PinnedImpacting 639 people in 2020In this often disconnected and lonely year, I learned with and taught, collaborated with on projects, coached, interviewed, and facilitated 639 people. All remotely. Across two workplaces and five enterprises. Despite being laid off in February. Mostly during a pandemic. I’m most proud that I coached 218 people, taught 374…2020 Reflection2 min read
Apr 6Future of Work Reflections from a full-time consulting experimentToday I celebrate 3 months of full-time consulting as a principal with my firm Staircase Strategy. Because this isn’t my first [or only!] business, operational elements like becoming an s-corp and setting up contracts wasn’t the main challenge. …3 min read
May 26, 2020The two crucial types of “how” to address in remote meetingsFor many of us, the practice of “being in remote meetings” has been turned up a few notches, and not all of us are enjoying the experience. This article explores two critical elements of meetings that often get missed, but which greatly help creating better in-meeting experiences and after-meeting outcomes: …Future Of Work6 min read
Feb 21, 2020The future of work needs facilitation: How Applied Creativity and Collaboration Techniques Transform Teams (and Why It’s Critical, Now)The future of professional jobs is in transition: focus is shifting to integrative skill sets and workplaces that are self-organizing and inclusive, and away from both machinable skills and top-down hierarchies. As technology increases automation and its reach over logistics, attention is turning to the roles of collaborative, human-centered products [Deloitte], judgement [McKinsey], and creativity [BBH labs], in innovative workplaces. …Facilitation8 min read
Feb 14, 2020Using Design Thinking to Fix Your Money ProblemsEver feel like you’re just not getting anywhere with a financial goal or problem? You may be going about working on it wrong — and designing a different approach could help you get the traction you want. In order to have the financial outcomes you seek, first aim to make…Design Thinking13 min read
Sep 23, 2019Five Problems Teams Get Stuck On (and five ways to address them)I’m becoming fascinated by “stuckness”. I used to think that “stuck” was only for solopreneurs or underfunded arts orgs (like the ones I was part of); I thought it was a symptom. Fast forward years through projects, launched products and orgs I’ve run to today, as I coach teams to focus on human needs and…UX3 min read
Jul 12, 2019How to Throw Yourself a DIY Retrospective(as an artist with a community-based live art practice and a side of polymath) — I curated a DIY retrospective of my artwork, and it was awesome. Here’s how you can do it too. June 21–23, 2019 I showed a retrospective of my creative cultural production to date. I’m newly 40 and I wanted to take stock of the output of my community-based practice, as…DIY13 min read
Jul 8, 2019Values-first Redesign of Financial Services for a Social Justice Fiscal SponsorGetting and managing grants is a key part of sustainability for small orgs and projects. If the money’s not coming, it’s over. But — what about when the money IS coming but you’re not certain how to manage it? …Design7 min read
Published in Prototypr·Apr 16, 2019Your Social Enterprise Startup Guide: Social Impact Business Plans and Startup BudgetsIf you hope to make a positive social impact with your business idea, startup, or service offering and be financially sustainable, you my friend may too be a social entrepreneur! You’re in the right place to learn how to create a social impact business if you: Are a values-driven person…Entrepreneurship10 min read
Published in UX Collective·Apr 10, 2019Design as intervention: ethical methodsCentering people’s full experiences and the importance of self-determination when considering the impacts of design allows makers of all kinds to examine and create from a more ethical, systems-aware lens. “Without choice, no politics, no ethics lives.” — Marge Piercy Designers and experience creators are in the business of enabling…Design7 min read
