Investing 101
You can’t afford not to invest your money if you want to save it or grow it. If you hide it under your mattress it’ll be eaten by inflation, and if you keep it in savings accounts, the bank will lend it out making seven percent of it, and then give you less than one […]
How I Work
This is a short exercise so you can see a snapshot of how I work. Location: Carbondale, IL Current gig: Financial Analyst and Web Designer at Pepsi MidAmerica Current mobile device: Iphone 6 Current computer: Dell Inspiron 13-7353 One word that best describes how you work: Focused What apps/software/tools can’t you live without? I use […]
Big Challenges Require Small Steps
When you look at a towering challenge, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Learning Ruby on Rails, a new language, or writing a book, can’t be done it a day. Instead, it requires repeated practice investing the cumulative power of completing small tasks every day. You have to take steps toward your goal, not just learn […]
The Value of Integrity
Integrity has power far beyond Judeo-Christian principles. When I think about integrity my first examples are relating to friendships, but it shows up in all acts, big and small. But it’s also crucial in business because it lowers the opportunity cost of capital. Contracts, which are legally-enforceable agreements, drive business. The cost of contracts are […]
Top Three Skills
Here are my top three skills to demonstrate why you want to work with me. Initiative I get shit done, whether it’s solving business’ problems or writing engaging content. While planning is essential, I jump to solve problems. When I was training at Pepsi, I noticed several pricing discrepancies in the software. When I asked […]
5 Traits I Will Improve
Reflection is an essential part of my day because it provides a diagnostic for what parts of me need work. Below are five I’ve found so far. Grit I’ve been building grit for the past three months by going to the gym immediately after work. I meet my friend Brian there to workout because he’s […]
Lessons From Six Years of Journalism
These are lessons I’ve learned from over six years of journalism work for anyone considering entering the field. Overview The goal of a newspaper is to make money. Without money, it can’t hire reporters, check the government, or file FOIA requests for investigative stories. Journalists often get paid poorly because print media is dying, newspapers […]
The Myth of the Overnight Success
I become skeptical every time I hear about someone being an overnight success. Success is built on the process of becoming great; it’s not something with which you awake. If you just look at the end stage of success, you miss the endless grinding, failure, and pain that it took to get there. Success is […]
The Future of Work
The nature of work has changed drastically since my parents were my age. The norm used to be to work for one company until you retire, and then receive a pension and live out the rest of your years with a deep loyalty to that company. I remember my grandpa cursing at John Deere tractors […]