How I Work

This README is designed to help you understand my working style, preferences, and how to collaborate with me effectively. Whether we’re working on a project together, having a conversation, or just getting to know each other, this guide should give you a head start.

About Me

I’m in my early 40s, married to my partner Stephanie, and have a 13-year-old daughter named Vivienne. I’ve been running a digital agency for 18 years, which means I’ve learned to solve problems (often the hard way). Here are a few things that might help you understand how my brain works:

My personal mission is to empower people to solve problems. This drives everything I do, from the content I create to the way I approach collaboration.

I’m self-taught and like to figure things out, but I deeply appreciate when someone points me in the right direction. Give me a starting point, and I’ll run with it.

I love processes and developing systems. If there’s a more efficient way to do something, I want to find it and document it.

I like to crack jokes. Humor is how I handle tense or uncomfortable situations. It’s a deflection mechanism, but it also keeps things human.

I have ADHD and take medication for it. Some days are just “off” days where I can’t focus no matter what I do. I’ve learned to work with my brain rather than against it.

One of my ADHD superpowers is excelling under pressure. Deadlines and urgent problems? That’s when I’m at my best.

One of my ADHD struggles is completing tasks that don’t engage my mind. If something feels meaningless or repetitive, I’ll procrastinate hard.

I thrive on personal connection. If I relate something in my life to what you’re saying, I’m not trying to one-up you or make it about me. That’s how my brain makes connections and shows I’m engaged.

I can’t stand being late and am often over-apologetic when I am.

I love being outside. Camping, hiking, and fishing are some of my favorite activities. I also love a long road trip—it gives me time to think and listen to audiobooks.

I love animals. We have two standard poodles, Bennett and Belle, and six cats: Mama Mia (Mama), Fettuccine (Cheech), Gnocchi, Tyger (Ty), Lupin, and Pip.

Daily Routine

I work from my home office in the Central Time Zone. Mentally, I start the day strong but typically crash by 3:00 pm, especially on meeting-heavy days.

Morning (8:00 am – 12:30 pm)

I arrive at my desk around 8:00 am and tackle the most complicated task first thing. This is usually the highest priority item from the day before.
Morning meetings and collaborative work happen during this window.
I catch up on communications around midday.

Afternoon (12:30 pm – 6:30 pm)

Focused work, meetings, and one-on-ones.
I try to take a 15-minute break between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm to refocus when possible.
My energy dips in the afternoon, so complex problem-solving is better suited for the morning.

How I Lead

My leadership style aligns closely with servant leadership. I believe in leading by example and serving others to achieve collective goals. Here’s what you can expect when working with me:

Empowerment – I want to give you the resources, support, and autonomy needed to solve problems and succeed.

Active Listening – Your input matters. I want to hear your ideas, concerns, and feedback. Listening is how I make informed decisions.

Collaboration – I value everyone’s contributions and believe the best solutions come from working together.

Mentorship & Coaching – I’m committed to helping people grow, both personally and professionally.

Supportive Environment – I want you to feel comfortable taking risks and learning from mistakes. That’s where real growth happens.

Hands-On Support – During peak periods or when things get overwhelming, I’ll work alongside you to help manage the workload.

When I fall short of these expectations, please let me know so I can improve.

Communication Preferences

I prefer direct, effective communication. I struggle with ambiguity because my brain immediately starts trying to solve the problem.

Getting to the Question Behind the Question

The initially asked question is rarely the “real” question. Context is everything. If I don’t have background information on what’s driving your question, I might provide the wrong answer.

My preferred structure:

Action leading to the question + What you think/would like to do + What your question is

Example of a good question:

“I’m working on optimizing our site’s performance, but I’m hitting a wall with database queries. I’d like to implement query caching, but I’m not sure if that’s the right approach for our setup. What do you think about caching versus optimizing the queries themselves?”

This tells me what you’re working on, what you’re thinking, and what you need from me.

Example of a poor question:

“Did you see my message?”

This only asks for a yes or no. The real question is probably, “When can you respond to my message?”

A better version:

“I sent you a message earlier about the database issue. I need your input before I can move forward with the client. Can you review it and respond by end of day?”

Now I know where the message is, that I’m blocking you, and when you need my response.

Response Times

I try to be responsive, but my response time depends on the method and urgency:

Urgent issues: Call or text me. I’ll respond as soon as I see it.
Standard questions: Expect a response within a few hours during business hours.
Email: I don’t check email regularly throughout the day. Use it for formal communication or when you need a paper trail.

Meeting Preferences

I prefer written, asynchronous communication, but sometimes we need to meet. Here’s what works best for me:

Add a description or agenda to all meetings
I prefer meetings scheduled in the mornings when my energy is highest
Avoid back-to-back meetings when possible; a 15-minute buffer is ideal
Avoid scheduling between 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm CT if possible

How I Prioritize

I use the Eisenhower Matrix to manage my workload:

Urgent and Important – Do These get done right away. Unblocking people, urgent support issues, and critical decisions fall here.

Not Urgent, but Important – Defer These are significant for long-term goals but don’t require immediate attention. Project work, process improvements, and strategic planning live here.

Urgent, but Not Important – Delegate or Automate These must be done within a deadline but aren’t critical for me to do personally. Email triage and routine administrative tasks fall here.

Not Urgent and Not Important – Delete These feel meaningless or like a waste of time. If I feel shame spending time on something, it probably belongs here. Social media scrolling, unnecessary meetings, and transactional emails fit this category.

Decision-Making

I want to empower people to make and take ownership of decisions. If you’re bringing me a problem, please also bring your proposed solution.

When I’m gathering input for decisions, I’ll try to set clear expectations:

“I’m gathering information and will make the decision myself”
“I’m gathering information to share and decide with someone else”
“We’re going to make the decision collectively”

I encourage collaboration, but I also trust people to make good decisions without needing my approval for everything.

Feedback

I crave frequent, constructive feedback. I’m committed to continuous improvement and welcome your ideas on how we can work better together.

I’ll also give you feedback. If there’s an issue, I try to address it immediately rather than letting it fester. Direct, honest communication—even when it’s uncomfortable—is how we grow.

I like to praise publicly but address issues or conflicts privately. Once we agree on a resolution, and where appropriate, I’m happy to share what we learned with others so everyone benefits.

Final Thoughts

If something in this README doesn’t match reality when you work with me, please call me on it. This is a living document that should reflect how I actually work, not how I think I work.

I’m always learning, always improving, and always grateful for the people who help me do both.