#26 - Ask Me Anything No. 1
Welcome. Thanks for joining me as I celebrate half a year of newsletters! To mark the occasion, this is a special “Ask Me Anything” edition. We have two questions from our community that I’ll answer and this week’s tech tip is also inspired by a question from one of those folks. And a special thanks to Russ and Idris for “buying me coffee” last week!
Photo of the Week
It was a wonderful week this week! While I didn’t take this picture, it’s still the photo of the week. Please join me in welcoming Stetson Kendall Monroe to the world. My perfect little great nephew was born on August 2 to my nephew Aaron and his wife Kylee. His big brother Flynn and doggy brother Guinness were also very happy to welcome him. I look forward to hopefully meeting Stetson in person this week. And, I’ll have yet another big family announcement to share for next week’s photo of the week.
Ask Me Anything No. 1
I never got good enough at planning podcast episodes out to figure out how to do a “very special episode” every 10th or 25th or even 50th. Should I get my newest podcast idea off the ground, that will be a designed feature from the start. That said, I am doing that with the newsletter and every 26th (every half a year) will be a very special edition with a theme that encourages reader involvement even more so than usual. Remember - I love anytime you hit reply and ask a question or just share an update.
Question 1: As you think back over your work career so far, what one day would you say was your absolute best day ever. And of course, why?
Thanks to my friend Russ for this question.
My career was marked by incredible days - watching students graduate, teaching and seeing a real light bulb go off for students, and celebrating big accomplishments with our team.
There is one specific day that I can picture perfectly in my head - which of course means my memory of it is probably a little off because that’s how memory works. That said, I do think it is the best day ever.
I took the job of Executive Director of Finance, Facilities, and Information Technology at the Ivy Tech Richmond campus just after ground was broken on the new $21M facility that came to be known as Johnson Hall. There were a LOT of ups and downs in that project due to a steel bracing issue that caused a serious delay.
When I started that job, I had just finished my coursework for my doctorate. I did my comprehensive exams in the first six months and then worked 10+ hour days at the college and then went home and spent 3+ on my dissertation. I was blessed for many reasons to live right next door to my parents during this part of my life. Not the least of those reasons was that if I didn’t stop and eat/pick up dinner every day, then mom or dad brought dinner to me every single day. Many days, I existed on diet coke, baby carrots, junk food, and that meal.
On the day in question, I had finished my dissertation and my committee chair okayed me doing my defense. We were over our heads in work trying to meet the deadline to start spring classes in the new building. My defense was scheduled for the morning and I had challenged my team all the way along that I was doing my defense from Johnson Hall.
The team got one phone line working in the IT suite on the third floor which had become our base of operations. I balanced my laptop on a card board box while I sat on the speakerphone in the office - with the team milling around in the outer office of the suite going about their business and continuing to try to get the building ready for students just a few weeks later. In my head I was sitting on the floor but there may have been a chair.
My defense went off without any issues and I emerged with the not quite minted title of Doctor Monroe. I went to lunch with my friends Rob, Chris, and Becky to celebrate.
I’ve thought back over that day so many times. I was a first generation college student who was the first in my family to earn a doctorate. I did it in a suite that now bares my name surrounded by people who we did something truly incredible with and who became a second family. I couldn’t have reached that milestone without a lifetime of support (and delivered dinners) from my first family. And, that day paved the way for many more incredible experiences in my life.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to document my memory of that story Russ - whether it’s skewed or not, it’s how I recall it and it is a treasured set of moments.
I’ll answer our second question in the “What I Published” section…
Tools, Tips, & Tricks
Cats
Gayle walked over, sat down next to me, and opened up Google in the web browser on her phone. She typed cat and hit the search button.
Do the same thing (although you can do it on your couch and not next to me). When the results appear, on the right there will be what looks like a cat paw. Click it and see what happens.
Pro top: Close the tab/browser window when you’re done.
Join Me - Getting Started with Obsidian
I am a big fan of the note taking tool Obsidian. I am doing a Tools for Thought Office Hour this Saturday, August 13 from 2 - 3 eastern dedicated to Getting Started With Obsidian. It’s free, but registration is limited to the first 20 people. Register here.
What I Published This Week
I published a few pieces this week - and I’m including our second reader question here:
Three Ways to Keep a Project List in Obsidian - Published on Hive and Medium
A How To Guide for Making Lists That You’ll Actually Use - Published on Hive
It’s My Second Hive Power Up Day - Published on Hive
Three videos in partnership with Gayle on YouTube. On our last cruise, we filmed a set of videos showing how to navigate the Cruise Line’s app which you can’t do until you are on the cruise. Since she and I were together most of the week, we finally got this collaboration done:
Full Tour of the App -
Dining -
Looking Ahead -
Question 2: Why do you publish in so many places and what’s the purpose of all the different publications?
Gayle asked me this question - and it’s one I’m still trying to figure out pretty much every day. But, here is the current function/goal of each place I publish.
Newsletter - This is mostly just a memory outlet for me. It essentially replaced my “blog”. I also try to promote the various activities and tools I use here. This releases every Monday at 8 a.m. eastern.
Personal Website - This is where I put personal blog posts and where I’m starting to build my “tools for thought” brand around Notion, Obsidian, LogSeq, Roam, and more. The goal is one article every week by Friday.
Business Website - This is the landing page for my business where I promote my consulting, coaching, and training efforts. The goal is one blog post every week by Friday.
Medium and Hive - I READ and write on both of these to, most importantly, interact with other like minded people, and to make a little cash (keyword - little). The goal is one article on either platform any time during the week.
YouTube - I publish videos on YouTube (here for personal stuff and here for tools for thought stuff) because I always wanted to learn how to edit video and I believe YouTube still has many opportunities as a learning platform. The goal is one video on either platform any time during the week.
Social Media (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook) - Mostly just used to promote all the activities listed above and interact with friends and colleagues.
What I’m Reading This Week
I’ve been continuing my research on curiosity and I read an online article this week on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I checked out WAY too many books from the library to dig into this topic. I love psychology and this just seems really interesting. Here is the article (How to break the anxiety-fear-avoidance cycle) and the book that I started with is A Liberated Mind.
At the recommendation of a friend, I also started Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur by Cara Alwill Leyba. She also has a podcast and website that I’ve not yet dug too far into but it feels like something I need to hear and read right now..
Diversion
Gayle said the words “Dog Yoga” at one point this week and down the YouTube rabbit hole I went.
The conversation started because I recognize how much flexibility I’ve lost and want to regain and I said, “I need to get back into yoga again.”. Kona is now an integral part of most of my fitness endeavors and this video gives me new inspiration as to how to make him a part of even more of my health and wellbeing routines.
Ways You Can Support Me
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