Away from Keyboard

Away from Keyboard All rights reserved https://changelog.com/afk en-us Exploring the human side of creative work (retired). Host Timothy Smith talks with creative professionals from different industries about the nitty gritty: life, mistakes, burnout, and finding balance while creating satisfying work. Exploring the human side of creative work (retired). Host Timothy Smith talks with creative professionals from different industries about the nitty gritty: life, mistakes, burnout, and finding balance while creating satisfying work. false Changelog Media Changelog Media editors@changelog.com changelog,away from keyboard, afk,designers, developers, creative people, life, mistakes, burnout Support our work by joining Changelog++ Tim Smith Laura Gaetano doesn't want to be a manager changelog.com/11/628 https://changelog.com/afk/12 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:52:19 +0000 Laura Gaetano was born in Italy, and by my count has lived in at least four different countries. Her multicultural upbringing has had a huge impact on her life. In fact, she currently works at the Travis Foundation with a focus on diversity and inclusion. We talk about her upbringing, her troubles with art school, the work she's doing now, and changes that may be on the horizon. full 31:53 false Tim Smith Abi Prado Laura Gaetano Laura Gaetano was born in Italy, and by my count has lived in at least four different countries. Her multicultural upbringing has had a huge impact on her life. In fact, she currently works at the Travis Foundation with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

We talk about her upbringing, her troubles with art school, the work she’s doing now, and changes that may be on the horizon.

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Featuring:

Laura Gaetano – Website, X
Tim Smith – GitHub, X
Abi Prado –

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Adam Clark wants to be independently wealthy changelog.com/11/629 https://changelog.com/afk/11 Thu, 17 Jan 2019 04:13:57 +0000 Adam Clark and I met back in 2013. We started a podcasting company together (which we both left), he shut down his consulting business to move to California and work for Apple, and now he's back in Tennessee. Last year he launched a new business, Podcast Royale, a company he says will afford him more freedom to do whatever he wants to do. He talks to me about growing up in a cult, losing his father, marriage, and how being a parent gives him a purpose in life. full 27:32 false Tim Smith Adam Clark Adam Clark and I met back in 2013. We started a podcasting company together (which we both left), he shut down his consulting business to move to California and work for Apple, and now he’s back in Tennessee. Last year he launched a new business, Podcast Royale, a company he says will afford him more freedom to do whatever he wants to do.

He talks to me about growing up in a cult, losing his father, marriage, and how being a parent gives him a purpose in life.

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Featuring:

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Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Maria Boland Ploessl found her home in technology changelog.com/11/630 https://changelog.com/afk/10 Thu, 20 Dec 2018 18:08:25 +0000 In our last episode of the year, I talk with Maria Boland Ploessl. Maria's path to technology has been interesting to say the least. A Saint Paul native, she studied Spanish and Latin American studies in college. In 2016, after living in a few different cities (even a year-long stint in Brazil), she moved back to Minnesota. Now, she's the Executive Director of Minnestar, a non-profit organization with the aim of supporting and growing Minnesota's tech community. Maria talks to me about what Minnestar does, the work they're doing to bring more people of underrepresented groups into tech, married life and how she's grown from it, and parenthood. full 24:43 false Tim Smith Maria Boland Ploessl In our last episode of the year, I talk with Maria Boland Ploessl. Maria’s path to technology has been interesting to say the least. A Saint Paul native, she studied Spanish and Latin American studies in college. In 2016, after living in a few different cities (even a year-long stint in Brazil), she moved back to Minnesota. Now, she’s the Executive Director of Minnestar, a non-profit organization with the aim of supporting and growing Minnesota’s tech community.

Maria talks to me about what Minnestar does, the work they’re doing to bring more people of underrepresented groups into tech, married life and how she’s grown from it, and parenthood.

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Featuring:

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Jeremy Fuksa is a unicorn changelog.com/11/631 https://changelog.com/afk/9 Wed, 05 Dec 2018 22:22:58 +0000 Jeremy Fuksa has had a rough few years. After deciding to go out on his own, his third year in business was filled with anxiety. Going back to working a full-time job may sound like a failure to some, but Jeremy doesn't look at it that way. He talks to me about his unique skill set, dealing with anxiety and depression, and how his recent experience has taught him some great lessons. full 31:17 false Tim Smith Jeremy Fuksa Jeremy Fuksa has had a rough few years. After deciding to go out on his own, his third year in business was filled with anxiety. Going back to working a full-time job may sound like a failure to some, but Jeremy doesn’t look at it that way.

