Future of Work
Work Doesn’t Have to Make Money to be Valuable

Work Doesn’t Have to Make Money to be Valuable

On a typical evening, you’ll find my husband, Sean, and I on the sofa. We eat dinner and crack up watching the latest Good Mythical Morning episode. After, we move on to whatever television show we’re binging–currently The 100.  I work on a crossword puzzle or...

Always On: The Hidden Labor We Do Every Day

Always On: The Hidden Labor We Do Every Day

On April 11, 2022, over 15,000 Etsy sellers put their shops on vacation mode and went on strike. They spoke out against Etsy’s latest fee increase. They also protested a mandatory marketing program that costs additional fees and the Star Seller program, which tried to...

The Passion Paradigm and the Spectacle of Doing What You Love

The Passion Paradigm and the Spectacle of Doing What You Love

What did you want to be when you grew up? I had a few ideas: pastor, band director, and professor. As a fairly unimaginative kid, I cycled through those three moderately practical options until 20 years old. My mom tells a story about me preaching from the top of our...

The Valuable Business of Maintenance Work

The Valuable Business of Maintenance Work

Let me guess: you're feeling a bit stretched, fried, or tired? You had high hopes after your last reset. You took time away from the pile of projects, tactics, and commitments—only to fall back into the same trap when you got back to work. Why does this happen again...

Overdelivering Doesn’t Help Anyone (And Is Probably Causing Harm)

Overdelivering Doesn’t Help Anyone (And Is Probably Causing Harm)

Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash “Underpromise and overdeliver.” I'm sure you've heard that maxim before. But most of the time I spend money, I don't expect anyone to overdeliver. I expect to get what I paid for. That's really all I ever want. Sure, a little...

What’s the difference between work and play?

What’s the difference between work and play?

Photo by Gloria Villa on Unsplash So much of paid work today doesn’t look much like work. Most of us aren’t making things, filing things, or meeting about things 8 hours a day. There’s networking, education, and creative practice in the mix. And because so much of...

Running A Business Isn’t A Game (Neither Is Life)

Running A Business Isn’t A Game (Neither Is Life)

I've been wearing an Apple Watch since late 2016. At first, I didn't pay much attention to the Activity Rings. The rings represent how much you've moved, exercised, and stood in a day. When I got the Watch, I was objectively inactive. That January, I started to...

Quality Time vs Quantity Time: Measuring What Matters

Quality Time vs Quantity Time: Measuring What Matters

I need time to focus. I'd say it's actually one of my most basic needs in terms of quality of life. Food, shelter, focus. I'm easily overwhelmed by what seem to be conflicting needs or priorities. To be happy, I absolutely cannot do two things at once—let alone...

Money Is A Shared Delusion: Why How We Think About Money Matters

Money Is A Shared Delusion: Why How We Think About Money Matters

“Time is money.” It’s a phrase you’ve heard before. And probably a phrase you’ve accepted as truth. And it’s certainly true that there are plenty of ways that time and money relate to each other. But a few months ago, I started to wonder: Is time really money? And if...

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