Most used emojis
I'm a big fan of emojis to express emotion without saying anything. As a signal in remote working environments, it is helpful to know that someone saw or acknowledged your message.
Full storyMy workplace setup
I like to have everything I need at arm's length. Working remotely, a good camera (Logitec Brio), microphone (Elgato Wave), and lighting (Elgato Key Light) are essential. My desk is adjustable to allow me to stand for periods and not sit all day. My noise-cancellation headphones (Airpods Max) are a must, as my kids are homeschooled. I'm not too fond of wires, so having as many of my peripherals (Apple keyboard and mouse) wireless is crucial. I use a single monitor (LG Ultrafine 27") to force me to focus on fewer things at a time.
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Things that deeply motivate me…
I'm competitive by nature. Sometimes to a fault (e.g., my wife refuses to play Monopoly with me). Getting things done and progressing toward goals gives me a great sense of achievement. Winning speaks directly to my competitive nature. It hits me hard whenever I don't win, whether it be not achieving a goal or getting rejected when making an offer to a potential candidate. Learning as much as I can relates to my competitive nature, where I always compete to improve upon my prior success or achievement. I have the drive to be better and to be constantly improving. This drives my need to continuously learn new things to allow me to get better. As a manager, I am most satisfied when I can help someone grow. There's nothing more fulfilling than seeing someone unlock their potential through your encouragement and support. Looking back at my career, I can identify the people who helped me grow and unlock my potential. Something I only appreciated later in my life is the value of being able to be your authentic self at work. It is exhausting to pretend to be something you're not for a third of your working life (assuming you work around 8 hours daily). The constant need to put on another persona drains you and makes you miserable. Enjoying my work has become the most significant driver in my career decisions.
Full storyWhat's in my dock
Most of my day-to-day time is spent in a browser, for which I use Arc. I use Google Workspace's tools (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides) extensively and consider myself a power user. For communication I mostly use Slack and Zoom. My personal planning and note-taking happens in Obsidian, while formal work processes are captured in Notion. I use Endel when I need a productivity focus or Apple Music to just relax. 1Password helps me not have to remember any passwords.
Full storyMy areas for growth