He talks to me about his unique skill set, dealing with anxiety and depression, and how his recent experience has taught him some great lessons.

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Fastly – Our bandwidth partner. Fastly powers fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Move beyond your content delivery network to their powerful edge cloud platform. Learn more at fastly.com.
Algolia – Our search partner. Algolia’s full suite search APIs enable teams to develop unique search and discovery experiences across all platforms and devices. We’re using Algolia to power our site search here at Changelog.com. Get started for free and learn more at algolia.com.

Featuring:

Jeremy Fuksa – Website, X
Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> New episodes coming in December! changelog.com/11/627 https://changelog.com/afk/two-week-hiatus Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:48:14 +0000 There hasn't been a new episode in a few weeks so I wanted to give you a small update. We'll be back with new episodes on December 4th. bonus 01:06 false Tim Smith There hasn’t been a new episode in a few weeks so I wanted to give you a small update. We’ll be back with new episodes on December 4th.

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Featuring:

Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

If you or someone you know would be a good fit for this show, send an email to afk@changelog.com.

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Eryn O'Neil isn't afraid to speak her mind changelog.com/11/607 https://changelog.com/afk/8 Wed, 10 Oct 2018 17:00:00 +0000 Eryn O'Neil grew up in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. When it came time for college, it was easy for her to move a few states over and go to college in a small town in Iowa. She now lives in Minneapolis, and after years of being self-employed, she just finished a months-long journey to find her next job. Eryn talks to me about being the first female engineering manager at her new company, what excites her about technology, the hurdles of married life, and staying healthy in a demanding industry. full 31:39 false Tim Smith Eryn O'Neil Eryn O’Neil grew up in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. When it came time for college, it was easy for her to move a few states over and go to college in a small town in Iowa. She now lives in Minneapolis, and after years of being self-employed, she just finished a months-long journey to find her next job.

Eryn talks to me about being the first female engineering manager at her new company, what excites her about technology, the hurdles of married life, and staying healthy in a demanding industry.

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Featuring:

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Suz Hinton says find your allies changelog.com/11/602 https://changelog.com/afk/7 Wed, 26 Sep 2018 17:00:00 +0000 Almost eight years ago, Suz Hinton made one of the biggest decisions of her life: move away from her home in Melbourne, Australia and move to the United States. After amicably breaking up with her boyfriend, another decision lied ahead: would she stay? Suz talks to me about culture shock, the hoops she had to jump through to get her visa, her parents, and dealing with burnout. full 28:21 false Tim Smith Suz Hinton Almost eight years ago, Suz Hinton made one of the biggest decisions of her life: move away from her home in Melbourne, Australia and move to the United States. After amicably breaking up with her boyfriend, another decision lied ahead: would she stay?

Suz talks to me about culture shock, the hoops she had to jump through to get her visa, her parents, and dealing with burnout.

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Featuring:

Suz Hinton – GitHub, Mastodon, X
Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Mahdi Yusuf knows being healthy is a constant struggle changelog.com/11/588 https://changelog.com/afk/6 Thu, 06 Sep 2018 11:00:00 +0000 Mahdi Yusuf worked a startup in his twenties and wasn't worried too much about his health. When he quit that job, he decided to take better care of himself and lost fifty pounds. Now, he's the CTO of Gyroscope, a startup that aims to be the operating system for the human body, but ever since joining, has gained weight back. Mahdi talks to me about how Gyroscope is trying to help people understand their bodies better, growing up with a love for computers, and trying to be healthy with a busy life. full 16:26 false Tim Smith Mahdi Yusuf Mahdi Yusuf worked a startup in his twenties and wasn’t worried too much about his health. When he quit that job, he decided to take better care of himself and lost fifty pounds. Now, he’s the CTO of Gyroscope, a startup that aims to be the operating system for the human body, but ever since joining, has gained weight back.

Mahdi talks to me about how Gyroscope is trying to help people understand their bodies better, growing up with a love for computers, and trying to be healthy with a busy life.

