Okay Hollywood

A woman I admire.

A friend of mine recently just posted a blog article that had an online community up in arms with debate. I would like to give credit and props to my friend for having the gusto to post such a controversial article, and also how she gracefully defends her opinion on the subject.

Sometimes posting a controversial topic on such a large network, such at Tumblr, can be frightening. The ability to have people criticize, critique and scrutinize your ever word can be terrifying. Things can and will be taken out of context, and this is something you must know going in. Luckily, there are those in the world - like my friend - who are brave enough to stand up to the criticism in order to start the conversation. The world cannot positively move forward if people are too concerned about stirring the pot. 

Surprisingly (and appreciatively), the feedback from the article has been mostly positive. The community has backed her, provided their own relating personal stories and been overall very supportive. People are also understanding that this is an opinion piece, that she felt a certain way about the issue and was brave enough to post about her experience. Hopefully this debate can be used in a constructive manner to push new change upon the community. 

Unfortunately, there has also been a bit of negative feedback to her opinion piece. Some comments were crude and thus reinforced (and demonstrated) her position on the topic. I am a big believer in having a voice and being able to disagree, but with tact. You need to have evidence or at least have thought through your argument carefully before putting words out into the world. Just saying “I disagree” doesn’t cut it. You tell me why you disagree and then I’ll listen to your viewpoint. Perhaps this open discussion can broaden my thoughts on the issue - as well as yours. 

I don’t think enough people put their perspective out there for fear of others scrutiny. My friend - my courageous, brave and undaunted friend - hopefully has set a new standard for voicing how you feel without fear. Do not be afraid to have an opinion. Do not be afraid to be disagreed with. Do not be afraid to start a conversation.

Do not feel as though your thoughts don’t matter. They do more than you know. Stir the pot people!

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Working from a Coffee Shop

Coffee shops have a great atmosphere and a hip vibe. They [usually] provide free wi-fi and are full of people toting laptops and books, ready to take on the world with their words.  When I say coffee shop - do you automatically think Starbucks? If you did, you’d be thinking of the wrong type of coffee shop my friend.

Last week the team and I met up at a coffee shop armed with our laptops, ready to do some work. Normally we just come to the office, so this was a very nice change of pace in a different part of the city. The decor of the coffee shop we went to was totally 80’s - decked out with lunchboxes along the shelves, old toys and gadgets scattered throughout the place and even DeLorean parked right inside the front door. Luckily there were tables with enough outlets (phew!) and couches to relax, get comfy and do some work while sipping on some Chai Lattes.

While at this new location, we also got to venture out at lunchtime and taste test some new foods and restaurants we wouldn’t normally have been privy to. I had my first experience eating Thai food - and I loved it! I now want to eat it all the time, and wouldn’t have this urge if we didn’t work off location today.

Overall, it was a great change of pace to work in a coffee shop as opposed to the office. It opened up new opportunities that we wouldn’t have the privilege to experience otherwise. Perhaps this a nonchalant reference to get out of your comfort zone from time to time - you may stumble upon something you love! (like Thai food!)

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Working from home

I have had the luxury to work from home the past two weeks. At first, my family was in town - so I was crazy busy running around trying to get the house clean and the rooms ready. Then the family was in town and it was spent exploring La Grange and downtown Chicago, as well as many trips to Home Depot.

Once they left though, things calmed down - way down. I then missed coming into work. I wondered what I would do to fill up my day between waking up, doing work and going to sleep. I missed having a sense of something to do, even if it was just the routine of getting up, getting on the train and going downtown. 

Luckily, I found things to fill my time or else boredom probably would have killed me. You can only sit on the couch in your bathrobe watching tv for so many days. But then, I found an activity, that I have started to rather enjoy.

….I joined a gym.

Normally, the gym is not something you get excited about. It is not normally something you even want to do, but feel obligated to do. With my extremely free/flexible/open schedule, going to the gym has been a nice addition to my day. It helps to fill the void in between waking up, spending hours doing work, and making food for the boys.

You must be thinking, what kind of wondergym did she join that she enjoys going to work out!? It’s a normal gym, nothing fancy and in the next town over. It has a pool and a rock climbing wall and has classes in the morning and evening that are included in your monthly fee. For me, these are all new additions from the last gym I went to. It has like 1,000 machines in its warehouse like building. The staff is super nice and there are always towels for you to wipe down. It is a complete upgrade from my last gym.

I think I also like it so much because I can go in the middle of the afternoon while everyone is at work. I love having the flexibility to work out and then do work - or vice versa. I’m not stuck somewhere and then feel obligated to go to the gym once I get home from work. Going during the day when I feel like it doesn’t make it feel like a chore. This is supremely helping me get into the groove of going to the gym and enjoying it, which I think will keep me on track in the long run.

Working from home has given me the opportunity to do things in the order that I want to, rather than I “have” to. It lets me choose my lifestyle, I don’t let it choose for me.

