About

I'm never certain of the right level of information to include here. I want to give you a view into who I am, but I also want to present myself as someone who would be an asset to your team. I don't want to give you my entire life story, but I want you to know the kind of story it is, and the kind of person I am.

Do I tell you that I've never been fired from a job? That the only time it even came close to happening was because I refused to do something morally reprehensible and possibly illegal? Do I say that I adopted a stray, sickly, three-week old kitten who has been at my side now for more than 18 years? Do I tell you that in contrast I'm bad at taking care of plants, but that I'm really trying to be better at it?

Is it an overshare to tell you that I'm an alcoholic, and that I've been sober for almost 4 years? Is it too much to tell you what drove me to becoming one? Does it matter if I'm on antidepressants? Or that I've taken to writing poetry as a healthy coping mechanism? Do you want to know what it means to me that I escaped the city I grew up in, one that had such a drug problem when I was a kid that HBO made a documentary about it?

This is my space, how do I best utilize it? What do I really want you to know about me?

Here's what I'll say: All of the above is true, and there's so much more. I've had a crooked path through life, as I imagine many of us have. I didn't really go to college, but traveled to "find myself" instead. I more-or-less stumbled into becoming a web developer and worked my ass off to stay on top, while also fighting tooth and nail to be considered a writer - even if (or perhaps especially if) only to myself.

I love horror movies, storytelling, board games, and good design. I love solving difficult problems. I love introspection and learning and growing. I love safe spaces, assuming positive intent, and admitting mistakes. I love honest conversations about difficult topics. I love putting my heart and soul into things. I love empathy.

The point is: if you're here, it can't just be for a warm body to fill a seat. I am not who you hire if you want someone to mindlessly push code or thoughtlessly edit text. If you're looking at me, it needs to be because you want someone who's going to use their experience and the knowledge that comes from a variety of backgrounds and interests to solve problems, some of which you don't even know you have.

If that's who you want on your team, please get in touch.