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Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Justin Dorfman’s passion is advocating for developers changelog.com/11/571 https://changelog.com/afk/5 Wed, 29 Aug 2018 17:00:00 +0000 After a very difficult 2014 that put Justin Dorfman in the hospital, he vowed to never go back. Justin has Bipolar I disorder, so coming to terms with his limitations and the sacrifices he needs to make to stay healthy hasn't been easy. He talks to me about his early BMX dreams, his transition from engineering to marketing, and the stigma around mental health. full 18:58 false Tim Smith Justin Dorfman After a very difficult 2014 that put Justin Dorfman in the hospital, he vowed to never go back. Justin has Bipolar I disorder, so coming to terms with his limitations and the sacrifices he needs to make to stay healthy hasn’t been easy. He talks to me about his early BMX dreams, his transition from engineering to marketing, and the stigma around mental health.

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Featuring:

Show Notes:

Sticker Mule: Custom stickers

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Jeff Robbins is an actual rockstar changelog.com/11/565 https://changelog.com/afk/4 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 17:00:00 +0000 While some dream of having a successful career, Jeff Robbins has already had several. Once the lead singer and guitarist for Orbit, Jeff has worked on some of the most famous Drupal websites. He talks to me about his early interest in computers, starting Lullabot, and adjusting to life after leaving the company he built and ran. full 31:00 false Tim Smith Jeff Robbins While some dream of having a successful career, Jeff Robbins has already had several. Once the lead singer and guitarist for Orbit, Jeff has worked on some of the most famous Drupal websites. He talks to me about his early interest in computers, starting Lullabot, and adjusting to life after leaving the company he built and ran.

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Hired – Salary and benefits upfront? Yes please. Our listeners get a double hiring bonus of $600! Or, refer a friend and get a check for $1,337 when they accept a job. On Hired companies send you offers with salary, benefits, and even equity upfront. You are in full control of the process. Learn more at hired.com/afk.
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Show Notes:

We’ll be taking a break, and will be back on August 29th. If you or someone you know would make a great guest on the show, send an email to tim+afk@changelog.com.

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Ashley Baxter is excited about… insurance? changelog.com/11/564 https://changelog.com/afk/3 Wed, 01 Aug 2018 17:00:00 +0000 Thirteen years ago, Ashley Baxter inherited the family insurance business when her Dad passed away. Even though she's a talented photographer, and built a successful photography business, the insurance industry kept calling her name. Ashley talks about what excites her about insurance, the challenges of running a business, and how burnout forced her to focus. full 27:34 false Tim Smith Ashley Baxter Thirteen years ago, Ashley Baxter inherited the family insurance business when her Dad passed away. Even though she’s a talented photographer, and built a successful photography business, the insurance industry kept calling her name. Ashley talks about what excites her about insurance, the challenges of running a business, and how burnout forced her to focus.

Join the discussion

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Hired – Salary and benefits upfront? Yes please. Our listeners get a double hiring bonus of $600! Or, refer a friend and get a check for $1,337 when they accept a job. On Hired companies send you offers with salary, benefits, and even equity upfront. You are in full control of the process. Learn more at hired.com/afk.
Fastly – Our bandwidth partner. Fastly powers fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Move beyond your content delivery network to their powerful edge cloud platform. Learn more at fastly.com.
Rollbar – We catch our errors before our users do because of Rollbar. Resolve errors in minutes, and deploy your code with confidence. Learn more at rollbar.com/changelog.
Linode – Our cloud server of choice. Deploy a fast, efficient, native SSD cloud server for only $5/month. Get 4 months free using the code changelog2018. Start your server - head to linode.com/changelog

Featuring:

Ashley Baxter – Website, X
Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

Be a confident freelancer | With Jack
Girl With A Camera | Pictographs of Ashley Baxter’s life.
Ashley Baxter - YouTube

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Away at OSCON changelog.com/11/562 https://changelog.com/afk/away-at-oscon Wed, 25 Jul 2018 17:00:00 +0000 Hello everyone! No new episode this week, since I was away at OSCON last week in Portland. We had a fantastic time. The show will be back with new episodes next Wednesday! bonus 00:33 false Tim Smith Hello everyone! No new episode this week, since I was away at OSCON last week in Portland. We had a fantastic time.

The show will be back with new episodes next Wednesday!

Join the discussion

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Featuring:

Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

If you’re enjoying the podcast, write the show a review on iTunes.