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Misconceptions about Software

Before working at a software company, I was that pain in the butt user who wanted everything and wanted it 5 minutes ago. I certainly didn’t know much about what happened on the other end of my screen so I had a couple misconceptions before walking into the industry. Here is what doe-eyed Sara thought before she turned into a SuperHero…

- Time: As a consumer you don’t realize how much time or how many people it takes to create an update, let alone an entire new application. There are not enough hours in the day to get updates and new releases to the customers as fast as they want them. Seriously, there aren’t.

- Bugs: Yeah, you get frustrated when the application doesn’t do what you expect it to. The developers don’t like this either. They may not know that this bug is happening. It may only happen on your computer, with your settings and the keys you push all at the same time that would never happen on another user’s computer. Report it! Developers want to fix everything, so give them details and let them jump on it.

- Making Feature Requests: The developers love hearing what the users would like to see their app/program do. They appreciate a well thought out description and what you would use it for instead of “I’d like the option to make things pink.” I get it, your favorite color is pink, but if the app is about studying DMV traffic signs- there is nothing pink about that. Make your request useful and relevant and you may very well see your request in the future!

-Emailing Customer Support: When you send a support email, you want a response to your email immediately. I know I was that way before working as a Support SuperHero. Now I realize that my email is not the only email the company got that day. In fact, it is one of hundreds and those hundreds were probably sent before mine. It takes time to give all the users exceptional customer service. Wait your turn - a great company answers each and every email they get. 

-The Website: Yes the website is provided for customers to find out more about the product and/or purchase it. The website is also there to try to answer as many questions as you have as quickly as you think of them, so you don’t have to wait for an awesome support staffer to write you back. The website is your friend. I repeat, the website is your friend.

- Cost: A lot of users think that all software should be free. In a perfect world, it would be. In reality, a lot of time, effort and staff has put genuine hard work into making the result amazing. You also have to think about the same support team we talked about under the emailing section. Replying to a high volume of emails with detailed answers requires full time attention on top of also creating (especially if you are the support team AND developer). Developers may also need to purchase items to test their app with (ex: iPods, iPhones etc) and when technology changes, they need to purchase the latest technology to make sure everything still works correctly.

-On Demand: You want a response and you want it now. You never take into consideration that it is midnight on a Friday of a Holiday weekend. We understand you want your answers, but we would like you to also understand that developers and staffers don’t work 24/7. They have lives, and families and have fun - and this does not detract from their willingness to want to help you and create better software. It is important to have balance in your life, regardless of what you do. 

There is a lot more things I learned, but Tumblr won’t have enough room for all the other bloggers in TumblrLand if I keep going on. In a nutshell, I thought that it didn’t take a long time to create software. Little did I know how much is involved in creating a masterpiece. Developers are like artists - the code is their muse and the application is their Mona Lisa. Leonardo Da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 and didn’t finish until shortly before he died in 1519. I would say be grateful it doesn’t take 16 years to create a great application and be happy someone out there is creating these helpful tools for you!

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New Year Resolution 2011

Happy New Year Tumblrs!

It’s time to bring on those New Years Resolutions. Every year we (or at least I know that I) make outrageous goals that by the first week of February, have already given up or forgotten about. This year my goal is to make an ambition that I can stick with, and I think I know just what it is…

As a Support SuperHero, someone is always projecting a question mark into the sky asking for my help. These requests come at all hours of the day and night, since a lot of our users are not in our time zone or even our continent. As a helper, I feel the need to answer every email I receive the second I receive it. As you can imagine on my days off and weekends… they aren’t really days off or weekends if I am still doing work!

In thinking of that revelation, my New Years Resolution is to separate work time and play time. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my job, but I may be too obsessed with the need to help people at all hours. So now when I am at work, I will give it 200% of my time, devotion and expertise. When I am at home, I will no longer constantly check my support emails and write back to  users on my Saturday nights. I will use my home time to enjoy time with family, catch up on old movies and have some good ‘ol quality personal “me” time.

“Work hard and play hard. But don’t confuse the two.”  - Author Unknown

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Recruiting 101

In the next few weeks we are going to be going to colleges to do interviews for our software developer position. I got to do my first round of giving interviews last week, and let me tell you - it’s extremely different being on the other side of the table!

Some things I learned from being the interviewer, not the interviewee:

* Be excited. I repeat, BE EXCITED!

* Always dress to fit the occasion. Do your research on if the company is suit & tie or laid back.

* Bring in copies of all paperwork (resume, references, cover letter).

* Have a strong handshake. Don’t be afraid to practice it beforehand to get it right!

* Give somewhat lengthy answers. We can’t ask follow up questions if you don’t give us anything to work with!

* Do research on the company. They WILL ask what you know - so know something!

* Have good questions for the end of the interview. Asking about vacation time and benefits is not the kind of questions I am referring to. ( Yes, I was asked this!)

* It is crucial to write a thank you email within 24 hours. 

