Public speaking is for wimps. Try public singing. This past Sunday I invited a dozen of my neighbors and their families to our house. They started to arrive around 3pm, just as a few select neighbors pulled up with their guitars and bass amps. I’d spent the preceding several weeks acquiring some new equipment: Two… Continue reading Becoming a better public singer
Why I’m applying to be an instructor at DVC
Here’s the cover letter for my application to be a part-time adjunct marketing instructor at Diablo Valley College (DVC). In essence, I’m doing this because I’ve really enjoyed every opportunity I’ve had to speak, volunteer, and recruit at DVC. Prior to reaching out to a professor there just over a year ago, I didn’t know… Continue reading Why I’m applying to be an instructor at DVC
A few days of radioactive seclusion
Part 1: My Thyroid Got CancerPart 2: My Thyroid Got Cancer: 1 Year LaterPart 3: The Thing That Won't Go AwayPart 4: Here I Go AgainPart 5: And Now A Bit of Certainty The pill is smaller than you’d think. It’s oblong with red and white caps. It comes in a cylindrical container, tapered at… Continue reading A few days of radioactive seclusion
Dealing with public speaking panic attacks
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