OSCON Portland (2018) | Flickr

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Justin Jackson finds focus changelog.com/11/555 https://changelog.com/afk/2 Wed, 18 Jul 2018 17:00:00 +0000 I first heard of Justin Jackson about six years ago. Back then, he was consulting full-time for a company with the dream of going independent. Fast forward to 2018, and after building a successful business, he's now embarking on a new adventure. Justin talks about his parents, dealing with depression, and a new business he's co-founded. full 27:06 false Tim Smith Justin Jackson I first heard of Justin Jackson about six years ago. Back then, he was consulting full-time for a company with the dream of going independent. Fast forward to 2018, and after building a successful business, he’s now embarking on a new adventure. Justin talks about his parents, dealing with depression, and a new business he’s co-founded.

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Hired – Salary and benefits upfront? Yes please. Our listeners get a double hiring bonus of $600! Or, refer a friend and get a check for $1,337 when they accept a job. On Hired companies send you offers with salary, benefits, and even equity upfront. You are in full control of the process. Learn more at hired.com/afk.
Rollbar – We catch our errors before our users do because of Rollbar. Resolve errors in minutes, and deploy your code with confidence. Learn more at rollbar.com/changelog.
Linode – Our cloud server of choice. Deploy a fast, efficient, native SSD cloud server for only $5/month. Get 4 months free using the code changelog2018. Start your server - head to linode.com/changelog
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Featuring:

Justin Jackson – Website, GitHub, X
Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Jason Snell is his own HR person changelog.com/11/553 https://changelog.com/afk/1 Wed, 11 Jul 2018 17:00:00 +0000 It's been four years since Jason Snell left his job at *Macworld* and started his own site *Six Colors*. In that time, Jason is back to what he loves: creating. He talks about the diversity of his work day, finding the right mix of revenue streams, and taking a break when you need one. full 23:04 false Tim Smith Jason Snell It’s been four years since Jason Snell left his job at Macworld and started his own site Six Colors. In that time, Jason is back to what he loves: creating. He talks about the diversity of his work day, finding the right mix of revenue streams, and taking a break when you need one.

Join the discussion

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Hired – Salary and benefits upfront? Yes please. Our listeners get a double hiring bonus of $600! Or, refer a friend and get a check for $1,337 when they accept a job. On Hired companies send you offers with salary, benefits, and even equity upfront. You are in full control of the process. Learn more at hired.com/afk.
Rollbar – We catch our errors before our users do because of Rollbar. Resolve errors in minutes, and deploy your code with confidence. Learn more at rollbar.com/changelog.
Fastly – Our bandwidth partner. Fastly powers fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Move beyond your content delivery network to their powerful edge cloud platform. Learn more at fastly.com.
Linode – Our cloud server of choice. Deploy a fast, efficient, native SSD cloud server for only $5/month. Get 4 months free using the code changelog2018. Start your server - head to linode.com/changelog

Featuring:

Jason Snell – Website, X
Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

Six Colors: Apple, technology, and other stuff from Jason Snell and Friends
The Incomparable - Smart, funny pop culture podcasts
Free Agents - Jason is no longer a co-host of this show, but the archives are full of awesome Jason-ness
Liftoff
Upgrade

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]> Welcome to Away from Keyboard changelog.com/11/552 https://changelog.com/afk/0 Tue, 10 Jul 2018 21:11:40 +0000 Away from Keyboard is a new show from Changelog that talks to creative professionals about how they do what they do, where they started, and how they deal with the things that make us all humans. As exciting as our work can sometimes be, we all face burnout, a lack of motivation, mental and physical health issues, and more. While these are topics that can be difficult to talk about, our experiences shape who we are and teach us so many things. AFK is a show that explores the human side of creative work. trailer 02:32 false Tim Smith Away from Keyboard is a new show from Changelog that talks to creative professionals about how they do what they do, where they started, and how they deal with the things that make us all humans. As exciting as our work can sometimes be, we all face burnout, a lack of motivation, mental and physical health issues, and more. While these are topics that can be difficult to talk about, our experiences shape who we are and teach us so many things. AFK is a show that explores the human side of creative work.

Join the discussion

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Fastly – Our bandwidth partner. Fastly powers fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Move beyond your content delivery network to their powerful edge cloud platform. Learn more at fastly.com.
Rollbar – We catch our errors before our users do because of Rollbar. Resolve errors in minutes, and deploy your code with confidence. Learn more at rollbar.com/changelog.
Linode – Our cloud server of choice. Deploy a fast, efficient, native SSD cloud server for only $5/month. Get 4 months free using the code changelog2018. Start your server - head to linode.com/changelog

Featuring:

Tim Smith – GitHub, X

Show Notes:

If you’d like to suggest someone for the show, please get in touch.

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

]]>