All in all, you need to make a really great first impression. The first 5 minutes of your interview will make or break you in a recruiters eyes. Now, I’m not saying this to scare anyone. I’m saying it so you know to bring your A++ game!!

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Raced for the Cure!

Next years goal: 

Raise even more money. Recruit more team members. 

Train Harder. Run Faster. Kick more butt.

On Saturday September 25th at 8am, FadingRed Raced for the Cure Against Breast Cancer. It was so amazing to see how many people had signed up for such a great and meaningful event! The amount of positive energy was amazing, and the vibe really got you pumped up and ready to go. You could feel the raw, powerful emotion crashing through the sea of pink that morning. It was unbelievable.

Once the race started, it was waves upon waves of pink literally taking over Downtown Chicago. Watching the thousands of people running down Michigan Avenue while the sun was fulling rising was a sight in which I can not even describe. As the 10k runners ran along side the 5k runners, the spirit was there. Everyone was encouraging and cheering everyone else on. There were men dressed in all pink bodysuits, women wearing tutus, carrying pompoms, dogs decked out in pink and tons of homemade team race shirts. Everyone was showing their support to the point where even the police and traffic conductors were cheering us on!

I think the most profound moment of my race, was when I was less than a mile from the finish line. I was just about to run under the bridge at South Columbus Drive, when I saw an older woman decked out in all pink standing at the top. She was waving down at me with the biggest smile on her face. I waved back and at that moment she mouthed “Thank You.” I immediately knew she was a survivor and was touched beyond belief. 

It really hit me at that moment why I was there. Why all these people were there. What raising money can do and will do for the future. How important it is to raise awareness. How easy it is to raise awareness. How every dollar counts. How easy it is to touch the lives of others. You just have to try. You have to believe.

You can make a difference. 

Everyone can make a difference.

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Email Etiquette - Why is it important?

Email has overtaken the most common forms of conversation via businesses and their clients. “88 percent of all Internet users in the US use email. This makes email the most popular Internet activity” (http://www.effective-time-management-strategies.com/email-etiquette.html).

A user can access the companies webpage at any hour of the day and send them an email. Many companies will reply to you that day, or within the next day. Since information is so easily available at a users fingertips, there are still some rules for sending a proper email.

• Remember that an actual person will be handling your complaint and to be nice. No matter how angry you are, be mindful that there is a small chance it was the support persons fault.

• Be sure you are including all relevant details that are needed to understand your request or point of view. Generalities can many times cause confusion and unnecessary emails in the future asking for clarification.

• Be sure the Subject: field accurately reflects the content of your email. If you are communicating with someone who receives hundreds of emails per day, the subject line tells the recipient what they need to know right away.

• Always end your emails with “Thank you,” “Sincerely,”  “Best regards” - something! 

• If you are using a joint email address, sign your name at the bottom so not to be confused with the name attached to the email.

• Before getting upset because you think someone didn’t respond, check to see if their reply was sent to your Trash or Junk folder.

• People frequently request an immediate response via email. Be mindful that many people have meetings, go on trips or do not check their email every 10 minutes. Keep in mind business hours of the company in which you are emailing.

• Do not yell, swear or threaten the person on the other end of the email. They will not appreciate it. Remember, you get more bees with honey than vinegar.

• Be sure to actually read the response of the person in which you inquired answers. No one likes having to retype the same information again or write “see previous email” because the recipient skimmed their response. 

• Before completing a Web site’s Contact form; make an effort to review the site to be sure the information you seek is not already available. Most of the time, companies will have a FAQ section.

 

It is important to remember your email is communicating not just the message, but who you are. Like all communications, email is remembered and usually saved in an archive if ever needed again. With some care your email will be remembered for the good reasons, not the bad.

When it comes down to it, companies want to keep you a loyal and happy customer. They want you to tell their friends and spread the word about how much you love their product. While all of these tips may take a little more time and effort, it makes it worth it (for both you and the company) in the end. 

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Karma

As I was walking into work yesterday, I saw a homeless duo of teenagers sitting outside on the sidewalk. I, like most folks in Chicago, briskly walked past them as I did not have any change on me. Then again as I was walking in this morning, I saw the same girl in the same spot, only this time she was drenched as it was raining all night and she had nowhere to go. She had to be no more than 14 years old.

I walked up to the girl this morning, and asked her if she wanted a donut. I was bringing Dunkin Donuts into the office today and thought it would be a kind gesture to offer the girl one, as she was most likely hungry. Never in my life have I seen a persons face light up like this girls did this morning. She was so excited and so appreciative to have something to eat. You’d think I just told her she won the lottery.

It made me think about how often we take advantage of the little things in life. Having something to eat, a place to stay, somewhere dry to sleep. I think it’s something that you never really appreciate its full value…. until you no longer have it anymore. 

So I ask all of you… on this dreary Wednesday, to reflect on the little, “simple” luxuries you have in life, and be thankful for them.

There is always someone who has it worse off than you.

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