Bang!

The gunshot sends a shock through my body, like a kick that travels from my ears down to my feet. I launch from the starting blocks on to the track and clear the first hurdle with ease. My heart beats proudly and as it knows my mind and body are in it to win.

By the second hurdle, all I can see is an empty track ahead of me with only the sound of wind in my ears; I am in the lead. With every step, I am pulling ahead from the pack. As a grueling hurdle event, my competitors…

The day I started college, I wanted to work for Microsoft.

As a state college student, I was told Microsoft is too competitive; a job offer there was this mythical prize always just out of reach. I placed that prize up on a pedestal and made it my #1 goal by graduation.

I spent 4 years at college maximizing my candidacy, courting Microsoft along the way. In my senior year, I made it to the final interview summit in Dallas, TX. The night before the moment of truth, I had an epiphany.

I didn’t want the job.

I’ve been turned…

A great story starts with a great image. Our eyes dance around thumbnails and glaze over much less exciting text. A stunning image stops us in our tracks, giving titles and subtitles a chance to reel us into the writer’s story.

I like to use abstract images and scenery for my stories. But sometimes I need a human photo. I normally follow the advice of other writers by searching a stock photo library until an image “speaks to me”. The idea here is that if I pause on a photo, readers will too.

But there’s a problem with that approach…

“How many times do I need to explain my situation? Who here can actually help me? Why are you looking at me like I’m from Mars?!”

If you’re hearing these questions, your customers feel alienated. They’ve become Martians — exiled from the Earthly products and services they seek.

Martians can be spotted anywhere, but they’re easily found in a few places: the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the doctor’s office, and of course, the IT support hotline.

In user experience (UX) design, Martians are often written off as edge cases. But here’s the reality:

Every single user journey is an…

BUSINESS HAIKU

Before: From the Desk of Management

As a relationship-based organization, cross-functional collaboration is paramount to the success of our strategic initiatives. Regardless of merit or organizational intent, it is often said that “culture eats strategy for lunch.”

In an effort to tighten feedback loops and cross-pollinate ideas across organizational silos, we’re asking management consultants to continue to focus on iterating strategic collateral with key stakeholders. This will mitigate the risk of strategic planning “in a vacuum” and cultivates a more transparent organizational posture.

Our internal operations partners are integral to the rapid delivery of net new capabilities in support of speed to market in an increasingly…

Love it or hate it, the new Star Wars trilogy made history. Forget about film critics — I’m talking about the technology.

It was one of the first times a major movie featured an artificial performance by the deceased.

Imagine how this trend might affect the music industry in the near future. In fact, it is already happening!

Music as Performed by Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artists have been experimenting with algorithmic composition in music for years. As AI continues to advance, it’s role in music is growing:

Artists can already use Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to randomly generate phrases as inspiration for new songs. …

Last year, I took a hard look at going back to school for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). I visited several campuses and attended sample class sessions. I narrowed it down to the top three schools I would consider. I researched the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and almost scheduled a test.

But then I paused, reconsidered, and filed my research away for another day. It didn’t feel like the best decision right now. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Other Opportunities Are Put on hold

Why not get an MBA? First, there’s a cost. We all know graduate school is expensive. …

Like many of you, I entered the world of writing gushing with energy and hope. I wanted to kick things off with a bang! I worked hard on a story that represented one of the greatest contributions I can make to help others. It was my masterpiece. So I thought. We all have that one story burning inside us. It’s not like the other stories. The genuine passion bleeds through and our experience speaks volumes. But I implore you — do not publish that story.

The learning curve will murder your masterpiece

Nothing ruins hard work like rookie mistakes. I’ve made quite a few so far, and…