How I’m Getting a Business Education Without Going to B-School

For several years now, I have wanted to further my professional development in business administration and management. I researched MBA programs and other related certificate programs, but the timing never felt right for me in terms of the time and financial commitments that business school would require, and the other life goals and activities I […]

Your Smartphone Is Stealing Your Brain. Here’s How to Take It Back.

Living in the 21st Century is amazing, and one of the most incredible developments of the past couple decades is the smartphone. I remember watching Steve Jobs introduce the iPhone in 2007. I understood how useful it would be. What I didn’t understand was how that device would change everything for everyone.

Don’t Make it All About Your Cheese!

About a year ago, I took on a new responsibility as a Career Development Manager at Atomic Object. In addition to my normal consultant duties, I now get to work with a small group of people to help them plan out their professional development. I frequently get to have conversations with people about what their […]

2 Design Techniques that Can Make You a Better Influencer

In the decade I spent as a designer, the most important skills I learned weren’t about user interfaces or color theory. They were about working with people—juggling different ideas, priorities, and personalities. Finding a way forward that everyone can agree on. Here are two people-wrangling techniques I still use nearly every day, in my career […]

Why I’m Glad I Switched from QWERTY to Colemak

I recently made the switch from a QWERTY keyboard to Colemak, and I wanted to share my experience so far.

Reviving the Handwritten Thank-You Note: Tips, Tools, and a 4-Sentence Template

I’m pretty sure you already think handwriting thank-you notes is a good move. So why don’t you more often? Does it seem old-fashioned? Too much work? Overly time-consuming? Not sure what to say? Do you associate it with obligatory notes to Aunt Martha, thanking her for your itchy birthday socks?

Creating a Fast, Easy Daily Log with Bear & aText

I am a big note taker, mostly because I tend to be forgetful. No matter how significant or recent a discussion may be, I often forget the details of what was said or decided–unless I take effective notes.

What I Learned from Working 32 Hours a Week

In early November, I helped run the Weekend For Good event as part of the Code For Good West Michigan admin team. The event brought together 120+ volunteers and 14 local nonprofits to help build, rebrand, or update websites. It was scheduled for three straight days, and I was there for all of it. It’s […]

A Love Letter to Slack (or, My Favorite Slack Features)

Dear Slack, We’ve known each other for years now. When we first met, I was excited by how pretty you were. I could customize my theme, add whatever emojis I wanted—even GIFs!— and throw a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ after every message where I just wasn’t quite sure. What more could a girl ask for in a messaging […]

Are You in a Relationship with Your Job?

No matter your profession, if you’re a part of the workforce in the United States, you have at some point been confronted with a seemingly simple question: “Do you love your job?” It is an inescapable phrase, wrapped up in our national psyche along with ideas of the American Dream, the purpose of our lives, […]

Atomic Spin

Atomic Object’s blog on everything we find fascinating.

Personal Optimization