The real story here is spending time with the revered and adored Ms. Avery – my youngest son’s third-grade teacher several years ago, who made a career change into software engineering a few years ago. She and Chris contacted me about speaking about my experiences in the industry and currently at GitHub, and I jumped at the chance! We had a great time discussing how I got started in tech, how I switched from IC to manager, how I moved to Hawaii, how I love being a Hubber. And oh my goodness, Cool Beans was so fun haha

Also, the fact that this is coming out now seems at odds with how much I’ve been thinking about so many in tech whose jobs have been cut recently. I get it – I’ve been there before. It’s so jarring, and can give you a lot to think about from uncertainty and insecurity to self-worth and confidence. Please hang in there, y’all – know that there’s options out there, and you can and will also create your ultimate life. I promise it’s doable, and there’s no need to rush. Process, stretch, and repeat. You got this.