in the… Continue reading What I’m most afraid of