Even at a young age, I knew the power technology could hold, and instead of jumping in with both feet, I fled to the outer banks. I stayed in the safety of design, but don’t think I’m not tempted daily by the possibilities.

Thousands of others sit along this same fence. We are, after all, more connected than ever.

The origin of connect comes from con — “together” + nectere — “to tie”. To connect something is to tie it together.

The critical difference this definition illustrates is that we are no longer just connecting the dots, we’re binding them together. …

Everyone lies.

Your Aunt Martha’s famous pie is secretly famous for the cat hair you’re sure to find on the last bite, but everyone lies and says it’s their favorite. She’s 80 after all, no need to hurt her feelings now.

In business, most marketing is a lie. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is not a superior alternative to real butter, but they make a pretty good case. I mean spraying yellow, salty goo on your toast was pretty convenient and fun as a kid.

As an entrepreneur trying to make it big, white lies come in all forms. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made myself appear larger or smaller to fit a client’s need. Said I knew a software, just to go home and learn it within 48 hours. …

As a relatively new medium writer, I’ve been consuming handfuls of content to better understand the platform. One particular topic that’s caught my attention is “writing for your reader.” In articles and even submission guidelines, the repetition is there to make sure you’re not here to write for yourself but to write for the benefit of others.

Simple right? Well, it is if you employ UX fundamentals. UX is commonly used in industries centered around website, software, and app development, but what if we apply the same concept to our writing?

User experience (UX) focuses on a deep understanding of the user’s roles, goals, and challenges. Instead of using the term “users” in that definition, now replace the word with “readers.” …

The temperature change moving down the cold stairs, the cobwebs tangling your face when least expected, evidence of mice and the musty air enveloping you, all in search of homegrown red gold.

It was spaghetti night at grandmas, but you wouldn’t dare find a jar of Prego or Ragu on her shelves. Occasionally I helped can, or would sit at the counter snacking, as she processed jar after jar. No canning book or manual, just the wisdom passed down.

Watching her then, I would have never guessed I’d be standing in her very shoes years later. The canner passed down from my great-grandma to my grandma to now sitting on my kitchen stove most of the summer months. …

Your brand recently launched a new product. Your consulting agency created an on-demand webinar to support small businesses. You wrote a new eBook soon to be released.

Whatever new concept is coming down the pipeline, you need to prepare for the reveal. The social media posts are scheduled, you called your local newspaper (does anyone still do that?), and now you’re faced with email subscribers. Sitting in front of a blank MailChimp template titled “Hey guys…” with a line pulsing back waiting for what’s to come next.

Whether your list consists of 25 solid people or 25,000, this five-day launch strategy will you gain leads. No more cheesy templates asking people to “check you out.” Over the course of five days, you’re going to show them your solution, tell them why they need it, ease their fears about taking the leap, and then sell. This strategy works regardless of pitching a product or service. All you need is an existing email subscription base and an understanding of who your customers are. …

I could feel my face tense the moment I saw his response was a paragraph and not a sentence. I didn’t even have read the post to find the word “Governor.” At that moment, I knew my community was in disarray.

We all like to play our own narrative as individual states, but together we all face a love-hate relationship with our elected officials. It’s the political season after all. Sometimes I like to pretend that living in rural America, I’m disconnected from the poison, but we’re not.

My community is small. You wave at cars passing by, whether they’re strangers or friends. We host one blinking light, a small grocery store, gas station, kids camp, post office, and park. There’s an Amish feed mill, family-owned greenhouse, and mechanic that work out of his home garage. To me, these are assets, making our community better by adding immediate value to our local population. …

My frugality stems from apathy. I’ll eat the wrinkled grape at the bottom of the fridge and last scrape of cottage cheese before making another trip to the store. I hate shopping.

When the garden is in full swing, I’ll scour plants for anything ripe for the picking. I’ll rummage the cellar for something preserved and comb cupboards to make dinner happen.

I thought I was alone in this mad avoidance until I stumbled upon the perfect phrase coined by Stephanie, from Cook by Color Nutrition — Fridge Foraging. Thanks to her positive perspective, I realized fridge foraging was saving money and time while improving my health and food waste. …

Today’s technology has extended access to countless firms across the United States and internationally. You can choose to work with giant organizations or small studios with just a few clicks of a button. But the question remains, how can you be sure you’re achieving great design while working remotely?

Your best work boils down to basic human interaction. Client relationships.

Great design comes from good clients. Think back to your best work and how you would describe that client relationship. Maybe it was creative liberty or providing insight in a timely manner.

When your client doesn’t understand your process or is unavailable for approvals, it can be hard to reach your full potential. …